DON T MISS! biblical insight for lasting relationships in this quarter s Dating, Courtship, and Marriage unit. SPRING 2010 March, April, May TEACHER

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1 SPRING 2010 March, April, May TEACHER TM teen poetry and art regularly in ENCOUNTER The Magazine Available Separately DON T MISS! biblical insight for lasting relationships in this quarter s Dating, Courtship, and Marriage unit

2 AaAaA March, April, May SPRING 2010 Contents Unit 1 Dating, Courtship, and Marriage Lesson writer: David Eichenberger March 7 Lesson 1 Relationship Wisdom Proverbs 2: March 14 Lesson 2 Relationships of Respect Romans 13:8; 1 Corinthians 10:24; 1 Peter 3: March 21 Lesson 3 Relationships of Purity 1 Thessalonians 4: March 28 Lesson 4 Relationships That Last Genesis 24:3, 4, 10, 12, 14, Unit 2 Famous Men of the Bible Lesson writers: Tom Finley, Kelly Carr, and Jim Eichenberger April 4 Lesson 5 Elijah Courage to Stand 1 Kings 18:18, 20-24, April 11 Lesson 6 Cleopas Finding Hope Luke 24:13-21, 25-27, April 18 Lesson 7 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Loyal Believers Daniel 3:1, April 25 Lesson 8 Joshua and Caleb Trusting God Numbers 13:3, 26, 28, 30, 31; 14:6-10a May 2 Lesson 9 Jonah Roadblocks to Forgiveness Jonah 1:2, 3; 4:1, 2, Unit 3 Dispelling Myths Lesson writers: Kevin Hrebik, Kelly Carr, and Jim Eichenberger May 9 Lesson 10 No Death? Job 14:5-10, 14, May 16 Lesson 11 No Rules? 1 Samuel 15:1-3, 9-12, May 23 Lesson 12 No Consequences? Genesis 3:7-12, 16-19, May 30 Lesson 13 No Responsibility? Ezekiel 33: High School Resources Get more out of each session with: 4 lesson-related audio skits 2 Flash games to introduce your study 6 Quick videos 13 memory verse puzzles in digital format 6 full-color posters and a sheet of reproducibles n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n ENCOUNTER The Magazine Each week you ll find: stories, quizzes, interviews, and more to help your students deal with issues that affect their lives poetry, testimonies, and art created by teens challenging daily devotions so your students can encounter God s best for their lives JIM EICHENBERGER, senior editor KELLY CARR, editor All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. High School Teacher is published quarterly by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio. Copyright 2010 by Standard Publishing. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Volume 39, Number 3 Cover Photo, Stockbyte Cover Design, Scott Ryan Inside Design, Andrew Quach

3 Pray for Purity (For use in Lesson 3 on page 22 of this book) 1. Think of a person who has reason to doubt your relationship to God because of your impure actions. Mention that person to God in prayer right now. Ask God how you can change that person s opinion. 2. Thank God for helping you overcome a specific sin during these past few years. Ask God to help you start over in a specific area of purity in which you have blown it. 3. Whom have you hurt through... an inappropriate relationship? impure thoughts? gossip? Promise God that you will take a specific action to heal that hurt in the next few days Encounter Curriculum. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy for ministry purposes only not for resale.

4 Relationships Lesson 3 of Purity Unit One: Dating, Courtship, and Marriage Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Life Focus: Moral purity is vital in a corrupt world. Today's Challenge Would you buy a used toothbrush? How about an item of clothing with a stain on it? A soft drink that is only 1% poison? Of course not! Purity is an important consideration in buying such items. Participate in these activities and understand how important it is in dating relationships. Step 1 Setting the Stage List items for sale that place high value on purity or cleanliness. Step 2 Searching the Word Summarize what Paul says about living pure lives. Step 3 Making It Real Describe how sexual purity can improve dating relationships today. Read the Label Listen to the advertising claims, then read the product label. The two different sources may tell two different stories. The fruit drink with pictures of apples and oranges on the package may list water, not juice, as its major ingredient. The all-natural cleaner may actually contain at least small amounts of some items you thought could only be found at a toxic waste dump! Not everything that claims to be pure actually is. The same is true in human relationships. God s Word teaches that a relationship that is genuine must be marked by sexual purity. This purity is something we must get, grow in, and then guard once we attain it. Continued on next page. Hide It in Your Heart For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 For a presession or take-home activity, memorize this key passage using the puzzle found on your High School Resources CD. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. Step 4 Living It Out Take another step toward guarding their sexual purity Encounter Curriculum. All rights reserved. Permission granted to photocopy for ministry purposes only not for resale. High School Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 3 17

5 Encountering God s Word Get (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7, 8) There are at least three reasons for this: God s will (v. 3) When it comes to the issue of God s will, it s easy to concentrate on those issues that seem more urgent but are really less important: Which college should I attend? What career should I enter? Regarding the role of sexual activity in a person s life, God makes His will crystal clear. God s call (v. 7) God has called His followers to be holy, or set apart, because He is (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:15, 16). We are supposed to be like Him. We are not to imitate those around us, but we are to imitate our heavenly Father (Ephesians 5:1-3). God wants us to attain purity as a mark of His presence in us. God s instruction (v. 8) Before we accept any teaching in life, it is important to understand where it comes from and the motives of the one who offers it. In this area teens sometimes think this instruction comes simply from parents wishing to restrict their freedom and pleasure. In reality, it s more like the parent warning the toddler about the dangers of touching a hot stove or playing in the street. This word comes from God himself out of His desire to nurture and protect rather than to shelter and limit. When we reject this message about sexual purity, we are discarding our loving God and His indwelling presence (v. 8). Grow (1 Thessalonians 4:1, 2) You first have to be presented with the truth. The apostle Paul says he is really providing a review for those he has already instructed on how to please God (v. 1). That may be the case for some teens. You need only to refresh their memories about an important truth of which they are already aware. This review is of great importance because they are living in a culture that is teaching them the exact opposite. In addition to a review, these verses also provide encouragement to those who are already on the right path (v. 1). No one enjoys being continually Gaining purity is not a onetime event, but a process. corrected, while an occasional pat on the back can go a long way. Successful abstinence education programs today are incorporating encouragement in the process by providing teens with everything from T-shirts, to posters, to ink pens touting sexual purity. Sometimes to keep growing in an area we have to step it up a notch. The athlete may have to practice a little more, and the student may have to study more frequently. That seems to be the message of the words, Now we ask you and urge you... to do this more and more (v. 1). The emphasis on intensity also provides a good opportunity to urge those who may have gotten off the track to get back on. It s not too late to start over. Nick had planned to remain sexually pure until marriage, but one warm summer evening he gave in to temptation. He experienced a lot of awkwardness and guilt and decided to practice what some call renewed or secondary virginity. Nick decided to restart his growth process in the area of sexual purity. Guard (1 Thessalonians 4:4-6) There is a threefold emphasis here. Control. Self-control is considered to be fruit that the Holy Spirit can produce in the life of the believer (Galatians 5:23). A young lady can exercise control by dressing and acting in ways that will draw more attention to her personality than her body. A young man can control himself by deciding to never speak of women in a degrading fashion and to keep his eyes from any and all pornographic material. In guarding purity it is important to note the contrast that God draws between those who have decided to follow Him and those who have not (v. 5). God s children are to behave differently. It takes a conscious decision and a well thought-out strategy for this difference to be lived out. Kevin, a high school student from Texas, signed a purity pledge. One of the eight commitment statements that he agreed to stated, Purity keeps us from abusing one another. I will never ask a girl to compromise her moral responsibility for my pleasure, even though we may have strong feelings for each other. Finally, guarding one s purity provides protection from the negative consequences of hurting others and offending God (v. 6). The potential consequences include those that are emotional, physical, and spiritual in nature. Most everyone has heard of AIDS, but many do not know that the fastest spreading sexually transmitted disease, human papillomavirus or HPV, can cause cervical cancer. Research has verified that adolescents are more vulnerable to STDs than older people and that the earlier teens initiate sex, the more likely they are to become infected. It is clear that God desires sexual purity for His children for their own protection. God wants us to recognize sexual purity as the precious treasure that it is and to take the steps to get it, grow in it, and then courageously guard it. God, our loving heavenly Father, wants us to develop relationships that bring hope, joy, and love rather than grief, despair, and pain Encounter Curriculum. All rights reserved. Permission granted to photocopy for ministry purposes only not for resale. 18 Relationships of Purity, Lesson 3

6 Life Focus: Moral purity is vital in a corrupt world. Use either activity on this page to help your students list items for sale that place high value on purity or cleanliness. Setting the Stage Step 1 QUICK STEP The Dirt-Fighting Dozen As students arrive, allow them to begin working on page 55 in the student books. They will match products that stress cleanliness with slogans once used by them. If you have a computer available, allow students to complete the same exercise found on the CD. After all students have arrived and have had an opportunity to take the quiz, allow them to share their answers. The correct answers are: j, a, c, k, f, l, e, d, h, i, b, g. Then discuss the quiz with these questions: List some other items for sale that talk about the importance of being pure or clean. Why is cleanliness and purity seen as so important in the environment, in our medicine, and in our food? Lead into Bible study by saying: Today, we ll see that the value of cleanliness is more than a detergent commercial! True, we want clothing, windows, food, medicine, and our environments to be clean and pure. But it goes deeper than that. We re going to discover three things that Paul says about keeping our relationships morally pure. quiz 10 minutes High School Student, pens or High School Resources CD and computer Bait and Switch When class members arrive, tell them you have a gift for each of them. Distribute the cleverly disguised substitute candy and encourage them to go ahead and eat it. Watch their reactions when they realize they ve been tricked. Then distribute real candy and ask the following questions: Is there anything in life like this something that appears to be genuine but is really counterfeit? (examples: money or jewelry.) Have you ever been tricked to think something was real but it wasn t? Tell your story. Lead into the Bible study by saying: Not everything that claims to be genuine actually is. When we discover that truth, it s disappointing. The same is true in human relationships. Sometimes sex outside of marriage appears to be attractive, but it s really a cheap counterfeit. Today we ll look at what God teaches us about living pure lives. object lesson 10 minutes candy wrappers with substitutions made for the original product [ex: remove Tootsie Roll candies from their wrappers and replace with chalk or use a box of candy pieces replaced with beans or rice] The Scene For an opening activity based on a current news headline, download The Scene online. Go to There you ll find a free article with discussion questions to begin this week s lesson. news High School Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 3 19

7 Step 2 Searching the Word Life Focus: Moral purity is vital in a corrupt world. Use either activity on this page to help your students summarize what Paul says about living pure lives. research 20 minutes High School Student, Bibles, pens QUICK STEP Purity Fill-in Divide the class into three groups and have each complete one section of the fill-in exercise on page 12 of the student books. Be sure they complete the summary activity at the end of their section. After each group has completed their section, have them report so that each student can complete the entire work sheet. The text itself and Encountering God s Word will provide answers for the blanks. Transition to the Making It Real activity with the following words: It is vitally important to know and understand what God has to say about sexual purity. It is also of vital importance to understand how sexual purity can improve dating relationships today. audio skit 20 minutes High School Resources CD, CD player, Bibles So You Think You Can Date? Cue the CD to Track 1. Play this skit that parodies a TV reality show. Discuss the skit with these questions: Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7, 8. Compare and contrast what Paul is saying here to what the contestants in the skit said. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 2. How do these verses challenge some popular ideas about sexual purity in the skit and in real life? Read 1 Thessalonians 4:4-6. What consequences of moral purity or impurity do you find in the skit? As you discuss, refer to the commentary in Encountering God s Word to help you. Comment as necessary to assure that the main points of the lesson are made clearly and completely. Transition to the Making It Real activity with the following words: It is vitally important to know and understand what God has to say about sexual purity. It is also of vital importance to understand how sexual purity can improve dating relationships today. 20 Relationships of Purity, Lesson 3

8 Life Focus: Moral purity is vital in a corrupt world. Use either activity on this page to help your students describe how sexual purity can improve dating relationships today. Making It Real Step 3 QUICK STEP Ask the Experts Have students divide into groups and work on the questions listed on page 13 in the student book. When they are finished, have each group share an answer. Then go over what the experts answers would be: 1. Having a plan is by far the safest way to go. If you have definite things to do, especially events in public settings, then you won t just end up sitting around somewhere alone. Those times alone with nothing to do can lead to situations that compromise your purity. 2. Speaking up is sometimes hard, but when you do, your dates will know where you stand and your friends can keep you on track. It s easier to get, grow, and guard your purity when you re around people who respect your values and who will keep you accountable. 3. Yes, the group approach is a far better way to get know people and greatly reduces the opportunities to give in to sexual temptation. 4. Don t overestimate your strength. Evangelistic dating attempting to blend romance and witnessing has led to devastation more often than success. Move into the last activity by saying: It s important to hear from others about the positive benefits of sexual purity, but it s not enough. You need to be willing to do what s necessary to guard your own purity minutes High School Student, pens report Purity Testimony Select someone to speak briefly to the class (or several people to serve as a panel). You may choose a Christian nurse or doctor to speak about the physical problems that can be avoided by a commitment to sexual purity, a college student who has remained sexually pure, or a married couple who can talk about how sexual purity while they dated improved their relationship and still brings positive benefits today. Allow time for students to ask questions to the speaker(s). If you have difficulty in securing people to speak to your class, you could use some of these web-based resources to accomplish the same goal: Move into the last activity by saying: It s important to hear from others about the positive benefits of sexual purity, but it s not enough. You need to be willing to do what s necessary to guard your own purity minutes guest speaker discussion Song Suggestion: To help your students reflect upon the application of today s lesson about purity, you may want to follow up either activity you chose above by playing the song Come on Sister by High Flight Society on their Par Avion EP. This song may be purchased and downloaded for $.99 at com/itunes/ High School Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 3 21

9 Step 4 Living It Out Life Focus: Moral purity is vital in a corrupt world. Use either activity on this page to help your students take another step toward guarding their sexual purity. prayer 5 10 minutes copies of page 4 of this book QUICK STEP Pray for Purity Give each student a copy of page 4 of this book. In this guided individual prayer activity, students will ask God to help them to help guard their sexual purity in very specific ways. Allow several moments of quiet time as students pray individually using the printed guidelines. Close your time with an audible prayer. Distribute ENCOUNTER The Magazine. challenge 5 minutes High School Student, pens Purity Pledge Turn to page 14 in the student books and read through the purity pledge together. Have students think of specific ways they can live out this pledge. Then ask students who are ready to take this step to sign the pledge and have witnesses sign it as well. Tell students to tear out the pledge and keep it somewhere they will see it on a daily basis. Conclude with a time of prayer. Your prayer could be something like this: God, we ask for Your forgiveness for the times when we ve strayed from Your standards of purity. We commit to You that we want to live pure lives from here on out. Help us to apply what we ve learned today to our present and future relationships. Please give us the strength to fight temptation. Use us to encourage others to take this same stand. We put our lives in Your hands. Through Jesus, we pray. Amen. Distribute ENCOUNTER The Magazine. Here s what s in ENCOUNTER The Magazine this week: Fun, Freedom, and No Regrets the truth about purity Ryan stumbles upon a pornographic Web site. Teen poetry about purity 22 Relationships of Purity, Lesson 3