A New Way to be a Teen

A Better Way to be a Teen

Vacation comments.

Intro

To start with I want you all to just take a look around you.  You will see some faces you may recognize from various places, some others I’m sure you’ve never seen before.  So what brings us together each week?  What is it that has changed so many that come together at Forerunner each week?  What has changed so many normal teens into a bunch of freakin’ psychos for Jesus?  They have discovered a new way to be alive, a new and better way to live as a teen in this messed up world.  You will find no one perfect only those hoping to grow in Christ and know Him more.  But some are leaving behind all kinds of nasty mistakes and filth that they got into.  How can they do that, how can they be free?

2 Corinthians 5:17(NKJV) "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Why?  Why do this Jesus thing?

The 80’s

Back in the dinosaurs age when I was a teen:

A lot of things were different.

80’s stuff:  Mullets (though not called that), IZOD shirts with collars up, parachute pants, Michael Jackson was still black and not as freakish,

 YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE 80'S IF:

  You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, Wax off".

  You wanted to be a Goonie.

  You know who Max Headroom is.

  You ever wore neon clothing.

  You could breakdance, or wish you could.

  You Believed that "By the power of Greyskull, you HAD the power!"

  Partying "like it's 1999" seemed SO far away.

 You knew what Willis was "talkin' 'bout".

 You HAD to have your MTV

 You hold a special place in your heart for "Back to the Future."

  You know where to go if you "wanna go where everybody knows your name".

  You thought Molly Ringwald was REALLY cool.

 You actually thought "Dirty Dancing" was a REALLY good movie.

  You remember when ATARI was a state of the art video game system.

 You ever had a Swatch Watch.

Even though a lot of things were different, a lot of things are exactly the same.  For example being a teenager.  There may be different struggles now and more against you, but the basics of the game are still the same.

Same ‘ole Same ‘ole

everyone trying to figure out who they are and most are doing it all wrong. 

*No vision – what am I going to do with my life

*No sense of who you are – you latch on to what is going on around you instead of getting a hold of what God has called you to be

You guys are being assaulted everyday by images of lifestyles that are damaging and broken, and many have no better pattern to look at.  So they adopt it as their own…I’m telling you there is a better way.

*Don’t have to live a life where the only way to express affection is through words dripping with sarcasm.  There’s a better way!

*Don’t have to believe and live the lie that says it is impossible to wait until marriage before experiencing sexuality of any kind.  There is a better way!

*Don’t have to do be the clown all the time just because you are desperate for people to like you…There’s a better way!

*Don’t have to dress and act like a $2 crack ho just to get guy’s attention because you are so stinkin’ lonely…There’s a better way!

The Better Way

I know that church, and religion, are all looked at as boring.  I know that all most think of is that they will have to change their behavior.

*That’s why you here a lot of people say things like “Oh, I need to get some things straight in my life first.” 

Hatred of dead dry religion.

Anything done halfway is not worth doing at all.  (boring)

Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came to give a full abundant life to those that would follow Him.  Not strap them with a bunch of rules and regulations that would suck the fun out of life.

What is needed to live the better way…an encounter with the living God, Jesus Christ the Lord.  He is alive…He’s some distant “man upstairs.”  He’s not  some Cosmic Santa Claus watching idly up in Heaven making some list of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice…giving little gifts to those who earn it.

He died for you.  He rose again for you.  And He has been pursuing you your whole life. 

Don’t be content with religious knowledge and symbols…know Him!

It doesn’t matter if you believe in Him…that is worthless unless you know Him in a personal relationship.

Matthew 13:44-46(NKJV) "“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

When you truly experience God’s presence, no sacrifice is too great, you will be willing to trade everything you are in order to live the better way.