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Friends Matter (May 2, 2008 at 5:35 AM) -
Cut, paste and send to your teens.
Friends Matter
One day, when I was a freshman in high school,
I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?
Common Criminals (Apr 1, 2008 at 8:11 PM) - Many signs, wonders and miracles were taking place and the high priests were furious. The apostles were dangerous men in their eyes because they were reaching thousands about Jesus.
You Are Not a Healer (Mar 4, 2008 at 9:13 PM) - Jesus was a great teacher, the best. He was not ordinary by any stretch.
Do We Really Honor God? (Feb 12, 2008 at 8:34 PM) - How are you doing with your attitudes and your actions?
Do We Really Honor God? (Jan 3, 2008 at 9:27 PM) - I remember when I was a teen that I felt like my Christianity was fulfilled if I attended Sunday School and Church and if I went on Wednesday nights I would get extra credit from God.
Close Your Eyes (Dec 4, 2007 at 8:29 PM) - When you close your eyes to rest, meditate, or go to sleep what do you think about? Do you ever think about God?
Plan Ahead (Nov 1, 2007 at 8:09 PM) - I have a friend in another state who is constantly frustrated because he has not won the lottery. He buys ticket after ticket month after month with no success.
The Hall of Shame (Oct 30, 2007 at 8:28 PM) - Marion Jones owned the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. A world-class sprinter and long jumper, she won five medals, three were gold and two bronze, in track and field.
Use Your Tongue Wisely (Sep 18, 2007 at 8:18 PM) - It usually takes a pretty long time for you to build a good reputation. People don’t say good things about you just because they think it’s the right thing to do.
Obedience (Aug 1, 2007 at 5:01 AM) - A young man told me his story of his high school days and how athletics changed his life. He was a junior in high school and one of the stars on the basketball team.
Are We Really Spoiled? (Jul 4, 2007 at 2:52 AM) - Our youth minister was talking to us about how we as teens could help change the world.
Scared to Death (Jun 1, 2007 at 5:05 AM) - When I was in middle and junior high school I was scared to death of drugs. I was scared when I heard older kids talking about them or even when I saw someone using them on television or in a movie.
Cool Youth Group (May 9, 2007 at 5:24 AM) - Copy, paste and send to your teens. It's just another avenue to get them into the Word.
Hiding Your Sins (Apr 11, 2007 at 5:44 AM) - Copy and paste and send to your teens. Most of them go through this type situation everyday.
What Does It Mean To You? (Mar 9, 2007 at 5:49 AM) - Our great-grandfathers called it the holy Sabbath; our grandfathers, the Sabbath; our fathers, Sunday; but today we call it the weekend. Copy and paste this and send it to your teens.
What Does It Mean To You? (Feb 7, 2007 at 7:39 AM) - Sudden Impact is designed for you to cut, paste and e-mail to your teens.
How Tall Are You? (Jan 26, 2007 at 7:56 AM) - It is easy for you to determine how tall you are physically but how tall are yo spiritually?
Sudden Impact is designed for you to copy, paste and e-mail to your students.
What Is Love? (Jan 5, 2007 at 6:33 AM) - Love is a word that is often hard to define. You might say you love your grandmother or you love popcorn. To you they mean the same but to someone else is has a different meaning all together.
Impossible? Notta! (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Hurricane Katrina came through with a fury. All over Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama
destruction occurred. Many of us, in the
safety of our own homes, wondered what we could do to make a difference. What if, just what if, we all sat back and
said, “What I can do won’t matter,” or “I’m just a small fish in a large
ocean.” What if we all came up with
excuses? How many evacuees would really
be helped?
Guard Your Influence (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Several years back, Doc Haynes, basketball coach at Southern
Methodist University, said in the Dallas Morning News: “What I always tell my basketball team is
that they represent the school, and they represent the sport… If one of them
should go into a beer joint in Fort Worth, for example, some seeing him there
would say, ‘Why I know him; he’s an SMU basketball player’, and pretty soon the
word’s around that the SMU basketball team is hanging out in beer joints in
Fort Worth.” What are you doing to guard your
Christian influence?
Go and Do the Same (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells the story of the Good
Samaritan. On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to
inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: “’Love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength and with all your mind;’ “You
have answered correctly,” Jesus replied.
Developing Friendships (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - When I was in the sixth grade I started a new school. I sat across the isle from a guy who was
about twice my size. He was a little
over six feet tall and had the biggest arms I had ever seen. He was intimidating just to look at. You would think that at any time he could
chew you up and spit you out. As the
weeks went by we became close friends. I
soon learned that not only did he have a big body but he had an even larger
heart. All the
True Success (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Have you thought about what true success really is? Is it hitting a homerun in the bottom of the
ninth to win the game? Is it scoring the
winning touchdown? Is true success
having a larger house or driving a new car? Is true success wearing name brand clothes or being in the
“in-crowd”? All of the above may be nice
but is it really success? Actually, true
success is doing what it takes to get to heaven.
Take Your Christian Responsibility Seriously (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - As Christian teens we have a tremendous responsibility to
ourselves, our families, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our society and
our God. We have the responsibility to
do what we can to influence our fellowman toward Heaven. We also have the responsibility to feed and
cloth the poor or visit the sick. We
have many responsibilities as Christians and we need to strive everyday to live
up to the task.
Winning Souls (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - God wants us to use our gifts and influence to win souls for
His kingdom. Whatever talents we have,
it is necessary for us to use them to reach out to others. One question is: Why do we need to be soul
winners? The scriptures plainly teach us
that Jesus was a soul winner. Read
Luke 19:10; I Peter 2:21-22; Matthew 10:25.
Humble Yourself (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Often when we think of humility, we think of it as a
weakness. We might even think others
perceive us as a coward if we back down from someone and let them have their
way. This is true especially if it’s a
“bully” we’re dealing with. It is
especially hard for many teens to back down in front of their peers for fear
they will be made fun of or be made the target of a lot of ribbing. What would Jesus do?
You Have It!! (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - You Have It!! You may not want it, but you have it. You may not want to accept the
responsibility, but you don’t really have a choice. Yes, we all have influence. It may be bad or it may be good, but we do
all have it.
Well, You Did It! (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - School is finally over and you got the summer job you have
always wanted. For several years you
have wanted to work at the local bowling alley, but for some reason you just
couldn’t get the job. Now, it is your
first day on the job and you are excited, mainly because some of your friends
also work there. One day, while helping
a customer pick out the right size bowling ball, you notice that one of your
co-workers, and very good friend, let a couple of guys bowl free. Later in the week, you are
A Time of Trials (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - It seems like nothing ever goes right in my life. I pray, pray, and pray and it still doesn’t
seem to change things. I try really,
really hard to get a boyfriend but no one shows much interest. I’m struggling with my parents going through
a divorce. There is so much hatred
between them and they drag me into it everyday.
They are always talking bad about each other in front of me. What do I do?
How can I handle it? I don’t want
to have to choose between them because I love them both.
Oh, to be Ambitious (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - I don’t know what causes a person to be ambitious, but it is
a fact that I have been over- blessed with drive and ambition from the time I
hit the ground. Our mother was extremely
ambitious for her kids. She read a lot
and loved education, although she didn’t have too much herself. She went to college for a year before she
quit to get married, and maybe to compensate for that, she just ordained from
the beginning that I would go to college and make something out of myself. One of the great sadnesses
Dealing with Temptation (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Have you ever been tempted to do something you knew was
wrong but you just didn’t think you could walk away from it? Maybe you were not prepared to take that big
test that would decide whether you will have to go to summer school. Maybe you got caught up with the wrong crowd
and they wanted to do things that you knew were totally against your Christian
lifestyle. How so you handle these type
situations?
What is the Best Answer? (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - It was one of those nights; you just wanted to chill and
watch TV or play your video games. You
might even want to spend time loading your ipod with your favorite tunes. Whatever the case, you didn’t get your
homework done and time is running out before the next semester’s grades find
there way to your parents. You get to
school a little earlier the next day and someone lets you copy their
homework. Man, you are relieved. When you hand your work in, your teacher
says, “This is great, did you do this by
Count Your Blessings (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - “But the person who trusts in the Lord will be blessed. The will show him that He can be
trusted. He will be strong; like a tree
planted near water that sends its roots by a stream…It does not worry in a year
when no rain comes.
The Lord Is My Shepherd (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - It was only a few weeks ago when we had our big family
gathering. Uncles, aunts, cousins and
more cousins came to enjoy the weekend together. It was going to be so much fun; I hadn’t seen
some of my cousins in a couple of years.
How Do We Handle It? (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Peter and Joanna are two of the greatest Christian young
people in the youth group. They are both
leaders and model it at every activity.
They started dating each other about six months ago and things seem to
be going really well. Everyone at church
was saying they were meant for each other.
You don’t have to be told what happened next. Satan began to deal with them and their
sexuality. They were almost convinced
that sex was not bad for them since they would probably get married in four or
five years. One night on a date
Hospital Window (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - ”All you who put your hope in the Lord will be strong and brave.” Psalm 31:24 Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital
room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to
help drain the fluid from his lungs.
Are You Really Honest (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - It’s Friday and football is in the air. You and your boyfriend enjoy the game and
decide to go out to the local “greasy spoon” (that would be an eating
place). As you leave, your friend asks
if you would like to go to his house and watch a movie. So you call your parents and assure them that
his parents will be there and in the same room while you are watching the
movie. After arriving at his house, you soon
realize that his parents will not be in the same room. As a matter
Are You Speechless? (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Are You Speechless?
There was a priest named Zechariah who had a wife named Elizabeth. Zechariah and Elizabeth truly did what God said was good. They did everything the Lord commanded and did everything possible to keep the law. But they had no children, because Elizabeth could not have a baby. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were very old.
One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God when an angel, Gabriel, appeared to him.
A Lesson from a Third-Grader (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - One of our third grade students attends a small school just
outside of our city. Her assignment was
to fill a grocery bag full of things that tell who she really is.
Her mother wanted to help, but Brooke wanted
to do it alone. When it was her turn to
share her life with her classmates, she began to pull things out of her
bag. First, a trophy she won at a horse
show. Then she pulls out plaques and
trophies that she won at gymnastics events.
Then came dolls and other important items she found lying around
I Don’t Know What to Believe (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Randy is a young man who was not raised in a church family
but is somewhat familiar with God and Jesus and has a vague idea of
Christianity. He has been exposed to
several religions during his teen years and is not very sure what to
believe. Now, he is involved in your
youth group and wants to have a leadership role. You know he does not need to be teaching
others when he does not know what to believe himself. So it’s up to you to help him with his walk
with God. What are
Serving Others at School (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - One of the main things that teens want to obtain at school is popularity. Yes, you heard it right; most teens want to be popular. Many want to excel in sports and many want to excel in the band. There are definitely teens who want to be known for their good grades and many for their looks and material possessions.
I Don’t Have a Dime to My Name (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Jason is one of the most popular boys in your school even though he does not have money like many of your other friends do. Jason has always been known as a leader by example at school and in the youth group. One thing Jason really wants is an ipod. He has wanted one for some time so he could listen to Christian music. His problem goes back to not having enough money to purchase one. A friend of his has a friend who can get him one for about
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Your mom and dad are leaving on a business trip for a few days. You will be left at home with strict instructions of not having any friends over. It’s not that your friends are not great teens but your parents would like to have an adult there to chaperone just in case something happens. One of your friends finds out that your parents are gone and he starts putting on the pressure to have a small party at your house. The pressure overcomes your wanting
It Will Make Things Better (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Julie had been dating Brad for a little over a year and things were on shaky ground. Brad told Julie that their relationship would become stronger if they became more involved in their sexual relationship. They began to have sex on a regular basis and pretty soon Julie began to recommend it to her friend Rebecca. Rebecca and Phil had been dating for about six months and their relationship was really going well. They were both very involved in their youth group and they took part in many other church
I Just Want To Be Sure (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - I’ve been going to church and Sunday school since before I was born. My mom and dad were raised going to church and they did the same with me. I love my youth group, my Sunday school class and my youth group. Loving Jesus has never been a problem for me and serving Him seems to come easy. Our youth group goes on mission trips and we are heavily involved in Vacation Bible School. I’ve been a daily Bible reader forever and I pray regularly. My problem is that I
Captain of the Nerd Herd (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - One day, when I was freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. He looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring home all his books on Friday? He must really be a nerd.”
I had quite a weekend planned (parties, football game, etc.) so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at
I Am So Mad! (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - It’s Friday night and football season is in full swing. Friday night games are the talk of the school and you can’t wait to go to the game. It’s not really the game you want to see, it’s your friends. You just want to hang out and enjoy a little social time while the game is going on. You approach your friends and start making plans for before, during and after the big game. A couple of your friends tell you that nothing has been planned for after the game,
The Battles We Choose (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - So David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord answered him, “Go, I will hand them over to you.”
I Chronicles 14:10
David was a shepherd boy who accepted an awesome challenge.
Be Blessed (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Do not let you heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 23:17
Have you ever looked around your school or neighborhood and noticed what other teens have that you don’t? You see your classmates driving really, really nice vehicles or living in a huge house with a pool. Suddenly you become very jealous or even envious. You shouldn’t feel that way, even though it’s hard not to.
There are many people who have a lot of material things such as large houses or fine
Backpacking with Jesus (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Have you ever been mountain climbing or backpacking? If you have you have been able to enjoy the fantastic nature that God has provided for us to enjoy. You probably spent days in preparation and anticipation for what you were about to see.
In this lesson you will discover the unexpected events of Peter, James and John as they climbed the mountain with Jesus.
Mark 9:2-10
Six day later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain by themselves.
God at Work (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass. Exodus 31:3-4
We know that we are not saved by works alone but God gives us special gifts to do His work. Exodus 31:3-4 shows us that when he describes Bezaleel. Bezaleel was gifted by God as a metal worker to make metal things for the priest to put in the holy of
The Pressures of Life (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure….. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
This may be the time of year when the pressure starts to mount up. It could be that school project that you have known about for several weeks but are just now starting. You might even say to yourself, “Why did I wait until the last minute to get started on this”? It could be the pressures of sports put on you by your
Am I Different? (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - The story of Zacchaeus is one of the Bible stories that we have been hearing all of our lives. We always knew him as the “wee little man in the sycamore tree.” Zacchaeus was different in that he was so short that he could not see Jesus coming so he climbed a tree. Zacchaeus was also a tax collector and was hated by the people in his area.
Abundant Courage (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - Abundant Courage
I just saw “The Ron Clark Story” on television and it will have a lasting impression on me. Ron was a young teacher from North Carolina who moved to New York to work with at-risk teens in an inner-city high school.
Why Can’t I? (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - It is very common now for young Christians to date
non-Christians. It is also common for
those Christians to assure all their friends that they are not serious and will
not become serious until he/she becomes a Christian. As time goes by, the couple becomes closer
and closer. In the beginning he was making a difference in her life, she
was getting closer to God. But lately
things seem to change; she is drawing him away from God. He is
starting to miss church and hardly ever
comes to youth activities anymore. You
try to talk
He Said, She Said (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - In the 1980’s, a bad rumor was going around about McDonald’s. Someone got the rumor started that they were using earthworms in the hamburger meat to add protein. The rumor quickly spread across the United States.
Forgiving Others (May 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM) - I was told of a man who had been attending church all of his
life. For the past thirty years he had
not taken the Lord’s Supper. It seems
that thirty years ago he was passed over for a promotion in the fire department
and the man who passed him attended church with him. He was not passed over because of personality
conflicts but because the other person was a little more qualified. Jim knew he should get his heart right (I
Corinthians 11:23-29) before
communing with God. However, he just
could not forgive his former boss. And
so,
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