Ministries:
Adult | Teens | Children

Pastor's Pen's:
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Sermon Series:
Following Jesus
Earthly Cross
His Name Is
Apostles Creed
Dealing with Feelings
Jonah
Get Real
Promised Land Living

Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2008

Grace Church of Burlington February 3, 2008 “Ours is the only era in the entire history of human life on this planet in which the ‘elders’ of the tribe ask its newer members what the tribal rules and standards of expected behavior would be.”                                                                    Paul Ramsey             Studies show that children exposed to sex in TV programs, films, magazines and music are more likely to engage in sexual activity than those who are not, according to research out today. There is a direct relationship between the amount of sexual content a child sees and their level of sexual activity or their intentions to have sex in the future, the study found. Such media also has at least an equal influence on sexual behavior as religion or a child's relationship with their parents and peers, the study said. The study  concluded that the media is an "important source" of information about sex for teenagers who might not get advice elsewhere.  More than 1,000 American children aged between 12 and 15 were asked to identify from a huge list the kinds of media they were exposed to regularly.             They also answered questions about their health and levels of sexual activity, including whether they went on dates, kissed, had oral sex or full sex. Researchers then examined the sexual content of 264 items on the list, which included teen magazines, teen movies and TV programs. They looked for examples of romantic relationships, nudity, sexual innuendo, touching, kissing, puberty and sexual intercourse. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that films, TV programs, music and magazines usually portrayed sex as "risk-free" and sex was usually between unmarried couples. This secular study concluded that “The strong relationship between media and adolescents' sexual expression may be due to the media's role as an important source of sexual socialization for teenagers.” These researchers also said the media may serve as a kind of “sexual super peer” for teenagers seeking information about sex.             Kids are like sponges. They soak up information. The key question is: “Where are they getting their information from?” Most of them are getting a major part of their values and beliefs from their peers, their music and Hollywood. Unfortunately, parents frequently have less and less influence over their children as they age. That’s why a place that supports and reinforces your values is so important. Sadly, if a parent is cavalier about spiritual things and only half-committed to a local church, the teens get the message loud and clear.             I’m so thankful that at Grace we have a vibrant youth program. We have something for young people from Kindergarten through high school. Sure, it’s not perfect but it’s a great tool in assisting you influencing your child toward godliness. And there are some things that the kids are not going to like. Last time I checked, that’s part of growing up. There are a lot of things in life that we need to do but we don’t exactly enjoy...at least all of them. In a matter of weeks all of us will be filing our tax returns. Most of us despise paying taxes but I wouldn’t want to live in any other country in the world... so I’ll gladly pay up.             Most parents though are much more committed that their children go to school and are involved in sports, than they are that their children are involved in church. While school and sports will assist your children in learning how to make a living, they will not teach them how to live. And the cold, hard facts are that most of us do not have a future Tony Romo growing  up in our home.             Just this past week I read that Michael Jordan’s son, Jeff, though playing for University of Illinois, is averaging a mere 0.9 points per game with a measly 4.2 minutes playing time per game. And he’s only made three shots all season. Statistically, he sounds like a rare heir to Rare Air.             This morning is Youth Sunday at Grace. It’s great to have our young people heading up the service. And we’re also giving Mike Cote the opportunity to preach. One of the greatest resources that we have at Grace is our young people. We want to give them the opportunity to serve and lead worship now to prepare them for the future. The future of our church will one day be in their hands.             We need to do everything that we can to encourage them to love and serve the Lord. One of the blessings we have at Grace is that we have young people who are committed to being involved in ministry each week. We would do well to remember Paul’s admonishment to Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).             Are you praying for our young people? Are you making sure that your own children are involved in our church’s youth programs? Are you setting an example by your own commitment? Are you affirming and encouraging them in their love for the Lord?