Have you ever had one of those Monday's where you felt like a zombie all day? That was last Monday for me. I totally forgot to update so this week 

I'm going to cover weeks 1 and 2 of our new series Hooked. Hooked is all about temptation and how to deal with it. This series was chosen for this year because last spring a number of our students expressed interest in learning how to deal with peer pressure.

  Knowing that our students are facing this at school, work, .etc makes it incredibly important to approach from a Biblical view. So here is Week 1 of Hooked.

Week 1 - Don't Bite - We used the fishing theme to explain how temptation works. It's a lot like fishing in fact. There's bait that looks amazing. We chase after it and it looks better and better with each passing moment. But the bait is hiding something horrible. Likewise, temptation looks great and looks better and better each moment. But just like the bait, it's hiding something much uglier. Sin. 

Week 1 was about staying alert! In fact that's the first line of the verse we looked at. 

Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire." Matthew 26:41 (The MSG)

We talked about how peer pressure + temptation = consequences if we don't stay alert to what's going on around us. The three major ways that teenagers (as well as adults) face are 1. Physical (sex) 2. Chemical (substance) 3. Emotional (rebellion from God)

In small groups we gave them 3 things to do in order to Stay Alert. 1. Accept that temptation happens to everyone. 2. Acknowledge God's role in temptation (He doesn't tempt but wants us to overcome temptation and gives us a way out). 3. Align myself with God's ways. 

Questions for You and your family.

1. Are there any temptations that you regularly fall to?  (if so take a minute to pray about those before talking with your teen)

2. Ask your student, "What type of temptations do kids your age face? (remember to listen to their answers without reacting strongly)

3. Ask your student, "How do you think that these temptations affect their lives?

4. Ask your student, "Is there anything I can help you with to overcome temptations in your life?

Week 2- Swim In Schools

Following the fishing theme, the second week we are talking about swimming in schools. In other words, how can our friends help us overcome temptation.  We are talking about how friendships are a need in our lives. We are created to be in community. Friends are a big desire for our lives. 

As a result we can be in good friendships or bad friendships. Bad friendships often lead to drama and pain. They lead to frustration and a lot of times they lead you into temptation more than rescue you from it. Good friendships on the other hand are filled with richness. These friendships help call you out when you start to walk away from God. They are crucial to overcoming temptation. We will leave students with 3 points of action. 

1. Deepen your relationship with God.

2. Invite Friends to challenge you.

3. Share with friends what you receive from God. 

Through these things we can strengthen our ability to Stay Alert!

Stay tuned for questions coming on Wed!