As youth leaders we have to value or role as shepherds. One of the most vital roles of the shepherd is to help the sheep steer clear of danger on their journey.
As I read this article on the use of cell phones and other mobile devices to access and share porn, I was confronted by the reality of this old danger in new clothes.
Look at these stats from the article:
20% of teenagers say they’ve sent (or posted) naked or semi-naked photos or videos of themselves, mostly to be “fun or flirtatious,” (33% of 20-26 year olds have done the same)
33% of teenage boys say they’ve seen nude or semi-nude images sent to someone else (about 25% of teenage girls have done the same)
39% of teenagers say they’ve sent suggestive text messages (59% of those ages 20-26 admit to it as well)
48% of teens have received sexually suggestive text messages (64% of young adults also have)
There are some possible actions for us to take, but what else can we/should we do?
A few months ago I heard Ed Stetzer speak at a conference our denomination was hosting. The best take away from the day was the idea of defining what you will contend (fight) for and never compromise, and those things that could be contextualized (changed and adapted). He said that once you had defined those things for which you would contend for, the moment you began to contextualize them you were sunk.
Today I ran across an article from him on a similar subject at Threads.
Here is an excerpt:
Church isn’t supposed to be like TiVo. That is, it’s not a place where you can choose to keep only what lines up with your viewing pleasure and delete the rest—while you cozy up to watch surrounded by friends who laugh at the same things you laugh at and get caught up in the same dramas that you get caught up in. Church isn’t supposed to be like that, but most of us have been catered to in so many other areas of life that we’ve become little more than church consumers. So if someone threatens our preferences, we’ll just shop around until we find another.
The apostle said that he would give up all personal preferences because of the mission to share the gospel. Let’s not forget that Paul was a Jew by birth; Judaism was his heart culture. It was the culture of his mother and father, the one he had grown up in and felt most comfortable around. Yet for the sake of the gospel, he was willing to become all things to all people. In fact, he even went so far as to say,
“For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my countrymen by physical descent” (Romans 9:3-4).
Paul’s passion was so great that he was willing to sacrifice his very salvation so the Hebrews might be saved. What about us?
Most of us aren’t willing to sing different songs.
Most of us aren’t willing to trade seats.
Most of us aren’t willing to adapt our methodologies.
Most of us love preferences more than the gospel.
Do we love our preferences more than the people who are dying to connect with a God who loves them?
I saw found this by way of a Google alert for Student Ministry. It sent me to THIS GUY’S blog. Watch the video below. It’s a really cool way of showing how our students, especially our girls are fed a bill of goods about beauty.
I found THIS ARTICLE earlier in the week. It’s very basic in revealing any new information, but it’s still a great article for awareness for youth leaders and parents. Here is a portion of the article.
A funny picture or a flirty message on your phone may seem innocent enough, but what is your teen really saying when they send a text.
“Teenagers are having sex by the phone, sending flirty messages, meeting up to have sex,” says 16 year old Rochellie Garcia.
“On the one hand it can be kind of fun to get an erotic message over your email or on the phone,” says Certified Sex Therapist Joyce Joseph. “But on the other hand none of that is really safe or private.”
It’s known to teens as sexting, and though it doesn’t always lead to a physical act, Joseph says it can confuse teenagers emotionally.
Beginning June 8th at MPN we are beginning a new series around Oprah’s newest book club book A New Earth. The book immediately jumped to the top of bestseller lists after her endorsement. She also partnered with the author, Ekhard Tolle in a 10 week online teaching of the principles in the book. While some called these online gatherings Oprah’s church, it has generated a new conversation about spirituality and life purpose, which I think is extremely positive.
One of the things I love about our Pastor is that he is not afraid to address socially sensitive topics, but he does it with an authentic desire to model Jesus in presenting “grace and truth”. We dedicated an entire Sunday last year to Homosexuality. He stopped a series to address the bones of Jesus documentary. There are a lot of other examples, and these are not canned responses. In my opinion it is a shepherd helping steer his sheep away from danger and toward Truth.
I’ll keep you posted to the success of the series.
This is my personal blog. Most of what is written is my opinion, observation, original thought, or things I find interesting somewhere else. While I am employed by Mt. Paran North, the things expressed here are not endorsed or necessarily accepted by Mt. Paran North or it's leadership. So don't go sue the church because you don't agree with something I write. Just post a comment and tell me I'm an idiot. It'll just be better for all of us.
