THIS WEEK 5/15
We continued our talk on purity and God’s plan for us in that realm. We spoke to the guys and girls together this week.
Drew: What girls need to know about guys: Ephesians 5-
1. This is tough stuff! With society saying “sexual exploration is OK/acceptable” makes it even harder. Most of us struggle or will struggle with this stuff.
2. We are insecure. Why do we treat you like we do? Insecurity. Don’t let the bad guys win.
3. We are visual creatures. What you wear and text us has a big effect on us.
4. We are easily tempted. Establish boundaries. We may act like we don’t want them in the moment, but please don’t allow us to be alone with you, and don’t listen to us when we try to convince you otherwise. We might be mad then, but we will thank you later.
5. You have a lot of power, we are dumb. Use that power in the right way, point us to God.
Please discuss proper boundaries and God’s desire for relationships with your child this week.
Lissa: I addressed the boys about what they need to know about girls:
Every girl is sensitive about her body
-compliment her on her personality, eyes, etc. Not her physical form.
-don’t comment on other girls. The girl you just called fat, she thinks is smaller than her.
Be the same guy all the time.
-we don’t want to have to guess which “you” you’re going to be today.
-be who YOU want to be, who God created you to be. If a girl doesn’t like that you, she’s not worth your time.
We need a leader
-emotionally, spiritually, physically
-encourage us in our walk with Christ
-plan dates that will allow us to stick to our boundaries
-have other godly men in your life holding you accountable
ACTIVITIES
SMALL GROUPS TUESDAYS- 6:40-8pm
OFF ROAD OFF CAMPUS -THIS SATURDAY!! Saturday May 19th, 4-8pm
We will be having our regular OFF ROAD service OFF CAMPUS!!! Oh, and a pool party, and a potluck dinner, and a TON of fun!! Parent Meeting 4:30 @ same location 15143 Alondra Ln., Saratoga CA 95070
Last name: A-L bring a side dish
M-Z bring a dessert
Details: The whole family is invited! Friends too!! Families are invited to hang out until the 6:40 service time (so you can come back to WG and attend the main service). Students will stay and have OFF ROAD OFF CAMPUS (outdoor worship service). Parents return after the 6:40 main service to pick up their students.
PARENT PRAYER TEAM – Saturday’s @ 6:20pm. Meets every week 6:20 on Saturday nights before the service. PLEASE PLEASE join us to lift OFF ROAD up in prayer. Please email Liby for more information.
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THIS WEEK 5/8
This Week in OFF ROAD we broke the boys and the girls up and talked to them about sex and sexual purity.
THIS WEEK – BOYS I spoke to the guys out of Ephesians 5 calling for no hint of sexual immorality. I told them that God created sex and that it is a good thing, but that God designed it in the context of a husband and wife relationship. As guys one of the biggest temptation we will face is in the sexual realm. I warned them to guard their hearts and eyes from sexual temptations. One of the easiest areas to start getting involved in things we shouldn’t is viewing things we shouldn’t. I encouraged them to steer clear of inappropriate images and, if they are involved or get involved in viewing inappropriate things to talk to me or their leaders because the trap the devil get us with is believing that we can’t tell anyone about this and that we can get out of it on our own.
Parents, here are some things I URGE you to do if you have ANY man/ boy living in your house:
-Install accountability software on all computers= xxxchurch.com is a great resource
-Put all computers in a highly trafficked area- never allow them to have a computer in their room
-Do not allow your child to have a phone with internet access (I know this may sound extreme but 1: what do they really need internet for? And 2: there really aren’t great resources for the phone to prevent them from looking up inappropriate things
-Check the history of the site seen (if it has been deleted it is not a good sign)
-Talk with your kids about this stuff, if you don’t they will hear about it from someone else.
In the end, any one of these suggestions can be ignored with an excuse, but I would ask you at what cost are you ignoring these easy steps to help prevent sexual immorality? (Ephesians 5)
THIS WEEK – GIRLS This week the girls got to get away from the boys so we could talk about… boys! What we really focused on was “why do you do what you do?” We challenged the girls to really question their motives before doing something. Am I doing this for me? Am I doing this to glorify God? This question can be asked in every area of our lives, although we focused on how it relates to boys, sex, and relationships.
We discussed the need for us to treat boys like our brothers (in Christ). This means not engaging in inappropriate conversations, not dressing in a way that causes boys to linger, not having them as your best friend, saving that right for a good, Christ-loving female friend. We need to keep guys from temptation as we decide what pictures to post on facebook, what texts we send them, and the ways we physically interact.
We talked about the importance of following God’s rules. Like our Earthly parents, God has established some rules that we think are simply to keep us from having fun. What we showed them was that, like our earthly parents’ rules, God’s rules are to keep us safe emotionally and physically and lead to a much more rewarding life. Sex is great, however only within a marriage as God designed. It is not some evil to be feared, but something amazing that should be held sacred. God’s grace exists, so when we do fall He holds us close and helps us start again. However, with God’s guidance and the accountability of Godly Christian women it is much better to walk in the ways of God than in the ways of the world.
To sum up, as our girls interact with guys on a daily basis, are they glorifying Christ in the way they act, think, dress, talk, and feel? Why do they do what they do?
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THIS WEEK 4/24
This week we talked about “What is our purpose? Why was man created?”
We were created to share God’s perfection with Him. Then we messed that up. As believers in a fallen world, what is our NEW purpose? To be disciples, and make disciples. To love God and to love others. If a disciple is “an adherent to ones teachings, a follower” we have to ask ourselves are we being true disciples:? Are we constantly learning more about God and then living in accordance with what we have learned?
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THIS WEEK 4/17
This week we began our Top 2 series. We asked the students to write down questions about anything from God to faith and then we put them into a two part series all about what they wanted to know.
This week’s installment was centered on the existence and nature of God. We looked at different parts of scripture from Romans, 2 Chronicles, 1 John, and more to discover what the Bible says about God and his attributes. We also wrestled with some confusing questions about the Trinity and the questions of Jesus praying to God.
As we looked we began to see that God’s existence is one that is manifest in the creation around us. We also found that God is one and that the trinity is a way of explaining different roles and appearances of God.
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THIS WEEK 3/28
This week In OFF ROAD, Mike Morales, our High School Pastor, brought the message from Mark 1:35-39. This story tells of Jesus taking time to pray and connect with God followed by the urgent call from His disciples to preach the Word of God because people are desiring to hear it. Mike explained how good and essential prayer is so that we can take Jesus to everyone. Jesus is full of love, compassion, wisdom, and all that is good and people are looking for Him. They often look in other places, but the only thing that can satisfy that hunger for fullness and goodness is Christ, so we must be willing to be examples of Christ and speak into other’s lives about Him.
Questions to talk about with your kids:
-When and where do you pray? What is good about your prayer life and what is not? How can you grow that relationship with God?
- Who are the people in your life that want Jesus?
- How will you talk to them about Jesus this week?
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THIS WEEK 3/17
Make your Mark. In Mark 8: 1-13 we see an encounter that Christ has with 2 sets of people. One group are people who spend time with him, listen to Him, believe Him and experience the miracle of Him turning a few loaves of bread into enough food for 4,000 plus people. The second group of people, the Pharisees, don’t spend time with Him, antagonize Him, don’t believe in Him and demand a miraculous sign. The theme of the message this week was “Those who know God see God, those who don’t, deny Him.” In my experience as well as this experience show in Mark we are shown how God makes himself visible often (yes even today) yet the Pharisees missed seeing the work of God through Christ because they didn’t spend time with Christ, believe Christ and know Christ. I look around and see signs of God often, but the world chalks it up to chance and randomness. I encouraged the students to spend time with God, listen to Him, believe because when we do God becomes most apparent.
Question to talk with your kids about (You answer and they answer)
- When have you seen God’s miracles? Talk about God moments in your life.
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THIS WEEK 3/13
This week in Off Road we continued our series called Make Your Mark by taking a look at the passage in Mark 2:13-17 about the call of Levi. The book of Mark has a main theme that centers around discipleship and what it looks like to follow Jesus. And in this passage Jesus calls the worst of the worst, a tax collector and then he goes and has dinner at his house with all of the other tax collectors. The pharisees see this and question Jesus as to why he would have dinner with such sinners. The word for sinner here actually takes on an idea that is more than just those who do wrong because that would include everybody. This word in the Greek is sinner/outcast. The pharisees questioned Jesus about his willingness to accept the outcasts, those people that are so bad not one person cares about them. Making Your Mark and following Jesus is rooted in love and care for the outcast.
At one point or another each of us has felt left out or excluded and Jesus’ ministry was one that demonstrated the way to caring for the lost. The call this week was to stop and consider what that meant for you. Some of the options: your school, Kony 2012, homeless, helping those in sex slavery. And one might ask what can i do? You can start by caring and fighting for awareness and remember that the ministry of Christ was not for the rich or even the people that Jesus liked more; it was for those who were cast aside and had no hope. We can participate by not turning a blind eye and being motivated by the love and compassion of Jesus to make a difference.
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THIS WEEK 3/6
This week in Off-Road we explored the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem. Mark chapters 8, 9, and 10 each share increasingly detailed accounts of Jesus’ own knowledge of what was going to happen to him when he went to Jerusalem. Each of of is afraid of things of this life and of things that are painful. But Jesus intervened in the midst of the pain. Each of us started our lives on a journey like Jesus. Walking down a path that leads to pain and death though we often ignore the consequences. Jesus walks that road willingly. Not because he deserved anything that he endured, but because it meant saving the people who he dearly loved. To allow him to intervene is simply to believe in him and choose to receive the free gift of grace that he has given his people.
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THIS WEEK 2/28
This week in Off Road we dove deeper into our series Make Your Mark with a look at the calming of the storm in Mark 4. Though it was a great miracle that is often taught in the hallowed halls of Sunday School it is often seen simply as a cool story. Our series on Mark is focusing on the actions of Jesus and the difference that they make in our lives as a result. This story is one that speaks to the fear of life with the storms arise and the battle is too great to overcome. It is a story of seasoned fishermen who were at home on the water being thrown into an inescapable situation where their lives were ending. Men with seaworthy resolve and fortitude shaken by a storm. In the lives of humans of any age the storms and challenges of life can be debilitating. But as we read the story of Jesus calming the storm we see that Jesus is powerful beyond belief. Jesus is in control. When the storms of our life overwhelm us and we see no escape Jesus can get us through. His call for us as a result is to have faith. Have faith that He who calms the storm and created the universe is in control and all it takes is trusting in him because Jesus is in control.
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THIS WEEK 2/21
This week in Off Road we began a new series on the book of Mark. The book of Mark is unique from the other gospels because it focuses primarily on the action of Jesus with the hope that as a result of seeing Jesus do we can be learn what it is to be like Jesus. In essence how we can be his disciples. The most central point to this action and following Jesus is that he has called us and is showing us the way. Mark focuses on the working together of the call in connection to how God guides us and shows us how to live.
Mark 1:16-20 is the story of Jesus calling his disciples to follow. The implication of following here is one that does not indicate us simply walking behind, but it is something that indicates the idea of “following with” the simple idea of joint participation. The journey through the book of Mark is an outworking of God guiding us in how to live our lives for him.
We challenged the students this week to take a look at what was holding them back or what scared them most about leaving their nets behind and following Jesus. The call of the disciples was not an easy one. They, in leaving their nets put aside the good things that were in front of them like the opportunity to provide and live a safe life for following Jesus and going forward in uncertainty to be like their teacher.
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THIS WEEK 2/7
This Week in OFF ROAD we spent time preparing ourselves and our hearts for winter camp. Although the focus was on gaining the right perspective going to winter camp, the things we learned are principles that should be applied regularly in our life. The first principle was our need to get away from distractions to focus on God. Winter Camp is a great opportunity to do this, but we should take time to do this even when not going on a retreat. We see Jesus practice this principle in Matthew 14:22-23. The second principle is that we need to examine and test our faith and allow God to do the same. 2 Corinthians 13:3-6 tells us this. Winter camp is a time where we can allow this to happen so that we grow in Christ. My prayer is that students will go to winter camp to focus on God and that the fun and other stuff will be secondary. I also pray that these practices are things that students will engage in throughout their lives.
Questions to talk with your kids about:
- What distracts you? Why is getting away from distractions so important?
- What does 2 Corinthians 13:3-6 mean? And how can we practice this?
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THIS WEEK 1/17
We continued our series on Heaven and Hell by talking about testimonies. We covered what the three parts of a testimony include: 1) Life Before Christ 2)Accepting Christ
3) Life With Christ. We challenged students to think about where they are in their testimony. Are they still in their Life Before Christ? If so, we encouraged them to continue coming, to join a small group, to ask questions. Are they in the Accepting Christ phase? What is keeping them there? We asked them to ask others why they have chosen to follow Christ, to ask those questions that are holding them back. Are they living their Life With Christ? We really challenged these students to look at their lives. Do their friends know they follow Christ? Their family? Their sports team? Are they living a life different from those around them, rising up and living the life Christ is calling them to?
Things to discuss with your student:
- What part of your testimony are you in?
- Why are you in this Phase?
- If you are in Parts 1 or 2, what questions do you have?
- If you are in Part 3, how are you living to show Christ to others?
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THIS WEEK 1/10
This week in Off Road we started the New Year and a new series. We are talking about Heaven and Hell over the next few weeks. We are not covering everything there is to know, and we know that it is a complicated subject, so we encouraged the students to write and ask questions that we will be answering at the end of the series.
We began the series by taking a look at Heaven. Heaven is a wonderful place and has numerous images and thoughts attached to it. Most of our perceptions of heaven are ones that revolve around clouds, streets of gold, pearly gates, mansions, and angels. While those things are all a major part of heaven as it is described in the Bible they are superficial to the main concept and joy that is found in heaven. We took a look at the purpose that God created us with and then engaged with what Jesus says about heaven. In John 14 and Luke 23 his references to heaven is one that revolves around us being present with him. These two places are the only recorded concepts of heaven from the perspective of Jesus. Based on how he created us and his hope for us combined with heaven as a place where we are with him we came up with this statement.
Heaven is where we will be with Jesus becoming exactly who we were created to be.
Heaven is the completion of us being created good. it is where we will be a part of the things that we love the most and that give us the most fulfillment. But heaven is a choice that we have as a result of following Jesus. It comes as a result of faith and trust in him.
I challenged the students to reflect on three questions. Who are you? Who is Jesus? and What role do you want him to have in your life? If heaven is an eternity with God becoming exactly who you were created to be then how exciting is it that we will become fully who we are in the place where we are perfectly in God’s presence.
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THIS WEEK 12/13
This Week in OFF ROAD we studied Isaiah 35 to understand that Faith in Christ is the only things that brings eternal joy. The lesson was as simple as reading Isaiah’s words and repeating that faith in Christ is the only things that brings eternal joy. I encouraged the students to not only take my word for it, but to look at the world and its quest for hope outside of Christ and how dismal it is because faith in Christ is the only things that brings eternal joy.
Discuss with your kids:
- Share with everyone about the most joyful time in your life? What made it so joyful?
- How long were you excited about that joy? What stopped that joy from continuing?
- What do you see people around you putting their hope in to get joy?
Why doesn’t it last?
- What does it mean that, “Faith in Christ is the only thing that will bring in eternal joy?”
- Do you really believe that statement? What about the times when life sucks?- how does this stay true?
- What areas of your life do you see yourself not putting faith in Christ, but searching for joy in other places? (stuff, popularity, opposite sex, grades, money, friends, sports)
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THIS WEEK 12/6
This week in OFF ROAD we focused on the “peace” of advent. Isaiah 11 talks of someone to come who will be the hope of the future, who will give justice to the poor and needy and will provide full peace. Last week we discussed what it means to put our hope in Christ. As Isaiah expands on this we see that hope really comes to those who are poor and needy. God wants us to realize or desperate need for Him. Being Christian isn’t about being good, it is about realizing there is nothing we can do to be good enough, but are completely needy of God and His grace. As Christians we so often equate Christianity to goodness and that is not right at all. We have to put our hope in Christ and His work on the cross, fully in need of Him. When that happens we can have hope in the promise of the rest of Isaiah 11, a promise of peace. We also have continued to ask kids to bring in socks and gloves for the homeless on Christmas morning.
Questions to discuss with your kids:
- What does it mean and look like to be completely needy of God?
- Does your life and attitude reflect a neediness of God?
- What does peace in Christ mean?
