14-year-old Caleb Svangren delivers a powerful sermon about finding friendship in God at his church.
God often speaks through young people in ways that touch our hearts deeply. When I see someone like Caleb sharing God’s word with such clarity, it reminds me that God’s power works through people of all ages. His message hits home because many of us know what it feels like to be alone or rejected.
Caleb opened his message by gratefully acknowledging his parents and pastors who gave him the platform to speak. He then shared a raw, personal story from his seventh-grade football experience.
During every bus ride to games, he would sit alone while his teammates walked past his empty seat.
“Every single bus ride to the games, I’d have an empty seat next to me. And I’d look at them and they look at me and they look at the empty seat and they just keep on walking,” he recalled.
This painful memory transformed into a beautiful revelation when, during a prayer encounter, he envisioned Jesus rushing to sit beside him on that bus.
Based on his personal experience, Caleb shared three key points that spoke to everyone in the room.
First, he warned against the danger of isolation after rejection. “Just because you’ve been rejected by the world because you’re unstained does not mean that you shouldn’t fit in,” he said, reminding us that God created each personality with purpose. He grounded this point in Proverbs 18:1, showing how isolation can lead us away from wise judgment.
The heart of his message focused on how much God wants to be our friend. Quoting Jeremiah 3:19, Caleb painted a picture of God’s fatherly love: “I would love to treat you as my own children!”
Caleb explained that God is jealous because He knows He is what’s best for us. He encouraged the congregation to invite Jesus into their empty seats and empty hearts, reminding them of God’s promise in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Caleb then challenged his listeners to become active friends to others. He introduced the concept of being a “friendship leader” – someone who takes initiative in relationships. “Maybe you have to be the friendship leader. Maybe you have to be calling. You do the checking in. You do the listening,” he explained. He supported this with John 15:13‘s powerful truth about sacrificial love.
“I went out to find a friend but could not find one there, I went out to be a friend and friends were everywhere.” Caleb concluded with a compelling question: “How many times has your Father in heaven been the one in the bus seat waiting for you to sit down next to Him?”
When we face moments of rejection or loneliness, let’s remember Caleb’s powerful message. God waits eagerly to fill our empty seats and heal our hurting hearts. His friendship transforms us and enables us to reach out to others who feel alone.
Through Caleb’s testimony, we see that age doesn’t limit our ability to share God’s truth and touch lives. His message reminds us that in our loneliest moments, we’re never truly alone – our Heavenly Father runs to sit beside us.
WATCH: 14-year-old Caleb Svangren Preaches About Finding Friendship in God
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