Today is the last day of school for my boys—Micah will be an
8th grader and Noah a junior in high school. How is this possible?
The last two weeks have been filled with graduation and promotion events—my
niece Mary graduated from Wilsonville High in Oregon and another group of
incredible seniors were honored at our church’s annual “Promotion Sunday”—a day
that highlights our youth and demonstrates the amazing faith that so many of
our teens have for the Lord. This was my last official Promotion Sunday as
Youth Director and it was bittersweet. As I look out at my own kids, my nieces,
and all the “kids” and teens who have crossed my path over the years, I say with joy, “my heart is full.”
A number of people have asked for transcripts of my advice
to the seniors and my message to the teens and families. (Thanks, I am honored.) So….this blog includes a condensed version of
what I shared with teens this week. My biggest hope is that these are not simply words,
but advice that can be applied to life, each and every day.
Message and Advice to Oasis teens, June 9, 2014 (rearranged
and condensed)
I am retiring in July after 28 years of hanging out with
teenagers and there is one theme that stands out in what I have taught and
modeled all this time-- I want teens to
know the crucial importance of making wise choices. I’m a former English
teacher, and I still get chills when I read the poem, “The Road Not Taken”, by
Robert Frost. It sums up what a
purposeful life is all about—how the choices and decisions we make will direct
our paths and our future. The last lines
of the poem say: “Two roads diverged in
a wood/ And I, I took the road less travelled by/ and that has made all the
difference.”
The fully surrendered Christian life is the road less
travelled. Many times it is an
uphill road, a rocky road, a dirty and dusty road and often a lonely road. But
if you choose to walk the road with Jesus, it makes all the difference in the
life you live—both here on earth and in eternity.
To be able to think on our own is a gift that God gave us. But to make choices, we have to realize that
we were first chosen by God. (I Peter 2:4) says that we are rejected by men,
but chosen by God, and precious to him.
(I Peter 2:9 and Colossians 3:12) say that we are God’s chosen people,
belonging to God. Paul tells us in Ephesians that we are God’s
adopted sons and daughters, his chosen heirs.
The God of the universe chose us!
We exist because he created us. We love because he first loved us. We
can make our own choices because he first chose us.
Even though God first chose us, he gave us free will to make
our own choice to believe in him and follow him, or not. God did this because he is the creator of
relationships and he knows that love must be a choice, not something forced
upon us. God offered us himself and His Son and we make the decision to accept
or reject that offer.
Moses talks about the importance of choices as recorded in
Deuteronomy—as he gives his final speech to the Israelites as they prepare to
enter the Promised Land.
15 “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between
life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and
regulations by walking in his ways……
19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and
death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness
the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your
descendants might live!
Moses says, choose
God. Choose Life. It is not a hard command, but it is your decision. And this
is what God has offered us—life with Him, walking the road with Him. Revelation
3: 20 says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice
and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.”
Our first choice, our first step in entering a relationship
with Jesus, is—opening the door. Though
we certainly don’t know everything about God, do we with faith believe that God
is who he says he is? Are we willing to open the door and follow Jesus even
though there are mysteries unrevealed, and doubts that come and go, and
questions that will never be answered in this lifetime?
Once we make that choice, Jesus steps in and equips us
with how to face the world. He tells us that the road won’t be easy, but that
he will be our shelter, our comfort and our strength. He tells us that his grace is sufficient and
that through Him we can do all things.
First, He equips us with the Holy Spirit. After Jesus was
crucified and rose from the dead, he appeared to many people and told us that we
would be given the gift of His Holy Spirit. Before he ascended to heaven to be
with God, he said that he would continue to live in us through the Spirit. In Acts 1: 8, he tells us “You will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” and in Acts 2: 38 Peter tells the
people, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.” The Holy Spirit gives us power. When we believe, we are equipped with
Christ in US—That is huge! That changes our lives! We can do all things
through Him who lives in us.
Second, Jesus equips us with God’s Word. The Bible is one
way God speaks to us. The Word of God gives us direction, history, commands,
promises and prophecies. Psalm 119 is filled with words about the importance of
the WORD. God’s Word shouldn’t be something we just look at on a screen on
Sunday mornings, but it should be living active part of our life—something we
cling to and interact with to get us through each day.
Third, Jesus equips us with other believers. That is why a
church fellowship is so important. Jesus
says that a faith community will equip us with strength to stand strong when
faced with trials. Hebrews 10:24 tells us to continue to meet together and love
and encourage one another. Who we choose to spend the majority of our time with
will shape who we are. We need to choose to surround ourselves with people who
will help us, not hinder us. Friends can
build us up or break us down. Friends can make us better people or drag us away
from God.
Lastly, Jesus gives us His strength and power . Ephesians 6: 10-15 tells us how we are
equipped with all we need through the Lord.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put
on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore
put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand
your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand
firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and
with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
With
Jesus we can stand firm. I repeat my
favorite quote all the time to the Oasis teens to remind them of their faith
and their values. It is a saying that I have used to guide my own life and
decisions. I tell them this: “If you don’t
stand for something you will fall for anything.” They must know what
they stand for, or they may crumble in the face of peer pressure, stress,
anxiety, or indecision.” My prayer for all these teens is that this isn’t
just a quote they repeat, but a lifestyle they live. In this world of instant gratification,
entitlement, and quick decisions—a world
of Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter, I pray that our teens would stick to what
they believe in , that they would apply the biblical principles they are taught
and live it out in the world—at home, at school, on the sports field, when with
their friends and when interacting with others.
In tough situations, I want them to remember that “What is right and
true is not always popular.”
With
Jesus, we can stand firm and strong, despite what the world entices us with.
With Jesus we are emboldened to take a stand for our faith and make a
difference in the world.
My
hope is that teens will leave Oasis empowered by the Holy Spirit, knowing that
they are chosen by God, precious and dearly loved, that they are saved by
grace, not by their works, that they are found by God and that he desires to be
in a relationship with them all the days of their lives.
But
it is all about our choices, our responses to God’s divine grace and mercy. How
and what we choose will make all the difference.
(Advice
to seniors, teens and parents)
First, remember that:
You must find your
identity in Christ—, not in grades or jobs, or status or sports, not in
parental approval, nor what your friends think, and certainly not in the
media’s lies, but in Christ alone.
Second, know that you
will make mistakes and poor choices. It is part of the life experience. But
Jesus is filled with grace and mercy. He is the God of multiple chances. He
loves you unconditionally and wants nothing more than to be in a relationship
with you.
Third, parents and
community—this is a team effort. Oasis leaders can teach kids about God and His
Word, we can pour into kids and counsel them, but ultimately, what is modeled
at home is what sticks. We can’t get
your kids here, but you can. We can’t choose priorities for your lives, but you
can. Make every effort to put Christ and
His Word at the center of your home. As it says in Joshua, as for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord.
Summer
2014 is here! I am so proud of the teens in my life…..my heart is full.
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