With the crazy weather the month of January, I feel like we've lost some momentum with the youth ministry. I haven't seen our JH students in over 3 weeks! I am hopeful that we will be able to get together this next week!
Starting this month, our new series is called "Meant to Be." We will diving into the wisdom of the Bible, to see what it has to say about love, relationships, dating and sex.
"We're meant to be." It's how all of our favorite movies, songs, and books talk about love—as if the secret to an amazing relationship is a little bit of destiny, a whole bunch of feelings, and a tiny dash of magic. So it makes sense, when we observe the not-so-perfect, real-life relationships modeled by our friends, parents, and favorite celebrities, that we might start to wonder, “Wait—is that how relationships are meant to be?” In this 4-week series, you'll give students a better lens for evaluating their current and future dating relationships as you help them see that the secret to a relationship that's "meant to be" is to stay close to Jesus, date with purpose, know who you're looking for, and keep sex in the right context.
Anytime sex is a planned part of the conversation, we want to be sure to keep parents in the loop! We live in a hypersexualized culture. There are numerous voices speaking into what love, relationships and sex is supposed to look like. Unfortunately, the church is often silent, which also communicates in volumes. In reality, God's Word speaks truth into these very relevant issues, and it's important that we communicate these with our teens to help them form a godly perspective of sexuality and relationships.
During the month of February, we will be starting a series called "Meant to Be." To give you an overview of what the month will look like, and to give you a chance to review that material if you so choose to do so, below are links to the teaching guide for each week, as well as the small group discussion questions.
If you have any questions or concerns about where we are going this upcoming month, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Week 1 Big Idea: Staying close to Jesus makes every relationship better. This week, we'll push students to consider how the way they love God will impact the way they love others.
Key Passages: Matthew 22:36-40; Genesis 1:26, 2:18; John 15:9-17
Click here to download the teaching guide.
Click here to download the small group discussion guide.
Week 2 Big Idea: The purpose of dating is to lead toward marriage. This week, we'll help students see that dating is more than just something we do for fun - it has a purpose.
Key Passages: 1 Corinthians 10:23-24; Ephesians 5:31-32; Philippians 2:3-4
Click here to download the teaching guide.
Click here to download the small group discussion guide.
Week 3 Big Idea: Dating on purpose means you know who you're looking for.This week, we'll challenge students to compare who they're looking for and who they are with God's Word.
Key Passages: 2 Corinthians 6:14-15; Proverbs 1:5; 3:1-35
Click here to download the teaching guide.
Click here to download the small group discussion guide.
Week 4 Bid Idea: Sex can be seriously fulfilling or seriously destructive. This week, we'll challenge students to choose God's design for sex instead of the world's approach.
Key Passages: Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 5:28; 1 John 1:9; Proverbs 4:23-27
Click here to download the teaching guide.
Click here to download the small group discussion guide.
Calendar for when each lesson will be taught:
Week 1: February 6 (JH), February 10 (HS)
Week 2: February 13 (JH), February 17 (HS)
Week 3: February 20 (JH), February 23 (HS)
Week 4: February 27 (JH), March 3 (HS)
As parents, I'll keep you up to date with weekly emails that will allow you to continue the conversation at home. We are blessed to partner alongside you as you seek to disciple your kids and point them to Jesus!