Front Porch to Back Seat Week #3

This past weekend we held some Bible studies to introduce True Love Waits (www.truelovewaits.com). Over 30 students signed a statement that they are committing their lives to sexual purity, which includes sexual abstinence until marriage. What a blessing! Remember these students as they face each day, that they will honor their covenant and seek to live a sexually pure life out of love and devotion to God.

Our series, From the Front Porch to the Back Seat, continues this week with the lesson "Single Ambition." This is a lesson that is focused on the person that is not called to the gift of singleness, but is still single, waiting on Mr. or Mrs. Right. We will be discussing four principles and looking at how to build character while waiting on the person God intends for you to marry.

The four principles are as follows:

1. Purity - live life like a Christian should.
2. Pray - show hope in God.
3. Patience - trust in God's plan and timing.
4. Purpose - have goals in life and honor God with them.

There are a number of things to do that can help build character, which will carry over into adulthood. Even as adults, married or not, these are some good tips to make sure that you are doing everything you can to honor God with every aspect of your life. Some ideas...

1. Do something you don't like.
2. Focus on a specific goal and achieve it.
3. Think about the "why's" in life.
4. Examine your speech.
5. Look at your motives behind actions.
6. Ask someone your respect what they think of you, and/or to list some of your weaknesses.

Another way to build character is to serve others. Our students will have the opportunity to give a day of their spring break to serve those in need through Matthew 25 Ministries. More details will follow soon, but circle April 13!!!

Front Porch to Back Seat, Week #2

If you are the parent of a teen, I am sure the topic of "I want a girlfriend" or "I want a boyfriend" has come up often! This week are looking at how both marriage and singleness are gifts, but also what differentiates the two from each other.

Our starting point this week begins in Genesis 2, with the creation of Eve. We will discern from here that God is in control over marriage, the timing of it, and our marriage partner. We will also discuss the fact that marriage is not the ultimate union a person can have. Rather, it our relationship and union with Christ, when we accept Him and become sealed by His blood, that is the ultimate union we can have. Everything else falls under this.

We will also be discussing the fact that Jesus was single. Being a mature man or woman in Christ is not defined by marriage, but by our relationship (read:union) with Christ. We all know plenty of immature married people, right? Lastly, we will be discussing how singleness is a gift from God, for the explicit purpose of serving God in total devotion. Check out 1 Corinthians 7:25-35. Try reading it aloud with your teen, and see what happens!

Our actions steps are to pray about how to handle life with or without a "significant other." The reality for Christians is that regardless, God is our focus! This begins by repenting for having the wrong attitude. We then pray to understand God's will for us regarding our future relationships. We then connect with the church, which is the bride of Christ.

My prayer, and the only reason I take time to write everything above, is for you to interact with your teen about this material. Even if only for a few minutes, your conversation can have a profound influence within the life of you child. I can still remember pretending not to listen or care about conversations like this with my parents. Guess what? I still remember them! And they have helped shape who I am as an adult, husband, and parent.

Blessings,

Chris

New Wednesday Night Series

We are beginning a new series tomorrow night! I will be updating this website each week in order to keep you informed of what we will be learning about. My prayer is that this will serve as talking points between you and your teen(s). I also wanted to fill you in on the reasoning behind teaching this series.

Our teens are bombarded constantly by the world, in everything from media to peers. Not all of this is bad. Some of it is. Typically, topics such as sex, dating, marriage, gender, divorce, and modesty are presented the wrong way. We will study these topics from a biblical perspective, because the only alternative is the non-biblical perspective, which our youth already receive daily. Not to worry, this will not be crass or inappropriate! This series will lay down a basic framework of what the Bible teaches, providing a way for our youth to answer the culture of our day as a Christian.

Our first week, as you can see above, is intended to discuss and develop a Christian worldview of human sexuality. The definition that we will work with is this: A worldview is a comprehensive view of life though which we think, understand, and judge, and which determines our approach to life and meaning. In examining the church at Corinth, we will conclude that human sexuality should be 3 things:

1. Committed - your soul and body are one, and what you do with one includes the other.

2. Complementary - two souls become one, as God designed it, within marriage.

3. Consecrated - we must always realize that our body belongs to God, and God alone.

I hope and pray that as we journey together through this series, a clear view of what the Bible teaches will influence the lives and behavior of our youth.

As always, if you have any questions, please let me know. cflora@hebronbaptist.org or 859.391.9103.

Chris

High School Coffee House!

NIGHTVISION

Nightvision is approaching quick! Don't forget to invite your friends! This event is for Junior High (grades 6-8) only. This will literally be the biggest game of hide and seek you have ever played - and we will do it in the dark! Here is the info you need to know:

How Much Will This Cost? $5 per person

I Heard About a Cool Prize...an IPOD NANO?
We will have a raffle during the night. You bring a friend, you get put in the drawing. The more friends you bring, the more chances you get.
0 Friend: 0 Tickets!
1 Friend: 5 Tickets Each
2 Friends: 10 Tickets Each
3 Friends: 15 Tickets Each
4 Friends: 20 Tickets Each
5+ Friends: 30 Tickets Each

What Is This? (aka, “Are You Crazy?”)
NIGHTVISION is the biggest, most intense, wildest game of hide and seek you have ever played. Plus, we play it in the dark. We divide into teams and keep score all night long. The winning team gets a prize. This is only for students grades 6-8. We will stop for food in the middle of the night, and serve breakfast. Eat dinner before you come., and since I know you will anyways, down your energy drink, too! Get to the church at 10 PM. Get picked up from the church at 8 AM.

I Need More Info! (aka, “I Have A Question!”)
Call CHRIS FLORA @ 859-391-9103.

JAN 31st Is Almost Here!

Jan. 31 is quickly approaching. For those without a calendar handy, that this coming Sunday. If you are going to X-Fuge this summer, your $50 deposit is due! See the post a few pages below to view the other details. As always, if money is an issue, please see me and we can work things out.

Wednesday Night Series: HEROES

HEROES is our current series on Wednesday nights. We are looking at the Heroes of our faith from Hebrews 11 and learning principles that can be used in our lives as Christians. I hope you can join us!

Happenings...

SYNTK (stuff you need to know)

1. Jan 17 – Girls Sleepover w/ Mindy and Alisha
   After church on Sunday night, at the Flora's home. Bring a sleeping bag, pillow, and snack to share. We will have dinner at the house. Have your parents pick you up Monday @ 10 AM
2. Jan 22 – Broom Hockey!
   Pizza @ Church @ 7 PM, followed by Ultimate Ping Pong. Broom Hockey from 10 PM to 12 AM. Arrive back at Church at 12:20 AM. Cost is $3, or free if you bring a friend.
3. Jan 24 – Pizza, Pop and Ping Pong @ 7 PM
   Finished between 9 and 9:30, so have your parents come to get you. Cost is free!!!
4. Jan 31 – Deposit due for Summer Trip to X-Fuge
   Deposit is $50. Make checks payable to Hebron Baptist Church. The dates for our trip are 6/28 through 7/3. The total cost is $261 per person (including deposit). If money is an issue, please talk to Chris. Scholarships are available.

Time to Plan for Summer!

Even though there is snow on the ground, it is time to start looking ahead to the summer months, which is an exciting time for our students!

This year, our mission trip will be to North Greenville University, South Carolina. The dates for the trip are Monday, June 28 through Saturday, July 3. We will be attending Lifeway's X-Fuge, which will allow our group to stay together as a unit in both ministry and team-building activities.

The total cost per person is $261. More details will follow in coming weeks and months, but the most important item right now concerns deposits. If your student wants to go, the deposit is $50 due by January 31. If money is a problem, please see me, and we can work something out.

To see X-Fuge on the web, click on this link: http://www2.lifeway.com/fuge/index.php/2010/events/xfuge/

To view the Parent Pack, which includes schedules and important information, click on this link: http://fuge2010.s3.amazonaws.com/PPNGU.pdf

As always, if you have questions, call Chris at [859] 391-9103.

We Have Returned!

X-Treme was awesome!

We had an excellent time of fellowship and being challenged through studying God's Word during the preaching sessions. Some of our own youth even made decisions to either rededicate their life to Christ or follow Him for the first time!

This coming Sunday night, we will have a special youth service where you can hear more about the trip. If your teen went on the trip, make sure they are there!

See you at 6 PM on Sunday.

Chris