What is life, if you lose it due to lack of participation? ©

Together with my closest friend on this earth, we teach a High School / Colleged Aged Sunday School together. The tag team teaching arrangement originally started out years ago as protection from accusations since we had a majority of young teen girls. As things progressed, we began to get better and better material and the class began to take on a new dynamic. We decided that we would teach these teens how to think on their feet and defend the faith in the real world. We informed the kids and our Pastor that we took it as a personal mission to teach these kids to think – and question things from a Spiritual Perspective. We challenged them to participate, to risk engaging even if they thought it may be a funny question. We have not looked back once, but we have encountered a few minor stepping stones along the way. The worst of those are the famous “eggs” that occur occasionally when the class and I are not in sync for one reason or another. Through the lessons I ask a lot of questions to generate a mental exercise that produces spiritual results. We have a couple of kids that are home schooled, one or two in a Christian private school and the rest are in the local secular – public schools. These kids have learned to engage at a new and exciting level, asking tough questions that I don’t always have the answers immediately. So they give me to the following Sunday to get the correct answer and back it with the references. Well, we have this one teen that on most Sundays, would sit with their head down and for the most part non-responsive. Not really willing to risk involvement or participate. My buddy and I talked about this a few times, and always came back to – “oh well – that’s just the way they are wired” and left it go! A few months back our class took one Sunday lesson, and kept it the main topic for four weeks……. The teen that was always on the side lines began to participate and answer and ask questions. I would look at my buddy and smile; hey this was cool, right….. The particular Sunday that changed the tide the specific material was on “dating relationships - & God’s Word”. The material specifically dealt with “post modernism”, and the entire class was energized. We moved off topic slightly to discuss the variety of teen sub cultures in America – more specifically those found in local schools and churches today. They began to participate because the discussion hit them close to where they lived! It was now worth the risk to become engaged, to question the status quo and investigate why some of their friends were the way they are. Thanks to the folks at Regular Baptist Press – my teen Sunday School Class found new life. They looked at some things differently, which gave my buddy and I new energy to challenge them even further – to “expand their circle of friends and influence beyond those they were close with”. My friend and I now had a name to put on the life style choices we saw in the surrounding community. Our teens Sunday School Class introduced us to: (1) Ghetto, (2) Punk, (3) Skater, (4) Prep, (5) Gothic and the (6) Godly (or Jesus freaks). These were terms or classifications for different types of kids, or sub cultures of teens today and as the following 3 Sundays played out – it was my friend and I that ended up with the education. These kids were all participating in the discussions and debates, from what appeared to be firsthand experience. I found it intriguing and ask a ton of questions. Then I began to realize – it was me that had missed the mark on participation with these kids. They needed to trust, in a world and Christian culture where trusting doesn’t come easy anymore. The situations and issues that the kids today are dealing with are 100 times more difficult and volatile to deal with than we knew as young people. We, the parents and Christian teachers and leaders need to embrace and engage these wonderful kids or Satan will certainly win. Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. I don’t want to take this passage out of context, but how are these kids suppose to figure it out on their own – when a lot of the churches in America are worried about the political correctness of the message? Shame is on us for not taking the message to the streets, and our work places and educational institutions. It’s a spiritual battle, and the casualties of war may be our own children because we were too busy or too proud to engage. Who is winning the cultural war in this country – and the world? Engage, read the papers, no matter how horrid it sounds, Satan is in this war up to his eyeballs and he wants to win. The great commission was not just for Pastors, Preachers and Teachers – it was for all of us to grab as many on the way through as possible. Not to rest, not to stop along the way so that the world’s ways become our ways and we end up losing our way in the sea of sin. Repentance is a 180 degree turn, a complete change in our way of life, our outlook on the world and our investment of resources. I see Romans 12:2 as a challenge to participate in the Christian life, and engage in the Spiritual Warfare that is going on around us. Allowing ourselves to become spirit filled to where He can work through us to prove out His perfect will. It’s not always as a mouth piece, a lot of times it is best served as a doer, then finding the right time to speak the truth in love. Christians, engage – hold onto those promises of God, and share the gospel with someone this week. Reach out to a kid in your neighborhood and let them see Christ’s love in your eyes. In the process He will allow you to see them through His eyes! If they turn away, don’t be discouraged – practice continuance and as my Pastor keeps reminding me – KEEP GOING! They are worth it, God gave His best for them, why should we think any less – you may be the Christ that child, co-worker or neighbor may ever see! Dear Precious Father, let us purge the worlds way from our minds, renewing the regenerated Spirit that lives within us. Help us prove ourselves as faithful and good servants to You and Your Son. We will give the praise and honor to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit – in your Son’s strong name we pray – Amen.