This is a lesson taught to a group of senior high students. This was adapated from a talk from “Reaching the Generations Talks Database”-the link is on my blogroll in the sidebar. This is just the handout that accompanied the lesson. The entire talk focuses on how we let things affect us, and what happens when we let SIN affect us as believers. This is the first of a series of teachings on the Roman Road….

What’s the Influence?

What’s the Influence?

1. Parents
2. Teachers
3. Peers
4. Ministers
5. Youth leaders
6. Heroes and idols
7. Extended family
8. Tv, films, music
9. Printed media
10. Advertising

1. Peers
2. Parents
3. Tv, films, music
4. Teachers
5. Heroes and idols
6. Ministers
7. Printed media
8. Advertising
9. Youth leaders
10. Extended family

1. Tv, films, music
2. Advertising
3. Printed media
4. Heroes and idols
5. Peers
6. Parents
7. Teachers
8. Ministers
9. Youth leaders
10. Extended family

What years do you think these “influences represent?
1960, 1980, 1990

If this were done today, what would the list look like?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Is there anything that needs to be added or taken away from these lists, that are no longer influences in people’s lives?

Romans 6:15-23 The Message translation:

What Is True Freedom?
 15-18So, since we’re out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we’re free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it’s your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you’ve let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you’ve started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!
 19I’m using this freedom language because it’s easy to picture. You can readily recall, can’t you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God’s freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?
 20-21As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you’re proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.
 22-23But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

Is your influence sin?
Or
Is it God’s Grace and Love that you received?

The Following is the handout that is included in a seminar that I do on finding Youth Ministry Resources on the internet and in the “real” world as well. Don’t we all love the word FREE?

Youth Ministry on a Dime 2.0
Presented by: Jason Dunn
Saturday, January 19, 2008
jasondunn@zoominternet.net
www.mylifeministries.org/blogs/dunn_funn

The Free Stuff Mentality
You know the saying; You get what you pay for…

-Be Creative: Think Outside the Box
-Be Aware: Always be looking
-Be Connected: Its not what you know, its who you know

Free Internet

Good Ideas, stimulating thoughts, free resources

www.simplyyouthministry.com
www.youthspecialties.com
www.youthpastor.com
www.childrensministry.com
www.youthministry.com
www.pastor2youth.com
www.thesource4ym.com
www.sermons4kids.com
http://www.youth.co.za/
http://www.youth.co.za/olympics/index.htm
www.timschmoyer.com
www.egadideas.com
http://www.sermonillustrations.com/default.html
http://applesaucekids.com/

Not Youth Ministry, but definitely stimulating

www.youtube.com
www.raisethisup.com
www.flickr.com
www.ahajokes.com
www.sheeplaughs.com
www.imdb.com
http://www.funpic.hu/en.index.php

Free Locally

What can you find in your neck of the woods?

Shenango Presbytery Resource Center
Christian Bookstores
Friendly Buisnesses—don’t’ be afraid to ask!

Cheap Stuff

Not quite free, but definitely affordable

Group Magazine $19.95 per year
Nelson’s Annual Youth Ministry Sourcebook $29.00
Nex Gen Quick Studies $20.00
Ollie’s (really cheap, good books)
Dollar Tree (Junk for fun)

Asking for money

Have a Plan-Do your homework, think, think, think
Do it on “Purpose”-Have a reason
Speak the Language-Investing, Seed Money

Your Turn

Tonight, as my wife curled up on the couch reading the latest Nicholas Sparks book, I took advantage of her being occupied and turned on the television, just looking to turn off my brain for a few hours after Youth Group and before I start my work week. After watching the republican debate on Fox News, I started to skim through the channels and happened across the premier of—-AMERICAN GLADIATORS!

About, two months ago, I was up late not able to sleep and found the original series on ESPN classic, a show that I was hooked on as a teenager, staying up late almost every Friday night. It was a great night of reliving the glory of those years. I knew the show was coming back, but I really wasnt looking forward to a more modern version….

BUT

As I watched I was thoroughly impressed with the show. It held true to the original series. The cinematography even matched the “amateurish” quality that the original series had. The events, very much the same events that held my attention so many years ago. I laughed, chuckled and was completely entertained for the next two hours. Great Job NBC!!!

My wife finished the book and I finished a stroll down memory lane….

Today, I went to PNC Park to witness the Pittsburgh Pirates end their…*sigh*…15th consecutive losing season. That is 15 years of my life-half of my entire life and the Bucs have had a losing record.

We entered this season with such high hopes. Adam LaRoche, Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, a very young but promising pitching staff, a lot of positives. Alas, the Pirates were just never really able to put it all together. Yes there were highlights, Yes there were positives, but does that really matter until they field a winning team?

Not Really…

I still LOVE PNC Park. I love traveling to Pittsburgh. There’s that point on I-279 where you just come around one of the hills and BAM, there’s the skyline of Pittsburgh, the Highmark Building, PPG building, the Convention Center all lined up along the river. And then there’s the bridges…its a beautiful sight.

PNC Park, there’s not a bad seat in the entire stadium, its always a joy to watch the Pirates Lose there… Oh well….maybe Coonley and the new GM Huntington will break the Francisco Cabrera curse…..

This was adapted from “Great Talk Outlines for Youth Ministry” published by Youth Specialties.

“Your Conscience”
What is Your Conscience?
Literally it means _______Knowing One’s self_____________________.
In the Bible it is refered to a person’s ______Heart_____________________.

Some of you need to understand what God says about your conscience so you can sense Him speaking to you more clearly!

Sometimes we have a _____Clear______________ conscience.
Acts 24:16: So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
Paul was accused of stirring up the crowds, and this is his from his defense speech.

In the Old Testament, ________David______________, had a clear conscience. He was able to face Saul and hold up proof that he had spared his life—a pretty bold statement!

Sometimes we have a ______Guilty________________ conscience.
A guilty conscience means that we have that ______terrible_________ feeling deep in our ______Guts_________.

Our lives become like some Peanut butter on glass………

***Object Lesson***
Find a piece of plexiglass or I used a storm window that I wasn’t using at the time. Explain to the kids that our conscience is a lot like this piece of glass–it’s clear. Take a spoon and put a glob of peanut butter on the glass. When we sin, its kinda like putting a glob of icky sticky peanut butter on this glass. We have two choices. We can deal with it right away and clean it up. (confess our sins) or we can wait and wait and wait to deal with it. (Start spreading the Peanut Butter with a paper towel across the glass.) But when we do this, we really make a mess. Where we once had a mostly clear conscience we know have a very clouded one, and all because we didn’t want to deal with our one little glob.

Sometimes we have a ________Corrupted________________ conscience.

A corrupt conscience means we have a _____Polluted______ and _____Misguided_______ heart.

Titus 1:15: But to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.

1 Timothy 4:2: Whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

When we “Sear” our heart, we harden the outside, giving it a crust that makes it difficult to give Love or receive Love.

What’s the Point?
The point is, our conscience affects our personal lives in many ways. It also affects our spiritual lives. When we are not free and clear in our conscience we seriously limit our ability to be a “Healthy” Christ Follower. To live fully is to live a life with no regrets and nothing that can weigh us down in this world.

What are you waiting for? Clear Your Conscience today!

1. You’ve ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.

2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton

3. You know that “WOAH” comes from Joey on Blossom

4. If you ever watched “Fraggle Rock”

5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.

7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.

9. You played the game “MASH”(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)

10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.

11. You know the profound meaning of ” WAX ON , WAX OFF”

12. You wanted to be a Goonie.

13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us…head-to-toe)

14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.

15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

16. You took lunch boxes to school…and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.

17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.

18. You still get the urge to say “NOT” after every sentence.

19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.

21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.

22. After you saw Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure you kept saying “I know you are, but what am I?”

23. You remember “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”

24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.

26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.

27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.

28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.

29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.

30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool…and don’t even flinch when people refer to them as “NKOTB”

31. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on “Saved By The Bell,” The ORIGINAL class.

32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.

33. You just sang those words to yourself.

34. You still sing “We are the World”

35. You tight rolled your jeans.

36. You owned a bannana clip.

37. You remember “Where’s the Beef?”

38. You used to (and probably still do)
say “What you talkin’ ’bout Willis?”

39. You’re still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren’t you!

PASS THIS ON TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS WHO GREW UP IN THE 80s or Early 90s!!!

This service was done to kick off our beginning of the year youth group. It is a very contemplative service. Our kids are usually pretty resistive to these types of services but it was amazing to see how they did take it pretty seriously….

Silent Worship

Are you afraid of silence? Do you become uneasy when all the talk stops in a group and people only sit and look away or at each other? Yes, silence can be frustrating in this world of noise and mp3 players and cell phones, but it also can be a meaningful time. Silence gives us the chance to digest ideas and analyze feelings. It can be a time of struggle or relaxation.

Our silence today does not approximate deafness, but muteness. Even without anyone speaking, listen to all the other sounds you hear. Have you been aware of all of them? The deaf person cannot even hear these background sounds.

This is why we are having a silent service:

There is more to worship than listening to the words of a sermon.
We should be aware of all sounds.
Maybe we do not realize the value of speech and singing.
Maybe we don’t realize the value of silence as an equal to sound.
It’s a real chance to talk and listen to God.
Communication is possible in silence.

Order of Worship

Meditative Prayer
Take a few minutes to talk to God in this silence. Pray about this school year. Pray about your fears. Pray about your wants and needs. Pray about the youth group. Pray for your friends. Just pray!!

Greeting
Take some time to walk around the sanctuary and shake EVERYONE’s hand or if you’re feeling the love, give them a hug!!

Call to Worship
Jason will open the Bible. Afterwards, come up and light your candle from the large candle on the table. Return to your seats.

Hymns
Read these praise and worship songs. Read Here I am to Worship first. Ask yourself:

What kind of darkness in my life do I need to see?
How has God been wonderful to me?

Read Sanctuary next. Ask these questions to yourself:
Is there anything preventing me from being a “living sanctuary” for God?
Have I asked God to purify me from the sin in my life?

Meditation of Current Events
Watch the screen. You will see images and words of things going on in the world and around the community. Pick one to pray about during this time. The images and words will repeat throughout this time.

The Lords Prayer
Watch the Screen and meditate on the words as they flash on the screen

Scripture Reading
Pick up a Bible in the Pew Rack. Turn to Psalm 116-read the entire chapter, then turn to Ephesians 3:14-21.

Sermon
Read the attached Devotional

Benediction
The Lord Bless you and Keep you. The Lord makes His light shine upon you, and Give you Peace.

Celebration—Breaking the silence
We broke the silence by begining worship. We just used an acoustic guitar and had some praise and worship time.

***Attached Devotional***

Back to school?
Do you have a teachable attitude?
Top Ten Signs Of A Kid Having A Bad First Day At School (or at least five of them…thanks to David Letterman):

….Already voted “Least Likely to Succeed.”
….Lunch was whatever he could scrape off the bottom of his desk.
….His school bus driver made him ride on the outside of the bus.
….Got tackled twice in gym class–three times in algebra class.
….You know the kid everyone picks on? He got picked on by that kid.

photo courtesy images.google.com & text cbs.com/latenight

John 3:1-7 (NLT)
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

What does today’s God’s Story scripture teach us about being teachable?

Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Jesus often went after this group of religious leaders because they rejected the truth of His message and led the Jewish people away from His good news of forgiveness. Nic was probably nervous about what his peers would think if they knew he was hanging out with Jesus. So he went searching for Jesus after dark, because he believed that Jesus had the answers to his questions.

Nic (at nite) was very intelligent and well educated, but he went to Jesus to be taught. He was teachable. That’s the great lesson in today’s God’s Story.

Are you teachable? Do you go to Jesus with an open mind and heart so that His Spirit can teach you the Truth about God’s Story?

After Nic learned the Truth, he became a follower of Jesus. No more sneaking around in the dark! Nic became a bold spokesperson for Christ! (See John 7:50-51.)

You might say that Nic had a really good first day at Jesus’ school!

How can we connect today’s God’s Story scripture to our lives?

Be honest. Are you teachable? God already knows the answer to this question. Do you?
Pray right now…..Thank God for His Truth. His Truth is absolute and never changes! Ask Jesus to give you a teachable attitude so that you might learn God’s Truths and grow to become more and more like Christ.
Write down a list of questions you have about God’s Story and abiding in Christ. Keep it handy and keep digging in the Word until you discover Jesus’ answers. Go to your youth leader or pastor or another follower of Jesus for help. (Do this during the day, because they need to sleep at night!)
Be like Nic - speak up for Christ and share His Story and your story. God will use you to help answer to the questions that others have about His Truth.
Read the rest of the story about Nic in John 3:1-21.
How can we connect today’s story and God’s Story scripture and our story to others?

Since today is probably the first day of school for most of you, ask Jesus to give you a teachable attitude toward God and toward others in your school. Remember that others will be more willing to learn about God’s Story if they see that there’s something positive about your story.
Use the start of the new school year as a conversation starter to learn more about the stories of others around you. You can start with simple questions about what they like and don’t like and then you can probe deeper with questions about their feelings, their fears, their need for help in some way….
Use David Letterman’s (five of the Top Ten) as a humorous way to find out some signs that your friends really are having a bad day at school. Be ready to be a friend and help.

Here’s another lesson that I recently taught. It’s short and sweet, but there are alot of different ways that you could discuss this lesson. I’ve been focusing alot about evangelism here leading up to the beginning of the school year. I hope that you can use this in your ministry in some way. Feel free to hit me up with any comments.

Matthew 13:1-23
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear.”
 10The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
 11He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
   ” ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’[a] 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
 18″Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Weeds
 24Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

Evangelism is not an easy thing to do. It takes time. It takes patience, and it takes REAL WORK. We have to be willing to endure all the hardships that evangelism brings with it. We need to remember a few things though.

1. It’s our job to __plant___ the seeds, not our job to __grow__ them. Let the Holy Spirit take control of that process.

2. We need to live a ________transparent________ life.

3. We should never _______________shove__________ Christianity down someone’s throat.

My suggestion: Think before you act. Many times we want to just jump into a ’spiritual’ conversation with someone. Take your time. Let the Spirit lead you. Don’t be over bearing, just love on that person.

In God’s purposes for our lives we all have a certain role to play, we all have a job to do.
Some of us are _________planters___________. (Not the peanuts)

Some of us are _________fertilizers__________. (I guess that makes sense since you stink some times)

Some of us are _________pruners___________. By this I mean we need to be there as a role model and nip those behaviors that are detrimental to righteousness in the bud.

I recently taught this lesson to a group of Senior Highers. I have provided the outline for your use. I usually leave the blanks, but I will fill them in for you in the post so that you can know where to go with them. Feel free to use this in anyway to aid in your ministry. I’d also love feedback on this: What else should I add, what other points might be important, any other scripture that we could do. This was a 20 minute lesson as is. The outline is adapted from the July 15th entry in Nelson’s Annual Youth Ministry SOURCEBOOK, 2007 edition. http://www.ecampus.com/book/1418508977 I highly recommend this book for any youth ministry. Enjoy!!

Just a note, I refer to the Apostle Paul as “Grand Master ‘P’. It’s funny how sometimes the strangest things help kids to remember certain things…..

You be the Judge!!

Imagine the perfect person of the opposite sex. What do they look like? What are they wearing? What are they doing? Did you imagine anyone in this room? (C’mon, you know that you were thinking of me….

We all have ______________standards_______________________________. We all have ideals. The question that needs to be asked is how do we use our standards to make our decisions?

When we use our standards to make our decisions, we call it: ___discernment_______________.
We discern things in a lot of ways, but there is a fool proof way of doing this.

Romans 2:1-16 What does The Grand Master “P” (Paul) say about judging?

We are judged in Three Ways by God.
1.According to the ________Truth_____________.
2.According to ___________Deeds__________________.
3.According to the _______Light a Person has__________________.

We need to use these same measures for Discerning things in life. I believe that God has given us some good tools as well that we need to use everyday.
Jason’s Rules for Discernment
1. Does it ___________Feel Right_________________________?
2. Does it ______Build Someone Up_________________________?
3. What are my ____Friends saying about it__________________?
4. Why am I _______Doing it_______________________?

Paul makes the point that “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” I believe we can further that by saying “first for the Christian, then for the non-Christian.” We will be judged by our actions, by the truth, and by the “light” that we shine in this world. We have an immense responsibility to live a Christlike life, when we choose to call ourselves publically a Believer.

What are you holding back. What things in your life are you participating in that could corrode your Faith. Let God search your heart and give in to His Grace.

“With Great Power, comes Great Responsibility” Gandalf

Blogging is fun! I know that I’ve been a slacker as of late, but hey, sometimes life happens. Its fun to get your thoughts out there for the world to see. It’s fun to get responses from that world at times as well. The internet can be a really cool place, sometimes. Its a place that we can find encouragement, humor, and even some spiritual insight at times. And if you’re looking for all those things I’d like to introduce you to my Niece:

This Little Muffin Head, as her mother calls her, is a very special girl. She has Hemi-plagia (a form of Cerebral Palsy). But she doesn’t let that stop her from doing a lot of things.

Check out this blog dedicated not only to the Little Muffin Head, but to parents, moms, and anyone who deals with those kids with special needs everyday. Share in my sister-in-laws joys and struggles, and give her a little love too.

http://www.littlemuffinhead.blogspot.com/