Temptation and Practical Application

So this weekend marks the start of a new series at REALife called “The Battle Within…understanding temptation.” I want to encourage you to make sure your son or daughter is here for this series. Students face temptation on a regular basis. They are inundated with websites, images, words, movies, relationships, and so much more that can either drive them towards God or away from God. Unfortunately in the world of teenagers many of these things drive them away from God. We are taking a deeper look into temptation these next few weeks to see what it is, how it effects us, and what to do about it in our lives.

But during this series I need your help. I am teaching about overcoming temptation in our student’s lives, but I need you to help me practice this with your son or daughter. Are you ready for some practical application of helping them overcome temptation in their lives? Warning: this is going to be tough.

One of the biggest temptations that face a majority of our high school guys (and girls for that matter) is pornography. I want to encourage you to click on the following link and read how pornography affects the lives of men both now and in their future relationships. Share this article with your son AND DAUGHTERS… girls struggle with this too, and if your daughter doesn’t struggle with it she will eventually date or marry a man who has struggled with this temptation.

CLICK HERE for the Link

And here are some questions to aid in your conversation with your son or daughter. As you enter this conversation, remind your son or daughter that you love them no matter what, and encourage them to be real with you. Here you go:

Do you currently view, or have you ever viewed pornography? When, where, and how did this happen? (Wow! Can you imagine yourself being this direct? In my years of youth ministry I have learned that being direct is the only way to get a direct answer.)

Is this something you currently struggle with, and if so can I help you overcome this temptation in your life? (FYI Parents… ask me if you need direction on installing parent protective software on your computer)

What did this article teach you about the dangers of pornography?

What steps do you need to take to ensure that pornography doesn’t destroy your life?

 And one last word of encouragement from the One who can help us conquer any temptation that comes our way:

1 Corinthians 10:13

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Camp High

Imagine this...

You are a teenager. You go away for a weekend with a bunch of your closest friends. You're separated from your computer, your TV, your video games, your homework, your hectic schedule, and the rest of your regular world. You take part in four different worship services where you praise God and hear about how to make Him a bigger part of your life. Your friends and other leaders at camp encourage your faith non-stop for about 50 hours straight. Say hello to the Camp High. This is the feeling where the only thing that matters to you is God. The only thing you want to do is worship. The only book you want to read is the Bible. The answer to every question is "Jesus." You get the picture. It's an amazing feeling, and you hope that it never ends.

Then you go home.... back to the same computer, same TV, same video games, same homework, and same crazy hectic schedule you always had. This wane in spiritual enthusiasm is tough on high school students. They miss the excitement, and they start to feel bad that they don't have the same passion for God that they had at camp. Right now is about the time our students will be feeling this way. We took a large majority of our students to our Fall Retreat a little more than a week ago, and that Camp High is about to dwindle.

That's where we come into the picture. While encouraging the church in Thessalonians 5, the Apostle Paul writes to them "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Our students need us to encourage them in their faith. The Camp High is not designed to last forever, but students need to have that encouragement in their faith from adults and parents who care about them. We can't let them move from a world where they get that encouragement non-stop to an environment where they don't get that encouragement at all.

So let's take Paul up on his advice, and let's intentionally start a spiritual conversation with a student today. Let's encourage them where we see God working in there life and challenge them to give Him more of their life. Let's give our students a reminder of the Camp High as a way to encourage them to grow closer to the God that didn't just stay at camp, but is with them every moment of every day.