For those of you who don't know, my husband and I youth pastor in a small town here in Oregon. We have al different types of teens. Some are pastor's kids, others have no families. Some have abused drugs, alcohol, and tobacco at the ripe age of 12. Others don't even know what a drug is. We have seniors all the way down to 6th graders.
Last night my husband wanted to discuss issues relevant to the culture, and the kids. So we brought up everything from alcohol to cussing to homosexuality. Our goal? Simply to get the kids thinking. This is stuff that Katy Perry and Lady Gaga and Glee and their friends and their schools all deal with. And for years, the church has been the only ones not talking about it. Why? Fear.
So we wanted to simply do what the church hasn't done - show them what the only person who matters says about these things. I could care less what Gaga says or Glee sings about. What does Scripture say?
And we knew going into last night that the kids were going to have "American" ideas of things, which at this point are far from Scripture. But to actually hear it from their mouths... That was something entirely different. When I hear a 13 year old say, "Well, why not try drugs? My parents could care less. They do it." And to hear another say, "My dad is the one who buys me the porn. If he doesn't think its bad, why should I?"
Sometimes, this job seems a little hopeless... Like we are the only ones fighting this battle. Parents aren't helping. The media isn't helping. Schools aren't helping. Even the church isn't helping. There is this small band of us who are trying to make a difference and show the youth of America that the messages they are hearing that are contrary to Jesus won't get them anywhere... Its simply false.
Luckily, none of this shocked the Lord, nor did it stump him. It isn't hopeless because the Big Guy on our side is way stronger, and cooler, than Lady Gaga.
"Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Nehemiah 8:10
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