When Kids Go Bad
Preaching
Lions And Cows Dining Together
And 111 Other Sermon Ideas
Object:
Purpose Statement: What is the cause of so many of the problems our youth have today and what can the church do about it?
Far too many of our young people today are having serious difficulties. It ranges from simple family squabbles where parents and youth have poor communication and poor relationships, to the more serious involvement in gangs and drug activity. Christians want to find ways to serve our youth and help them find the kind of enjoyable and trouble-free teen years that they deserve.
a. There is far more pressure on our youth today than ever before. My teen years were the '50s and there were never the kind of drug problems we are experiencing now. Gangs were few and far between. Kids still got into trouble and young people got pregnant. However, the peer pressure is greater today, and the media has helped to create an environment of increasing permissiveness. Parents complain of lack of communication with their children and teens, and relationships are poor. Why do kids get involved in gangs, do drugs, or harass other kids? There are multiple answers to that question, but we will consider only one cause.
b. I believe low self-esteem and insecurity are what's up with youth. Among a variety of reasons, low self-esteem has to stand at the top of the list. Insecurity drives them into gang fellowships where they think they will find acceptance. It is lack of self-respect that encourages drug use and the abuse of other peers. When they don't feel good about themselves they need peer acceptance, which means a strong desire to dress the right way, to be brainwashed into accepting what passes for music today, and the need to form cliques. Jesus considered each child precious (Matthew 18:2-7) and would want them to be a central focus for the church's ministry.
c. The answer to low self-esteem is love and acceptance. Each of us needs to feel we belong to a team or fellowship where we find we count for something. Some church people will pontificate a simple, vague answer such as, "They need to get right with God, that's all." But it is much deeper than that. To start with, what does that really mean, and could you communicate that meaning to youth? The answer to the problem is making each child and youth feel that they are important to the rest of us. We respect their uniqueness, independence, and character and relate to them as real human beings. It starts at the earliest age. Proverbs 22:6 tells us to teach a young child all about love and meaningful relationships, and they will grow into healthy, wholesome adults. This doesn't mean uninhibited permissiveness, but correction and direction (Proverbs 29:15 and 17). It is possible to be a loving parent and friend, and yet provide loving discipline and guidance, and to nurture young persons into mature and responsible persons. It still happens. When you truly respect them and spend time in significant relationships, they learn respect for others. The church must initiate programs for youth that have quality and value. We must have mature expectations of their talents. Mentoring can be vital for troubled youth, or those with special needs. The church is the one institution offering all a person needs to find a sense of worth and dignity. We offer caring, love, respect, trust, and fellowship. That is the kind of God we serve.
Far too many of our young people today are having serious difficulties. It ranges from simple family squabbles where parents and youth have poor communication and poor relationships, to the more serious involvement in gangs and drug activity. Christians want to find ways to serve our youth and help them find the kind of enjoyable and trouble-free teen years that they deserve.
a. There is far more pressure on our youth today than ever before. My teen years were the '50s and there were never the kind of drug problems we are experiencing now. Gangs were few and far between. Kids still got into trouble and young people got pregnant. However, the peer pressure is greater today, and the media has helped to create an environment of increasing permissiveness. Parents complain of lack of communication with their children and teens, and relationships are poor. Why do kids get involved in gangs, do drugs, or harass other kids? There are multiple answers to that question, but we will consider only one cause.
b. I believe low self-esteem and insecurity are what's up with youth. Among a variety of reasons, low self-esteem has to stand at the top of the list. Insecurity drives them into gang fellowships where they think they will find acceptance. It is lack of self-respect that encourages drug use and the abuse of other peers. When they don't feel good about themselves they need peer acceptance, which means a strong desire to dress the right way, to be brainwashed into accepting what passes for music today, and the need to form cliques. Jesus considered each child precious (Matthew 18:2-7) and would want them to be a central focus for the church's ministry.
c. The answer to low self-esteem is love and acceptance. Each of us needs to feel we belong to a team or fellowship where we find we count for something. Some church people will pontificate a simple, vague answer such as, "They need to get right with God, that's all." But it is much deeper than that. To start with, what does that really mean, and could you communicate that meaning to youth? The answer to the problem is making each child and youth feel that they are important to the rest of us. We respect their uniqueness, independence, and character and relate to them as real human beings. It starts at the earliest age. Proverbs 22:6 tells us to teach a young child all about love and meaningful relationships, and they will grow into healthy, wholesome adults. This doesn't mean uninhibited permissiveness, but correction and direction (Proverbs 29:15 and 17). It is possible to be a loving parent and friend, and yet provide loving discipline and guidance, and to nurture young persons into mature and responsible persons. It still happens. When you truly respect them and spend time in significant relationships, they learn respect for others. The church must initiate programs for youth that have quality and value. We must have mature expectations of their talents. Mentoring can be vital for troubled youth, or those with special needs. The church is the one institution offering all a person needs to find a sense of worth and dignity. We offer caring, love, respect, trust, and fellowship. That is the kind of God we serve.
