Pastor B Culture, Oakwood, Students

Connect With GOD

CONNECT WITH GOD

Ever Wonder About God?

Have you ever wondered about God? You’re not alone. Most everyone comes to a point in their life where they wonder about God —whether He exists, what He’s like, and what He wants from them.

These are important questions. And if you just watched the Life in 6 Words: The GOSPEL video, you’ve gotten a glimpse of what the Bible has to say about these questions. Here’s a brief summary of what you just heard on the video:

 

You can find a more comprehensive explanation of these six truths here.

Just think, the God of the Universe longs for a personal relationship with you that’s available through Jesus’ work on the cross!  How can you enter into this amazing new relationship with God?

You can start a new relationship with God NOW!

The Bible tells us that our heart and soul are transformed when we put our trust in Jesus.  This decision to trust Christ launches you into a new relationship with God.  So, while saying a prayer isn’t what opens the door to this life-transforming relationship with God, a prayer is one way for you to express your new-found faith in Jesus. You might say something like the prayer below.

READY TO TRUST IN JESUS?

“Dear God, I know that my sins have broken my relationship with you and that nothing I could do could ever change that. But right now, I believe that Jesus died in my place and rose again from the dead. I trust in Him to forgive me for my sins. Through faith in Him, I am entering an eternal relationship with you. Thank you for this free gift! Amen.”Did you just place your faith in God through His Son Jesus? (And clicking “yes” on the button below isn’t what saves you either…only faith in Jesus.)

Yes!- I placed my faith and trust in JesusI’m not ready yet

By placing your trust in Jesus alone to pay the price for your sin and open the doorway for you to receive the free gift of eternal life, a life in Christ that starts now and lasts forever.

Is there anything holding you back from putting your faith in Jesus right now to give you eternal life? If so, you can learn more here.

– See more at: http://www.lifein6words.com/connect-with-god/#sthash.qQVPPyWo.aGwmcjec.dpuf

Pastor B Culture, Students

What is Your Mockingjay?

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What is Your Mockingjay?

Have you ever found yourself unintentionally involved in a conflict? Or perhaps you involuntarily started a skirmish, and now you face a battle that you’re not sure you’re going to win?

If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, then you know a bit about what it must feel like to be Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. After being willing to sacrifice herself to save her younger sister, who would have been a totally vulnerable and inexperienced fighter, she has transformed into a formidable warrior who is capable of leading a successful rebellion against a very corrupt system.

She (literally) shattered the Hunger Games, and now Katniss will be the rallying point for the Districts’ attempts to overthrow their oppressors.

But I don’t think that’s what she wanted…

And neither would we—right? Like Katniss, we all would rather just have peace and be with friends and family in a stress free environment. Unfortunately, neither our world, nor The Hunger Games world, is set up that way.  So, we would be wise to—like Katniss—find our own personal Mockingjay!

In The Hunger Games, the Mockingjay is a symbol of rebellion towards the Capitol and a mockery of their failed attempts at spying on the Districts. To Katniss, it is a reminder of what she is fighting for and how vulnerable she is in the war she never wanted in the first place.

So what is your Mockingjay?  In other words, what symbolizes your commitment to the spiritual war we fight in every day and reminds you that we can never get comfortable or lose our focus on THE Cause of Christ? Look, I am with those of you that long for a more comfortable and conflict free life, but hey, whether or not we asked for it, when we trusted in Jesus for salvation, we joined the fighting forces of rebellion against the gates of Hell itself!

Personally, I’ve chosen the Cross for my Mockingjay. It is a symbol of rebellion towards the spiritual forces of darkness that wreak so much death and destruction in our world, and it reminds me of the astonishing vulnerability of Jesus Christ. He is the God of the Universe, yet He was born in a stable. But more than that:

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8, NLT).

Jesus’ death and resurrection started a war for the souls of all mankind. Like the Capitol, Satan wants to maintain control over the world and keep all his subjects in complete subjugation, but God left us here when we were saved so that we can help take down the kingdom of darkness!

So I have a cross in my car to remind me to pray for my friends and family when I’m driving.  I have a cross at my desk to encourage me to fight the good fight against the world, the flesh and the devil each and every moment.

I even have a cross in my bedroom to remind me that Jesus is the reason I have breath in my lungs and a fire in my heart to serve Him from the beginning to the end of each day.

Many of you need a “Mockingjay,” and might I suggest you choose the cross of Jesus Christ, as well? Not as a religious symbol, but rather as a rebellious representation against the sinful patterns of this world. Looking to the cross will keep your heart, soul, mind and strength focused on Christ and His cause each moment. And if you are looking for worlds of encouragement to get in the battle, let these words wash over the deepest part of you:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

 

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

 

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died (Galatians 6:14.).

So if the Hunger Games motivates you to fight injustice, find your Mockingjay and get in the battle for THE Cause!

 

Sometimes having a symbol can really be helpful in reminding us of what is truly important, and nothing is more critical than THE Cause of Christ! This week, think through what might help you stay focused in serving Jesus.

 

PRAY: Jesus, thank You for humbling Yourself and dying on the cross so we could live forever with You. While we remain in earth, help us keep our eyes on You and our hearts committed to THE Cause
READ: Mark 8:34. Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”
GET: Dare 2 Share: A Field Guide to Sharing Your Faith. This practical, how-to “survival manual” serves as a ready reference for relationally sharing your faith. Throw it in your backpack for easy access to the invaluable faith-sharing tips and tools you’ll find in this practical, real world resource. Features profiles on various belief systems, including compliments and conversation starters that will help you open up honest, authentic spiritual dialogue.

 

LEADERS: Be sure to check out the Discussion Guide for this week’s Soul Fuel – What is Your Mockingjay? located at the bottom of the page at this link!

Donate now to support Soul Fuel!

 

 
Pastor B Culture, Students

Your Best Worst Day Ever?

Your Best Worst Day Ever?

What’s not to like about a 42-page book with a 10 word title?  And since 1972, over 4 million people have way more than liked—they’ve adored—Judith Viorst’s classic work, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

If you’ve not had the pleasure of reading this story, the title obviously gives it away.  A normal kid named Alexander had what seems like an abnormally awful day.  But what I appreciated about Viorst’s original tale is that it focused on the fact that everyone has a bad day now and then, and mood shifts actually are as normal as the sunrise and sunset of each day.

“It’s during those “Very Bad Days” that we wrestle with the question of “why does God allow this?””

But when Alexander’s story goes through Disneyfication and onto the big screen, you get all the bells and whistles of slapstick comedy topped off with a dash of Freaky Friday supernaturalism and schadenfreude.  All in all, a clean and fun-filled family affair, but it may leave you with the longing for every terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day to wrap up as neatly as an 88 minute film.

Alas, most of the time, they don’t.  The stinging pain and aching memories of unfortunate events linger, and weigh our hearts down as though they were attached to a ball and chain.  And for followers of Jesus Christ, bad days seem even worse, given the fact that God is supposedly on our side—right?

And it is during those “Very Bad Days” that we wrestle with the question of “why does God allow these things to happen?”  Or more specifically…

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO ME???

The car breaks down, the relationship breaks up.  The depression reappears as my joy disappears.  Old habits and addictions become new problems again.  The news is bad, and the future looks worse.

In short, for some reason the God who made us and loves us allowed the terrible, the horrible, the no good, and the very bad into our day.

Now theologians and philosophers have wrestled mightily and waxed eloquently for centuries regarding this question, and unless you have private access to the eternal and unsearchable mind of God, you will struggle to find the answers as well.

The movie attempts to offer a response in the form of  “hard times are mitigated when we have family to support us,” but I believe there is a an often missed principle offered up from God’s Word that addresses this issue on a much deeper level:

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

“When we go through difficulties, there is a definite purpose awaiting us down the road.”

We may never know the ultimate reason that God allows suffering on this side of heaven, but one thing is certain, when we go through difficulties, there is a definite purpose awaiting us down the road.  From this verse, we know that when we have terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, it equips us to help someone down the road who is going through the same stuff!

Think about it…when you have been down about life, how amazing is it to meet and connect with someone who cannot only sympathize, but empathize as well.  No two trials are exactly the same, but what a blessing it has been to me to hear from someone who has walked the same road of trial, and come through it.  And when they share their story with me, it helps heal the painful memories in their lives, as well.

I know we all want easy answers and quick solutions to life’s problems, but until Disney completes its world domination, that just ain’t gonna happen folks.  However, the next time you feel like Alexander, don’t wish hard times on the people who seem to have it all together, rather remember that God is preparing you to help someone in need in the future.  And consider also that the suffering you endure can also be a testimony for THE Cause, because when the world sees you handle difficulties with patience and faith in Christ, it will open the door for you to talk to them about the Man who endured the greatest agony of all.

And that could be your best worst day ever!

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

Bad days come and go, and when they do, rather than question what God is doing, think about the ways He will use you in the future to help those in need of encouragement.

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray: Jesus, give us the perspective from Your Word that teaches us to patiently endure difficult times so we can help those in need in the future.  Give us also the eyes to see whose who are suffering so we can share our journey with them.

Read: 1 Peter 5:10. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.

Get:  Reverse…Live Differently. In the Old Testament, Daniel is a clear example of someone who experienced a whole string of no good, horrible, very bad days. But he didn’t let it stop him from living a life that brought incredible glory to God. Pick up a copy of Reverse today! This 21 day student devotional based on the life of Daniel will help you see for yourself how God can redeem the tough stuff in life and use us to impact our world for Him!

Pastor B Culture, Oakwood, Students

ABOUT THE ARTIST: LECRAE

ABOUT THE ARTIST: LECRAE

lecrae_anomaly_album_cover620x345

“People struggle with categories. Categories make us feel comfortable because it’s how we make sense of things in our minds,” Grammy-award winner Lecrae Moore ponders. But sometimes, when you discover something really special, it defies category. Lecrae finishes his thought, “Sometimes, there’s transcendence.”

Remaining true to his beliefs, Lecrae is an artist that redefines mainstream popular culture. Thematically, one can find inspiration, faith and honesty in his music. But it’s more than that and yet it is quite transparent. If Oscar Wilde was correct when he said, “Most people are other people, their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation,” it’s simple to understand the easy attraction to Lecrae. In a sea of indulgent music, he’s swimming against the tide embracing all the things that make him the man he is, including his faith. And at the heart of it all, Lecrae is pleased to share the secret to his success. He explains, “I just have to have integrity and be true to who I am and what I believe in. Music doesn’t need to be categorized. It just needs to be good.” Now on the cusp of his seventh studio release, Lecrae is at the climactic crossroad of his career.

For the past few years, Lecrae has been the epitome of transcendence. What started as a practical approach to mentoring the youth population at a local juvenile detention center has led to a worldwide mission. As an artist, Lecrae has nearly reached the pinnacle of success. He’s released six bestselling albums and two mixtapes, won a Grammy award in the process and landed a global distribution deal with Red Distribution/Sony Music for the record label he co-owns, Reach Records. In 2010, Lecrae released the critically acclaimed album Rehab. It debuted in the Top 20 on the coveted Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. By 2011, Lecrae released a follow-up album, Gravity, scoring the #1 pole position atop the Rap Album and Independent Album charts and debuting at #3 on the Billboard Top 200. He’s since performed at the BET Hip Hop Awards, contributed to Statik Selektah’s mixtape and collaborated with a litany of hip-hop veterans and producers. In between albums, Lecrae produced and released Church Clothes, his own mixtape, hosted by radio legend Don Cannon. It featured production by Boi-1da, 9th Wonder, S-1 and Street Symphony, an indication that Lecrae’s positive message has been well received by his contemporaries. In fact, the mixtape earned a double platinum rating and debuted at #10 on iTunes.

As a result of his musical growth, Lecrae was invited to join the legendary touring hip-hop festival, “Rock the Bells Tour,” in 2013. He united with a lineup of hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim and Common and fan favorites Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole and Juicy J. He then released, Church Clothes 2, the follow-up to his massively successful first mixtape. Again hosted by Don Cannon and executive produced by Street Symphony, it features collaborations with B.o.B., Houston native Paul Wall, Novel, Kevin Ross, Crystal Nicole, King Mez and label mates Derek Minor and Tedashii. Guest production courtesy of Grammy-award winning producers Boi-1da, David Banner, ThaInnaCircle, Dirty Rice and Tyshane round out the mixtape’s collaborators.

Get tour dates for Lecrae here

The message of his music has attracted everyone from the kid in his basement making beats to the editors of some of the biggest publications in the world. Lecrae embraces the discovery and views it as an opportunity. “A mentor told me years ago, ‘Lecrae you’re not in the widget and gimmick business, you’re in the people business. As long as you take care of people, they’ll take care of you.’ So we’ve always looked at it as if we’re not trying to sell CDs, we’re trying to take care of people – Give them messages of hope and inspiration. Some people put content over art and the art suffers even though they may have a great message. Some people put their art over the content and that may win for the moment. It may be the summer jam, but it doesn’t live with people for the rest of their lives. If you make great content and art and hold them up high, it stands the test of time,” Lecrae reveals. But he doesn’t want his music to be limited to people of faith. He explains, “If someone feeds a homeless man, you don’t know why he’s doing it, but the homeless person still appreciates the food. People want to feel what you believe and not just hear it. So let’s talk about fatherlessness, let’s talk about incarceration. Let’s celebrate a relationship or a marriage or a child being born. Let’s talk about social issues. Sure, I have a paradigm that I see the world through, but we all relate to those things and that’s where we connect.” And with the look of a man with a plan, he leans in and whispers, “When you influence the influential that’s when you can begin to change culture.”

Recently Lecrae co-headlined the highest selling tour in the country, “Winter Jam.” According to Pollstar, “Winter Jam” sold over 557,000 tickets making it the #1 tour in the country beating major tours by Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Disney on Ice and Elton John. Touring in front of a half million fans gives Lecrae quite the voice of a generation. But Lecrae didn’t stop there.
Lecrae also finds time to mentor professional athletes. ESPN reported:

“It turns out that Lecrae, who specializes in Christian hip-hop and recently dropped his sixth studio album, “Gravity,” is highly sought after by players around the league — and even team chaplains — for his prayer sessions. Lecrae either does them at the arena or stadium or the visiting team’s hotel, typically starting two hours before the game and lasting 45 minutes. They’re usually scheduled when Lecrae is in a certain city performing, or when there’s a game featuring a team with whom he has a good relationship. Since initiating his chapel services last year, free of charge, he’s developed relationships with Team USA men’s basketball and the Kings and Timberwolves in the NBA; the Giants, Falcons and Buccaneers in the NFL; and the Yankees, Braves, White Sox and Diamondbacks in MLB.”

Lecrae’s personal friendships with athletes such as Jeremy Lin and Bubba Watson and many others is a testament to his philosophy and belief in positively influencing the influential.
With great coverage in Time Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, XXL Magazine, Vibe Magazine and a Huffington Post Magazine cover, Lecrae is accomplishing his humble goal realized back when performing for juveniles at the detention center.

He is currently recording his seventh studio album, titled Anomaly, which is scheduled for release this September 9th.

Pastor B Culture, Students

What I Learned From the ALS Challenge

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A weekly teen devotional that you can use with your students as a small group curriculum, Bible study, Sunday School lesson, or to help them in their personal quiet time. Topically driven, these devotions help your students keep the gospel central in their lives and provide practical ways to bring their faith up with their friends.

What I Learned From the ALS Challenge

Millions of people, with probably billions of ice cubes, are chilling out and ponying up to help find a cure for a horrible and fatal disease.  ALS was first diagnosed over 75 years ago, and yet it remained in the shadows of obscurity until a courageous young man named Peter Frates decided to champion awareness and expedite a cure for it.

Peter Frates is a man who could have (and justifiably so) given into the diagnosis and lived out his remaining years in a slow progression to its end.  Instead, he lives every day to the fullest, pouring all the heart and soul he can muster into finding a remedy for the enemy that has stricken him at such a young age.

“You can overcome obstacles and make your life count.”

While a level of controversy swirls around the ethics of stem cell use that ALS research is funding, Frates’ determination to pursue a greater purpose as he lives each challenging day has definitely grabbed our attention.

But I know someone even more remarkable when it came to facing the pain and trails of His life on this earth. Listen to this description of Jesus Christ our Savior:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;then you won’t become weary and give up(Hebrews 12:1-3, NLT).

Jesus knew that His days were numbered, and that the end was going to be shameful and agonizing.  But rather than resign Himself to self-pity and sullenness, He set His gaze on the life that His death would provide for all the world and the joy of saving humanity.  The Bible says that He even “disregarded” the shame of the cross, which author John Piper brilliantly pictures Jesus expressing this way:

“Listen to me, Shame, do you see that joy in front of me? Compared to that, you are less than nothing…You think you can distract me. I won’t even look at you. I have a joy set before me…You are a fool, Shame. You are a despicable fool. That abandonment, that loneliness, this cross —these tools of yours—they are all my sacred suffering, and will save my disciples, not destroy them. You are a fool. Your filthy hands fulfill holy prophecy.

Farewell, Shame. It is finished.”

—From John Piper, DesiringGod.org

“Remember how much of an impact you can make for eternity by simply sharing your faith.”

So what about you?  Are you trapped by shame, or still wallowing in sullenness because of your circumstances?  You can overcome obstacles and make your life count.  Just remember to keep your gaze fixed on Jesus Christ, who endured more than anyone had or ever will—all for the sake (and the likes) of you and me.

What are you willing to sacrifice for the ultimate cause—THE Cause Jesus has called all of His followers to—sharing His message of grace and making disciples who make disciples. What if passionate, committed Christian teens initiating conversations with their unreached friends went as viral as the Ice Bucket Challenge? We’d see millions find the cure for their fatal spiritual disease—life apart from a relationship with Jesus

You know the cure! It’s time to spread the word!

 

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

When you think about all the good that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is accomplishing on an earthly level, remember how much of an impact you can make for eternity by simply sharing your faith and praying for your friends who don’t know Jesus!

 

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray: Father, we pray also for all those who suffer from the disease of sin, and we thank You that the cure has been accomplished through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Read: Romans 5:3-4. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

Get:  Reverse…Live Differently. This 21 day student devotional is a great way to head into your new school year with your focus on making your life count for God! Because Reverse is all about living with a God-focus in a me-focused world.  The way God designed us to live—in relationship with Him. Knowing Him and making Him known.

Discussion Guide for Leaders

Big Idea: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has rallied millions to a cause, and is a great reminder that as Christ followers, we’re call to an even greater Cause—THE Cause of Christ. We know the cure for an even greater spiritual disease that is fatal to everyone.

Key Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-4

Discussion Questions:

  • Which is harder – dumping an ice bucket over your head, or sharing your faith?
  • In what ways can you “fix your eyes on Jesus”?
  • Who could you share your faith with this week?
  • How can you apply this Soul Fuel to THE Cause?
Pastor B Culture, Parent Cue

Boundaries and Decisions – Thoughts for Parents of Young Teens

THOUGHTS FOR PARENTS OF YOUNG TEENS, PART 4

boundaries

see part 1: doubts
and part 2: transition
and part 3: bored with church and god

Boundaries and Decisions

This research-proven truth may surprise you: Parents are still the number one influence in the lives of their teenagers. Many parents assume that with adolescence, the peer group takes the top influencer slot; or media; or something or someone else.teenage turtle

Here’s another fact that may surprise you even more: Young teens still want and need boundaries. Maybe you’re not surprised by the thought that they need boundaries; but the fact that they want them seems counter-intuitive to their regular spoken and unspoken demands for independence. Of course, unless uttered in sarcasm, you’ll never actually hear your student say, “Please, Mom, I want less freedom!”

You live this issue every day. Because the primary task of parenting a teenager is to foster healthy independence, the rub of boundary setting is in your face on a constant basis.

And it’s not that kids want (or need) a huge set of restrictions: instead, they want to know–with clarity–where the fences of their decision-making playground are placed.

Two extremes to avoid

The Cage. It’s very common (in fact, it’s increasingly common) for parents to be concerned about the world in which their young teen is growing up. It’s common–and good–for parents to be concerned about the fact that our culture is expecting kids to act older (and be exposed to “older things”) at a younger and younger age.

The good and appropriate motivation to protect your new teen, however, can easily result in an unhealthy restriction on growing up. Parents at this extreme keep the boundaries on decision-making and independence so close that teens never (or rarely) have the opportunity to make any real choices.

This extreme can stunt the emotional and spiritual growth of teens, keeping them from the essential learning that comes with good and bad decision-making. In other words: setting the boundaries too tight works counter-productively, keeping your teen from growing in maturity.

Free-Range. The opposing extreme is also common (though increasingly less so), and is possibly even more destructive. This comes from the often-exasperated parent who says: “I don’t know how much freedom to give my teen. He seems to want complete independence, and his friends seem to have that already. Since I don’t know where to draw the line, I’ll give him what he’s asking for: almost complete independence.”

I’m saddened and occasionally shocked by how many 12 year-olds have complete freedom in every decision other than the basics of life (shelter, food, car rides). These young teens are allowed, or even encouraged, to make every choice when it comes to things like: curfew, bedtime, music and movie intake, friendships, money-spending, clothing and appearance. I’m not suggesting a prudish approach to this list (anyone who knows me can vouch for that!). But remember what I said at the outset of this article: teens want and need boundaries!

The Goal

The challenging goal of parenting teens, then, becomes to provide ever-increasing boundaries, with freedom inside those boundaries to run wild and make decisions.

This is not just about maturation and growing up and becoming healthy whole independent adults (although that’s a pretty good list!). This is a spiritual task! For parents, this is a fulfillment of the spiritual task given to you by God: to raise whole and healthy independent adults (failure as a parent looks like a 28 year-old who is still dependent on his mommy).

It also has spiritual implications for your young teen: as she learns to make healthy decisions, in the semi-protected environment of the boundaries you set, she will gain courage and skill for the task of embracing a faith-system that needs to evolve and grow into her own.

Pastor B Culture, Students

Bored with Church and God: Thoughts for PARENTS with YOUNG TEENS

see part 1: doubts
and part 2: transition

bored in churchBored with Church and God

When your kid was 9, he loved going to church, loved his Sunday school class, and seemed to have a real relationship with God.

But now, as a young teen, he seems bored. Maybe he’s even expressed this: “Church is boring; I don’t want to go.”

This is a natural occurrence in the lives of young teens. But the reasoning behind this boredom isn’t the same for every child. Here are a few possibilities:

Not Connected
Children (prior to the teen years) need fewer reasons to find church or Christianity engaging. A few fun moments in Sunday school or the reality of Christ in their parents’ lives can be enough. But young teens start to perceive a disconnect (if one exists) between real life and “church-world.” If they don’t sense a relational connection with people in the church (youth group leaders, other kids, adults in the church), it’s easy for them to make the small leap to boredom.

Young teens have a passionate need to be valued and noticed. Any place that doesn’t validate who they are as individuals, any place where they don’t feel known, can quickly feel awkward or boring to them.

Churchianity
Unless your family happens to attend a church with worship and sermons that connect with your young teen (this isn’t common, and isn’t normally the aim of most churches), attending church can begin to feel like a monumental waste of time to young teens – even if they still have an active faith in God.

The forms most churches use (in song, spoken word and format) are pretty foreign to the world of a teenager. Frankly, they’re often pretty foreign to the world of adults too! But the variance from “church-world” to the world of adults is almost always less than to the world of teens.

Faith System Disconnect
Probably the most common, and most healthy reason for young teens to feel boredom is their developmental need to grow up in faith. Pre-teens and children approach faith issues, obviously, with the mind of a child. But a young teen’s new ability to grasp (or at least entertain) abstract ideas begs all their concrete spiritual conclusions and understandings into question.

This shift in thinking ability has enormous spiritual implications for young teens, because pretty much everything we talk about at church, or in relation to faith in God, is abstract. Its like kids have a backpack of faith system “bits.” And during their young teen years, situations arise that call these bits to the forefront. When it becomes obvious to a teen that their childhood spiritual answer to a given situation or question doesn’t offer a strong enough answer anymore, they are forced to ignore this issue or struggle to allow their beliefs to evolve into a more adult form.

Don’t be freaked out by this process. Don’t be thrown by your teen’s expression of boredom. Instead, find constructive ways to come alongside her during this transition time of life.

Processing Boredom with Your Young Teen
Here are some ideas for coming alongside your young teen and her spiritual boredom:

  • Live it out. If your teen sees a vibrant and real faith being lived out day-to-day in your life (and being verbally expressed also), it will go a long ways toward helping him consider what an adult faith system should look like.
  • Talk about it. Our natural tendency is to lecture our kids about why they’re bored (“you need to do this”). Instead, work to create open lines of communication about faith and church. Process your child’s questions and reservations without jumping to easy answers.
  • Look for relational connections. Help your teen be (or stay) connected to the people of the church, not just the program. Look for creative ways to foster these relationships – with their peers and with other adults who will care about them.
  • Debrief. After a church service or youth group meeting, talk about what went on. Be careful that this doesn’t come across as a test. Helping your teen see the life-connection between what’s talked about at church and their world is a wonderful way to encourage the growth of their faith.
Pastor B Culture, Oakwood

Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

Home – Denison Forum on Truth and Culture.

Culture is constantly changing.  We all have questions about how to apply TRUTH to our DAILY LIVES.  Many of our Oakwood Staff find great help in the daily articles and seasonal devotions the Denison Forum provides.

Personally, my first encounter with the man, Dr. Jim Denison, was at Dallas Baptist University where he literally answered ANY and EVERY QUESTION that a whole bunch off College Baptist Theology Students were throwing his way.  He not only answered them, but kept the room pretty quiet after one or two questions.  He is a knowledgeable man and is dedicating his live to aid people like you and me on the journey of faith.

Dr. Denison writes a cultural commentary available at www.denisonforum.org/subscribe. His free daily commentary is distributed around the world to 87,035 subscribers in over 200 countries. He writes for The Dallas Morning News, contributing weekly to the “Texas Faith Forum” and is a guest columnist for the The Christian Post.

He has also taught world religions for 25 years with four seminaries. He has spoken in China, Cuba, Brazil, Australia, Europe, Israel, Greece, Egypt, Bangladesh, and Turkey and served as a short-term missionary to East Malaysia, in Southeast Asia. He also leads frequent study tours in Israel, Greece, and Europe.

 

Here are some more facts about Dr. Denison:
Dr. Denison currently serves on the board of the Baylor Health Care System and as Chair of the Advisory Board for Dallas Baptist University. He teaches Ph.D. seminars and graduate-level classes for Dallas Baptist University and serves as a teaching fellow for the B. H. Carroll Theological Institute. He has taught on the faculty of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and at McAfee School of Theology, and has served on the boards of Dallas Baptist University, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and the Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University.

Prior to founding the DFTC, Dr. Denison was pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church, a 10,000-member congregation in Dallas, Texas. He also pastored churches in Midland and Mansfield, Texas, and in Atlanta, Georgia. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion and Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Dallas Baptist University.

 

The Denison Forum on Truth and Culture (DFTC) (www.denisonforum.org) exists to engage contemporary culture with biblical truth. As a catalyst for moral and spiritual renewal, DFTC is joining God in building a global movement of culture-changing Christians.

 

Pastor B Culture, Students

Andy Mineo About the Artist

andy-mineo

Andy Mineo – About the Artist

Interlinc Article

Whether he’s on stage bringing an audience to its feet with his riveting performance or off stage fielding interview questions with a potent combination of intellect and wit, it’s obvious Andy Mineo is a born communicator and hip hop music is his instrument for reaching the masses. “It is absolutely undeniable that hip hop is becoming the universal language,” Mineo says expressing an unbridled enthusiasm for his artistic vehicle. “It’s so influential because you are able to say so much in a short period of time. The essence of hip hop is the boldness of it so you’re able to be exactly who you are. You are able to say exactly what you want. You represent exactly what is deepest and dearest to you and people respond to that. They respond to that realness.”

Listen To Andy Mineo- Never Land feat Marz

That musical authenticity, heart for people and keen insight into the human condition coalesce on Mineo’s Reach Records debut Heroes for Sale. “We make heroes out of a lot of things,” he says. “We make heroes out of people. We believe ourselves to be greater than we really are. We make ourselves look like heroes to other people. What I really wanted to do is show the brokenness of the heroes that we create and the heroes that we try to be in order to show that there is ultimately only one great hero.”

To underscore that message, Mineo was willing to strip back the layers of his own life and be honest with his audience. “I get really transparent on these songs,” he confesses. “I want to let people see into my brokenness in hopes that other people would identify with that and ultimately know that they don’t have to be great. Their God is. Also I just wanted to have fun. I wanted to show off my love for hip hop. I wanted to try some things. You’ll see a bunch of my big personality come out. I let people see who I am.”

Andy Mineo – Saturday Morning Car-Tunez

A native of Syracuse, New York, Mineo grew up in a single parent home and was a troubled kid who was kicked out of public school because of his anger issues and aggressive tendencies. Sports and music became positive outlets for Andy’s excessive energy. “I was more involved in basketball and football until one of my friends and I just started rapping as a joke,” he remembers. “We used to buy singles because we couldn’t afford anything else. When you’re 10 years old and you’ve got two or three dollars, you buy the CD single instead of the whole album. The CD single would have instrumentals, so we would just write our own raps to the instrumental on the CD. That’s kind of where my love for it began. My buddy got a program for the computer and we were recording in my living room. I put together my first rap and I fell in love with it the moment I heard myself on the beat. I said, ‘Man, I want to do this forever!”

Mineo became a hard-working young entrepreneur and not only recorded his own raps, but started a studio in his house where he recorded other young hopefuls. He became a local hero and at 17 had money, success and everything most young guys are looking to achieve. “When I got to about 15 or 16, I got all the equipment I needed to not only record myself, but have my friends come over and I’d record them,” he says. “Other people got wind of that and said, ‘Hey I’ll come over and I’ll pay to let me record,’ so I started doing that. The business kept on evolving. I started making more money and bought more stuff, moved it into my basement and built a full studio with one of my friends, who was a carpenter. We created a little ghetto basement studio. That’s how I made my money all throughout high school.”

Yet even with Mineo’s worldly success, there was still an emptiness and restlessness in his heart. He found what he had been looking for when his sister Mary went to work at a church camp one summer and took Andy with her. “I was surrounded by loving people,” he recalls. “There were a couple of guys that invested in me that summer, shared the gospel with me, showed me what it is to follow Jesus, and that’s when I had my first real encounter with Jesus.” When he returned home, it was hard to grow in his faith. “All throughout high school it was really difficult to follow Jesus without having any community,” Mineo says. “I didn’t have any home church. I didn’t have any men to disciple me. Nothing. When I went to college is when I started to get that. In college, I got away from the situation I was in. God put me there and he put me around a bunch of people that loved God, people that looked like me and talked like me. They were into hip hop like I was and it was really a blessing to meet some of these guys.”

Mineo met producer Alex Medina (Lecrae, Trip Lee) who encouraged the young artist to check out T.R.U.C.E. “It was a group of young people that would gather on Saturdays to work on performing arts for the purpose of evangelism,” he says. “I got invited to come check them out at a rehearsal and there was a whole bunch of men there, people my age, and they all loved God. They were an encouragement for me to start walking with God again. They showed me that I could use my gifts for him. I didn’t have to live the way I was living. I didn’t have to make the music the way I was making it. I could actually use everything that I have for Jesus. I got connected with people that showed me that I could do more with my life and my music.” Mineo traveled with T.R.U.C.E. and began making a name for himself with such projects as Sin is Wack Vol. 1. Soon others were enlisting Mineo to add his considerable skills to their projects. He’s been featured on Tedashii’s Blacklight, Ambassador’s Stop the Funeral, Flame’s Captured and Lecrae’s “Background.” “That was the first song we collaborated on and since then we started to build a relationship,” Mineo says of working with Lecrae. “He came to New York and we shot a music video for it. We started to realize that we both had a similar vision, a similar mission in what we wanted to do with our music. They were looking to sign a new artist and I just seemed to be the right fit so I signed with Reach and it’s been a heck of a journey ever since.”

Pastor B Culture, Students

God’s Not Dead Family Movie Discussion Guide

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DownloadtheGodsNotDeadParent Discussion Guide

Willie Robertson quotes a passage from Matthew 10… “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33
+ How do you react to the above passage from Matthew 10?

Friendships and taking a stand:
+ Talk about a time when you were persuaded by a friend to a.) do something you
really didn’t want to do or b.) abandon something important to you. Never
underestimate the power of your story and how it speaks into your teenager’s life.
+ If you’re a Christ-follower, describe for your teenager the most diffi cult part of that
journey for you. Ask him or her to share the same.
+ How can I encourage you in your friendships?
+ How can I support you as you stand for Jesus?

+What do each of these passages say to YOU about taking a stand?
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Acts 26:17-18
I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

+ Talk about a time you had to take an unpopular stand, perhaps one you took
entirely by yourself. It doesn’t necessarily have to be one of faith—but make sure
it’s not one related to disciplining or arguing with your student!
+ “Is there ever a time when you felt compelled to go along with the group
even though you wanted to take an opposite view?” (Remember, this is an effort
to keep communication lines open and fl owing, so be mindful not to judge or
correct your teenager’s actions during this conversation. One way you can do
this is by relaying a story of your own of a similar nature. If your teen conveys
something that requires your parental focus, engage in that at another time.)
+ “Is there someone you know—and respect—who has taken an unpopular
stand despite pressure to do otherwise? Tell me

Be it, Say it, Do it:
+ Tell a story from your life about when a friend ignored you in public and how
that felt. (If you don’t have a story like that, ask your teenager if he or she can
share one.)
+ When is it easy or difficult to acknowledge God in public? (Share some of your
thoughts, too!)
+ Who have you seen take a stand for God in public? How did it go for them?
What impact did that have on you?
+ Are there ways to “acknowledge God” without using words? If so, explain.
As always, thank you for allowing us to make a small investment in the spiritual life
of your family. It’s an honor to come alongside you as you continue to show your
kids the walk of a Christ-follower.