Grounded - Through the NT in 2013

One of the most common questions facing Christian teens today is this: "What is the will of God for my life right now?  This question is completely natural, and it is totally understandable. Teens are in the process of exploring a stage of life in which they are transferring their thinking from the concrete to the abstract.  They don't just want to be told what to do, they want to be involved in reasoned discussions that consider the logic and grounds for why they should do it.  When it comes to the big picture of their lives, teens are beginning to realize that many of the most important decisions that they will ever make will be made within the next five to ten years.  These concerns are very real.  They impact how a teen thinks, behaves, and interacts with those around them. Biblically-minded teens want to what God says about how they should act right now. What is His will for them today? So how should this question be answered? Unfortunately, it seems that we too often complicate this question, bringing it to levels of minutia and confusing dialogue at which it was never intended to arrive.  As we search the Scriptures regarding the will of God for young people, two simple, primary principles become abundantly clear. The heartbeat of God for a Christian teen is that he would obey and honor his parents (Eph. 6:1), and that he would develop a passionate relationship with Him through learning and applying the truths of Scripture (Psalm 119:9-11).  There are, of course, many other passages of Scripture in which young people are addressed, but as a Christian teen learns to know and apply the Scriptures (Psalm 199:9-11), these principles will naturally come to the forefront. Both of these disciplines, as any Christian teen can attest, require hard work and dedication, but they are both essential to the Christian teen who would seek to stay in the center of God's will for his life right now.

In 2013, it is the desire of our Youth Group to partner with teens and parents in order to help Christian teens learn how to understand and apply the truths of Scripture.  One of the ways that we are going to attempt to do this is through developing a systematically interactive curriculum that we are calling "Grounded," which will take the Christian teen all the way through the New Testament in 2013.  "Grounded" will be unveiled to the teens in Sunday School on December 30.  Please pray for us and partner with us as we embark on this exciting endeavor.  I am anticipating great things from the Lord in the coming year as we strive to serve Him, and as we cultivate a deep relationship with Him through the truths that He has revealed to us in His Word. 

Lord, keep us grounded to your Word in 2013!

In His service, 

Pastor Chad

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