Texas Youth Summit

SAVE THE DATE 🇺🇸
Texas Youth Summit is back.

🗓 October 9–10, 2026
📍 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott

Last year, 3,500+ students showed up — and we’re going even bigger.

✅ Students attend FREE
🎟 Adults can purchase tickets

Early registration is now OPEN.

👇
texasyouthsummit.com/events

The Crucifixion by Chet Collins

Matthew 27: 22-66
Friday morning around 9 AM, while thousands filled Jerusalem preparing for the Sabbath and festivities, the lamb of God was being crucified for the sins of the world on the outside of the city, on a lonely hill called Golgotha.
Some of his disciples were hiding for fear, women that had followed Jesus stood afar off, and Roman soldiers mocked him and gambled for his robe at his feet.

For the next several hours, Jesus endured the agonizing suffering of the cross, a death that ultimately leads to asphyxiation.

Prior to the crucifixion, He had already been brutally beaten—receiving the lashes of a scourging whip that tore His flesh open. His beard had been plucked, and a crown of thorns had been pressed into His head. As He was mocked and humiliated, Isaiah had prophesied that His appearance would be so marred that He would be unrecognizable ( Isa 52:14).

For many hours Jesus suffered; Suddenly an eerie darkness covered all the the land for three hours. An earthquake shook the ground and split rocks in two. In the midst of that darkness and suffering, Jesus cried out in Aramaic, words recorded in Matthew: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” In that moment, He bore not only physical agony, but also the weight of humanity’s sin.
As the sinless Son of God, He experienced the depth of human suffering and the separation that sin brings.
Then, after declaring, “It is finished,” Jesus cried out again and gave up his spirit and died.

At that very moment, the veil in the temple—the thick curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple—was torn from top to bottom. This signified that through His death, Jesus became the once-for-all sacrifice, opening the way for all people to have access to God through Him (Heb. 10:19, 20).
Those who witnessed these events were deeply shaken. The Roman centurion, who was overseeing the crucifixion along with the soldiers under his command, observed the darkness, the earthquake, and all that had taken place. In response, they feared greatly and said, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).

And then, in a remarkable and often overlooked detail, Matthew records that after Jesus’ resurrection, the tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints—likely Old Testament believers—arose and went into the holy city of Jerusalem appearing to many (Matt 27:52, 53).

All of these events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection point to the central truth: the resurrection confirms the validity of everything Jesus accomplished on the cross. His death was not the end, but the fulfillment of His mission—to bear our sins, to provide righteousness, and to open the way for eternal life with God.

Devotional from Texas Youth Summit Chaplain Chet Collins:

Passing the Baton: Why Generations Need Each Other

In Psalm 71:18, David, the great Warrior King who defeated Goliath and established the most powerful kingdom of that day, makes a powerful prayer near the end of his life:
“Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”

David understood that his life was not complete until what God had done in him was passed through him to the next generation. He didn’t want to simply finish well—he wanted to leave a spiritual deposit in those coming after him.
This is not just David’s personal desire; it is a biblical principle.

The Value of the Older Generation
The older generation offers more than theory—they offer experience. Experience includes lessons learned through hardship, faith tested in real-life storms, and wisdom forged over time. Scripture affirms this repeatedly, even instructing that older women should teach younger women (Titus 2), and Paul training Timothy. God designed maturity to pour into youth.
David’s goal was not to be admired for his past, but to impart strength to the future.

A Message for Millennials and Gen Z
Today’s younger generations are growing up in a world filled with uncertainty, fear about the future, and constant instability. Jesus told us the world would be troubled—but He also promised to be our peace.
That is why it is so important to seek mentors, learn from spiritually grounded people, and allow those with experience to speak into your life. There is great wisdom in learning from people who have already walked through seasons you are just beginning.

At our son Christian’s wedding (CEO and founder of TXYS), a young man he grew up with shared something meaningful. He said, "though my lifestyle was different than Christian's, he has always been a stability in my life.”
That statement reveals a powerful truth: godly influence brings stability, even in uncertain environments.
Jesus Christ is our anchor in a turbulent world.

Building a Personal Relationship with Jesus
I want to encourage you to take time each day—even five minutes—to open your Bible, read and pray quietly in your heart. Choose a translation you can understand, such as the NIV, and begin reading. The book of John is a good place to start if you've never read the bible. A personal relationship with Jesus is developed through time, sincerity, and consistency.
Church is good, worship is powerful, and community with others matters—but building a personal relationship with Jesus comes first.

Grounded in Biblical Values
Through Texas Youth Summit, we’ve seen that true leadership and influence are strongest when grounded in Judeo-Christian principles. Many who have excelled politically and professionally are also deeply spiritual. Our foundation matters.

A Final Encouragement
Like David, may we not finish our lives without first showing God’s strength to this generation and His power to the next. And to the younger generation: seek wisdom, value experience, build your relationship with Jesus, and surround yourself with people who strengthen your faith.
God works through generations.

A sobering and hopeful reminder as we enter 2026 from Chaplain Chet Collins of Texas Youth Summit:

The Charlie Kirk Effect

Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

As we enter 2026, let us remember what followed Charlie Kirk’s assassination on September 10, 2025. In the aftermath, a wave of spiritual revival swept across the United States and into other parts of the world.

At Charlie’s memorial, more than 100K people gathered. The gospel was preached by J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio, and others, all giving glory to God for Charlie’s life. In a moment that moved the nation, Erica Kirk, with tears in her eyes, publicly forgave her husband’s killer.

That fall, church attendance increased by 15 percent. Bible sales rose by more than 1 million copies. Stadiums filled with Gen Z and Millennials seeking God, many for the very first time. The Texas Youth Summit saw an overflow crowd of 3,500 packing the event, with young adults and even politicians lifting their hands and worshiping God like never before.

So remember, no matter what you have gone through or what you are going through right now, God has a way of bringing you out on top if you turn to Jesus in faith. Stay strong. Stay in the fight. God has good plans for you.

Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”