Big Mistakes Teenagers Make

Big Mistakes Teens Make

Intro

I know that there are always an abundance of people who are willing to tell you what you are doing wrong, and stop doing “that,” and pick out your mistakes and flaws.  But tonight I hope you are hearing my heart and really the heart of God that there is a better way than what you see around you. 

One of the ways that Indians used to kill Buffalo was to cause a stampede and herd them towards a cliff.  By the time the lead buffalo saw where he was headed it was too late, cuz there were a whole bunch of buffalo meat charging behind him.  So they all went over the cliff, their enemy took what he wanted and left the rest to rot.  They were afraid so they ran…and they eventually ran to their deaths.

Tonight I am going to talk about some common mistakes that most teens make, but YOU don’t have to make them, and YOU can help others avoid them, so that in Jesus, you can live like a Champion.  I stand up here with full expectation upon you to live free and to minister to others.  I am not up here to hear myself or waste my breath.  You can and will do this.

Mistake #1

You are not complete unless you are intimately attached to someone else

Colossians 2:10(NKJV) "and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."

Talked a lot about this recently so won’t spend much time, but let me remind you that if you are looking anywhere but to Christ to be fulfilled in life it is idolatry.  Everyone deals with loneliness, and it isn’t wrong or sin to feel loneliness.  But if you let it consume you to the point of you not bring happy or content unless you are romantically involved with someone, you have crossed the line. 

Christians who are in love with Jesus and satisfied with Him are still searching for that someone to share the journey with…and that is ok.  Until the search becomes the journey.

Mistake #2

Thinking that what you do right now does not matter

It’s like saying as you are laying the foundation of your new house that you are building, “this part doesn’t matter, wait until you see what it’s going to look like!” 

The deeper the foundation, the deeper you dig, the higher and more elaborate the structure can be that sits on top of it. 

Humble yourselves and the Lord will lift you up

The more you are willing to dig, the more you are willing to allow the Lord to excavate the garbage in your life, the higher and more glorious can be the building.

How does the Lord do this?  Trials that build character, faith and hope.  But some pull up short looking for relief, rather than the Lord; Looking for the short cut, rather than God’s pathway to change.

In the Kingdom you have to go down before you can go up, you have to serve before you can lead.

It absolutely matters what you do right now, because you are laying the foundation for your entire life!

Luke 6:46-49(NKJV) "“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”"

Mistake #3

You are not ready to be used by God

Ephesians 5:15-17 (MSG) So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

More people in this room right now ready to be used than most of those graduating from Bible college.  They think a piece of paper is what is going to qualify them to be used by God.

1 Timothy 4:12(NLT) "Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

Mistake #4

Living blind to the rest of the world (small-town mentality)

Get our of your freakin’ comfort zones.  You can choose to focus on simply the circumstances that are immediately around you, but you fail to become part of God’s Big Picture by doing so.

God has a world plan that is coming to a head.  Where are you?  Do your problems consist of what someone said about you, about how you’re not getting along with family members.  Then you have been successfully sidelined by the enemy’s distractions. 

some ways you can tell is:

your prayers consist of “give me a sign that you want me to do something…”

your prayers consist of nothing that is not in your immediate sphere of influence (home, school, team, etc.)

Mt 28:18  Go into all the world… know He he’s talking to?  YOU!  Philippines 2004

Mistake #5

Impatience

Habakkuk 2:3 (NKJV) "For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. "