‘This Is The First Time I’ve Felt Hope’ - The Message
07 Feb 2023

‘This Is The First Time I’ve Felt Hope’

From day one, Respect ME has been all about tackling the hard issues young people today face, and breaking down the lies that media and the society tell them about how they should behave and think about themselves.

With Christian values at its heart, each truth-packed lesson helps young people see their value, giving them a hope and a future. Lauren (one of our Respect ME tutors) shared some of what God has been doing!

‘In one school, I shared how God had totally transformed my life from one where I was looking for love, value and worth in people and places until I hit rock bottom and tried taking my life. But when I was in that place, God totally stepped in and rescued me.

‘As I was speaking, I noticed three girls who were really engaging with my story, and felt like God was prompting me to chat to them a bit more. So after the lesson, I grabbed the opportunity to invite them to the end of week gig where they came and heard great music from our bands as well as the gospel. As they heard more about the love, hope and peace Jesus offers, all three of them responded! One even found me at the gig saying, ‘This is the first time I’ve felt hope!’ How incredible!

‘In another school, myself and Henry were running sessions for Year 11s on Sex And Relationships. We asked the group, ‘what does the media teach us about sex?’ One lad replied straight away saying ‘the media teaches, particularly lads, to be violent and aggressive towards women because of pornography, but I hate this and want to see this change.’

‘We were amazed at his boldness to share this in front of his class and after the session, the teacher got chatting with us saying, ‘The students loved the session and I heard many of them saying they’re not going to watch pornography again.’ Yes! This is what it’s all about – sharing the truth with young people about who Jesus says they are and to show them there is a better way and hope with Jesus!’