Teen Tracts

2011-09-14T14:50:00.001-07:00

To any teen ager, parent with teen agers or someone who is a friend to teens:

As the Pasror at Alma Free Lutheran, I am available for conversations with teens, their parents, Bible study leaders and anyone wishing to have a listening ear or a word of advice from the Bible. Do not hesitate to contact me. Send me mail to norwegianalso@msn.com. Please put in the subject line for Pastor Dennis. I will respond in a timely fashion.

Pastor Dennis Gray

Doing Youth Work in Free Lutheran Congregations

2010-03-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

he main objective of this approach is to involve as many youth in
the local congregation as possible. It is to train them how to be a
part of the local congregation. It is to teach them what they need
to make a stand in our day.

1. Pray - This I did not mention but is a good place to begin.
2. Ask the Church Council what they want to see in a youth program
without tell them yet what you invision.
3. Ask the parents what they want to see in a youth program, what
they want to see happening for their children.
4. Ask the students themselves what they would want to see. This
may at first lead you into the area of having fun but then to explain
to them they need to grapple and be honest with themselves as to what
is actually needed in the spiritual realm.
5. Have them elect officers (realizing they may pick students who
are popular etc - but asking them to choose whom they feel would best
qualify for the positions!)
6. Have sessions training them for their positions....all together
and maybe asking them to meet with you.
7. Also, it would be a good idea to meet with your youth advisors
prior to even meeting with the students - I like to call them Luther
Leaguers.
8. Let them carry out their own program - lead in the studies, do
the responsibilities for set up for meetings, food and entertainment
etc. Not separate from the advisors or pastor!
9. As Pastor you would want to call all students every time their is
a meeting and tell them...never depend on the bulletin, newspaper, or
newsletter - these are fine - but all them ahead of time.
10. It is good to plan for an entire year at once.....even though
you might have to change the plan because of conflicts, like school
events etc.
11. Let it be known that meetings begin and end at definite times.
12. You can add more.

Molding Lives

2010-03-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

"I took a piece od plastic clay and idly fashioned it one day;
And as my fingers pressed it still, It bent and yielded to my will.
I came again when days were past. The bit of clay was hard at last;
My early impress it still bore and I could change it no more."

"You take a piece of living claly and gently form it day by day;
Mouldinf it with your power and art, a young boy's soft and yielded heart.
You come again when years are past, gone it is a man you look upon.
Your early impress still it bore and you can change him never more!"

Author Unknown

Abstinence education

2010-03-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

A study suggested that abstinence education programs delay and reduce sexual activity among teenagers. Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation argues that are some beneificial side effects that are not obvious: "When an abstinent teen is matched against a sexually active teen who is identical in gender, race, parental education, family income and structure, educational aspiration, and self esteem, the abstinent teen is twice as likely to graduate from college."

From the National Review for March 8, 2010

Teenager and any others - Why Not Be A Virgin?

2010-01-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some logical reasons why you and others should be virgins. Plus a careful study of the Bible does speak about this matter of virginity. Your virginity is a gift to _

1. The person you will marry. You are waiting to give only that one person which is rightfully theirs to receive. When you wait you will be able to learn together and there will be no comparison with others. You see, sexual adjustment may take awhile.

2. It is a gift to yourself. There is much guilt in having sex before marriage. And a successful sexual relationship does not mean this person is the one for you.

3. It is a gift to your parents and others in your family, like your siblings. There is a lot of stress for parents when someone has sex before they marry. There is a concern for having children and taking care of those children.

4. It is therefore a gift to your siblings.

5. It is a gift to your future children. They will have less difficult for them to make good decisions as to dating and whom. Your past as a parent speaks to our children. And even if they do not know much about your past, it is evident at times that our live style is passed on to them.

6. It is a gift to your church. The church struggles to meet the needs of everyone. However, when people follow the Bible and do as God wants, the struggles for them and for their church are kept at minimum.

7. It is a gift to God. The Ten Commandments were not given to take away freedom and they were not give to take away happiness. In fact, the Ten Commandments were given to give you freedom and to give you happiness, even joy. Doing everything God's way is the best for you, your future and your present and future families.

Thanks for reading. We welcome your comments.

The Importance of a Youth Leader

2008-09-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

How important is the youth leader/director/youth pastor/senior pastor or just plan you?
In the fall 2008 Youth Network Magazine a survey said this about How kids described their youth leader:
87.2 - they cared about me
69.4 - they were interested in my life
67.5 - they took time to listen to me
67.5 - they stood by me
66.3 - they gave me guidance
61.8 - I felt I could trust them with my personal issues.
58.6 - I didn't feel judged by them.
58.0 - They helped me to realistically apply my faith to daily life.
50.4 - they sought me out.

What ever you do for youth, whatever ideas you have, whatever talents you have - whatever your age - you can communicate with youth - you, your interest in them, is the biggest tool to reach them for the Lord.

Sexual Abstinence

2008-09-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, teens who sign a commitment not to have sex before marriage, MOST remain faithful to their pledge. Look it up on their internet site. You are encouraged on this blog, to teach the Biblical truths about abstinence and to urge our youth to make such a pledge.

Pastor Dennis Gray

Warning Signs of Teen Depression

2008-09-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

In young children:

Loses interest in regular activities
Cries more easily or becomes clingy
Can't concentrate on games or in school.
Sleeping or eating patterns, or moods, change.
Gets angry or defiant
Appears healthy but complains of feeling ill.

In adolescents:

Is very tired or can't sleep
Engages in harmful behavior
Isolates from family and friends.
Becomes surly with parents.
Has a drop in academic performance.
Loses or gains weight.

From The Lutheran Magazine for September, 2008

For the complete article: www.thelutheran,org/feature/september

TODAY'S YOUTH CULTURE

2008-03-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some suprising yet not so suprising things about youth culture today:

1. Advertising is a powerful shaper of students. The typical student sees between 3500 and 5000 advertisements in a day. These advertisements are carefully constructed by marketers to create a need for their products, exploiting kids' anxieties and aspirations. These ads zero in on kids spiritual brokeness and promises fulfillment by using the products being advertised. Also, in selling the product the ads teach students a certain world view and these ads shape their behavior.

2. Everything's happening at younger and younger ages: Marketing experts call this "age compression." The strategy is to get students to use adult type products. Along with this comes certain values and attitudes. Today's 6 year olds want to dress and act like 18 year olds. This effects their spirituality. And, it effects their sexual behavior. Also, materialism and violence are affecting students at a younger age.

3. They are engaging in new media in new ways: Because they live in a world where technology is developing at a warp speed, todays teens are more media saturated and media-savvy than any other generation. Many spend from 33 minutes to 8 hours with media - television, computers, and music. Add movies, books, magazines, video games - even doing their home work while involved in these things. Surfing the internet has brought them in touch with areas previously kept from them. The amount of time spent in school, in church and in conversations with adults has become minimal. There is little adult input.

Listening to Teen IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!

2006-09-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

From Pastor Dennis Gray

Good communication with teens, as with anyone, is to listen carefully to what they say. Also, involved is noticing non-verbal communicating or body language. Maybe this later is as important.

Families often do not know how to communicate. Why is this? Maybe it is fear. Could be anger. Maybe the teen has been disciplined harshly and is afraid of this happening again. It could be depression or anxiety. Other factors could be invovled.

Active listening also involves being reflective. This means to repeat what a person is saying in ones own words so that we can check to see if we have understood correctly. We do this in counseling and we can do this when listening.

Research teaches us that a number of teens are lonely or do not feel part of their families. Families are often very busy and do not realize that their children are as lonely as they maybe are.

Families attend sports events etc and their children go on a bus and they go by car. No communication. This goes for quite a number of activies.

Some one has once concluded that parents do not communicate "real teaching" to their children more than just a few seconds a day, like 60 seconds. There is a need for real teaching to be done.

Families need to plan to spend time together. Quality time and even longer periods of time together. Things need to be slowed down.

Teens want to be listened to and they like dialog and discussion. They also want parental input. Reasoning with them and teaching God given principles are what is needed. Youth Director? Parent? Teacher? Pastor? Get to listening!

It is Never Okay!!

2006-09-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

It's Never Okay!

Everything seemed routine when the worship service started. Following our confession of sin, Pastor Stevens declared: "As a called and ordained servant of the Word, I announce that God says, "That's okay. No problem. Don't worry about it. You'd better be sorry. Go in peace, but I don't want to have anything further to do with you!"

We all stood there, eyes and mouths wide open. "What's the matter?" Pastor asked. "Isn't that the way you answer those who say 'I'm sorry?' Why do you object to hearing the same from God? This introduced his sermon.

We know our sins are forgiven. Yet, we sometimes think, talk, and act as though our forgiveness from God doesn't matter in our conflicts with family, friends, at work or play.

God responds to sin much differently. Sin is never okay. Sin is never no problem. Only one cure exists for sin - forgiveness. God forgives us because Jesus paid the full price for our sins by dying on the cross. We share the good news when we forgive one another as God through Christ forgives us.

Pastor's sermon ended with the announcement of God's forgiveness. We left that day refreshed, confident in the peace that passes all understanding.

Jesus, my Peacemaker, help me to forgive others as You have forgiven me. Amen.

Daily Devotional From Portals of Prayer

Special Encouragment for Sunday School Teachers

2006-09-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

For Sunday School Teachers

I took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day,
And as my fingers pressed it still,
It moved and yielded to my will.
I can again when days were past --
The bit of clay was hard at last;
The form I gave it, it still bore,
But I could change that form no more.

I took a piece of living clay
And gently formed it day by day,
And moulded with my power and art
A young child's soft and yielding heart.
I came again when years were gone --
It was a man I looked upon;
He still that early impress wore,
And I could change him nevermore.

--Author unknown

Of course it is Jesus who changes hearts. However, we do our part as called by Him. Remember, Jesus asked for those watching to remove the tomb stone at Lazarus' grave and later to remove the cloth which bound him.

Read Deuteronomy 6....Blessings teachers!

Pastor Dennis

God Created this World!!!

2006-09-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Most translations of the Bible say - as an example - "Let there be Light" - when in actuality God said, "Be Light." He created this world and more with the power of His Word and He made it all out of nothing. "God said," "and it was so," "and it was good."

Grand Canyon

Genesis 7:20-22

Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. ²¹And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: ²²All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

Luke 17:22

And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

Luke 17:26-27

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. ²⁷They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Psalm 68:4

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.

Psalm 66:4

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

Psalm 104:4

Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

Genesis 1:11

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

Genesis 1:21

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:25

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Job 40:15-24

Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. ¹⁶Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. ¹⁷He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. ¹⁸His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. ¹⁹He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. ²⁰Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. ²¹He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. ²²The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. ²³Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. ²⁴He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.

Job 41:1-34

Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? ²Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? ³Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? ⁴Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? ⁵Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? ⁶Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? ⁷Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears? ⁸Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. ⁹Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? ¹⁰None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me? ¹¹Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. ¹²I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. ¹³Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? ¹⁴Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. ¹⁵His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. ¹⁶One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. ¹⁷They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. ¹⁸By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. ¹⁹Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. ²⁰Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. ²¹His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. ²²In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. ²³The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. ²⁴His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. ²⁵When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. ²⁶The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. ²⁷He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. ²⁸The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. ²⁹Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. ³⁰Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. ³¹He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. ³²He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. ³³Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. ³⁴He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

Horses and fossils:

Job 12:7-10

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: ⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. ⁹Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? ¹⁰In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

Psalm 104:24-25

O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. ²⁵So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Astronomy:

Isaiah 45:18

For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.

Romans 1:20

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Job 9:9

Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

Job 38:31-32

Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? ³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

Jeremiah 10:12

He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:14-19

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: ¹⁵And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. ¹⁶And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. ¹⁷And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, ¹⁸And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. ¹⁹And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

What is this blog?

2006-09-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

This blog will reflect various posts church youth directors, pastors and educators including teachers and administrators and not forgetting Sunday School teachers will want to read and post their insights and ideas on. It is meant to be a good place for ideas and the sharing of ideas also a spot for the posting of concerns. Certainly prayer concerns. It is connected to the Mercy and Truth Publishers site - www.wiktel.net/mtp. It is through the ministry of Alma Free Lutheran Church 28098 300th Avenue NW, Argyle, MN 56713. So, feel free to check the site and to post your comments, suggestions, insights and what ever pertinent comments you wish to make.