Hey Parent.
I’m so thankful that you allow your teen to be a part of Cross Culture Youth Ministry at Jesup Church of God! Our belief is that gathering together as a group of believers in Christ on a regular basis is one of the most vital aspects of our lives.
I can’t encourage you enough to keep encouraging your teen to prioritize living in God’s presence and making time to gather together with others of like faith. As a Youth Pastor, my calling is not to replace your role as the parent and primary leader of your home, but to come along side you and assist you in any way possible.
In an effort to keep you informed of what is happening at CC, I’m sending you information on the content of two sermons we will be doing over the next couple of weeks. Starting this Wednesday night, August 16 we will be continuing a series of messages entitled “Trouble for Troubling Times”. This series has been centered around the story of Elijah, Ahab and Jezebel in 1 Kings 18. Tomorrow night we will be looking at the ‘Ahab spirit’ that was present at the time of 1 Kings, and how it still lingers today. We will do the same with Jezebel the following week, August 23.
King Ahab was willfully engaging in sin and submitting to the influence of the demonic, which lended to a life of passivity. Because of his unwillingness to lead as God desired him to as both a man and king, much sin ran rampant in his life, his family, and ultimately the nation of Israel as a whole. His wife Queen Jezebel used this weakness in her husband’s life as an avenue to manipulate him and usurp control in many ways.
Some of the specifics we will be discussing will include:
-pornography
-gender identity
-purity
-relationships
We believe God’s Word to be the true and only foundation for purity, human sexuality and relationships, and His Word in no way shies away from addressing these topics and giving us clarity on God’s true design. So it is our aim at CC to gracefully and truthfully address these lies and point your children back to God’s plan for them.
So there’s a couple ways I would encourage you to be active over these next couple of weeks to have deeper discussions as you seek to disciple your son or daughter to be active followers of Christ.
1. Check yourself for any perverse or sinful ways that do not line up with God’s Word and will for your life
Reality is, we can not expect our children to pursue the life God desires for them if they are not seeing us as their parents/guardians pursuing it ourselves.
David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!"
May you allow God to search your heart and walk in obedience to Him, by uprooting anything that you are currently doing or entertaining that is displeasing to Him.
2. Spend some time discussing these topics with your child and praying over them
Studies show us, this young generation is the first generation growing up in a post-Christian culture. They are constantly being bombarded by the attacks of the enemy through all avenues; namely school, social media, and entertainment.
They need you, led by the grace and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, to be a voice of vulnerability and truth for them on such weighty topics. The most dangerous thing we can do is be silent.
-Pray with them and over them everyday before they go to school. That they would hear the voice of God leading them, and be courageous in standing for the truth of God no matter who or what they encounter.
-Have follow up conversations on Wednesday nights after service while the message from the night is still fresh in their minds
If you have any further questions or would like to share or receive any further details, please call or text me! I look forward to continuing to help you lead and disciple your family so they may be “filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19)
Blessings,
Alex Wandless
229-539-7773
youthpastor@jesupcog.com
I can’t encourage you enough to keep encouraging your teen to prioritize living in God’s presence and making time to gather together with others of like faith. As a Youth Pastor, my calling is not to replace your role as the parent and primary leader of your home, but to come along side you and assist you in any way possible.
In an effort to keep you informed of what is happening at CC, I’m sending you information on the content of two sermons we will be doing over the next couple of weeks. Starting this Wednesday night, August 16 we will be continuing a series of messages entitled “Trouble for Troubling Times”. This series has been centered around the story of Elijah, Ahab and Jezebel in 1 Kings 18. Tomorrow night we will be looking at the ‘Ahab spirit’ that was present at the time of 1 Kings, and how it still lingers today. We will do the same with Jezebel the following week, August 23.
King Ahab was willfully engaging in sin and submitting to the influence of the demonic, which lended to a life of passivity. Because of his unwillingness to lead as God desired him to as both a man and king, much sin ran rampant in his life, his family, and ultimately the nation of Israel as a whole. His wife Queen Jezebel used this weakness in her husband’s life as an avenue to manipulate him and usurp control in many ways.
Some of the specifics we will be discussing will include:
-pornography
-gender identity
-purity
-relationships
We believe God’s Word to be the true and only foundation for purity, human sexuality and relationships, and His Word in no way shies away from addressing these topics and giving us clarity on God’s true design. So it is our aim at CC to gracefully and truthfully address these lies and point your children back to God’s plan for them.
So there’s a couple ways I would encourage you to be active over these next couple of weeks to have deeper discussions as you seek to disciple your son or daughter to be active followers of Christ.
1. Check yourself for any perverse or sinful ways that do not line up with God’s Word and will for your life
Reality is, we can not expect our children to pursue the life God desires for them if they are not seeing us as their parents/guardians pursuing it ourselves.
David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!"
May you allow God to search your heart and walk in obedience to Him, by uprooting anything that you are currently doing or entertaining that is displeasing to Him.
2. Spend some time discussing these topics with your child and praying over them
Studies show us, this young generation is the first generation growing up in a post-Christian culture. They are constantly being bombarded by the attacks of the enemy through all avenues; namely school, social media, and entertainment.
They need you, led by the grace and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, to be a voice of vulnerability and truth for them on such weighty topics. The most dangerous thing we can do is be silent.
-Pray with them and over them everyday before they go to school. That they would hear the voice of God leading them, and be courageous in standing for the truth of God no matter who or what they encounter.
-Have follow up conversations on Wednesday nights after service while the message from the night is still fresh in their minds
If you have any further questions or would like to share or receive any further details, please call or text me! I look forward to continuing to help you lead and disciple your family so they may be “filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19)
Blessings,
Alex Wandless
229-539-7773
youthpastor@jesupcog.com