What's Happenin' @ Forward Mid-Week

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:

“Are you in?” It’s a question we all answer over and over again. When there’s a party, when our coach says it’s time for tryouts, when we’re offered a summer job, when our friends go to the movies, or when someone invites us to church, we all have the chance to decide if we’re “in” or “out” for that particular activity. Sometimes the answer is an easy, “Count me in!” Other times it’s tougher. There are good reasons on both sides. Some of Jesus’ friends were faced with the same decision of whether they were “in” or “out.” They had good reasons to join the Jesus movement, but they also had some pretty compelling reasons to step out—things like doubt, guilt, pride, and the fear of what they might miss. As we get to know these sometimes famous and devoted followers, we’ll talk about the decision they faced, why they could have walked away, and what led them to say, “I’m in.”

This Week's Recap:

Week #4 (01.25.2017):

Bottom Line: Following Jesus starts with a step

What we talked about:

When faced with a decision in your life, have you ever stopped to ask yourself this question: is it worth it or not? Maybe for you it was something simple, like trying to decide if you wanted that second helping of dessert or if you should purchase an expensive pair of shoes. Or maybe it was a bigger decision in your life, like whether or not you should end a friendship or make a choice in a relationship that you can’t take back. Though we typically know what the right or smart choice might be, sometimes we wonder if making that decision will really be worth it in the end. Sometimes a relationship with Jesus feels just like this, too. We know what God says about following Him—what choices we’ll have to make, habits we might have to change, things we might have to give—and we find ourselves wondering if it will be worth it in the end. The good news is that asking this question doesn’t make you any less in with God. In fact, some of Jesus’ own disciples probably asked themselves the very same thing before they followed Jesus! As we wrap up this series we’ll learn from Matthew, a tax collector that had a lot to lose, that taking that first step to follow God is always worth it in the end.

Just for Parents:

Because when you find yourself the villain,
In the story you have written
It’s plain to see
That sometimes the best intentions
Are in need of redemption
Would you agree?

– Death Cab for Cutie, “You Are a Tourist”

So Death Cab for Cutie is a band – just to be clear – one that’s on my playlist a lot these days. As that song played through my earbuds, it hit me that it describes how I sometimes feel about my parenting.

No new parent begins by saying, “I hope I mess up my child’s life.” Whoever sets out to be the villain in the story? But at one point or another, we end up there, don’t we?
•You leave for vacation but are yelling at the kids before you’re even out of town.
•You’re at home most nights, but you’re far too tired to engage.
•Your kids repeated patterns of behavior drive you crazy, and you end up resenting them.
•Your date night to nurture your marriage starts with an argument and ends with a meltdown.
•You make empty threats to your kids that would make you wince if you heard other parents make them. But you are all out of tricks, so you threaten anyway.

And sometimes the temptation is to think that our failures should disqualify us as a parent. At least as a good parent. It must certainly disqualify us from being a godly parent.

But when you think that, you would be wrong.

What if that actually puts you in line with a great list of characters God used in significant ways? What if that actually qualifies you?

Peter was Jesus’ best friend, but he betrayed Jesus–badly. You would think that would put you out of the running to be a New Testament hero. But Jesus built the church on
Peter anyway.

Moses seemed like a fine fellow until he murdered someone. Shouldn’t that push Moses off God’s short list? Apparently not. God made him into one of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament.

Why? Why does God use people as flawed as that?

I think weakness puts us in touch with our need for God. It reminds us that God is God, and we are not. That we need help. That there is a power greater than our natural brilliance (or lack of it) at work in the world. And that grace flows between the cracks in our lives.

God’s strength is most evident when the people He’s working with are weak.

What if the very thing you think is disqualifying you right now is actually qualifying you for a new chapter in your life
in Christ?

What if your weakness was a portal to new strength?

What if you are a parent turning in a brand new way to Christ’s love and you were able to give your son and daughter a front row seat to the grace of God?

I bet your kids would never forget the change they see in you. And you could one day tell them how it happened.

Try This...

Every parent wants to be a better parent, but as our kids get older it can be tough to know what we should do at this phase of development. This week, try taking one small step to sharpen your parenting skills. Maybe for you that means…

•Reading one chapter of a book about parenting teenagers.
•Finding and subscribing to a parenting blog or podcast.
•Calling a parent with kids a little older than yours and scheduling coffee.
•Making an appointment with a counselor to focus on a specific issue.

As your kid progresses through middle and high school, he or she is going to change a lot. You’ve probably already seen some of that. So, it’s a great time to invest in learning how to love them and lead them best at this phase and the next one.