Student Leader Weekly 2.20

Brent Dongell, Christian Boulton, and Taylor Bumgarner | Jan 14, 2022

Teen Trends

It's no secret that pornography is pervasive among society and today's teens, and it's not just guys struggling with it anymore. An organization called Defend Young Minds has published an article that details ways that porn will target kids and teens in the coming years and how to prepare for it. Whether you're a teen or a parent of one, it's worth a read so that you are equipped to handle the attacks that will inevitably come your way. The article is here

 

Song of the Week

Mack Brock, the former Elevation Worship leader has released a single titled What a Good God. While reminding listeners to remember how God has been faithful in the past, it also challenges them to proclaim that He is good in the present, regardless of our circumstances. He is worthy to be praised in our mountaintop seasons just as much as He is in our valleys. Our circumstances never change His goodness. The chorus also describes numerous ways and qualities that make God good such as His unconditional love and His acceptance of us despite our shortcomings.

 

Game of the Week

Admittedly, this game is going to require some setup and a decent chunk of money if you don't already have the supplies, but 9 square is always extremely popular among students of any age. Here is a much better explanation than I could ever give, but here's my best attempt. The framing is elevated off the ground higher than any of the players. The top of the framing will have 9 squares, and each square will have a player in it. Players will have to hit the ball (t can be a beach ball, a dodgeball, or any other kind you have available) over the framing into other people's squares. If the ball touches the ground after going through the top of your square, you move to the back of the line or to the 9th spot. The movement works similarly to four square in that there is a ranking system from 1-9 and the number one person who is in the middle is the one that serves. When a player is eliminated, the other players move up the ranking. 

 

Sermon Illustration

One of my professors in class recently said something like this: "When love someone, you enjoy them, not yourself with the person. While we could easily preach about how that applies in relationships here on Earth, I want to point out how that quote applies to our relationship with God. Do you spend time with God because you enjoy His presence, or do you enjoy spending time with Him because He makes you feel good or because of what He has to offer? Spend some time evaluating your relationship with God this week and find ways to pursue Him and get to know His personality through prayer and Scripture rather than praying to avoid feeling guilty. 

1 Chronicles 16:11 - Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 

 

Encouraging Thought

Building off of the last thought, do you believe that God has a sense of humor? It probably seems like a silly question, but I doubt God sits in Heaven all day with a stone-cold face. I believe He absolutely does. Example number one is that I, Christian, am writing a blog about teen trends, even though I consider myself to be among the least trendy people out there. As a college student, I still have never had a single social media account, and couldn't care less about the latest movies, celebrities, or football games. Yet, by the Grace of God, here I am, writing a blog about trends. I think our view of God is sometimes too serious. Be looking around for God's humor in your life this week. He's probably funnier than you may realize. 

 

 

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The vision of the Student Leader Weekly is to empower high schoolers (alongside adult leadership) with practical ministry ideas.

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