Below is a brief summary of what talked about tonight. Most of the time we teach through a series for several weeks at a time that way students that miss can get caught back up quickly, and so we can dissect a topic more fully than just a one night deal. Use the overview and questions for both you and your teen to answer and have a dialog that continues outside the church walls and into your homes. Use this opportunity to see what God is teaching your student and also allow your student to see what God is teaching/taught you.
Current Series:
Fast. It’s how our culture likes to do things. Because we lead such busy lives, we have become masters at finding the quickest way to accomplish nearly everything. This need for speed has led us to some of the best inventions ever—things like the drive-thru, the microwave, and movies on-demand. Unfortunately, it’s that same desire for instant results that gave us some not-so-awesome inventions. Have you ever tried instant coffee or instant mashed potatoes? Not nearly as good as the real thing. The truth is, while fast is awesome, there are some things in life that just take time. Maybe that’s why the Bible keeps mentioning this idea of sowing and reaping, or planting and waiting for something to grow. Because while our temptation will always be to look for a shortcut or to focus our attention somewhere that will give us faster results, we run the risk of missing out on some of the best things in life when we don’t work on them over time.
This Week's Recap:
Week #1 (03.30.2016):Time Over Time
Bottom Line: Time with God over time equals a relationship
We all have things we want to accomplish—like learning a new instrument, or being a great football player, or perfecting a new method of dance. That is, until we realize how much time it’s going to take to accomplish those things. Deep down, we all know that these things take time, but sometimes we wish they wouldn’t. We wish things would happen more quickly. And this doesn’t just happen in our hobbies, or school, or sports. It also can happen in our relationship with God. Maybe you’ve tried the Jesus thing, but you haven’t seen any immediate results. Maybe you went to camp, or listened to a talk, but you haven’t seen any dramatic changes in your life. Maybe you prayed for a whole five minutes, but you didn’t hear God talk back. This week, we’ll look at what we can do when we feel like our relationship with God just isn’t growing fast enough—and what we can do to help it keep growing.
Think about this with me...
Have you ever wondered what your kid is thinking? Like after they toss their jeans (and iPhone) in to the washing machine? Or after they announce at 11pm they have a research project due tomorrow? Or when they decide that shaving one eyebrow is how they’re going to start the next fashion trend? Sometimes it’s funny to see a middle schooler or high schooler try to figure out the world, but we can all admit that sometimes it makes us kind of nervous—and with good reason. Over and over, science has proven that the adolescent brains aren’t finished developing yet. In fact, one of the last parts of the brain to fully develop, the prefrontal cortex, is a really important part. It’s responsible for helping someone avoid dumb decisions by regulating emotions and predicting what could happen.
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If you don’t check your pockets, you could put your iPhone though the rinse cycle.
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If you fail freshman science, you could not graduate on time.
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If you skateboard without a helmet, you could get hurt really badly.
Without a fully developed brain helping kids predict these outcomes, it’s no wonder that they sometimes make decisions that seem crazy to us. After all, if you didn’t foresee any consequence, imagine what you would do. On second thought, don’t imagine it.
Think of it this way. Your adult brain is a lot like a car with an automatic transmission. When you’re driving, the transmission automatically senses when there is danger and changes gears. You don’t have to do anything to make that happen. Until your teenager’s brain finishes development, it works more like a manual. Changing gears is still possible. Avoiding engine damage is still possible. It just won’t happen automatically. It needs to be prompted.
And that's where you come in......Next week we'll look at absolute ways you can help them in this process called life.
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