Series: ALIVE (Oct. 29th - Nov. 12th)

We’re Teaching This:

Words are powerful. They can make your day or ruin it Words can make friends or create enemies. On a global level, words can start a revolution or bring peace. Now, think about how much more powerful God’s words are.  Simply by speaking He caused the world to be created along with everything in it— mountains, oceans, thunderstorms, planets, the sun. His words caused nations to rise and fall, and people who were dead to come back to life. God’s words are the most powerful force in our entire world, but if we’re honest…most of us don’t think of them that way. We hear “God’s Word” or “the Bible” and think about an old dusty book, something complicated, outdated, or even boring. But what if it was never meant to be that way? What if we’re missing out by seeing it as simply a history book or something to study? As we take a closer look at God’s Word, we may be surprised at what we find. God is inviting us to hold, read, and experience the same Word that created everything we see. It’s more than a book. It’s better than a story. It’s alive.

Session 1 Summary: Out of The Fishbowl (10/29)

What words come to mind when you think about the Bible? Exciting? Mind-blowing? Life-changing? If you’re honest, probably not. Even though we aren’t quick to admit it in church, many of us don’t feel all that excited about reading the Bible. Maybe for you it just seems like a history book filled with random facts about random people that don’t really matter. Or maybe it feels more like a foreign language textbook with lots of words and phrases that don’t make sense. Either way, it’s hard to see how an old book written by a bunch of dead guys about an invisible God could be relevant to anything we’re doing today.  But that was not how it was intended to be experienced. Through a letter written to the Hebrews, we discover that the Bible is more than just a recording of the past. If we give it a chance, God’s Word has the power to change our present and shape our future.

Session 2 Summary: Baby Bottle (11/5)

Have you every taken care of a baby? It isn’t easy. They constantly need your help. They need to be fed, changed, carried, and fed again. Eventually babies grow up and learn to feed and care for themselves. It’s a natural process, and it’d be weird if they didn’t! The truth is, we’re all growing up in different ways, and our lives aren’t maturing and growing at the same rate. One area where we tend to stay immature is our faith. We depend on our pastors, our small group leaders, and our parents to spiritually “feed us” or tell us what God’s word says, what to think, and what to believe. But we were never meant to be infants forever. In the a letter written to the Hebrew Christians, we find that God’s desire is for us to grow up and be healthy spiritually as much as physically. And the only way for us to do that is to find a way to feed ourselves.

Session 3 Summary: Forget Me Not (11/12)

Memorizing just doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? Maybe you’ve had to memorize something for school and found yourself wondering why? In a world where you can Google the answer to just about anything, why would anyone bother to memorize? There must be a better use of our time. That may have been exactly how Joshua felt. He was just about to take over leading the nation of Israel from Moses. It was no easy task and there was a ton that needed to happen. At this pivotal moment in history, God tells Joshua that the key to his success hinges on him committing his time and attention to knowing and meditating on scripture. It probably seemed counterintuitive. He had work a lot of other work to do.  But through his story we find that keeping God’s word in us is the first step to dealing with anything that’s going on around us.

Think About This:

Do you like to study? Probably not. It’s almost a universal “dislike”. And if we’re honest, most of us don’t envy our student’s position of being required to study history or math or literature every day. Sure, going back to relive parts of high school or middle school might be nice, but we’ll pass on the actual studying part. But did you know students often take their cues from their parents when it comes to learning, growing, and studying? In the article, “The Role of Parents, PBSparents.org puts it this way, “one thing remains constant: we are our children’s learning models. Our attitudes about education can inspire theirs and show them how to take charge of their own educational journey.” (http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/supporting-your-learner/role-of-parents/)

That means our attitude—good or bad—toward learning new things will ultimately rub off on our students. Obviously this effects them when it comes to school—but it also impacts their willingness to learn and investigate areas of their faith as well. While we may feel there is value in learning the principles found in the Bible, and though we want our teenagers to begin to develop a faith of their own, with that comes some really tough questions. And fear of not having all the answers can intimidate us into believing it’s a job better left to the church. But what if talking about faith didn’t have to be so scary? What if having all of the answers wasn’t a pre-requisite for having a conversation?

One step any parent can take—no matter where they are in their personal faith journey—is to choose to model curiosity. The reality is, no parent has all the answers. But every parent has the ability to demonstrate a positive attitude toward learning by choosing to learn with their student.  This is true whether the topic is faith, history, literature, or Calculus. That’s why many schools have encouraged parents to see themselves as co-learners with their student. Seeing their parents model a healthy willingness to learn has a huge impact on the students’ attitudes.

So when you don’t know, ask questions. Find answers—together. No matter the subject, involve your student in the process. In doing so, you’ll teach them the confidence to do the same

Try This

Did you know you don’t even have to believe something to learn from it? Think about it, did you ever learn something from a fiction book, even though you didn’t believe it actually happened? Probably so. Even if you aren’t sure whether you believe the Bible and all its teachings, you owe it to yourself (and to your child) to read at least part of the book that has so shaped our culture. If you do believe the Bible is true and accurate, that’s all the more reason to give it your time and attention.

This week, try reading just one verse and encourage your student to read the same one. You can cut out the card below. Write out a response to the question and then compare answers next time you’re together. It doesn’t have to be anything profound. Just a simple take-away that each of you can share with the other.

Series: ALTER EGO (Oct. 8th - Oct. 22nd)

We’re Teaching This:

Everyone loves a superhero. Superman. Spiderman. Iron man. They swoop in and fight the bad guys, save the day, and somehow make their spandex suit look cool all at the same time. What would you do if you met one of these guys on the street? Pose for a selfie? Ask for an autograph? Probably none of the above. Chances are you wouldn’t you wouldn’t recognize Superman or Spiderman on the street.  Why? Because almost all superheroes have another side, their mild, unassuming, simply-not-as-awesome alter ego. Sure the public persona is amazing. But in their real, every-day life identity is rarely as impressive. In that way, we all have something in common with superheroes. There’s a public side of us. A super-identity that most of the world gets to see. We’re funny. We have friends. We’re confident. But deep in our hearts, we know there’s an alter ego—a less than super side that we’d rather hide away. As we take a closer look at three personality traits that often bury themselves in our alter egos, we find that God has something to say about each one that can free us from living a double-life.

Session 1 Summary: No Worries (10/8)

What do you worry about? Your looks? Reputation? Whether your parents will get you a Chihuahua for your birthday? Everybody worries. We stress about our family, school, future, friends, and about a million other things. Unfortunately, our worries don’t seem to accomplish much. Think about it. Have you ever stressed out about something so much it fixed itself? Probably not. But what’s the alternative? The Apostle Paul had plenty to worry about .He had been threatened, beaten, shipwrecked, and arrested, but he still found the courage to say, “Do not be anxious about anything.” As we take a closer look at Paul’s words, we find that God has given us an alternative. He has provided a way for us to give away our worries and replace them with peace.

Session 2 Summary: Bad To The Bone (10/15)

Have you ever been so embarrassed you wanted to run and hide? Probably so. Those moments sneak up on all of us. Maybe you dropped your lunch in front of everyone at school or maybe you tripped on the bleachers at a game. For a moment, it felt awful, but it was temporary. The problem is many of us live with that feeling all the time. It isn’t just because of a moment. It’s because of who we are. We feel like we’re not as smart, not as cool, or just not as good as those around us. That feeling is called shame, and just like embarrassment, shame makes us want to run away from everyone, including God. The question we have to ask is, What are going to do with our shame? Are we going to trust it? Hide behind it? ignore it? The writer of Hebrews tells us there is a better way. Because of what Jesus did, we aren’t required to give in to shame’s demands. And even when shame tells us to run and hide, Jesus tells us to run toward Him.

Session 3 Summary: All About Me (10/22)

Lots of things come naturally to us. Breathing. Eating. Sleeping till noon. And for most of us, selfishness is on that list. As little kids we learn to yell, me first and that’s mine. Even though it’s natural, living selfishly doesn’t improve the quality of life. In fact, it’s exhausting and lonely. Most of us would agree that focusing on ourselves is a miserable way to live, but we still act selfishly anyway. So how do we fight it? In a letter to some of the earliest Christians, the Apostle Paul addresses that very question, and what he says may surprise you. Spoiler alert—it’s not twenty-seven steps to being less selfish. No, Paul gives one challenge. One idea that can change the way you see everyone around you and help you escape the trap of selfishness once and for all. 

Think About This:

What personal traits do you hope that you’ll pass on to your teenager? Work ethic? Responsibility? A good attitude? We all have parts of our own personalities that we hope and pray will surface one day in our students. If we’re honest, we probably have a few traits that we’d rather not pass along as well. In her article, “Help for Stressed Out Families”, author Kara Powell explores one personality trait that we may accidentally pass on to our students without even realizing it.

According to the Stress in America study conducted by the American Psychological Association, no parent is an island.  Our own stress trickles, or in some cases, gushes, through our family.  Some of the most interesting (and may I say personally convicting) findings include:

•               One-third of children surveyed between ages 8-17 believe their parent has been “always” or “often” worried or stressed out about things during the past month.

•               Four in 10 children report feeling sad when their parent is stressed or worried.

•               One-third of children (34 percent) say they know their parent is worried or stressed out when they yell. Other signs of parental stress perceived by children are arguing with other people in the house, complaining or telling children about their problems and being too busy or not having enough time to spend with them.

•               Nearly a third of children surveyed between ages 8-17 reported that in the past month, they experienced physical health symptoms that are often associated with stress such as sleep problems, headaches, and an upset stomach.

As disconcerting as those findings are, something else bothers me more.  The study also found that parents are largely unaware of their kids’ stress levels.
http://stickyfaith.org/articles/help-for-stressed-out-families#sthash.j1R6lvfU.dpuf

When it comes to handling just about every area of life, students take their cue from how they have seen their parents react. That’s why stressed out parents can sometimes unintentionally raise stressed out students. In the same way, parents who struggle with anger, selfishness,

shame, or other difficulties can likely pass those traits on without meaning to. No parent is perfect. We all have quirks, tendencies, and habits that we wish we would go away.  So what can you do to ensure that your personal struggles don’t accidentally trickle down to your student?

Share the struggle. One way to help your student avoid certain habits is to be honest (in an age-appropriate way) about the habits or tendencies that you wish you could change. And, let your student know how you’re working on it. Say something like, “Hey, I know that when I’m stressed out from work, I sometimes snap at the people around me. I know that isn’t okay and I’m working on having better boundaries so that work stress doesn’t become home stress.” Or maybe try something like, “I know you saw me yell at the cashier last week in anger. I’m really embarrassed that my temper was out of control and it’s something I’m working on. I’m going apologize to her when we buy groceries this week.”

Try This

Think about an aspect of your personality that you’d rather not pass on to your student. It may be helpful to focus on one that most affects your teenager. Now consider writing them a two or three sentence apology and leaving it in a place where they will find it. Include how you are working on this area of your life. Try to incorporate the following points as you write your apology:

·         Pinpoint the struggle (anxiety, selfishness, anger, insecurity, stress, etc…)

·         Apologize for the way you have seen it affect your teenager and/or your family.

For example:

Dear ________. I’ve noticed I have a tendency to act like my time is more important than everyone else’s. I’ve been late too often to your game/recital/practice.  That is really selfish and I’m sorry for how it has affected you. Please know that I’m working on becoming a better manager of time by downloading a calendaring app on my phone and scheduling reminders to help me leave on time.

Get connected to a wider community of parents at www.orangeparents.org.