You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5

Transcription

1

2 At Christ Community Church, we believe God designed the family to be the primary disciple-making relationship for children to grow in their faith. A parent s most important role is to help their child develop a strong faith in Christ. The Family Faith Journey gives parents a plan to follow as you intentionally disciple your children You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

3 What is Purity? Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. -Matthew 5:8 It is no secret that our world and our media are flooded with all kinds messages and temptations that are not part of God s original plan for His people. It seems that it is getting more and more difficult to escape these distractions from God s heart. However, we desire to equip teens to intentionally stand firm in their faith in all circumstances. Encouraging students to live a life of purity equips them to treat the gifts God has given us with the highest respect. Gifts such as marriage, sexual intimacy, and the freedom to make choices come with a lot of responsibility and we want teens to steward them well! Straight to the Heart God calls us to live a life of purity, not because He is withholding anything good from us, but because He wants to offer us His best. There is so much more to purity than just teaching kids a list of rules regarding sex. In fact, we miss the heart of God when we think of purity as a bunch of do s and don ts. Purity is all about seeking to know God deeper and learning how to please His heart. Living a pure life is more about the posture of our heart toward God than it is about what we do or do not do. However, God has set before us a list of standards to help guide us in purity. Clarify the Truth The world surrounding your teen is filling their minds with so many lies about sex. Your children are seeking out truth and the why behind it, and they need to hear it from you and from God s perspective! The truth is that God created us in His image to reflect His character to the world. God is pure and set apart, and He calls us to live lives that are also holy (1 Peter 1:6). Purity includes anything we let into our lives, what comes out of our lives, and the manner in which we do all things. What we let into our lives can include what we watch, listen to, and who we spend time with. We also want to strive for purity in what comes out of our lives; such as our speech, our behavior, and directing our worship to God alone. Our attitude and our heart should also reflect purity in all that we do.

4 Open Up the Conversation Everyone knows that having the talk with your child can be a little uncomfortable for both parties. However, it is important to allow the conversation to remain open so your teen feels safe to come to you with their questions and thoughts regarding purity and sex. Approach the conversation in the same way Jesus taught throughout his ministry; full of grace and truth. Communicate Christ s standard for us to save the gift of sex for the commitment of marriage and teach your child how to set healthy boundaries to fight against temptation. Boundaries such as curfew and limiting one-onone time with the opposite sex may be helpful starting points for your teen. Don t limit this conversation to a one-time conversation because it is a loaded topic and they need help navigating everything! Cultivate a Positive Perspective Experiencing the best God has to offer is such a beautiful gift that should be celebrated! Striving to live a pure life is a joy more than a task when we know the intentions of the Father. As you communicate with your kids about purity, share the goodness of God s gift of sex within the proper context of a godly marriage. Nothing speaks louder than the experiencing the overflowing love parents have for one another as they grow in marital intimacy as God intended. As parents, set expectations that encourage your child to delay temptation and grow in understanding of God s desire for healthy relationships. Purity Pledge Encouraging teens to strive for a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus Christ is part of everything we do within our Youth Ministry at Christ Community Church. As part of this aim, we spend time teaching students about the importance of living out purity in every area of life. Our desire is to encourage teens to decide for themselves that they want to pursue purity in their life. Once a year we have a Purity Pledge night where students have the opportunity to make and renew their decision to remain pure. However, this is a daily decision that requires a whole lot of encouragement, support, and accountability. Pray for Them Fighting worldly temptations is not an easy task, especially when teens live in a world that seemingly dishonors those who seek to live purely. Commit to praying for your child daily, especially in the area of purity. Pray they will come to know God s heart deeper through His Word and through personal relationship with Him. Stand in the gap on their behalf as they fight to stand firm in their beliefs and their faith.

5 Practical Tips Write a letter to your teen that explains your desire to train them up in God s truth. Share your heart more than you share a list of rules for them to follow. Answer the why behind living a life of purity. Then spend some time talking over the letter. Give them a chance to share what is on their heart on this topic. Be available and listen, try to avoid lecturing. Talk about the future! Help your child paint a picture of what it is they are looking for in their future marriage and in a spouse. Talk through questions like: What do you think your future spouse would want from you? What would you want from them in regards to purity? What impact do you want your marriage to have? When you are finished with this packet, please let us know how it went by taking our three question survey at:

6 Spiritually training your child is an ongoing process! Attend Worship, and bring your children to Sunday School. Have a weekly Family Time at home to learn about God in a fun way, sharing scripture and praying. Pray a blessing over your child on a daily basis. Review your Family Covenant once a month and make changes, continue what works, make it your own. Have you looked at Family Covenant Baptism/Dedication Blessing Family Time Bible/Prayer Communion Giving and Serving Know and Share the Gospel Baptism or Confirmation Worship/Life Groups Serving/Missions Purity Launch (You can find these Family Faith Step packets online at cccmilpitas.org) Where is God leading you next on your journey!