NOBODY TELLS ME ANYTHING - February Edition

Parents,

 

There are several key topics we believe we need to walk through with students on a regular basis. One such topic is challenging students to navigate relationships and sexuality in a way that honors God. The reality is that the world around us is presenting (and even promoting) a message that you are defined by your relational and sexual pursuits. It’s something we HAVE TO be talking about at home and in the church. So we are going to do just that on Sunday Nights from February 18 – March 11. “God, Guys & Girls” is a four-week series on relationships, love, sex, and dating.

 

As we have prayed, processed, and prepared for this series, there have been three very important goals we are keeping in mind:

1. We want to take a holistic approach. The temptation is to oversimplify this topic with teens by saying, “Don’t have sex ‘til you’re married.” In the process, we brush over the significant layers that are present developmentally as well as societally with unlimited internet access in the palm of a student’s hand. The message has to push toward pursuing sexual integrity in all areas of our lives and in the strength and grace of Jesus as we walk through a sexually broken world.
2. We want to remain age-appropriate in our content. We had multiple conversations with parents to get a feel where we should and should not go in the conversation. The reality is that this becomes tricky with varying ages in the room and varying convictions and preferences of different homes. Here are a few clarifying points.
   • This series IS NOT a “sex ed. course.” We will not be getting into biology and/or mechanics.
   • This series IS a “theological course” on God’s design and desire for sex and relationships.

If we were to put a rating on this series, we would give it a light PG-13 rating. Content will be presented in a straightforward, but God-honoring way.

 

3. We want to set parents up to win. We want our conversations to be something that can create further conversation in the home. We also want parents to make the call on what level they will be engaging in this series based on where they discern their students to be in this conversation.

 

 

Here are several things we will be doing to help you along the way:

• This is newsletter article is our first step by giving overview of where we are heading. Check below for a week-by-week breakdown explaining our topics.
• A letter will go out every Thursday giving a little more detailed direction on where we are heading that week.
• A follow-up letter will go out every Monday morning with very detailed notes from our night as well as discussion questions.

 

Please join us in prayer as we go on this journey together. We trust that this will not only prove to be a valuable series, but that our students will be more excited than ever to wholeheartedly pursue a relationship with Jesus above all else.

 

Partnering with you,

 

Bro. Doug and Your Student Leadership Team

 

 

DATE               February 18

Topic                Relationships  

Big Picture       Unless I am wholeheartedly pursuing a relationship with Christ, all other

relationships will be a hopeless attempt to fill that void.

Key Point         God Created us with a need for relationship.  Relationships get messy when

they push us away from God, or when they become God.  

 

DATE               February 25

Topic                Love vs Lust    

Big Picture       Lust is selfish; Love is Selfless

Key Point         God is the source for true love, and His greatest display of this love was

selfless sacrifice.  Lust is a distortion of Love.  [The subject of pornography

could be brought up.]

 

DATE               March 4

Topic                Sex    

Big Picture       Sex is a big deal to God. Handling sex God’s way should be a big deal to us. 

Key Point         God created sex. He gave great purposes for sex. He gave clear parameters for sex   

 

DATE               March 11

Topic                Dating 

Big Picture       Unless I am wholeheartedly pursuing a relationship with Christ, all other

relationships will be a hopeless attempt to fill that void. (Yes, same as week 1)

 Key Point        The Bible does not speak directly about dating, but the Bible does give specific key

principles to live by in your dating life.