The Apostle Paul was talking late into the night. He was in a third story room with the church at Troas for what he believed would be his last message. I suppose he must have felt like every word was essential. Luke wrote that Paul “talked on and on” (Acts 20:9). One of the teenagers, Eutychus, was sitting in the window. Probably the First Century equivalent of leaning back in his chair. He fell asleep. Paul was preaching for the last time in Troas and the teenage guy fell asleep. Typical. I’ve been in youth classes when someone fell asleep while they were leaning back against the wall and ended up crashing to the floor. Falling asleep in a third-story window is a bit more hazardous. Eutychus slid out the window and fell to his death. Fortunately, God used Paul to restore life to him. I’ve warned teenagers before that I wasn’t sure I could do what Paul did so they had better not sleep during my lessons.

Do you wonder what Paul thought? I mean, how do you think Paul felt that one of the young heroes of the Troas church slept through his heart-felt lesson . . . the last he would give? I wonder if he felt like he would have spent his time better if he had gone to town and taken in a movie. If you have been in youth ministry very long, you have probably experienced what it is like to spend hours praying over, studying, and planning a lesson . . . only to be met by yawns and questions like, “How much longer is this lesson going to be?” How do you keep doing youth ministry when that is the response of your youth?

First, let me assure you that we have all been there. If the Apostle Paul couldn’t keep a teenager awake for his lesson . . . if Jesus could teach the disciples and have them completely miss the point . . . if compassionate Barnabas could take his teenage cousin on a mission trip only to have him bail out and go home when things got tough, then we are in good company when our teenagers are unresponsive. Over and over again, God called out his people for being “stiff-necked.” Times are not really all that different. Churches . . . even youth groups . . . are still filled with stiff-necked people.

Second, check your motives. I know, you got into youth ministry because you love teenagers and want to see God working in their lives. That’s a good motive, right? Truthfully, the right motive for doing youth ministry is that God has called you to it. Like Jeremiah, you share truth with teenagers because God gave you the truth . . . whether they listen or not. Know that your Heavenly Father is pleased with your obedience even if your teenagers would rather be watching “Hannah Montana.”

Third, keep your sense of humor. Your teenagers probably don’t mean to discount your efforts when they fall asleep in your class. They assume you know they were up all night playing some game that had them crashing their cars into street lamps. Tease them instead of railing at them. It will usually win them over.

Finally, be faithful. Don’t give up. Don’t quit preparing. Don’t deflate. And don’t allow the enemy to convince you that your work as youth leader is having no fruit. Trust God. Pray. And value every moment you get to spend with students. Trust that God will use his word to tender their hearts in his time.