Hope in the LORD

The Ark Encounter, Williamstown, KY ~ Opening July 7th, 2016

Ed's Note: In just a few days, July 7, 2016, "The Ark Encounter", a new World-Class Christian theme-park opens in Williamstown, Kentucky showcasing Noah's Ark and it's amazing story.  I'm planning to visit this Ark in the near-future.  

The ARK ENCOUNTER Website 

On Wikipedia, it is described as follows:

Ark Encounter is a planned Christian theme park scheduled to open in Grant County, Kentucky on July 7, 2016. The centerpiece of the park will be a full-scale model of Noah's Ark 510 feet (160 m) long and 81 feet (25 m) high. Plans for additional phases of the park include a model of the Tower of Babel, along with replicas of an ancient walled city and a first-century Middle Eastern village. Ark Encounter will be operated by Answers in Genesis, the Young Earth creationism group that operates the Creation Museum 45 miles (72 km) away in Petersburg, Kentucky. 

 (Read More..)

Ark Encounter Promo

Teens, Social Media ~ Amanda Lenhart

Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015

BY AMANDA LENHART

24% of teens go online “almost constantly,” facilitated by the widespread availability of smartphones.

Aided by the convenience and constant access provided by mobile devices, especially smartphones, 92% of teens report going online daily — including 24% who say they go online “almost constantly,” according to a new study from Pew Research Center. More than half (56%) of teens — defined in this report as those ages 13 to 17 — go online several times a day, and 12% report once-a-day use. Just 6% of teens report going online weekly, and 2% go online less often.

Much of this frenzy of access is facilitated by mobile devices. Nearly three-quarters of teens have or have access1 to a smartphone and 30% have a basic phone, while just 12% of teens 13 to 17 say they have no cell phone of any type. African-American teens are the most likely of any group of teens to have a smartphone, with 85% having access to one, compared with 71% of both white and Hispanic teens. These phones and other mobile devices have become a primary driver of teen internet use: Fully 91% of teens go online from mobile devices at least occasionally. Among these “mobile teens,” 94% go online daily or more often. By comparison, teens who don’t access the internet via mobile devices tend to go online less frequently. Some 68% go online at least daily.

African-American and Hispanic youth report more frequent internet use than white teens. Among African-American teens, 34% report going online “almost constantly” as do 32% of Hispanic teens, while 19% of white teens go online that often.

Facebook is the most popular and frequently used social media platform among teens; half of teens use Instagram, and nearly as many use Snapchat

Facebook remains the most used social media site among American teens ages 13 to 17 with 71% of all teens using the site, even as half of teens use Instagram and four-in-ten use Snapchat.

71% of teens use more than one social network site

Teens are diversifying their social network site use. A majority of teens — 71% — report using more than one social network site out of the seven platform options they were asked about. Among the 22% of teens who only use one site, 66% use Facebook, 13% use Google+, 13% use Instagram and 3% use Snapchat.

This study uses a somewhat different method than Pew Research Center’s previous reports on teens. While both are probability-based, nationally representative samples of American teens, the current survey was administered online, while our previous work involved surveying teens by phone. A great deal of previous research has found that the mode of interview — telephone vs. online self-administration — can affect the results. The magnitude and direction of these effects are difficult to predict, though for most kinds of questions, the fundamental conclusions one would draw from the data will be similar regardless of mode. Accordingly, we will not compare specific percentages from previous research with results from the current survey. But we believe that the broad contours and patterns evident in this web-based survey are comparable to those seen in previous telephone surveys.

Facebook remains a dominant force in teens’ social media ecosystems, even as Instagram and Snapchat have risen into a prominent role in teens’ online lives.Asked which platforms they used most often, the overall population of teens in this sample (ages 13 to 17) reported that Facebook was the site they used most frequently (41% said that), followed by Instagram (20%) and Snapchat (11%).

Boys are more likely than girls to report that they visit Facebook most often (45% of boys vs. 36% of girls). Girls are more likely than boys to say they use Instagram (23% of girls vs. 17% of boys) and Tumblr (6% of girls compared with less than 1% of boys). Older teens ages 15 to 17 are more likely than younger teens to cite Facebook (44% vs. 35% of younger teens), Snapchat (13% vs. 8%) and Twitter (8% vs. 3%) as a most often used platform, while younger teens ages 13 to 14 are more likely than their older compatriots to list Instagram (25% vs. 17% of older teens) as a platform they visit most often.

Middle and upper income teens lean toward Instagram and Snapchat

The survey data reveals a distinct pattern in social media use by socio-economic status. Teens from less well-off households (those earning less than $50,000) are more likely than others to say they use Facebook the most: 49% of these teens say they use it most often, compared with 37% of teens from somewhat wealthier families (those earning $50,000 or more).

Teens from more affluent households are somewhat more likely than those from the least affluent homes to say they visit Snapchat most often, with 14% of those from families earning more than $75,000 saying Snapchat is their top site, compared with 7% of those whose families earn less than $30,000 annually. Twitter shows a similar pattern by income, with the wealthiest teens using Twitter more than their least well-to-do peers. It should be noted that some of these differences may be artifacts of differences in use of these sites by these different subgroups of teens.

Smartphones facilitate shifts in teens’ communication and information landscape

As American teens adopt smartphones, they have a variety of methods for communication and sharing at their disposal. Texting is an especially important mode of communication for many teens. Some 88% of teens have or have access to cell phones or smartphones and 90% of those teens with phones exchange texts. A typical teen sends and receives 30 texts per day2

And teens are not simply sending messages through the texting system that telephone companies offer. Some 73% of teens have access to smartphones and among them messaging apps like Kik or WhatsApp have caught on. Fully 33% of teens with phones have such apps. And Hispanic and African-American youth with phones are substantially more likely to use messaging apps, with 46% of Hispanic and 47% of African-American teens using a messaging app compared with 24% of white teens.

Girls dominate social media; boys are more likely to play video games

Teenage girls use social media sites and platforms — particularly visually-oriented ones — for sharing more than their male counterparts do. For their part, boys are more likely than girls to own gaming consoles and play video games.

Data for this report was collected for Pew Research Center. The survey was administered online by the GfK Group using its KnowledgePanel, in English and Spanish, to a nationally representative sample of over 1,060 teens ages 13 to 17 and a parent or guardian from September 25 to October 9, 2014 and February 10 to March 16, 2015. In the fall, 1016 parent-teen pairs were interviewed. The survey was re-opened in the spring and 44 pairs were added to the sample. For more on the methods for this study, please visit the Methods section at the end of this report.

1. The survey question that asked about devices asked teens whether they “have or have access to” a list of five tools: smartphones, basic phones, desk or laptop computers, tablets and game consoles. ↩
2. Unless otherwise specified, in this report we use the median for “typical” data for teens. ↩

Parable of the Marriage Feast ~ Matthew 22

          <  Without  A Wedding Garment!

Parable of the Marriage Feast  ~ Matthew 22

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 “And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 “Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 “But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 “Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 ‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10 “Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. 
11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13 “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”


__________________________________
Wedding garments include: 

• Righteousness
• Fruitfullness

Days of Elijah ~ Camp Pendleton Marines

Days of Elijah

These are the days of Elijah,
Declaring the word of the Lord
And these are the days of Your servant Moses,
Righteousness being restored
And though these are days of great trial
Of famine and darkness and sword,
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying
‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord!’

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call; 
Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee, 
And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.

These are the days of Ezekiel,
The dry bones becoming as flesh;
And these are the days of Your servant David,
Rebuilding a temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in Your world,
And we are the labourers in Your vineyard,
Declaring the word of the Lord!

There’s no God like Jehovah.
There’s no God like Jehovah!

7 Statements for a Father to Live ~ Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg,
Senior Pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio.

1. I am a dad even when I don’t feel like it. 
2. Being a dad is the most important role I will ever play. 
3. The home is the single most important influence on my family. 
4. I have no question about the fact that I can and must improve. 
5. It is hard being a dad and I need to pray more and work harder. 
6. The most important thing I can do for my kids is to live in passionate faithfulness with their mom. 
7. I would rather be remembered for being funny and slightly crazy than the father who frowned too   
  much, yelled too loud, talked too long, and died too young.

The High Calling of Fatherhood ~ Paul Robertson

More about CPYU and Paul Robertson

Related Article by Paul Robertson: Understanding Today's Youth

We live in a time and culture when the importance of fatherhood is very much maligned. The media has gone out of its way to portray fathers as unreliable, silly, and spineless. Fatherhood is under fire in Hollywood and in the courts. We forget that fathers play a noble, valid, and valuable role which culture often overlooks and doesn’t understand. 

David Popenoe, author of Families without Fathers, reminds us of the significant part a father plays in the life of his kids. The way a father plays with his children has effects on everything from the management of emotions to intelligence and academic performance. By simply loving and interacting with their offspring, fathers teach them they are love-worthy which in turn builds strong self-esteem. A father’s involvement has also been linked to improved verbal and problem-solving skills. 

Another study found that highly involved biological fathers had children who were 43 percent more likely than other children to achieve mostly “A” marks and 33 percent less likely to repeat a grade. The same researchers show children with involved dads are more likely to be emotionally secure, be confident to explore their surroundings, and have better social connections with peers as they continue to mature. These same children are less likely to be getting into trouble at home, school, and in public. (The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children—Rosenberg and Wilcox, 2006). 

In order to stay connected with their children, fathers have been required to play a variety of roles. In light of the challenging youth culture our kids face, these tasks take on an even greater sense of importance compared to prior generations. We have focused on the five roles outlined by Garret Evans and Kate Fogarty (The Common Roles of Fathers: The Five Ps) from the University of Florida as they apply within the current youth culture. 

Participator 

In the distraction of our daily schedules, we have forgotten the importance of simply being there for our kids. Some children learn that dad will only show up in crisis situations when mom can no longer handle things. Participating fathers are there to help their children with the everyday issues which in turn lead to more meaningful relationships. It is a great way to teach basic life skills such as making good choices, choosing good friends, and learning to discern the important issues of life. Dads lead the way by being an example of what they want their children to become. We all know that “more is caught than taught.” 

Playmate 

Fathers tend to engage in more physical play than mothers who tend to be nurturers. Roughhousing has a number of benefits— builds muscles and coordination, a place to teach rules and self-control, taking turns, and learning how to play physically without hurting others. It is also a wonderful time for meaningful conversations and building deep emotional bonds. Dads often underestimate the benefits of simply playing with their kids. 

Principled Guide 

Youth culture is permeated with an indifference to morality and perhaps the greatest role a father can now play is that of principled guide. It takes a great father to guide his children through their moral minefields. Kids are looking for direction and guidance and it needs to come from the home. Fathers help young people to see the dangers ahead and how to set boundaries for healthy living. Proper discipline teaches socially desirable behaviour and builds character. It enables children to understand the consequences and reality of their own decisions and actions; something that is often missing in the media they watch. 

Provider 

Society still values a father who provides tangible resources for his family. Some fathers believe that if they provide enough material things for their kids that they will be happy. If possessions made one happy, this generation of young people should be the happiest ever. However, most long for relationships more than resources. Dads can provide time helping with homework, attending school activities, and caring for their children. There is a nurturing to fathers for which all kids long. He sets the character example for what he wants his son or daughter to be when they grow up.

Preparer

Many teenagers and young adults are struggling because they were never properly prepared for the real world; somehow life is much simpler on TV. Fathers need to help their children discover their gifts and passions and guide them into developing those passions into a career. Direction on values, morality, integrity, and character are also part of the preparation. Parents want their children to grow up to be responsible citizens and it doesn’t happen by chance. It takes an involved father to assist them in making the right choices in a world where cheating, bullying, intimidation, and lying have become the new life-skills if it means getting ahead. The ultimate goal is to prepare them to live life on their own with honour and compassion. In our own research, Youth Unlimited has sampled a number of young people asking what they expect their father to be in a world that is changing quickly and that often fails to provide positive direction for them. Here is a sample of what we heard. 

First, they expect their fathers to ask them how they are doing, how their day was, and then take time to listen to their answers. They need to know their father cares about them. In one Canadian survey, 73 percent of our teens said having someone to listen to them is “very, very important.” The internet may be a great place to chat but is anyone really listening? 

Second, they expect their fathers to be consistent and to model the behaviour and beliefs they talk about. Fathers are expected to teach moral beliefs and standards and to be an example. Young people hate hypocrisy and double standards. They want authenticity in a media world of shallowness and lies. 

Third, young people long for fathers to love them unconditionally. They need to know that regardless of how stupid they can be that their dad will love them “no matter what.” Teens want to see the emotional and compassionate side of the man they look up to. It makes their fathers human in a rather impersonal, technological world.

Fourth, girls want their fathers to treat them with respect both verbally and physically. Dads need to set the standard for what their daughters should expect from the other men in their life. Honouring your daughter makes her feel worthy and loved and helps her get beyond the simple notion of being an “object” in her youth culture.

Fifth, as much as they need guidance they also want freedom. Freedom is earned as they prove they are responsible. Preparing your teens to live in the real world is a long and complicated process but very rewarding when done properly. There is no doubt we live in a busy world where everyone’s schedule is more than full. Fathers feel the pressure of providing for the family while juggling a hundred other important tasks. However, in the end, dads only get one chance to raise their kids properly. If, as one mother said, “When you die, the only thing you take with you is the love and memories of your children,” then the question becomes, “What will their memories of us be?”

A Father's Prayer ~ Darrell Scott

Ed's Note: Recently, Darrell Scott offered thoughts & prayers in reflection of what happened on the day of the Columbine High School Massacre, when his daughter Rachel was shot to death.  

(See Columbine High School Massacre ~ Wikipedia )

COLUMBINE STUDENT'S FATHER 12 YEARS LATER!!

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this. Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.

They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good &evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.

"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.

What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws.

Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.

To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!

My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"

- Darrell Scott

Do what the media did not - - let the nation hear this man's speech. Please share this with your friends!

How is your day going?

In Christ Alone ~ Christina Grimmie

Ed's Note:  This young lady was tragically gunned down following her concert last week.

Her name is Christina Grimmie, and she was targeted because she was a Christian.  Christina loved the LORD and loved to worship. She writes, "JESUS CHRIST IS MY LORD AND SAVIOR and i'm not at all ashamed of it. "

 

                                                           In Christ Alone ~ Christina Grimmie.

Teens & Sex Seminar Notes ~ by Paul Robertson (CPYU)

Ed's Note:  When I was unable to attend Paul Robertson's recent Parenting seminar on Teens and Sex, I was able to obtain his notes.  While it certainly isn't the same as attending the seminar, you can get an idea of what's going on in the teen world by looking at his notes.

This is another presentation in this series.  RELATED: Understanding Today's Youth (By Paul Robertson)

_________________________________

             Paul Robertson , CPYU "Youth Specialist"

T E E N S   &  S E X  

Understanding the Casual Sex Revolution

• How have the sexual attitudes, beliefs, and activities of young people changed the last 10 years?   ---> Waitress in Orangeville, “It has no value.  It’s just a sport.”

The Cultural Wasteland

1.   Internet – Logged In and Hooking Up

·        advice without moral reference or ethical standards 

·        anything goes and everyone is doing it

·        rapid growth of LGBTG+ can be attributed to Internet

·        no attitude or expectation of sexual restraint

·        nothing that conveys the life-changing seriousness of sex

·        websites assume girls 12-17 are having adventuresome sex lives

·        girls viewing porn online a growing issue

·        girls more likely to be emotionally disturbed by what they see 

·        chat rooms, personal web pages and message boards can be disturbing

·        Kathy Stott, Montreal, asking her 15 year old daughter about masturbation

·        ability to engage in deeply intimate sexual conversation with a stranger only reinforces a mentality in which sexual activity is little more than another form of recreation – one that doesn’t require face-to-face or commitment

·        sexting continues to be a problem even for young girls

2.  Books – Life and Love Between the Covers

·        sex between students is a given

Click for Link: --->Florida teen accused of having sex with 24 boys in school bathroom.

·        teachers routinely display romantic attachment to students as well

·        Ask the Passengers by A.S. King. This book is a necessity to any teen girl who is questioning her sexuality. I've never read a better book about a teen who is confused with her sexuality and her journey in that confusion.

·        books which say there are no consequences or repercussions

·        substitutes cheap thrills for sound and memorable characters; no substance to nourish a young girls mind or uplift her soul

·        no role models or heroes in a world of moral relativism

·        little thought as to how it helps form attitudes (which in turn, inform their behaviour) but also shape their future tastes in reading

·        no wonder books of more literary merit are avoided and are require too much thinking

·        poll of teen reading habits 67% said they like to read about “people or characters who are a lot like me” – not much out there for them

3.  Magazines – Beauty is Only Ink Deep

·        power of visual imagery to hijack truth and make us believe things about life that aren’t really true

·        magazines are mentors – 12 and 13 year old girls indicate they depend on the advice in their teen magazines on how to behave with boys

·        (no parents talking to them –> Just 32% girls and only 10% of boys hear from parents)

·        being read by younger and younger girls

·        boys know they better have bodies like the girls are seeing in the mags and act that way as well

·         girls are taught that it is all about performance and technique, flirting and gossiping, kissing and touching

4.  Television – The “Boob” Tube

·        The LA Complex on MTV where in 15 minutes I saw adultery, 3 some, and hook ups

·        MTV offers Teen Moms and Faking It 'Faking It' is a new romantic comedy about two best friends who love each other - in slightly different ways. After numerous failed attempts to become popular, the girls are mistakenly outed as lesbians, which launches them to instant celebrity status.

·        kids are imitators and act out what they see

·        65% of what Christian teens know about sex they learn from TV and media

·        kids who watch television away from their parents has a rate of intercourse 3-6X higher than those who watched with their families

5.  Music – Aural Sex  (i.e. Aural = Hearing)

·        being with 22,000 kids at Eminem-Limp Bizkit concert singing suck my _____

·        they do know and hear and are influenced by the lyrics

·        average 13-18 listen to about 3 hours of music per day

·        power of music videos for a generation bombarded with visual images of sex

·        after viewing less than one hour of MTV, grade 7-8 students more likely to approve of premarital sex than kids not exposed to the channel

·        lady in Belarus wanting me to come and help parents and pastors and kids deal with the sexual influence of MTV (had second highest teen pregnancy rate in the world)

How Did We Get Here?

1.  An Emphasis on Sexual Self-Expression Over Self-Restraint

·        sexual promiscuity is simply seen as a form of self-expression which everyone, thanks to moral relativism, is entitled

·        there is no icon in music or movies or TV of virtue and restraint

·        part of your self-identity is your sexuality (most common word on mags)

·        the shallowness of pop culture makes it permissible because it requires no thought and no work and no cost

·        believe it really started in the 60s and the hippies and the nudity of Woodstock and what we called back then ‘freedom’

·        (READ) we view self-restraint and self-constraint with suspicion – its not normal – virgins are not normal (Newmarket 13 year old challenge to lost it while her sister was 16 when the pressure started)

·        today, normal is being sexy from the earliest of ages

·        girls as young as 5 already understand that sexy makes you more popular

·        Megan and Candace’s story of her understanding sex mechanics at 8

2.  The Privatization of Religion and Sexual Morality

·        religion has always served as a important check on personal behaviour

·        Judeo-Christian values have been the foundation of our country and our culture

·        (READ)  further we drift from God the further we wander from a deep sense of right and wrong and respect for our bodies

·        as we marginalize religion (McGuinty this week wanting to do away with the Lord’s prayer) we also marginalize the ideas, opinions, and behaviours that go with it

·        McAuley – If you’re baptized, then behave like it – our beliefs determine behaviour         

·        the world doesn’t want to hear us talking about chastity and purity because in a lot of ways it exposes their world view

·        (READ) - Rolling Stone Mag 2005

 Rolling Stone 2005 – “Chastity is a new organizing principle of the Christian right, built on the notion that virgins are among God’s last loyal defender.”

·        you would never talk like this about other religions and get away with it

·        religious people are normally portrayed with derision on TV

·        don’t want us talking about chastity as a viable option

·        result – the pro-sex messages of the culture go largely unchallenged

3.  The Rise of Moral Relativism and the Death of Shame

·        Dave Grossman and shooters not feeling any sense of shame or guilt

·        if we can no longer talk about morality in public we will be overtaken by moral relativism

·        no longer right or wrong but only individual preferences

·        the 10 commandments have now become the 10 suggestions

·        sin has become a conceptual impossibility

·        rise of individualism and narcissism

·        everyone now has their own idea of individual sexual morality and its all right

·        (READ) no longer a sense of sexual shame when you no longer have sexual standards

·        there is no sense of violating anything anymore

·        we have done a poor job of talking about sexual immorality

·        story of Camp Mishewah and Andrea Good’s letter “sometimes I don’t feel guilty for what I did” and “I think they expect it from me”

4.  The Advent of the “Cool Parents”

·        mothers with designer finger nails in Elizabethtown just like their daughters

·        Beaumont, TX – moms getting breast implants with their daughters for graduation

·        too many parents afraid of their kids and therefore become like them

·        life is busy and its easier to be their friends rather than their parents

·        either unable or unwilling to take charge of their children, they focus on being popular with their kids – ie. mother in Mean Girls with breast implants and drinking

·        they ignore the most difficult parts of parenting – setting an example, supervising, and disciplining and just want to be friends

·        no discipline means you don’t love me

·        (READ) culture committed to sexual expression without restraint will destroy their futures

Leading Children and Teens Through our Sexualized Youth Culture

Sexual Immorality

“Anything you do or say which causes a chemical/emotional/physical change in you, causing you to want to go further sexually, and which you know eventually leads to sexual intercourse.”

1.  Love your kids.

            - many kids in America are starving emotionally

            - why they turn to facebook.com and myspace.com for relationships

            - love overcomes a multitude of sins

            - cause our kids to stumble by not loving them

            - studies show that kids who are susceptible to initiating intercourse “had                                           fewer positive connections with parents…”

            - Marianne’s 16 year old turning to sex in absence of a father

            - Wheatley, Ontario woman looking for love in all the wrong places

2.  Teach and discuss God’s sexual standards.

            2.1 Give your children truthful answers to their age appropriate questions.

                        - more you talk, less likely they will be to engage

            2.2 Take time to understand and discuss God’s design for sexuality.

                        - most people don’t understand “sexual immorality” (flee from, put to                              death, no hint of, not commit)

                        - sex is a beautiful thing

                        - me asking about what he likes to do to relax

            2.3 Teach your children that God’s guidelines are because He loves us.

                        - not trying to take the fun out of life

                        - sexual immorality is wrong because God is pure

                        - in our purity we will be happy (Josh’s provisions and protections)

            2.4  Remember the most effective teaching tool is being an example.

           

3.  Teach your children the many good reasons for waiting.

            3.1  Physical reasons

                        - pregnancy, STD, etc.

            3.2  Emotional reasons

                        - Dr. Phil oral sex and girls crying

            3.3  Relational reasons

                        - bring to the marriage bed every place you’ve been

                        - videos of all your encounters

            3.4  Future reasons

                        - stand before your new wife or new husband without shame

            3.5  Spiritual reasons

                        - sexual immorality drives a wedge in our relationship with God

4.  Help them to grow spiritually.

            - living with a biblical worldview and a group who thinks like you do as a teen

            - living in a community of like-minded people

5.  Help them to establish relational dos and don’ts.

            - set the rules and standards for dating and relationships first

Youth Workers Response

·        story of Talik in Massachusetts who brought her mother to the seminar

·        Wainfleet – mother whose son told her about the girls wanting to pop his cherry because he’s a virgin

·        John Wingfield asking the 35 girls in his youth group if parents talked to them about sex and only 2 said yes

·        mother telling me about how important it is for youth workers to be talking to the kids because parents aren’t

1.   Teach and model modesty for our kids.

2.   Remember things are not getting better – best defense is a great offence.

3.   Teach them about sexual purity not just abstinence.  Define sexual immorality.

4.   Know what the media is teaching them – be a culture commando.

5.   Use their culture as a teaching tool.  Bring God’s truth to bear on their changing culture.  – Matt using the OC

6.   Build in them self-confidence based on gifting and passion.

7.  Teach them that virginity actually represents an expression of respect for the awesome power of sexual passion (it takes character and integrity not to give into the passion of the moment – sexuality dedicated to hope, to the future, to marital love, to children and to God)

8.  Teach them that virginity is also an expression of self-respect.  Girls who refuse to play the hook up game but view themselves as more valuable than that. 

9.  Teach them about healthy dating.

10.  Know their media menus and what they are consuming.