YOUTH
Stop being so
sure that you are always right, and others wrong.
Don't trust your own opinion, when you find it contrary to that of older men,
and especially to that of your own parents. Age gives experience, and therefore
deserves respect.
Thoughts for Young Men.
[Pride] comes
from not knowing yourself and the world. The older you grow, and the more you
see, the less reason you will find for being proud. Ignorance and inexperience are the pedestal of pride; once the pedestal is removed –
pride will soon come down.
J.C. Ryle
Thoughts for Young Men.
Experience
tells me that people's hearts are seldom changed if they are not changed when
young. Seldom indeed are men converted when they are old. Habits have deep
roots. Once sin is allowed to settle in your heart, it will not be turned out
at your bidding. Custom becomes second nature, and its chains are not easily
broken.
J.C. Ryle
Thoughts for Young Men.
I ask the
children of religious parents to mark well what I am saying. It is the highest
privilege to be the child of a godly father and mother, and to be brought up in
the midst of many prayers. It is a blessed thing indeed to be taught the gospel
from our earliest infancy, and to hear of sin, and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit,
and holiness, and heaven, from the first moment we can remember anything. But,
oh, take heed that you do not remain barren and unfruitful in the sunshine of
all these privileges: beware lest your heart remains hard, impenitent, and
worldly, notwithstanding the many advantages you enjoy. You cannot enter the
kingdom of God on the credit of your parents’ religion. You must eat the bread
of life for yourself, and have the witness of the Spirit in your own heart. You
must have repentance of your own, faith of your own, and sanctification of your
own.
J.C. Ryle
Holiness,
p. 199.
Children of
religious parents…often grow up professing a religion without knowing why, or
without ever having thought seriously about it. And then when the realities of grown-up
life begin to press upon them, they often astound everyone by dropping all
their religion, and plunging right into the world. And why?
They had never thoroughly understood the sacrifices which Christianity entails.
They had never been taught to “count the cost.”
J.C. Ryle
Holiness,
p. 90.
Church kids
are individuals who have grown up in the church. They come from Christian
homes, have Christian parents, and have attended church their entire lives.
They live in a Christian culture surrounded by Christians at home, church, and
often school. It is a wonderful privilege to be a church kid.
Karl Graustein
Growing Up Christian, P&R, 2005, p. 19. Used by Permission.
Just because
we have ridden in a car doesn’t mean that we are qualified to drive a car. In a
sense, we have been passengers in the car of our parents’ faith… But just
because we have seen their faith in action doesn’t automatically mean that we
have the same faith. You see, salvation is a matter of your heart, not your parents’ hearts. You must have faith. You must
believe. Don’t miss those important words in Romans 10:9: “believe in your heart.”
Karl Graustein
Growing Up Christian, P&R, 2005, p. 35. Used by Permission.
We tend to
believe we are Christians because…our parents are Christians. We believe God
exists. We faithfully attend church and youth meetings. We pray. We read and
know much about the Bible. We prayed the “sinner’s prayer” or went forward
during an altar call. We were baptized. We sing hymns and worship songs. We
listen to Christian music. We are basically good, moral people, especially
compared to the world. We attend a Christian school or Christian college.
Karl Graustein
Growing Up Christian, P&R, 2005, p. 34. Used by Permission.
How would you
describe yourself?
1.
Are
you on fire for God?
2.
Are
you for the first time realizing that you may not be a Christian?
3.
Are
you beginning to take your personal relationship with God more seriously?
4.
Does
your life resemble the values of the world more than the Word?
5.
Do
you love holiness and hate sin?
6.
Do
you strive to fight the sin of your heart and not simply address your sinful
behaviors?
7.
Do
you like attending church?
8.
Do
you appreciate and obey your parents?
9.
Do
you enjoy reading and studying the Bible?
10. Are you prepared for the new freedoms
in your life now that you’re getting older?
11. Do you have strong personal
convictions?
12. Are you getting ready to head off to
college and move away from your family for the first time in your life?
13. Are you experiencing significant
anxiety as you think of the future?
Karl Graustein
Growing Up Christian, P&R, 2005, p. 25-26. Used by Permission.
Briefly
answer each question:
1.
What
are your favorite TV shows, movies, and bands?
2.
What
values do they promote?
3.
How
do their values compare to the Word of God?
4.
Do
you critically evaluate TV shows or music CDs? How?
5.
Is
there anything you refuse to watch or listen to? Why?
6.
What
types of Internet sites do you tend to visit?
7.
How
do you determine whether a site is worth exploring?
8.
Do
you think your entertainment habits please God?
9.
What
qualities do you look for in friends?
10. Do you see these qualities in your
current friends?
11. Do your friends influence you toward
godliness or worldliness?
Karl Graustein
Growing Up Christian, P&R, 2005, p. 69. Used by Permission.
The world
says teenagers should break away from their parents and live more and more
independent lives. Most people expect teens to have a poor relationship with
their parents, whether they are Christian teens or not. This is a lie that we
must reject. The Word of God calls children to honor and obey their parents,
and the standards do not change when someone turns 13, 16, or 19.
Karl Graustein
Growing Up Christian, P&R, 2005, p. 130. Used by Permission.
God has
established these guidelines for your good. No one loves you more than your
parents do, and no one wants you to succeed more than they do. The teenage
years are difficult, but instead of running from
your parents, this is a season when you need to be running to them. Their wisdom coupled with their love makes them your greatest
advocates. No, they won’t let you do whatever you want, but they will help you
do what is best. Sometimes “no” is the most loving answer you can receive.
Karl Graustein
Growing Up Christian, P&R, 2005, p. 130. Used by Permission.
Youth is the time
when all seems to be within the grasp of the careful student. I have left that
time behind. “I don’t know” is on my lips more often now. But so also is “God
knows!” – not as a thoughtless expression in
conversation, but as the conviction of my heart.
A Vision for Missions, Permission by The Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, PA. p. 54-55.