Mike Potts: Laying it Down for the Teens, By Adam Spacht

Posted December 3, 2001

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
1 John 3:16

Many people sacrifice and lay down their lives in the process of helping someone become a disciple of Jesus. People such as parents, Kids Kingdom teachers, pre-teen teachers and teen leaders all sacrifice and deny themselves to help teens live their lives for God.
Mike Potts Mike Potts is a teen leader who has been "laying it down" to help the teens. Mike, a relatively new teen leader, has been giving it all for God and the teens and it is truly inspiring to watch. In addition to his full time employment as a computer programmer, Mike puts in many hours studying the bible, teaching and being a friend to the teens in his care.
Mike leaves our house (we're roommates) around 5:30am to go workout with his discipler as part of the "Body for Life" program. After a physical workout that includes much spiritual guidance, Mike heads to the office for a busy day. Regularly he then drives to either the west side of town or the Fairfield area (we live in Milford) to pick up or spend time with a teen. Rarely is Mike home before 9:00pm.
As a fellow teen leader I notice that Mike always has several teens in his car at activities or church. He often asks more experienced teen leaders for advice and direction regarding caring for his guys. I can't recall him ever missing a teen activity in the six months he's lived in Cincinnati.
In addition to all of this work, Mike is constantly praying (sometimes a little too loudly!), reading his bible and talking about how God is working. He is quick to address issues in his heart or frustrations he is having. Even though he is experiencing the transition from collage to working life and trying to learn the ropes as a teen leader, he has never complained or whined about the stress or effort involved.
As a roommate, fellow teen leader and friend, Mike inspires me with his love for God and his response to the cross through his desire to "lay it down" for the teens!