HOW TO RELATE TO TEENS (PART 2) Pastor TR Cannon To relate to teens you need to understand what questions they are asking themselves. The three primary questions are: 1. Who am I? 2. What beliefs will I adhere too? 3. What’s my destiny? We covered the first question this morning...scroll down to find it. Who am I? Now for the second question: What beliefs will I adhere to? This has to do with their value system of living. Who’s authority will they accept. 1. Will I reject what my parents believe because they preach it but don’t live it. Will I reject what any authority says including the police. Will I yield or rebel against the status quo. Whose rules will they follow and buy into. What kind of lifestyle will they choose. Whether they will follow wisdom from above or below. Think about this: James 3:13-18 : Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. There are many types of value systems screaming at the kids of today. check it out: Choose the pursuit of money! Choose the pursuit of fame! Choose the pursuit of fortune! Choose the pursuit of pleasure! Choose the pursuit of the ultimate party! Choose the pursuit of education! Choose the pursuit of God! Choose the pursuit of work! Choose the pursuit of sports! Choose the pursuit of self! Choose the pursuit of causes! Choose the pursuit of rebellion to society! This is why Deut. 6 tells us to teach our kids about God and what he has done in our lives their whole life. Deut. 6:1-25: 1These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 10When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 13Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah. 17Be sure to keep the commands of the LORD your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 18Do what is right and good in the LORD’S sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers, 19thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the LORD said.20In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?” 21tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22Before our eyes the LORD sent miraculous signs and wonders—great and terrible—upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. 24The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” I know this a long read but you MUST Impress them on your kids. Discuss them with your kids. Communicate! Let them see what you believe by living it. Let them see them in your decorations at home. 5. Let them observe them at home through your actions. Don’t let them see you follow other gods and adhere to contrary beliefs. Let them here your testimony. Let them ask questions and you answer them! This is an important point in teens life that you help them understand what they believe and why. Not just what you believe but that they come to understand and then embrace it themselves. We have explored the second question teens ask now lets look at question three. In the morning I will post Question #3...WHAT IS MY DESTINY? TO BE CONTINUED>>>PT
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 00:43:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015