Tonight the High School student ministry talked about sex, lust, and dating. Below you will find the 4 main points of our discussion. Please use these main points to start or continue discussion about these important topics with your teenager.
So what does
the Bible say about sex?
God created it
God designed it to be in the context
of biblical marriage.
Main Point 1: God created sex to be experienced inside the context of a biblical marriage.
Main Point 2: Lust is a perversion of love and is our human attempt to get what God designed and desires to give us through a relationship with Him and in marriage. Therefore it is sin.
Main Point 3: Dating is the mechanism used for determining who we should marry. Only those who know the Gospel, are pursuing the Gospel, have adult Christian accountability within a relationship, and are dating with that end in mind should date. That excludes most high school students.
Main Point 4: Girls should guard their hearts, so should guys. Guys should guard their minds, so should girls.
You are invited and ENCOURAGED to join us for Resonate the
next few Wednesday night’s!
6pm – 7:30pm Youth Worship Room
Over the next 5 weeks we are going to walk through some
pretty sensitive and difficult topics; the least of these this Wednesday
night. Here are our topics for the rest
of the series:
April 17 – Culture
April 24 – Vices (alcohol, marijuana, drugs)
May 1 – Sex, Lust, Dating
May 8 – Homosexuality
May 15 – Pornography (Guest Speaker from Hope Unlimited)
I wanted to let you know this in advance because I wanted to
give you the option for your teen to “opt
out” or “opt in” to these
discussions. I hope you will “opt in.” There is no one who is immune
from these issues and no one that hasn’t been impacted by them in some
way.
To say these topics are difficult is an understatement. To
say they are important is also an understatement. Our teens are being bombarded daily by
culture on what to believe, how to feel, and what’s acceptable as it relates to
these topics. And parents it’s your job,
not cultures, to help shape and direct your teenagers beliefs on these and many
other important topics. Sound like a tough job? It is. But we want to help.
Your involvement over the next few weeks will help
communicate to your students that you care what they think about these
important topics. Encouraging your teens to come, or even forcing them, will also
help communicate that you care what the Bible has to say about these topics. And
that matters, because believe it or not, you are still the greatest influence
in your teenager’s life when it comes to their beliefs on sexuality.
Let me say that again, what you believe and encourage is the #1 influencer in your teenager’s life about what they believe and actually do.
Navigating these issues is a tough job. We want to give you a place to start a conversation. Each week I will also provide some follow-up discussion questions so you will know what was said and a few questions to ask. You can get those from this website.
We hope you will take this opportunity to continue or start
these important conversations with your students.
This Wednesday night (April 3) the High School Youth (Resonate) are headed to Cinemark Theaters to watch the new movie “Unplanned.”
Resonate High School Students Meet at Los Amigos by the mall @ 5:00pm for dinner Carpool to the movies after dinner Movie starts @ 6:55pm
“Unplanned”
is the story of Abby Johnson. She was one of the youngest Planned Parenthood
directors in the US. After she is asked to assist in an abortion at thirteen
weeks gestation she instead resigns, becoming a pro-life activist.
Check out
the trailer below.
One thing
the creators of Unplanned, who also created other Christian hits such as
God’s Not Dead” and “I Can Only Imagine” didn’t expect was that the movie would
receive a rated “R” rating. The Motion Picture Association of America
(MPAA) informed the
filmmakers last month that they would give the
movie an “R” for “some disturbing/bloody images,” unless it removed its scenes
depicting abortion. The creators say they
will not alter the film’s pro-life message to get a PG-13 rating.
This week, Abby Johnson released an open letter addressed to parents making clear the film
contained no profanity, nudity, or sex, assuring them that the film’s tone runs
the full range between laughter and tears, and detailing the specific scenes so
they can decide for themselves whether to let their children see them.
A copy
of the letter can be found at the bottom of this post.
Johnson believes the rating isn’t going to slow the
movie down.
“We are pushing the boundaries of what has never been before on
such a wide scale by showing America exactly what abortion is — and abortion is
disturbing. It’s violent,” Johnson said.
“In my opinion, one of the most impactful films of our time is ‘The
Passion of the Christ.’ It was rated R. So I feel like ‘Unplanned’ is in good
company. An R rating from the MPAA isn’t going to slow this movie down. I
believe people are ready for the truth.”
As we have said numerous times before, the abortion
issue is too important to remain silent about and growing too rapidly to not
support pro-life movements like this movie. This is why the High School youth
will be watching and supporting the movie “Unplanned.”
Yes it is rated “R,” which should give pause when deciding whether or not to watch this movie. (Below is a link to trusted movie review) But as a parent and youth pastor, I feel that the message and story that this movie tells is too important to let a hypocritical movie rating determine if you will let your kids watch it.
The sad irony in all of this is that in at least 13 U.S. states, a teen under 17 can
get an abortion without their parents’ permission. They can’t watch this
movie without their parents’ permission but they can get an abortion.
When faced with such an absurd contradiction in culture there is only one answer – Jesus!
Abby Johnson’s full letter to parents
Dear Parents,
I wanted to take a few minutes before my movie, Unplanned, comes out in
theaters to talk to you. Mom-to-mom. Parent-to-parent. As you know, the movie
received an R rating from the MPAA, and I imagine that may make you nervous
about allowing your children to see it. Setting aside that, it feels a little
weird to have a movie made about my life, and even weirder to be told that my
life is “rated R.” I want to tell you, as a mother, what you can expect from
the film: The movie does not have profanity. The Lord’s Name is not taken in
vain or disrespected. There is no nudity, no immodesty, and certainly no sex or
“suggestive” moments. None.
So why the R rating? For two scenes. Two scenes that the movie team was
determined to re-create accurately, at my insistence, because they are
important for people to see. The first is a CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery)
recreation of what I saw on the ultrasound screen when I assisted in the
abortion procedure that convinced me of the humanity of the unborn. You will
see what I saw: a baby on an ultrasound screen in black and white 2D. You will
see the abortion instrument, which looks like a big straw in real life and like
a dark line on the ultrasound, introduced onto the screen. You will see the
baby struggle against it. You will see the baby first slowly, then quickly
disappear into the instrument as it does what it is designed to do. It is
important for you to know that this was a CGI recreation and NOT footage from a
real abortion. But it sure looks like what I saw. I think this scene is so
important for teenagers and older children to see because it tells the truth
about what our culture keeps trying to insist is a “right” and a “freedom.” No
one will be able to see this scene and then say they “don’t know” the truth
about abortion.
The second scene that was cited as a reason for the R rating is a scene that
re-creates my awful experience with the abortion pill. Ashley, the actress who
plays me, did a fantastic job capturing both my physical pain and my fear. I
won’t lie to you; that scene shows some blood. In real life I hemorrhaged so
badly I thought I was going to die. The movie captures that without being
gratuitous or gory. I think the producers walked that line well.
The rest of the film is not as intense as those two scenes. It will make you
laugh, make you cringe, gasp, cry, and cheer- all the things a good movie
should. The difference with Unplanned is that it has the
potential to change and save lives in the process.
So, should you take your kids to see this movie? I can’t decide for you, but I
will tell you that my twelve-year-old daughter will see it. I can tell you my
friends who have pre-screened the film plan on bringing their 10, 11, and
12-year olds along with their teenagers to see it, and I hope you will do the
same. Our children are of the generation who is being lost to abortion. This is
personal for them, too. They are likely to hear and see more graphic content in
most school health classes! I guess what I’m trying to say is, this movie is
authentic. Yes, it’s a movie about abortion, but even more so, it’s a movie
about the truth of forgiveness, repentance, and redemption, because that is
what the story of my life is really about.
Parent Meeting: Sunday, January 28 @ 5pm in the MPR. Please make every effort to attend the parent meeting for all students who are interested in attending camp. You can drop off your deposits and pick up any necessary forms.
We need your help! We need Host Homes for the High School ministry and Youth Lounge workers. See the descriptions below and see if you would be willing to serve in one of these two ways.
Host Homes
House Groups are returning and we need host homes. We’re seeking 7 homes to host our house groups.
September 24
October 1, 15, 22, 29
November 5, 19
Host Home for House Groups
House Groups meet Sunday nights from 5:00pm – 6:15pm. The general outline for the night will be games, snack food, and a short lesson. Host homes are responsible for providing the food and the fun. I can help with the fun if you need it. (Cornhole, 9square, other games)
We are looking for 7 parents to open their homes. Email Patrick @ pgreer@loneoakfbc.org if you are interested in hosting a House Group.
Youth Lounge Workers
The Youth Lounge is open and we need volunteers to help run it. We’re seeking 5-10 adults to help with set-up, supervision, and clean up.
Each Wednesday night the Youth Lounge opens at 5pm. Students can purchase soda, coffee, or whatever food items is highlighted that week. On a rotating basis we’re asking adults/parents to hang out in the Lounge during that time to help set up the room, hang out while students are in there, and clean up at the end of the night.
Shifts will run from either 5:00pm – 6:00pm or 6:00pm – 7:00pm. Email Patrick @ pgreer@loneoakfbc.org if you are interested in serving.
Make plans to be here every night for BREAKAWAY 2017. The theme this year is based out of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Monday: The search for Meaning.
Tuesday: The search for Approval.
Wednesday: The Search for Forgiveness.
Thursday: The Search for Purpose.
Every night there will be giveaways, fun games, group competitions, and awesome worship!
New this year for the first time we will have a camp pastor for the whole week of Breakaway. David Maguire is a student pastor from NorthRidge Church in Thomaston, Ga. “Big Dave” is a dynamic speaker who has a passion for communicating the Word of God to students. Each night students and adults will be challenged by the word of God through David. Check out a sermon from David Maguire: YouTube: David Maguire, NorthRidge Church
In addition to a camp pastor we will also be lead in Worship by Nicholas Carter from Mercy Hill Church in Yulee, Fl. Nicholas Carter is a former student pastor and current worship pastor who has a passion for students and leading people in worship by sharing the gospel through music. Check out his music on iTunes :Nicholas Ian Carter Music iTunes
Stay tuned for more information on BREAKAWAY 2017!!!!
Our recent 8th grade graduates are invited to go on an exciting weekend trip this summer, July 14-15! We will go aboard the new Ark Encounter, a 510-foot-long full-size biblical replica of Noah’s Ark. We will also be going to explore the Creation Museum. Both of these museums will be exciting and sure to grow you in your faith as you get ready to head off to high school. We will have a ton of fun too! You will not want to miss this trip!
w this year for the first time we will have a camp pastor for the whole week of Breakaway. David Maguire is a student pastor from NorthRidge Church in Thomaston, Ga. 
In addition to a camp pastor we will also be lead in Worship by Nicholas Carter from Mercy Hill Church in Yulee, Fl. Nicholas Carter is a former student pastor and current worship pastor who has a passion for students and leading people in worship by sharing the gospel through music. Check out his music on iTunes :