I recently had the honor of preaching to more than 17,000 students at the Motion Student Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, hosted by Church of the Highlands. What I encountered was not a typical youth rally. It was a prophetic activation of a rising generation.
I did not witness apathy or rebellion. I witnessed a generation crying out for truth, clarity, and authenticity. I saw a generation yearning for identity, committed to integrity, and determined to make an influence rooted in Christ.
Identity. Integrity. Influence. These three words echoed through the auditorium and down into the hearts of thousands of students who are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Identity
In Judges 6, we find Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress, doing the right thing in the wrong place out of fear. The angel of the Lord shows up and calls him a “mighty warrior” right there in the pit. God did not wait for Gideon to come out of the pit to define him. God defined him so he could come out.
Generation Z is discovering identity not in culture but in Christ. Their identity is not based on likes or followers. It is not rooted in trauma, trends, or ideology. It is grounded in the unchanging Word of God. Christ defines them.
This generation is no longer defined by fear, failure, or confusion. They are defined by redemption, covenant, and purpose. They are children of the cross, fruit of the empty tomb, and products of the upper room.
As I declared to them, “You are not where you are. You are not what others did to you. You are who God says you are. Jesus defines you.”
Integrity
God told Gideon to tear down the false altars of his father. The first thing Heaven asked of him was to confront compromise and establish purity. This was not about performance. It was about integrity.
When your integrity is greater than your influence, nothing can stop you.
Gen Z is learning to live not by performance but by principle. They are not impressed by platform. They are hungry for presence. They are tearing down altars of addiction, anxiety, relativism, and confusion. They are building altars of truth, prayer, holiness, and peace.
This generation is not afraid to confront the lies spoken over them: That they are the most non-Christian generation. That they will reject biblical truth. That they will abandon morality. That they will bow to confusion. At Motion, those lies came down. I watched a generation demolish false altars and build new ones to the living God.
Influence
After Gideon’s identity was affirmed and his integrity established, he was sent to rescue Israel. His influence came after his alignment.
When your identity is in Christ and your integrity is sustained by the Holy Spirit, your influence will change the world.
Gen Z is not waiting for someday. They are answering the call now. I saw it. I heard it. I felt it. This generation is stepping out of the winepress to lead families, plant churches, speak truth, and bring revival. They are not victims. They are warriors.
They are the firewall against wokeness, cancel culture, Marxism, and moral decay. They will stand when others bow. They will build when others burn. They will declare the name of Jesus when others stay silent.
This generation is not here to occupy space. They are here to change the world. The Spirit of the Lord is upon them. They carry the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. They are filled with fire, truth, and love. They are Gideons rising up from the winepress.
This is not a generation in crisis. This is a generation in revival.
Generation Z is the answer to our prayers.
Pastor Samuel Rodriguez is the lead pastor of New Season, one of America’s most influential megachurches, and president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which represents millions of Christians worldwide.
