Priorities are Measured by Our Actions
In our midweek Bible Study, the teens have been learning about the life of Jesus. This week we learned about the transfiguration, where Jesus revealed His glory to Peter, James, and John. Peter messed up and put Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. We saw that Jesus is to have the first place in our life. I have seen many students lately skip Sundays and Wednesdays for things that truly do not matter. Jesus taught His followers that they are to:
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
We are supposed to put Jesus first. That means above school, sports, work, and our own desires.
- School
Almost every week, students prioritize procrastinated school assignments or extracurricular school activities over the things of God. It is sad because parents oftentimes will encourage this decision. Parents need to instruct their children that school never takes priority over the gathering of the church. - Sports
Idols are real in our 21st-century American culture and for teens. The testimony of the teens from public school in my small group this Wednesday showed that sports are an incredibly difficult struggle for them when trying to prioritize God. One teen told me last night, “I wish I could come to Bible study, but I’m torn because I have to be at practice.” Parents, please establish with your kids that sports will not take priority over the gathering of the church. - Work
There are many teens with jobs, and as students get older, they should start working. I am thankful for the example of the majority of our teens in that they have decided to prioritize the gathering of the church by restricting their work availability during service times. Students need their parents to set a godly example for them by prioritizing the gathering of the church to worship God. Students should not be more faithful than their parents, and sadly this is the case for more than 15 of our teens.
If Jesus is who you follow, then you need to ensure that He is the center of your life. You can easily determine if this is true by looking at your last month and auditing where your time, energy, and finances went. Parents are the #1 influencers on their kids in matters of faith. Parents, be sure that you are modeling a life that is centered around Jesus.
Teen Leadership Service
It is incredible to see the young people of our church step up and lead. I am grateful for each student that put work into leading, and I believe each of them honored God in their service. Parents, thank you for your investment in your student’s preparation, and I included a link below to download some photos that were taken.
Youtube Influencer – MrBeast
The majority of teens in our church watch YouTube daily. MrBeast is the most-followed person on YouTube because of his eccentric and unbelievable videos. He used to promote being a Christian but has since walked away from his faith. One of his co-hosts has documented his hormone replacement therapy to transition from male to female, and MrBeast has been extreamly vocal about his support of this decision by his friend, this friend has a wife and two-year-old son.
AI Plagerism and Deepfake Manipulation
Technology is outpacing our ethical boundaries at this moment. Artificial Intelligence is being used by students to write papers and cheat in schools. Chatbots like ChatGPT are being used by students to plagiarize papers for school. Also, deepfake technology has become so accessible that students are using it to impersonate and blackmail others. It is essential that parents be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” in this current age and teach their children digital ethics.
If you ever have a question or if I can be a help to you or your student, please let me know! God is working in the lives of our students, and the devil has been trying to derail what God is doing. Please pray for the student ministry as we labor together to point students to follow Jesus!
– Pastor David
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