A Healthy Spiritual Heart for Youth

August 25, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

As a youth, we need to ask God for:

A LEARNER’S HEART
- Learn for God’s glory, your edification, and the furtherance of the Gospel.
- To know, knowledge are used at least 51 times in Proverbs.
- Weigh all learning through the knowledge of Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18).
AN UNDERSTANDING HEART – 65 times in Proverbs
- To be able to interpret what you learn (above) in God’s perspective (Proverbs 2:10,11).
- To be able to understand yourself first (Proverbs 4:7-9) and then others.
AN HONEST, TRANSPARENT HEART
- What you can’t understand (above), share with the person giving you the real or imagined problem (Matthew 5:23,24).
A PURE HEART
- In an increasingly amoral world we must flee youthful lusts (II Timothy 2:22).
- Young men and women overcome by letting God’s Word live within (I John 2:14).
- Don’t be a loner – go out two by two (Mark 6:7).
A DISCRETIONARY HEART – in Word and in Deed
- To know the difference between that which unnecessarily offends and the inoffensive (Proverbs 2:11).
- Lord, help me not to be a stumbling block to younger Christians (I Corinthians 8).
A RESPECTFUL HEART
- You may not agree with or understand someone, but respect him for his work’s sake (I Thessalonians 5:12).
- Notice in I Timothy 5:1,2 the intricate relationships that young Timothy must observe.
A DISCIPLINED HEART
- One that chooses against oneself in all matters great or small (Luke 9:23). What you are will be your message (II Corinthians 3:2,3):
A SERVANT’S ALERT HEART
- Become a load-lifter. Anticipate what would be helpful and then do it. Study the greatest servant in all of history, Jesus Christ (Mark 10:42-45).
A COMMUNICATING HEART
- This is the counterbalance to merely “being a good example.” Communicate by word, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Acts uses words like witness, teach, tell, proclaim, etc., 113 times or an average of four per chapter.
- Your personal testimony, backed by God’s Word are your greatest weapons (Revelation 12:11).
A PRAISING, THANKFUL HEART
- If you learn this through loneliness, problems, misunderstandings – you will be A-OK with God.
- In everything give thanks (I Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20; Hebrews 13:15):

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Resource Reviews

Shaping Character

August 24, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Youth, like all of us, are works in progress. And God’s priority is the development of our character.

“Bart decided to ask God to shape his character. He surrendered his own will to the will of God. At the time, Bart’s business floundered on the verge of failure. ‘Should I throw in the towel, or keep trying to hang on?’ Bart wondered.

“God replies, ‘You need to persevere.’ After we have done the will of God, then we will receive our reward. God’s will is for us to demonstrate to a hurting world how wonderfully His power can work within the person who perseveres.

“Certainly, there are days when we feel like we will die, or maybe even wish we could, but we keep going. Why? Why do we keep going? Because when we have done the will of God we will receive what He has promised.

“Will persevering guarantee we will succeed in the worldly sense of success? Is that what He has promised? Does it mean we will not go out of business if we hang on? No, but we can state emphatically that if we don’t persevere we will not succeed in any sense. Not persevering guarantees we will fail…

“Beyond succeeding in a worldly sense though, God wants our character to succeed more than our circumstances in such a way that our character eventually succeeds, for that is His highest aim, His will.”

Patrick Morley, “Walking with Christ in the Details of Life” Thomas Nelson Publishers

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Improving Your Teaching

Clothes Pin Review

August 16, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

This review game uses clothespins, and pennants to remind youth and teens about Bible lessons learned.

Materials
string, paper and clothespins

What to Do

Tie the string across the front of the room.
On pennants or pieces of paper, write the themes, topics, central characters, etc from recent Bible lessons youth have studied.
For each theme create several questions relating to facts, events, and important information to be answered by the youth.
Attach the pieces of paper to the string with one clothespin for each question.
Youth then choose a topic and are asked one of the questions. If the answer is correct one peg is removed from the pennant. If it is missed the next youth or team gets a turn.
This continues until all the questions are answered and all the pegs are removed.
Whoever removes the last peg from the pennant gets to keep it.
Once all the pennants are removed, whoever has the most pennants wins.

Variation
Instead of questions, youth must state one fact about each topic for each peg that is on the pennant. If all the facts are correct and no pegs are left then can remove the pennant. If a fact is wrong, then game play is passed to the next person or team.

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Parents Ministry

The One Who Loves Me

August 14, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

” ‘I love you,’ I said to a spotless face. No milk mustache. Each strand of hair in its proper place. ‘I’ve signed your report card. It’s lying on the counter so you won’t forget it. I’m proud of all those A’s. Mrs. Harmon should be proud, too.’

I gave him an extra hug before he raced out and hopped on his red ten-speed. It glistened as much as his face that morning. ‘Your bike looks so clean. You must have worked hard to make it shine so much.’

He waved good-bye, his new blue jacket billowing behind him. He looked handsome. The gray in his plaid shirt perfectly highlighted the blue-gray of his twinkling eyes. He had even chosen the right pants. Gray cords with a blue and gray striped belt.

‘Yes, I do love that little guy,’ I said to myself as I turned to the morning clutter. Even his blue cereal bowl and plate were rinsed and stacked neatly in the dishwasher. So easy to love him when he’s doing things right.

That was yesterday. Today he wants to help me in the kitchen. He has on dirty football pants, the ones with a big rip in the knee, and the old yellow football jersey that I had hid in his bottom drawer. It has stretched so much it is several sizes too big, and besides, yellow makes him look jaundiced.

He volunteers to help unload the groceries. As he climbs onto the countertop–football pants and all–the flour falls off the shelf, shattering my glass coffeepot in a thousand pieces. The can of frozen orange juice, intended for the freezer, misses its mark and hits my foot instead.

‘Sorry, Mom. Didn’t mean to do it.’

I massage my little toe. ‘It hurts just as bad either way, you know.’ He doesn’t seem to know.

Dinner is next on the agenda. My volunteer hangs around, and I put him in charge of the spaghetti. The water begins to boil, but the noodles slide out of the wrong end of the box as he carries it to the stove. He heads for the broom again.

‘Out. Please. Out of the kitchen.’ His shoulders slump as he walks out the back door.

Then I think of the One who loves me when my face is dirty, hugs me when I’ve broken more than coffeepots, keeps His arms around me even when I’ve caused Him pain. I go to the picnic table where Nicky sits with his head down. I encircle him in my arms.

‘Honey, I love you.’ That was all I needed to say. His arms went around me and his dirty cheek rested against mine.

‘Lord, keep me giving him hugs, especially when I think he least deserves them. Because that’s what you do for me.’ ”

Source: Ruth Senter “Startled by Silence” (Daybreak Books-Zondervan)

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Devotional

The Heel Grabber

August 7, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Scripture: Jacob – Genesis 32

As a youth, you probably remember the story of Jacob’s ladder many times.

Jacob was sneaky. Deceitful. Conniving. Crafty. Dishonest. Selfish. His name means “Heel Grabber.” He came out of the womb wanting that which did not belong to him, holding onto his brother Esau’s heel.

Esau was rough and tough. An outdoorsman. A hunter. The “woodsy” type. His name meant “Red” and “Hairy.” Genesis 25:25 – “His whole body was like a hairy garment.” Sexy, Huh? The guy was a human “Orangutan.”

So you had “Big Red”, Esau the Ape Man and in contrast, Jacob was a spoiled smooth-skinned “mamma’s boy” who ran around hanging onto mom’s coat tails all the time. He was a “wimp.” I’ll bet he was a “tattle-tale” too! I can just hear him: “Mom, Esau hit me!” “Mom, Esau snuck some candy out of the pantry before dinner.” “Mom, Esau called me a dirty name.” “Mom, Esau shot the neighbor’s cat with his bow and arrow.”

One day, Jacob deceived his blind father (with his mother’s help). They covered his smooth body with goatskins so he felt (and “smelt”) like his hairy brother and he stole Esau’s birthright and blessing. Made “Big Red” so mad that he vowed to kill Jacob as soon as his father died. Jacob had to run for his life and the momma’s boy never saw his mother again.

But later he would wrestle with God and walk away not only with his name changed to Israel, but also his character changed. The heel grabber grabbed for God instead.

From a Sermon by Wayde Wilson

What changes have taken place in your own life through an encounter with God?
In what ways has your character changed since you became a Christian?
What things are still being worked on by God in your life?

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Devotional

Kampung Living?

August 5, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

A Typical Kampung House

During the early days of Singapore, the headman of a “kampung” (a small cluster of houses akin to a small village) lived in a nice house with his children. He and his family were happy, with many nearby neighbors who were true “friends.”

One day, as the headman sat on his front porch, a stranger arrived at the kampung from the jungle. The traveler was looking for a new place to live, so he asked the headman, “What kind of neighbors do you have?” The headman answered with a question of his own: “What kind of neighbors did you have at the last place you lived? “They were cranky, unfriendly, and cantankerous,” the traveler replied. “Well, I’m afraid you’ll find the same kind of neighbors here,” the headman told the traveler. So the man moved on, looking for a better place to live. The next day another man stopped at the headman’s home. That traveler also was looking for a place to live. He too asked about the residents in the kampung. The headman asked him the same question, “What kind of neighbors did you have at the last place you lived?” “My neighbors were the nicest and friendliest neighbors in the world,” the traveler replied. “Well, you’ll find the same kind of neighbors here, too,” the headman said.

So the second traveler decided to stay, and he found great neighbors. The first traveler settled a day’s journey away, and rumor has it that eventually he became involved in a feud with his neighbors. The headman knew that if the first traveler became his neighbor, trouble was likely because the traveler had a history of problems with neighbors. On the other hand, he knew that the second traveler was more likely to be a good neighbor since he had a history of positive relationships. Events proved him right.

What was the difference? The difference was in the two travelers. One was neighborly, and one was not.

A Chinese proverb says, “Do not remove a fly from your friend’s forehead with a hatchet.” The saying points out that we can say and do things in ways that harm our relationships with others. And, when people react to us in a negative manner, we blame them. But the problem originated with us. We are commanded “To love your neighbor as yourself” We each have a personal responsibility for establishing and maintaining healthy relationships.

Which traveler reflects you in the story?

A letter from your Church.

I am your church. Make of me what you will. I shall reflect you as clearly as a mirror. If outwardly my appearance is pleasing and inviting, it is because you have made me so. If you find my spiritual atmosphere to be kindly yet earnest, reverent yet friendly, worshipful yet sincere, sympathetic yet strong, divine yet humanly expressed, it is but the manifestation of the spirits of those who constitute my membership. But if you should by chance find me a bit cold and dull, I beg of you not to condemn me, for I show forth the only kind of life I shall receive from you. I have no life or spirit apart from you. Of this may you always be assured: I will respond instantly to your every wish, practically expressed, for I am the reflected image of your own soul. Make of me what you will.

Food for thought

What are some of the characteristics of the ideal church? The ideal Youth Group?
What is the current environment or atmosphere of our church?
In what practical ways can a person make our church, one of care and concern? The youth group?
What are you personally doing to make this happen?
Through which activities/ programs can you show this care and concern?
In what ways do you need to change in order to make your church one that cares?

Scripture
Read through the 7 churches at the beginning of the book of Revelation.

What were some of the characteristics, affirmations, and criticisms of those churches?
Which church is most like ours?
What are some things we can learn to make our church one of which Christ would be pleased?

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Resource Reviews

Growing in Grace

August 3, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

“Grace is the unhindered, wondrous, boundless love of God, poured out upon us in an infinite variety of ways, not according to our deserving, but His measureless heart of love. Put together the most deep, tender love you have felt, multiply by infinity, and you will faintly glimpse the love and grace of God! To grow in grace means being planted in the very heart of this divine love, to put ourselves in His hands and leave it with Him; to grow as lilies and babes, with neither care nor anxiety…

The slightest barrier between your soul and Christ may cause you to dwindle and fade, as a plant in a cellar or under a bushel. Our divine Husbandman can turn any soil into the soil of grace the moment we place ourselves in His hands. He does not need to transplant us.

We need to learn the flowers’ secret; to grow, but only in God’s way, not hindering Him with our own anxious efforts. What the flower is by nature, we must be by an intelligent and free surrender. Self must step aside to let God work…

What a picture of life and growth far different from the ordinary life and growth of Christians–a life of rest, and growth without effort, and yet a life and growth crowned with glorious results.

We may rest assured, that all the resources of God’s infinite grace will be brought to bear on the growing of the tiniest flower in His spiritual garden, as certainly as they are in His earthly creation. The violet abides peacefully in its little place, content to receive its daily portion without concerning itself about the wandering of the winds, or the falling of the rain…”

Source: Hannah Whitall Smith “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life”

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Resource Reviews

Holding on to the Son

August 2, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

“Security is the name of the game. Especially is this true in our relationship to God. To try to hang on to God is very tiring and very precarious.

I saw a good illustration of this in 1943 when I was a seminary student and pastor in Mountain View, California. I was walking to church on Sunday morning with my frisky, three-year-old son, Don. He was holding my hand as we walked along together. Then, without warning, Don missed his step and went sprawling on the sidewalk.

He was not hurt, but to avoid this happening again I took a firm hold of his little wrist. Sure enough, his boundless energy caused him to stumble several more times before we got to the church. But now the outcome was altogether different. When he would stumble, I would hold firmly to his wrist, and he would swing back and forth till his feet were back on the ground. What a difference it made when the father was holding on to the son instead of the son holding on to the father.

Our heavenly Father is not only the Divine Seeker, he is also the Divine Keeper. We are the recipients of both the “Divine initiative” and the “Divine tenacity.”

If my security is only as strong as my human faith and strength, then I am in real trouble. All of us are prone to sinfulness and stumbling. We all get tired trying to hang onto God, too pooped out to feel much security or peace. Our security is in God’s grip, not in ours…

Our security is not man-centered but God-centered. Our security is in a Christlike God. He is the ‘Peace-keeping force” in our lives.

Lord, help us to ‘let go and let God.’ ”

Source: Donald Russell Robertson- “Dear You” ISBN 0-8499-0677-6

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Game Ideas

Balloon Gauntlet

August 2, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Introduction
Hit a balloon toward a goal and it doesn’t always go where intended. The same is often true in our pursuit of goals in life. But with teamwork and concerted effort we can make progress toward the goals God has laid out for us.

Game Description
Hit the Balloon through the gauntlet to the other team’s goal.

Game Materials

Inflated balloons. You might want to have several extras in case one busts.
A chair for each youth participating.

Game Preparation

Arrange the chairs in two rows facing each other.
One youth is assigned to each chair.
Each row numbers off, with those calling odd numbers being assigned to one team and the youth calling out even numbers assigned to the other.
Odds are assigned an end of the gauntlet as their goal. Evens are assigned the opposed end as their goal.

Game Play

A balloon is placed or tossed in the middle between the two lines of youth, an equal distance from each end.
Each team (Odds or Evens) hits the balloon when it is within range. They can choose to hit it to another player, up, down, or across the rows.
The balloon cannot be held or thrown but must be tapped or hit.
When a goal is scored, the balloon is placed back in the centre of the two rows, an equal distance form the two ends and play starts again.
If a balloon goes wide out of range it is tossed back in from where it went out.
The winner is the team which has scored the most goals after a set period of time.

Take it to the next level

Discussion

What are some of the goals in life that people have?
Goals that youth have?
What are some of your goals?
Do you ever find things going a different direction than you planned when pursuing your goals?
How can other help you keep on track for your goals?
Is goal setting Biblical or should we simply trust in God for the future?
What are some of our goals for the Christian life?
How can we help each other stay on track for our goals?

Scriptural Application

Is God is goal-oriented? (John 5:17; Ephesians 1:10)
Were Jesus and other biblical leaders spiritually goal-oriented? (Luke 13:32; John 17:4; 1 Corinthians 9:26,27; Philippians 3:13,14; 2 Timothy 4:7,8)
What are some of the goals we should have as Christians? (1 Corinthians 9:24,25; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 Peter 3:15; Hebrews 10:24,25)
What role does the rest of the Body of Christ play in setting our goals? (1 Corinthians 3:4-9)

Food for Thought
“Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God.” ~William Carey, Missionairy

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Creative Teaching Ideas

Youth Attractions

August 1, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Introduction
Rub a balloon against your hair and it builds up a charge that will allow it to attract small bits of paper or even stick to a wall. Our thoughts are often like the balloons. We attract what we focus upon. Change your thoughts and you change not only the attractions, but you will find new habits and new results coming into your life.

Game Description
This game is appropriate for any size youth group and balloons are loved by all ages. It can be used on a youth ministry game night, during Sunday School or as part of a Bible Study Class. The objective of the game is for youth to rub balloons against their hair to give the balloons enough static electricity for them to stick to the wall. Small pieces of paper with messages on them can also be placed inside the balloons. Whiteboard or Permanent markers can be used to write on the balloons as well.

Game Materials
You only need to have one balloon for each youth that plays and a few bare walls.

Game Preparation
You can either get the youth to inflate the balloons as part of the game or inflate them in advance. If you inflate balloons in advance, you can also write messages on small slips of paper and place them inside the balloons. Questions, quotes, scripture verses, instructions, key facts, and keywords for a lesson can be placed inside the balloons. An air pump is useful if you decide to inflate the balloons beforehand.

Game Play
If you have a large group of youth, you can play according to teams. It can be a free for all or played as a relay race. Teams can be assigned a particular color of balloons or it can be a free for all. In particularly humid climates, it may be very difficult to generate enough static for the balloon to stick to the wall but in most cases it is still possible. If the youth take too long or don’t give the balloons enough of a charge, they will fall from the wall.

Variation 1: Relay Race

Inflate a balloon and tie it off, or collect an already inflated balloon.
Take it to a designated wall and attach it to the wall using only static electricity to help it to cling to the wall. The easiest way is to rub it against your hair until it gets enough charge to become attracted to the wall and cling to it.
Once it clings to the wall the youth returns to his or her team and the next teen can go get another balloon. If the balloon loses its charge and drops, it must be recharged and attached to the wall again.
First team to get all their balloons attached to the wall wins.

NOTE: To make it a little harder, you can force them to charge the balloon with static electricity and then stick it to their head or clothes to carry it to the wall – i.e. it must be stuck to the person first to take it to the wall.

Variation 2: Free for All

Place all the balloons in a pile in the center of the room.
Youths must run to the center of the room, grab a balloon then inflate it and tie it off. Alternatively you can pile all the inflated balloons in the center of the room and they simply collect one. You can have them run one at a time or collect an already inflated balloon.
If a balloon falls from the wall it is free game for anyone to pick up and deliver it to their own wall.
At the end of a time limit the team with the most balloons still attached to their wall wins.

Take it to the Next Level

Discussion

What are the attractions in your own life?
What are the things you cling to?
Why do some things in life lose the attraction for us?
What are the attractions of living for Christ?
What are the attractions of the world?

Scriptures: Food for Thought

“Let your love be perfectly sincere. Regard with horror what is evil; cling to what is right.” — Romans 12:9
“Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you” — Matthew 6:33
“For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” — Proverbs 23:7
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” — Psalm 1:1-5
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” — Colossians 3:2
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” — Romans 8:5
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” — 1 Corinthians 10:13
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” — James 1: 13-14
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” — Philippians 4:8

Potential debrief ideas / learning Points

It’s the close connection that gives it the charge.
In times the attraction is lost
Once the attraction is created it is sometimes difficult to stop it from clinging to us
New attractions can be created
Attractions can quickly change.
New attractions take time to create

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