We want to continually move towards a student ministry OF students, not just TO them. As we create a movement rather than a program, we need to think beyond the school years. Let’s be honest. A lot of time in student ministry is spreading the seed and tilling the ground. We are spending a considerable amount of time planting seed and hoping to see one or two sprout in front of us. Our ultimate goal should be to help equip students to become leaders.
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6 Tips on Small Groups - xp3 Newsletter
Small groups are vital to help students grow in their faith. Recently, xp3 highlighted a blog I wrote on small groups. If you haven't checked out xp3 and the Orange strategy for family ministry, please check it out! It is one of the best approaches to helping partner with parents in raising students who love Jesus!
Check out my post in the November xp3 newsletter!
Source SM Recap: Volume #53
Series: Home ImprovementWeek 1: “Honor your Parents”
The Word: Ephesians 6:1-3, Colossians 3:20
Main Thought: Honor opens the door to relationship with parents
Message Explanation: This series is all about helping improve the relationships in our families, because relationships in our families are two-sided. Today, we are going to talk about how to view and treat your parents. Families are not perfect. Even with all the weirdness happening, one thing that have in common is every family has disagreements and arguments and struggles to know and understand each other!
We all need to see improvement in our relationships in the home. We need to quit fighting AGAINST our parents and start fight FOR the relationship with them!
Ephesians 6:1-3: “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
The quality and even the length of our lives is connected to how we treat our parents. The idea behind the series is that relationships are two-sided - and it isn’t your job to just put up with your parents you need to learn to live with and love your parents. The essence of student ministry is to encourage you to become independently dependent on your relationship with Christ. Parents are a big part of this process.
1. Honor your parents in the way you obey
Obedience means to hear and be subject to them. Obedience is action. Honor leads to long live because obedience builds self-discipline which brings stability and long lasting focus upon God.
Colossians 3:20: “Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord.
There are no perfect parents and no perfect children.
How do I honor parents who are dishonorable? You are not responsible for the things your parents have done to you, but you are responsible for how you respond to them. If you do not learn to honor your parents and forgive them, you will become like them.
In order to have an alternative to the dysfunction of your family, you must do something different!
The second way to see improvement in your home is to…
2. Honor your parents with your attitude
Honor carries with it “weight.” It is revealing obedience with your attitude. We appreciate their value in our lives for all that they due but for WHO they are. You place a HIGH VALUE on your parents.
The opposite of honoring in attitude is :
- Putting them down in front of your friends. - Yelling at them. - Ungratefulness
Honor is in how we respond to our parents.
Proverbs 10:1: “A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother.” Proverbs 1:8-9: “My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.”
What about if I don’t want to be like my parents? What if they are abusive? Notice things in the family that are not Christ-like and live the alternative. Whatever you focus upon, whether it is good or bad, you are focusing upon it!
Honoring your parents is the same as honoring God.
3. Honoring parents leads you to become more like Jesus
Jesus and his family (Mary and Joseph) were in Jerusalem for the Passover. Passover was a one day feast, followed by a week long “Feast of unleavened bread.” Mary and Joseph left Jesus without being aware of it! They lost Jesus (v. 43-45)
Jesus was consumed with His relationship with God but He obeyed his earthly parents. Luke 2:51-52: “Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.”
The big question is are you opening the DOOR of relationship to your Parents or closing it? It is all about honor.
Element of Fun: We spent the beginning of Source welcoming our new student ministry worship pastor! We asked some fun questions to get to know him and his calling to serve God.
Music: One Thing Remains, Your Presence is Heaven to Me, How He Loves.
Favorite Moment: Welcome our newest staff addition to Source student ministry! John Strandell recently joined the student ministry as the worship pastor. I look forward to seeing how God continues to use Him!
What’s Next: We continue the series, “Home Improvement” as we talk about communication in the home.
To watch any of the series messages, check out the vimeo page