Ep 64 | Quit Playing Youth Group | Redeeming Truth
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- čas přidán 4. 03. 2021
- Episode 64 | Quit Playing Youth Group | Redeeming Truth
Slime walls, lock-ins, and chubby bunny? Pastors Costi Hinn, Jon Benzinger, and Dale Thackrah discuss what a successful youth group looks like in today's culture.
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God bless you guys. Im 22 years old and im striving to follow christ in my local church.
As a somewhat new youth pastor this is exactly the problem with my area. All the kids around here are being entertained by games and distractions. The Lord has pressed upon me to have a youth group that is biblically based. There is fellowship, prayer, and joy that come from the young adults. We are currently going through all of the Bible using the Life Journal Reading Plan. It is such a joy to watch these kids (and it’s less than 10 unfortunately) grow in the Lord!
Thank you for this video as it’s nice to know I’m not alone in this manner of teaching.
God bless
Matt
Some is better than none, Matt. Just keep showing them truth in God's word, knowing that they in turn will be so much better for it.
Bless ya heaps
Hi Jon, Costi and Dale,
Thank you so very much for this conversation. I can truly relate to everything you've said, especially about being the only Christian parent in my home. And, yes, I agree, this new generation coming through definitely are looking for truth. Maybe that's why they come across as being rude (sometimes)?
Costi, I've watched The Gathering and I can see how hard, but gently you're sharing God's word - growing and maturing the next Gen. It's great that they are so receptive to your method. Bless ya heaps for that.
Abundant blessings, guys.
From Australia
Excellent episode!! As a mother, I am so thankful for leaders like y'all. I'm also so grateful to be at such a church that doesn't mess around and teaches Scripture to our kids and youth
Thanks, gentlemen. So true.
I love that these men do not shy down from controversy, like Jesus, these are local heroes of faith and conviction. Thank you guys, will listen up to the rest of this later in the weekend, otherwise, this would be all I ever did, lol.
Your tender hearts for your congregation always shows when I listen to you, true shepherds. My church is small and has no youth ministry but our ministry statement says they want families hearing the word preached together. I remember Dr Michael Horton speaking on this and mentioning there were no youth groups or separate church for children in the first century. Despite that what you are doing sounds very skillfully done and can only be beneficial for parents and children. Wish I lived closer to your church but I love mine as well, rightly dividing the word. Blessings to you all my fellow brothers and sisters. 🙏❤️
Excellent!!
I like what Jon said about his former students coming to him to be married, that is a good testimony of your effect on them brother, thank God for you. We learned this late and we're not perfect at it - as no one goes into marriage (back then at least) with a manual on "how to" especially in bringing up kids. Many kids were having more kids, and never becoming adults or mature. The key thing we learned - is that if Christ was not at the very center of our day, our marriage, our hopes, our fears, our failures, our frustrations, then really there was not a family at all, and much less a home. A building yes, but chaotic without good solid adherence to God, His Word, and His way. We were not perfect, no one is, but we did learn. It was painful to ponder we could go to church, get little out of it, quickly forget the sermon, and much less apply it, only to go thru the motions and look good on the outside, but not living congruent yet to what we knew what was right. A lack of commitment and conviction leads to sloppiness and laziness, and that then gets played out in your kids, who are like I said mirrors and sponges. As we learned repentance and following in baptism (dead to worldly idols and distractions) we got better with the 2nd child with the help, mercy, and grace of the Lord. We learned to affirm them better, re-assure them better, and provide a stable environment they could grow and thrive in. It wasn't easy, we made a lot of mistakes with our first, yet we continually pray to this day, God your will be done in us, in them this day, every day.
Well said Pastor Jon, kids mirror their parents. Costi reminded us of that today with his 6-year-old, dad you are going over the 45 mph speed limit. It is no longer do what I say, not as I do. It is no longer because I said so. When parents make themselves the issue of the problem, it will be a long 20-year sentence of parenting. For kids to be secure, they need to be pointed these are God's rules, not ours. We honor them. These are the boundaries and limits. Inside them, there is benevolent peace, joy, and fun. Outside them, there is a painful consequence. We never have to send our kids to be schooled in how to lie, how to cheat, how to steal, how to be rebellious, those come pretty naturally, for we are all sinners. So EVANGELIZING the family may be the first and foremost priority. Without salvation, there is nothing redeeming!
Wonderful! Don't patronize them...so true!
So, so good. Thanks, guys!🌿
Thank you. I hope part of the equipping is the way science supports scripture. So many people have no comprehension about the evidence to support faith and scripture. I'm only a few minutes in to this so maybe you cover that. I think many parents are not equipped with apologetics. I am working on that myself.
Great insights by both Dale and Costi. If Johny goes home and wants the youth pastor or Christian friends to come over, but mom says no way, and dad is drunk there is more than an imposition or impediment going on, there is a total shut down and blockage, where Johnny is mostly a lone ranger and at best a frustrated kid learning the Christian life. And even though the church is a sanctuary and safe haven from centuries past, who would have ever considered Johnny to be cowering in a corner hiding from those who claim to be his care-takers for his "well-being"? One of the things I truly like and observe at RBC is that there the doors to ministry seem to be open many days a week if one avails themselves "fully" to all the opportunities. Still, that said, it reminds me of when I taught in public school vs. charter school, and parents who knew I was a Christian would ask if it was best to send their kid away to a private religious school. Herein is the crux dilemma to that. No one will ever better educate and equip your children, than you - the parent. What do I mean? Well, there are 168 hours in a week. How many hours would your kid be at church or at religious type education? At best, what happens to that kid the other 75% of the time, or to be fair after eating and sleeping even 50 hours a week of TV, internet, radio, social media, etc. is a lot of time to influence hungry minds and souls. The bottom line is children are a lot more at home than in an institution. The place for education is where God told the Jewish parents of Israel it should be, in the home.
I was waiting for when what Dale brought up 6-7 minutes in >>> it brings me back to the days when I was a youth pastor as well as a school teacher. I found it frustrating that parents pretty much "abdicated" their responsibility to others to "rear and bring up" their own children. Most were so 24/7 non-stop supporting a disconnected world to their families in order to buy things, that it was no wonder a disaster was only a matter of time. Proverbs tells parents "train up a child", let's face it, we do a lot more time "training our dogs" and tie them up all night, and then like Costi said, let the kids run amok and wild, without guidance or even a sit down in most homes at dinner. No affirmation. No security (will my parents stay together this week, or divorce). No example of leadership in the home, God honored, God respected, God loved. No Bible reading, just distraction and diversion, and so, many of today's family has been picked off by the evil demons of the day. I remember James Dobson as one crying in the wilderness 30-40 years back, when the family goes, so does the church and the nation.
I love how you illustrate the church "partners" as burden-helpers to guide, aside, direct and assess. Because like you say just because a kid goes to church does not mean he is going there because he loves Jesus and cares for the things of God. I know at 13, I went to a Catholic church all the time. I got hold of from my dad's drawers a pack of Army cards, that raised a few eyebrows among the nuns who confiscated it from me, and perhaps to the lament of my dad, and later knowing what I heard of their dad's - grandpa as well. To add to further dissonance to having a form of God, and knowing about God, (Hell and a lightning bolt may come out of the sky - thankfully God was more patient and merciful with me) I also would light up a cigar, which for an 8th grader, also was a cry for attention not given. Of course back then the board of education was quickly applied, and that did give kids a keen sense of what was right and wrong, although today it would be called child abuse - it was anything but. We needed correction. Parents who do not love their kids, or understand how to reach them, often are indifferent and so kids look to gangs, and society to mold and shape them, and they do. The jet-set two earning wage earners left many a kid in front of the TV set who were lucky before microwave times to get a TV dinner. Now, these kids are adults, and perhaps grand-folks and the more and more distracted and vacancy of parenting who showed drew the line and showed kid security was long gone, as has church attendance dropped from 58% (2) generations ago to between 7-11%. It has been said, if you do not train your kids when they are young, they will more than likely be lost for good, without the miracle of God's intervention and good caring godly people. Redeemer does have those foundations families can build upon.
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You can never expect anyone else to love and educate your children more than you are able to give them. You must be "whole, healthy, and well" to do that effectively, so to come to RBC and get under submitting to the ministry of a shepherd will be a good first step. For good roots, bear good fruits, and like I previously noted, the Lord corrects (prunes which is painful) those whom He loves. If He didn't care, He wouldn't bother. He does care, and so should we. Before the blessing, there is always breaking. Breaking of old habits, old ways, things we thought was right and the only way to align kids to God, is for us as parents (and grandparents) to also be aligned rightly to God.
Dale and Jon said it well, that a good teacher, learns to reach kids at their varying interests and levels of development. Please note, I did say "good teacher" there. One who cares, one who is not in it for a paycheck, one who is dedicated, one who truly affirms the value of another and their worth because God does. That is easily passed over in the run, run, run to this program and that event in many churches that too many there alone fall thru the woodwork cracks.
So when we ignore the issues of today (weeds - let George or someone else step up to do it) ... those weeds come back stronger and stronger in the years to come. Without getting to the root, we only treat the symptom. The onset of any problem, any division is sin and rebellion. If that is not dealt with, no cure or remedy will be successful.
When we ignore the Instructions, the Blueprint, how is it we can dare to think of success. Without God is plain as they say in Espanol "sin" which means With-Out, left out. Our children are the future adults of tomorrow, should the Lord tarry. I often told the kids I taught, you will teach me today something as well, from 8 to 80 we can all learn from one another. In fact, you will go to live in a world that I will not see or touch, so the least I can do is to give you the best tools I know-how, for you to succeed and pass the torch.
Around 16:50 min mark you told the youth leaders to go to the familys homes and ask questions like are you struggling with thoughts of depression and suicide, if they say yes would you recommend they see a psychiatrist or what are your next steps?
It should be a holistic approach. Spiritual care as well as mental health care (physical) aspect of it. Christian counseling therapy ( Can be used to help develop thinking patterns in accordance with Philippians 4:8). Also, see Dr for helpful supplement if anti-depressant is needed. It all depends on the diagnosis. Some are diagnosed with clinical depression. Some depression may be spiritual. But some are just actual infirmity of our bodies in a fallen world (mental illness). Romans 8 :22-23 shows us how sin has ruined everything in the world including our bodies as they fall sick and die. So mental illness is part of the effect of the fallen nature of our bodies. Be aware not to spiritualize all illness to 'demonic influence' as many Christians do. Spiritual Warfare is a reality in our lives (Ephesians 6) but that is not the only reason for all depression. God bless you. If you have questions, let me know. I have experience with ministry to those diagnosed with clinical depression.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
(Romans 8:22-23)
the entertaining seeker-sensitive churches of the past 20+ years vying to be politically correct got ran over and are no longer relevant or effective. The culture was tolerated, and now the church is no longer tolerated. I agree with Pastor Dale, there is some repentance needed for lack of foresight then and dereliction of duty in preaching the full unadulterated word of God.
Here is what God expects of parents - BOTTOM LINE >>> And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deut 6:7).
Deuteronomy 11:19
Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 6:2
That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.