Thursday, April 25, 2013

Back to the Basics
Week 3: The Habit of Meditation 

The students did a pretty good job of applying this last week's habit - reading scripture.  Only one, however, could say that he actually applied the habit daily.  Most were somewhere around three or four days out of seven.  I reminded the students that we all made a commitment to each other - but more importantly to God - to truly seek God's face.  I encourage you parents to really encourage your children to apply the steps we're taking as a youth ministry to grow closer to God.  Let us remember the words of James 4:8 - "Come near to God, and He will come near to you...".  Hopefully, we'll see better effort this next week. 

This past week in WNL, we tackled the habit of meditation (sermon outline here).  As usual, I began by giving students a biblical foundation of the habit, then developed why it's important to practice the habit.  Take a look at the sermon outline.  Here's how we'll apply this week's habit:

Application
  • Begin by finding a place away from visual, auditory, and olfactory distractions.  No phone, iPod, no nothing.  Just you and God.
  • Sit down in a chair and sit up straight with your feet firmly placed on the ground.  Put your hands on your legs with your palms facing upward.
  • Begin taking slow, deep breaths by inhaling through your nose and exhaling out of your mouth.  Continue this for several minutes.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind as you seek to hear God's voice.
  • Begin reflecting on God's love for you.
    • Recall times where you've experienced God's presence in a powerful way (ie. camp, retreats, life, etc.) and replay those experiences in your mind, all the while trying to remember how you felt then.
    • Make a mental list of all the good things in your life.  Reflect on each thing on the list, thinking about how your life would be if that thing were taken away. 
    • Imagine yourself as a bystander at Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.  Even if it's graphic, recall in your mind how difficult the experience is to watch, especially knowing you're part of the reason Christ is there in the first place.  Let that anguish increase your awareness of how much God must love you in order to subject Christ to that on your behalf.
  • Conclude your meditation with a short prayer thanking God for speaking to you through your thoughts, as well as for giving you strength to react appropriately in reciprocal love.
All the best!

sray
 

  

Monday, April 22, 2013

Back to the Basics
Week 2: The Habit of Reading Scripture

This past week in WNL (April 17), we talked about the idea of reading scripture as a habit that shows us who God is and how he interacts with humanity.  Remember that the whole point of the Back to the Basics series is establishing habits that help us grow in our relationship with God.  It is the Bible, then, that is the the highest and most trustworthy authority when it comes to what we need to know about God (and humanity).  

One of the things that I really tried to get across to students is that we tend to understand God in ways that are really erroneous.  Unfortunately, most people (perhaps even most Christians) don't think of God in terms of a person.  He think of him more like an active force, almost devoid of personality or feelings.  But God is a person.  He thinks.  He feels.  He loves.  He relates.  And He lives, just like you and me.  How do we know this?  Because we possess all these things, and the Bible says we were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), not to mention the scores of scripture that give us a clear picture of God's character and personality.  So - when we read about Him in scripture, we're reading about someone who is real and can be experienced in personal relationship that is just as present as what we can experience with one another.  And this is just what we've been invited to do.

Each week, after giving the kids a biblical foundation for the habit, we also provide them with a practical plan for putting the habit into practice over the next several days.  The students have committed to this, but they need your help and encouragement!  


Application
  1. Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you, illuminate the passage to you, and show you how you can apply it to your life.
  2. Slowly read the passage to yourself two times.
  3. Slowly read the passage out loud once.
  4. Close your eyes for a moment and sit in silence.
  5. Answer these questions on a separate sheet of paper or in a journal.
    1. Through whom did God write this?
    2. What would the passage have meant to the original audience?
    3. Is this a stand-alone passage or is it part of a larger story?
    4. What things do you notice about the passage?
    5. What does this passage reveal about God?
    6. What is the main idea of this passage?
    7. Considering the previous two questions, what is one way you can apply this passage practically in your life?
  6. Slowly read the passage out loud one final time.
  7. Ask God to continually help you apply this passage in your life.
Parents, remember.  Walk through this with them and encourage (even compel) them to carry it out.  Holler at me if you have any questions.  If you'd like to see the entire sermon outline, click here.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Back to the Basics: Week 1

Back to the Basics
Week 1: The Goal of the Gospel

Parents

We began the Back to the Basics series yesterday.  The point of this series is to encourage and help students to establish biblical habits that will bring them closer to God.  Here is the series outline:
  • April 17 - Knowing God: The Habit of Reading Scripture
  • April 24 - Hearing God : The Habit of Meditation
  • May 1 - Talking w/ God: The Habit of Prayer
  • May 8 - Christian Home Week - No Mid-Week Services at WBC
  • May 15 - Serving God: The Habit of Service
  • May 22 - Worshiping God: The Habit of Praise
  • May 29 - Spreading God: The Habit of Discipleship 
Each week, students will receive both a biblical justification for each habit and practical instructions on how to implement each habit daily in an accessible and engaging way.  So here's the question: why is it important to establish these habits?  Well, to answer that question, allow me to ask you another.   

What is the Goal of the Gospel?

Why did God send Christ to die on the cross for us?  Why did Christ rise from the grave?  To redeem for us from our sinfulness, right?  Right.  Easy.  But once we're redeemed from our sins, then what?  What are we redeemed for?  So then we can live however we want?  So we can go to church twice a week?  So we can read our Bibles?  No.  

God redeemed us from our sins so that we could fulfill the original purpose for which we were created in the first place.  And what is that purpose?  The 1647 Westminster Shorter Catechism says it best:

What is the chief end of man?  Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.   

In other words, we created to experience the fullness of God in reciprocating, loving relationship.  Unfortunately, few of us even realize that this is the whole point of our faith - knowing and loving God.  Even fewer actually take consistent advantage of this incredible, gracious offer to be redeemed by God so that we can come to be in dynamic, passionate relationship with Him.

What do we do instead?  Basically, we use our redemption as an opportunity to define happiness/holiness on our own terms, live the lives we want to live, and convince ourselves that we're okay with God because we go to church and fulfill other religious duties.  And I hope that doesn't come off judgmentally - because I'm just as guilty of it as you are.  Indeed, we've traded in dynamic relationship for stagnant religion....and then we wonder why we have no desire to get up for church on Sunday mornings or read the Bible....long story short: we were created to love God and be loved by God in active relationship.  To do anything else is to fall sadly short of our purpose.   So let me caution you here: these habits are only going to work for the person who has truly made the decision in his or her heart to pursue and love God above all other things.  If you put these into practice but aren't really interested in growing in the knowledge and love of God, then they will only serve as burdens in your life.  In fact, I've found that religious duty (apart from a heart that seeks to love God) tends to make one resent God - not love Him (think of the older brother in the Prodigal Son story).

Accordingly, in WNL last night, we actually did the music last because I wanted to really give the students a time of reflection to really decide whether or not they would commit to this - that is, the place one has to be in heart before setting out on this kind of journey  I'm happy to say that almost all the students did.

So as parents, what can you do to help your children really get the most out of this?  

Keep Them Accountable To Their "Homework"
Each week, I will give the students practical instructions to follow in order to implement that week's respective habit.  I will provide a copy for you as well.  Please ask them daily about it.  Help them find the time.  Be on them like you'd be on them about homework or studying for an upcoming test.  

Set The Example
Why not walk through this with them?  Isn't is easier to say, "Do as I do" rather than "Do as I say"?  We all find it easier to follow people who practice what they preach.  Is it any different for teenagers?  Let's walk through this together as a youth family.

Pray For Your Children
I realize that you probably do this anyway, but please keep your children in prayer as they embark on what could become the foundation for knowing and loving God passionately for years to come.

Ask Them About Their Progress / Share Your Wisdom 
From time to time, ask your children about what they've learned or how they've experienced God throughout the series as they're implementing habits.  "Recognizing" God and how we live in relationship with Him is really only something that comes with consistent practice (like any other relationship).  Share your wisdom and experience with your children (ie. times where you've experienced God's presence or love in an especially intimate and special way) so that they don't get discouraged if they feel like God is being silent.

I'm praying for you, Branch Family.  I'm excited about this journey.  I hope you are, too.

sray