Glad you made it. In February we’re going to be finishing up our “You Heard It” series from Matthew 5 and starting Matthew 6 with “Rewards.”  A couple times a year we like to mix things up, usually when we change a series.  Instead of a regular Blast and Ignite format, we have a worship night.  Our first worship night will be February 24th.  Everyone meets upstairs for the whole night and we’ll still have a time for games and a message.  But instead of small groups we have a time for singing and other thought provoking aspects.   

Here’s a quick overview of the month:

• Feb 3rd – Promises (Matthew 5:33-37) – A follower of Jesus should have integrity about what he/she says. 
  
• Feb 10th – Right Responses (Matthew 5:38-42) – A follower of Jesus shouldn’t be ultimately concerned about getting his rights or preferences meet.  We can trust Jesus to take care of us, even when we're being “wronged." 
• Feb 17th – Full Love (Matthew 5:43-48) – People who follow Jesus will love like Jesus, even loving their enemies.
• Feb 24th Worship Night : Giving – (Matthew 6:1-4) – A follower of Jesus should give in a way that only God knows about, then the Father loves to reward His children.

Parent Tip

Last month I suggested that you pray for your teenager to understand and embrace what was being taught.  This month my suggestion is that you encourage what you see.  Look for ways that your teenager’s life is connecting to what we’re going to be talking about in February.  Obviously it'll help if you're familiar with the passages listed above.  (You don't mind a little extra reading, do you?)  When you do see something that lines up with Jesus teaching, point it out.  For the month of February, just be an encourager.  Try not to focus on the times they failed or could have done better. Don’t give into the temptation to lay a guilt trip while they’re trying to decide what choice to make.  Face it, nagging isn’t helping your teenager love you, Jesus, friends or anyone, more.  Just encourage.  I even tossed you a bone and picked the shortest month for this challenge.  (Sorry, I can’t do anything about the leap year thing!)  You can do this. 

I’ll be praying for you and let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. 

Jim 

Thanks for stopping by.  Let me catch you up.  Toward the end of last year we asked the question "Is Jesus worth following?"  We answered "Yes!" since Matthew 4 tells us he is the Son of God and he is able to resist and overcome all evil.  Then we asked "What does it mean to follow Jesus?"  Using the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, we looked at the famous beatitudes, Jesus teaching on being salt and light in this world, and watched a helpful video about the commands of how the Old Testaments fit in with Jesus' teachings.  (See the video here.) 

Call me crazy, but I think it's a really good idea to read the Bible in order.  That's why we're going to be starting where we left off in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:21.  Like I mentioned in the newsletter, we're going to be covering hate, lust, marriage, and keeping promises.  Here's a quick overview for each: 

• Hate (Matthew 5:21-26) – To be angry with someone is just as bad as murder.   Instead, we should love them with the love we get from God. 
• Lust (Matthew 5:27-30) - Sexual lust is mental adultery, which harms the unity that God designed in marriage. 
• Marriage & Divorce (Matthew 5:31-32) - God sees marriage as the uniting of a man and a woman.  Any consideration of dividing a marriage or divorce saddens God and is never his desire.  Even though there are some circumstances where divorce is an option, it should always be considered prayerfully, carefully, thoughtfully, and reluctantly.
• Keeping Promises (Matthew 5:33-37) - Be wise with your words.  Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you have to compromise your beliefs because of something you said. 

As you see, we’re not shy about tackling some tough topics.  Let me give you one simple way to use this information.  Ready?  Pray.  Really, that’s it.  Pray for your son/daughter to understand and embrace what Jesus is teaching.  Pray for us leaders to communicate it clearly and lovingly.  Pray for enjoyment every Wednesday night.  Pray for wisdom for all.  Pray for lives to be changed.  Pray for God to do what only He can do.  I have other suggestions, but I’ll save those for later.  For now, pray.  I think you’ll find is a good, challenging place to start.