Jesus and Culture: Lesson 4

Dear Parents,

We hope you enjoyed your Spring Break and now it’s time to get back into the grind. But we have the hope of Easter to look forward to this weekend and for eternity as we celebrate the life-changing power of the resurrection this weekend here at North Side. Services will be @ 5pm/7pm on Sat, Mar 26th and services @ 9am/11am on Sun, Mar 27th. Ask God to put people in your life that you can build relationship with this week and invite to the special Easter services.

Well, we just wrapped up our final lesson in our four-lesson look at Jesus and culture. It’s been a great time of learning along with our students how we are to identify with Christ as we live in a world that is more often than not opposed to God and His ways. This final lesson was titled “The Call to Holiness.” In this lesson, we helped students learn that Jesus wants His followers to interact with culture through lives that are Christ-like: holy and set apart for God’s purpose. And we challenged them to understand the purpose Jesus calls them to, and to seek to embrace this purpose as they engage and interact with their culture.

We looked at the following Scripture passages:

• John 17:13-19
• Psalm 119:105

Please take a few minutes this week to read these passages.

Next Steps...
During the next week as you have time to talk with your teenager, remember that one way that will help him or her to understand and apply what he or she has learned is to explain it to someone else. Use the following questions to guide your conversation:

• Ask your teenager if he or she can summarize what he or she learned in Bible study this week. Focus as much on the application of what was learned as you would on the knowledge itself.

• See if your teenager can summarize what he or she believes to be God’s call on his or her life.

• Discuss with your teenager his or her thoughts on being used by God to impact the world in His name. What emotions or questions does this concept bring to his or her mind?

• Talk about the challenges we face when it comes to living out God’s purpose for our lives in the midst of our world. Consider sharing some of the things you struggle with. Encourage your teenager to do the same.

• Consider praying with one another about following God more closely and embracing your collective role in living out His mission.

REMINDERS
BEACH CAMP 2016 DEPOSIT/REGISTRATION DUE (Guarantees Spot)
*Check registration brochure (HSM/MSM Desks) for info on siblings and guests discounts

HONDO MISSION TRIP / June 11-17
*If you missed this parent-student info meeting make sure to grab an info brochure out of the youth rooms

HONDURAS MISSION TRIP / June 24-July 1
*Check with Jim if you feel like the Lord is leading you to join us on this wonderful trip to Central America

Sun, April 3rd – “HSM MOVIE NIGHT @ HUDSON OAKS”
*We will go to the 7pm showing of “God’s Not Dead 2” / reserve tickets with $9 payment by Wed, Mar 30th

Jesus and Culture: Lesson 3

Dear Parents,

Hello! It’s hard to believe that Spring Break is already upon us. We hope you can have some “down time” to refresh and renew your focus before heading into the spring. We pray these moments of devotion support you personally and as a family.

This past Sunday, students engaged in Lesson 3 which was titled “Making An Impact.” In this lesson, we helped students learn that as Christ-followers committed to the Gospel, they must be willing to bravely impact culture, especially those who the world has cast aside as having little or no value. We helped challenge students to identify the “outcasts” in their world who are most in need of Christ, and to commit to engaging with them with the purpose of sharing the Gospel.

We looked at the following Scripture passages:

• Matthew 9:9-13
• James 1:27

Please take a few minutes this week to read these passages.

Next Steps...
During the next week as you have time to talk with your teenager, remember that one way that will help him or her to understand and apply what he or she has learned is to explain it to someone else. Use the following questions to guide your conversation:

• This week your teenager was challenged to do something very specific. He or she was challenged to look around his or her school and identify people who the world has cast-aside, falsely labeling them as “not valuable.”

• Then, your teenager was challenged to make an effort to reach out to this individual, even if it is a small gesture, to show this person the love of Christ.

• Follow up with your teenager to see where he or she is on this. If he or she needs help identifying someone, help him or her. Maybe your teenager needs help following through on showing this person kindness. Encourage your teenager to be bold and to impact his or her world by reaching out to those who have been marginalized by our culture.

Thank you for all your support of student ministry and North Side. If you have any questions about anything, please don’t hesitate to call me.

REMINDERS
Sun, March 20th – HONDO MISSION TRIP / Parent-Student Info Meeting (HSM Room @ 6:30pm)
*Youth Choir begins back this day @ 5pm in the upstairs choir room above worship center
*Open to HSM/MSM students


Sun, March 20th – BEACH CAMP 2016 DEPOSIT/REGISTRATION DUE (Guarantees Spot)
*Check registration brochure (HSM/MSM Desks) for info on siblings and guests discounts


Sun, April 3rd – “HSM MOVIE NIGHT @ HUDSON OAKS”
*We will go to the 7pm showing of “God’s Not Dead 2” / reserve tickets with $9 payment by Wed, Mar 30th

Sat, April 30th – “HSM BARN DANCE @ TEXAS STAR” / More Details Later

DNOW16 Weekend

We took a break from our Jesus and Culture study this Sunday morning and instead met as a large group to conclude our DNOW weekend. The theme of this weekend was FOCUS, based on this scripture:

"Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around you neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths." Proverbs 3:3-6

We broke this verse down into four main points:

• Bind Love (Matthew 22:34-40)
• Find Favor (Luke 16:1-12)
• Trust the Lord (Romans 12:2)
• Acknowledge Him (Exodus 15:1-21)

If your son/daughter went to DNOW weekend, I encourage to discuss what they learned this weekend, and if they didn't, the main points and scripture references are listed above so you can learn and discuss this lesson as a family. 

We all lose focus of God in the midst of our lives. We become distracted by what the world has to offer, and it can be difficult to find the path to start making our way back to God. But this simple, broken down verse becomes a series of steps we can take to start that journey to get back to God's will for our lives and bring into focus the things that really matter during our short time here on this earth.

Thank you for your involvement in your child's spiritual life. We do all that we can when we have them with us but a lot of it comes down to what they learn from you and we could not do this without you. 

God bless!