Posted on 10/13/2015 3:17:15 PM PDT by TheRobb7
I will be praying for you and your sons. May you stay strong in the Lord. I also pray your sons stay strong, I know it is tough on them at their age.
I know with a Dad like you, they will be fine.
It’s a sign of the times. Men (and women) will not adhere to sound doctrine.
Look up, for our redemption draweth near.
His stand on homosexuality is the same as mine.
gay behavior
Being Daniel is usually lonely and occasionally dangerous. Not all lions’ mouths have been stopped in the arc of history.
Remember Who is the real Boss here, and follow His instructions. Are you in ministry to bring Truth, or to pander to a popular, even politically powerful sin?
He seeks the destruction of Christianity and they are doing a bang up job.
Stand firm!
The Bible either is the Word of God or it's not.
Man does not get to pick and choose.
Ping
Outside of your circle, everyone, not just kids, is being inundated with gay this, gay that, every show on television seems to have homosexuality (celebrated) in it, and the tidal wave is to condemn anyone who doesn’t accept homosexuality with open arms as an intolerant, knuckle-dragging homophobe.
It is not hard to overestimate the effect that kind of saturation has on teenagers who may want nothing more than just fitting in.
What we see happening with homosexuality in our lifetime is appalling.
Thanks for sharing.
According to Zack King, Catholics and Baptists are the targets of Satanists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNVRilH_eUA
According psychology and common sense, a person with same sex attraction has confusion in his feelings.
What is the cause of confusion in feelings? Shame over past events.
What is the cure of confused feelings? Grieving the shameful and past events.
For example, one ex-gay person said, “At age 6 I proudly announced “I’ll taste the chocolate donut!” I then picked up the donut piece and popped it into my mouth. What happened? My dad started slapping me in the face, with a mean, ominous look.”
According to the Bible, we are called to carry our cross and to live chastely.
I like the advice here about “sticking to your guns” and focusing on the Lord rather than worrying about apostates who leave the faith. Kids will secretly look up to you.
“”I mean the theology of sin: why does God say something is sinful? Is it because it might cause disease, or is it because God understands how we are made, since He designed us, and so He knows what is good for our *souls*? What are we making our souls into when we sin: beautiful objects for God to show how grateful we are for all He has given us? or ugly objects which show that we do not care about what God and His Son Christ did for us?””
I really like that.....thank you.
Some trite words, but applicable: we are not taught and do not teach to hate the sinner, but to love the sinner and hate the sin. Accepting an active sinner in a group of teenagers is a complicated thing, but you would also be against sex between male and female teens as well as between teens of the same sex, would you not?
Given today’s culture, maybe the best way to deal with the issue is to say that all sex before marriage is sin, and leave the more complicated question for another time and another group.
If someone persists in asking, you could provide a suggested list of scripture to read, without commenting on what you conclude scripture says. I’d suggest getting the pastor’s concurrence on the list. Again, specific discussion would be for another group, another time.
It may not be your preferred way of dealing with the problem, but it may allow a functioning youth group that is still being given guidance and ways to find the biblical answer.
PS: In writing this, it occurs to me that if your group is the first place a church-going teen is exposed to homosexual sex being called a sin, then maybe your pastor is not as much in agreement as you may think. You may especially want the pastor’s approval of that scripture list.
Thank you! I am a midget (I hope that’s not against PC!) riding on the shoulders of giants just transmitting what I’ve learned from others :)
God Bless you. My son is in college at the moment, helps with youth groups, and is looking to be a youth “minister” when he gets out (obviously not with a real ministry degree.)
Agreed with other posters - love the sinner, hate the sin. Just like with all other sins. His youth group growing up the leader was strict with no pre-marital sex. He ended up asking one of his really good co-leaders to resign over it. I was pretty impressed with that.
Awhile ago our preacher gave a sermon series on the Ten Commandments. Of course they are commandments, but I came away with they are also REALLY GOOD suggestions on how to live a great life! (Not just a bunch of “do not” rules.)
The gist of it was something like “Okay - so the Jews were free from bondage now after so long. Free to do WHATEVER they wanted to. But - God didn’t want them to just fall back into bondage again (to their own desires and sin), so he gave them some basic rules to follow that would lead to a rich, happy and fullfilling life!.”
The whole gay issue is Satan’s way of destroying churches - but God can also use it to make things stronger as we go through the fire.
Thank you everyone for your prayers and encouragement. I recently came across this quote:
“Moses saw the oppression of his people and felt certain that he was the one to deliver them, but he had to be trained and disciplined by God first. He was right in his individual perspective, but he was not the person for the work until he had learned true fellowship and oneness with God. Our individual effort for God will be rendered radiant through a time of great personal growth.” —Oswald Chambers, from My Utmost for His Highest
I guess in my previous post I should have used the term youth leader instead of minister. Although some day...?
This is tendered from one that has never taught youth in spiritual matters. Your pastor does not sound supportive to me. The pastor at my church recently spent a couple weeks on the topic of sin, it’s devastating results to family and its damaging effects. This included probably 6 or 7 admonitions of homosexual conduct directly from scripture. He introduced a homosexual from the pulpit and invited the man to speak. His testimony was difficult to listen to as he outlined his heartbreaks on the way to redemption.
It seems to me you have run a good and just race—absent the efforts of the church leaders. Western civilization and the young need you.
I have taught youth Sunday school for many years in several Baptist churches. When the subject comes up (as it inevitably will), I present them with the truth as clearly spoken in God’s Word. This makes the kids uncomfortable, but it MUST be done. We who teach are obligated to teach the truth, regardless of the consequences. I have noticed some kids who don’t come back afterwards, but I have planted a seed that may sprout someday. Years of programming by the media and schools is difficult to counter in a 45 minute per week class, but I have to try. The kids that have not been born again are particularly vulnerable to media influence.
I, too, am a sinner condemned to death if not for the grace of God, so I make it clear that my own righteousness is nothing to brag about - all I can claim is that I am forgiven for my sins.
Take heart that you are following God’s word, and he loves you, and you should stand firm in him. Don’t be dissuaded by the world’s ways.
He knows what he is doing. I can’t say I always understand it, but I have to trust him.
I’ve discovered that kids are okay with homosexuality until someone explains in painful detail the sinful acts.
Then there reaction tends to be.... “Ewwww. That’s disgusting!”
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