We are starting a new series this weekend at REALife called "The Cross." This is the perfect lead-up series to Easter, where we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as He saved us from our sins. But Jesus never intended for His cross to be taken up alone. While Jesus was the only one who could save us from our sins, He tells us in Matthew 16:24 “...Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." During this series we will be discussing with our students what it looks like to live a life of sacrifice. Jesus gave everything He had for us, and there will be somethings in our lives that we will have to give up for Him. This will be a great series, so make sure your son or daughter doesn't miss it.
Please also take advantage of our Parent Cue for this series, which gives the main point of each session along with follow-up questions to discuss with your family. You can download it off of our website by CLICKING HERE.
Please also remember that our Easter at Verizon service at Meck is coming up on April 8 where your family can serve together or get baptized as well. Check out our previous blog post on this topic by CLICKING HERE.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Important Details
As we finish up or series "Picture Perfect" about families this week, I need to make sure you are aware of two very important pieces of information.
(1) S'CAMP (REALife Summer Camp) registration is now open, and spots are filling up. This is the most popular event we do with REALife, so head to our Events Page, scroll down, and register for S'CAMP. You can also head to that page to find out more information about the trip.
(2) This year we are opening up our Easter at Verizon service for baptisms. Baptism is the action recorded in the Bible as the celebration and outward expression of commitment in which every Christian is to take part. I will be explaining this to our students over the next several weeks, but I want to encourage you to explore this option for anyone in your family who is a Christ-follower, but who has not been baptized. You can email us with more questions about baptism, or you can register to get baptized by CLICKING HERE.
(1) S'CAMP (REALife Summer Camp) registration is now open, and spots are filling up. This is the most popular event we do with REALife, so head to our Events Page, scroll down, and register for S'CAMP. You can also head to that page to find out more information about the trip.
(2) This year we are opening up our Easter at Verizon service for baptisms. Baptism is the action recorded in the Bible as the celebration and outward expression of commitment in which every Christian is to take part. I will be explaining this to our students over the next several weeks, but I want to encourage you to explore this option for anyone in your family who is a Christ-follower, but who has not been baptized. You can email us with more questions about baptism, or you can register to get baptized by CLICKING HERE.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
We Are Fam-i-ly
We are in the middle of a series about family at REALife called "Picture Perfect". We're discussing from a Biblical perspective what family is, how to relate to each other, how to handle conflict within family dynamics and more.
No family is perfect. I shared last weekend how when I was younger family dinner for me consisted of grabbing our plates and plopping down in from of the television to watch The Simpsons. I know that all of our families have our good moments, but I am sure that the good memories for all of us are littered with the unfortunate memories of fights, bikering, frustration, and misunderstandings. Family is messy sometimes, and there really is no getting around it. Put three to five (or more) people in a single house and before too long they will get on each other's nerves.
I am challenging our students in this series to take their faith and apply it close to home. Families are told in the Bible to apply their faith to their family life. To sum up the first few verses of Ephesians chapter six, children are to obey their parents while parents are to love their children and not be overly hard on them. In this way the whole family unit is challenged to show the love of Jesus to each other. So much or our ministry focusses on how we relate to the culture around us, which is great. We need that teaching and guidance. But here are some points and questions that I want to encourage you to discuss with your son or daughter during the coarse of this series. I hope and pray that these lessons your son or daughter hear will help bring peace and unity to your family.
(1) God created family. He founded it and designed it. What are the positives that can come from a family functioning in a Biblical way (Ephesians 6:1-4; Deuteronomy 6:1-8)?
(2) God has put us in our family for a reason. What is your role in your family? Parents, are you asking your children about their faith and encouraging them to pursue God in their lives? Children, are you respecting your parents and treating your siblings with love and encouragement?
(3) No family is perfect. There will be conflict. How will you show love and grace to the people you live with? Are there relationships that need to be restored? How are you going to take the first steps towards unity and reconciliation in your family?
No family is perfect. I shared last weekend how when I was younger family dinner for me consisted of grabbing our plates and plopping down in from of the television to watch The Simpsons. I know that all of our families have our good moments, but I am sure that the good memories for all of us are littered with the unfortunate memories of fights, bikering, frustration, and misunderstandings. Family is messy sometimes, and there really is no getting around it. Put three to five (or more) people in a single house and before too long they will get on each other's nerves.
I am challenging our students in this series to take their faith and apply it close to home. Families are told in the Bible to apply their faith to their family life. To sum up the first few verses of Ephesians chapter six, children are to obey their parents while parents are to love their children and not be overly hard on them. In this way the whole family unit is challenged to show the love of Jesus to each other. So much or our ministry focusses on how we relate to the culture around us, which is great. We need that teaching and guidance. But here are some points and questions that I want to encourage you to discuss with your son or daughter during the coarse of this series. I hope and pray that these lessons your son or daughter hear will help bring peace and unity to your family.
(1) God created family. He founded it and designed it. What are the positives that can come from a family functioning in a Biblical way (Ephesians 6:1-4; Deuteronomy 6:1-8)?
(2) God has put us in our family for a reason. What is your role in your family? Parents, are you asking your children about their faith and encouraging them to pursue God in their lives? Children, are you respecting your parents and treating your siblings with love and encouragement?
(3) No family is perfect. There will be conflict. How will you show love and grace to the people you live with? Are there relationships that need to be restored? How are you going to take the first steps towards unity and reconciliation in your family?
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Unbalanced
We are currently in a series called Waiting, Dating & Mating where we are discussing issues related to love, sex and dating. I get such great feedback from the students on this series and it goes a little something like this:
Here's an clip from the movie "Mean Girls" to show my point: Click Here
Here's where I believe the church most often misses the point when it comes to talking about sex with its youth. We demonize it. We suppress it. We avoid the topic completely. And even more shockingly, we don't think scripturally about it. Look at these passages about sex in the Bible:
This is a small selection of positive descriptions of sex in the Bible. How often do we advertise the negatives about sex, such as STD's, unplanned pregnancy, heartbreak, etc. without bringing up the positives about sex to our youth? Now, I'm not saying that explaining the negative effects of mis-using sex should be tossed out the window, but what kind of message does it give our students when we place so much emphasis on the wrong way without explaining the Godly way? The answer is an unbalanced view of sex that does way more harm than good.
Let's be honest here. You cannot cut the sexual feelings/thoughts/actions out of an adolescent teenagers life (just think back to your teenage days and I think you'll agree with me). Their bodies are changing. Their hormones are raging. So why do we try to go at it in that way? Rather, what I recommend is to establish open conversation about sex. Here is an example of a positive conversation you can start to have with your son or daughter about sex. I hope that this will be a step in the right direction to helping our youth begin to see sex in a pure and positive light the way God intended it to be.
Read Genesis 2:18-25. Discuss these questions:
1) Why do you think that the solution for the loneliness of man was woman? How are man and woman amazing companions for each other?
2) How difficult do you think it was for Adam to be lonely, waiting for physical companionship in his life? How was God's provision for Adam a sign for us to patiently wait for His provision in our own lives?
3) In what ways does sexual intimacy "unite" a man and woman together? How does this deepen the relationship of a husband and wife?
4) Since we read here that God created sex for man and woman in the context of marriage, how do you think God views sex? Do you believe He created it as a positive or negative aspect of our lives?
"Every other church I've been a part of says sex is dirty, gross and wrong. Don't do it.
But when you're married it's beautiful and awesome. This doesn't make sense to me."
"I came in expecting this to be a series of what not to do.
Instead it's a series on how to do things right."
Here's an clip from the movie "Mean Girls" to show my point: Click Here
Here's where I believe the church most often misses the point when it comes to talking about sex with its youth. We demonize it. We suppress it. We avoid the topic completely. And even more shockingly, we don't think scripturally about it. Look at these passages about sex in the Bible:
God created sex as a blessing
Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number..."
It is to be enjoyed
Proverbs 5:18-19 "Enjoy the wife you married as a young man! Lovely as an angel,
beautiful as a rose - don't ever quit taking delight in her body. Never take her love for granted!"
It is a commandment
1 Corinthians 7:3 "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife,
and likewise the wife to her husband..."
This is a small selection of positive descriptions of sex in the Bible. How often do we advertise the negatives about sex, such as STD's, unplanned pregnancy, heartbreak, etc. without bringing up the positives about sex to our youth? Now, I'm not saying that explaining the negative effects of mis-using sex should be tossed out the window, but what kind of message does it give our students when we place so much emphasis on the wrong way without explaining the Godly way? The answer is an unbalanced view of sex that does way more harm than good.
Let's be honest here. You cannot cut the sexual feelings/thoughts/actions out of an adolescent teenagers life (just think back to your teenage days and I think you'll agree with me). Their bodies are changing. Their hormones are raging. So why do we try to go at it in that way? Rather, what I recommend is to establish open conversation about sex. Here is an example of a positive conversation you can start to have with your son or daughter about sex. I hope that this will be a step in the right direction to helping our youth begin to see sex in a pure and positive light the way God intended it to be.
Read Genesis 2:18-25. Discuss these questions:
1) Why do you think that the solution for the loneliness of man was woman? How are man and woman amazing companions for each other?
2) How difficult do you think it was for Adam to be lonely, waiting for physical companionship in his life? How was God's provision for Adam a sign for us to patiently wait for His provision in our own lives?
3) In what ways does sexual intimacy "unite" a man and woman together? How does this deepen the relationship of a husband and wife?
4) Since we read here that God created sex for man and woman in the context of marriage, how do you think God views sex? Do you believe He created it as a positive or negative aspect of our lives?
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Waiting, Dating & Mating
This past Sunday marked the start of our Waiting, Dating & Mating series. I love this series for several reasons:
1) Students get excited to talk about sex.
2) I get to dispel myths and rumors that our culture tells our youth about sex.
3) God's gift of sex for our enjoyment can be a blessing when done right and curse when misused. I want to teach our students how to make it a blessing.
We will be in this series for the next few weeks, and please email me or call me at the church if you have questions related to the content, or if a question comes up with your son or daughter that you would like help answering.
For now, I want to give you a little insight. I gave our students the opportunity to anonymously text in their questions about sex and relationships. While all of these questions will still be anonymous, I want to share their questions with you so you can see what's on their minds. Use these questions as conversation starters with your students during this series.
-Do you consider looking at other women with lust cheating?
-What if you are engaged, is it okay to have sex then?
-Are fetishes bad?
-Is it awkward on your honeymoon?
-What about female masturbation?
-Is it awkward the first time?
-Do you believe sex includes making out with someone?
-Do you believe asexuality exists?
-What if who you are dating has already had sex or has an STD?
-How do you defend not having sex to your peers?
-What if you don't get married?
-How do you balance your love for someone with your love for God?
-How do you change the way you think about people sexually? Is there a strategy?
-Is oral sex considered sex?
1) Students get excited to talk about sex.
2) I get to dispel myths and rumors that our culture tells our youth about sex.
3) God's gift of sex for our enjoyment can be a blessing when done right and curse when misused. I want to teach our students how to make it a blessing.
We will be in this series for the next few weeks, and please email me or call me at the church if you have questions related to the content, or if a question comes up with your son or daughter that you would like help answering.
For now, I want to give you a little insight. I gave our students the opportunity to anonymously text in their questions about sex and relationships. While all of these questions will still be anonymous, I want to share their questions with you so you can see what's on their minds. Use these questions as conversation starters with your students during this series.
-Do you consider looking at other women with lust cheating?
-What if you are engaged, is it okay to have sex then?
-Are fetishes bad?
-Is it awkward on your honeymoon?
-What about female masturbation?
-Is it awkward the first time?
-Do you believe sex includes making out with someone?
-Do you believe asexuality exists?
-What if who you are dating has already had sex or has an STD?
-How do you defend not having sex to your peers?
-What if you don't get married?
-How do you balance your love for someone with your love for God?
-How do you change the way you think about people sexually? Is there a strategy?
-Is oral sex considered sex?
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
New Days Resolution
We stared 2012 with such great intentions. We were fired up... passionate... ready to make 2012 something far greater than anything we've ever experienced before. But by now we've all had enough time for it to happen. We've missed a day. We've forgotten. We were just too tired. We messed up again. However we word it, the resolution we wanted to define 2012 is gone and we're not even two weeks into the new year.
I'm not writing this to discourage you. I want to propose a different perspective on resolutions.
Proverbs 24:16 says "The Godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked."
God is not a "one strike and you're out" kind of guy. It's so encouraging to read in the Bible that God already knew that we would fail, we would mess up, we would sin. This verse in Proverbs is not an isolated passage. God in His infinite wisdom knows that life is tough and we may trip up.
High school students know what it's like to trip up too. They get bad grades on tests. They wreck the car. They spill on the carpet. They lose things. I don't have high school aged kids of my own, but I'm around them enough to know that, for the most part, they tend to have something in common. I have parents ask me why their son or daughter doesn't talk to them about their problems, and I can honestly say that most teenagers I talk with don't go to their parents because they don't want to disappoint them, not because they are scared.
Now let's go back to Proverbs. I find it interesting that the Bible describes a person as "Godly" who messes up seven times. In my mind, that adjective doesn't fit in this context. But to God, what's important is not whether or not we trip up. What's important is whether we get back up again.
How can we encourage our students to get back up again? How can we be there for them? Encourage them? Give them space and freedom to make a mistake but being close enough to help pick them back up again?
So to all who have already tripped up on those resolutions... Today is a new day. We don't have to wait until 2013 to make a new resolution. Resolve right now to get back up again, and tell your son or daughter how "Godly" they are when they do the same.
I'm not writing this to discourage you. I want to propose a different perspective on resolutions.
Proverbs 24:16 says "The Godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked."
God is not a "one strike and you're out" kind of guy. It's so encouraging to read in the Bible that God already knew that we would fail, we would mess up, we would sin. This verse in Proverbs is not an isolated passage. God in His infinite wisdom knows that life is tough and we may trip up.
High school students know what it's like to trip up too. They get bad grades on tests. They wreck the car. They spill on the carpet. They lose things. I don't have high school aged kids of my own, but I'm around them enough to know that, for the most part, they tend to have something in common. I have parents ask me why their son or daughter doesn't talk to them about their problems, and I can honestly say that most teenagers I talk with don't go to their parents because they don't want to disappoint them, not because they are scared.
Now let's go back to Proverbs. I find it interesting that the Bible describes a person as "Godly" who messes up seven times. In my mind, that adjective doesn't fit in this context. But to God, what's important is not whether or not we trip up. What's important is whether we get back up again.
How can we encourage our students to get back up again? How can we be there for them? Encourage them? Give them space and freedom to make a mistake but being close enough to help pick them back up again?
So to all who have already tripped up on those resolutions... Today is a new day. We don't have to wait until 2013 to make a new resolution. Resolve right now to get back up again, and tell your son or daughter how "Godly" they are when they do the same.
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