Parenthood THE Parent’s Priority

 This Generation

1 out of 3 of all teens have been drunk in the last month

1 out of 4 teens uses illegal drugs

8,000 contract an STD every day

1 million teens are pregnant

340,000 teens have an abortion every year

1 out of 10 teens have been raped

Teens will see 14,000 sexual references on T.V. this year

9 out of 10 teens have seen porn on the internet

One half of all teens are no longer virgins

40% of all teens have inflicted self injury (cutting, ect.)

1 out of 5 teens has contemplated suicide.

Over 15,000 teens kill them self each year.

53% of all teens believe Jesus sinned

83% of all teens believe truth is relative

65% of all teens believe there’s no way to tell which

religion is true

About 90% of all that come to Christ do so before the age

of 20

Within 5 years most of this generation will be in their

20’s

What we do in the next 5 years will lay the course for the

next 50 years of American history

 The Seven Passions of a Surrendered Heart

1.IntimateWorship

2. Faith- Based Conversation

3. Intentional Spiritual Growth

4. Servanthood

5. Resource Investment

6. Spiritual Friendships

7. Family Faith

The State of Churched Christians

(18 years of age and up)

Regarding Worship

•  Thebiweeklya,endanceatworshipservicesis,bybelievers’ownadmission,generallytheonly:metheyworshipGod.

•  EightoutofeverytenbelieversdonotfeeltheyhaveenteredintothepresenceofGod,orexperiencedaconnec:onwithHim,duringtheworshipservice.

Regarding Worship •  HalfofallbelieverssaytheydonotfeeltheyhaveenteredintothepresenceofGodorexperiencedagenuineconnec:onwithHimduringthepastyear.

•  OnlyoneoutofeveryfourchurchedbelieverssaysthatwhentheyworshipGod,theyexpectHimtobetheprimarybeneficiaryoftheirworship.(Mostpeoplesaytheyexpecttogetthemostfromtheexperience.)

Regarding Faith-Based Conversations

• Thetypicalchurchedbelieverwilldiewithoutleadingasinglepersontoalifesavingknowledgeofandrela:onshipwithJesusChrist.

Regarding Faith-Based Conversations

• Atanygiven:me,amajorityofbelieversdonothaveaspecificpersoninmindforwhomtheyareprayinginthehopethatthepersonwillbesaved.

Regarding Faith-Based Conversations

• MostchurchedChris:ansbelievethatsincetheyarenotgiKedinevangelism,suchoutreachinnotasignificantresponsibilityoftheirs.

Regarding Intentional Spiritual Growth

•  Only9percentofallborn–againadultshaveabiblicalworldview–meaningthatlessthanoneoutofeverytenChris:ansageeighteenorolderbelievesthatabsolutemoraltruthexists,believesthatsuchtruthiscontainedintheBible,andpossessesahandfulofcorebeliefsthatreflectsuchtruth.ThosebeliefsincludeacertaintythattheBibleisaccurateinitsteachings;Jesuslivedasinlesslifeonearth;Satanisreal,notsymbolic;allbelieversareresponsibleforsharingtheirfaithinChristwithothers;theonlymeanstosalva:onisthroughGod’sgrace;andGodistheall–knowingandall‐powerfulcreatoroftheuniversewhos:llrulesittoday.Theother91percentofborn–againadultspossessapatchworkoftheologicalviewsandrarelyrelyuponthoseperspec:vestoinformtheirdailydecisions.

Regarding Intentional Spiritual Growth

• AlthoughthetypicalbelievercontendsthattheBibleisaccurateinwhatitteaches,heorshespendsless:mereadingtheBibleinayearthanwatchingtelevision,listeningtomusic,readingotherbooksandpublica:ons,orconversingaboutpersonalhobbiesandleisureinterests.

Regarding Intentional Spiritual Growth

• Whenaskedwhatcons:tutessuccessinlife,fewbelieversdefinesuccessinspiritualterm.Mostdescribeoutcomesrelatedtoprofessionalachievement,familysolidarity,physicalaccomplishments,orresourceacquisi:on.

Regarding Intentional Spiritual Growth

• Whengiventheopportunitytostatehowtheywanttobeknownbyothers,fewerthanoneoutoftenbelieversmen:oneddescrip:onsthatreflecttheirrela:onshipwithGod.

Regarding Resource Investment

• ChurchedChris:ansgiveawayanaverageofabout3percentoftheirincomeinatypicalyear–andfeelpleasedattheir“sacrificial”generosity.

Regarding Resource Investment

• LessthanoneoutofeverytenchurchedChris:ansdonatesatleast10percentoftheirincometochurchesandothernonprofitorganiza:ons.(Morethanone‐thirdclaimtodoso.)

Regarding Resource Investment

• Whenaskedtoexplaintheirunderstandingofbiblicalstewardship,lessthanoneoutofeverytwentyincludesresourcessuchas:me,rela:onships,ideas,orskillsintheirassessment.

Regarding Resource Investment

• Mostbelieversareunabletoiden:fyanythingspecifictheyhaveeverdonatedmoneytothattheywoulddescribeasproducinglife‐changingoutcomes.

Regarding Servanthood •  Inatypicalweek,onlyoneoutofeveryfourbelieverswillallocatesome:metoservingotherpeople.Mostofthat:meisdedicatedtovolunteeringinchurchprogramsthatservecongregants;li,leeffortisinvestedinservingneedypeopleoutsidethecongrega:on.

Regarding Servanthood

• MostchurchedChris:ansadmittohavingseenhomelessorhur:ngpeopleintheircommunityortravelsduringthepastyear;averysmallpercentagesaystheyinteractedwithanyofthosedisadvantagedindividuals.

Regarding Servanthood

• Thetypicalbelieverwouldrathergivemoneytoanorganiza:ontoallowittodogooddeedsinsocietythanpersonallyassistinallevia:ngtheneedsofdisadvantagedpeople.

Regarding Spiritual Friendships

• Fewerthanoneoutofeverysixchurchedbelievershasarela:onshipwithanotherbelieverthroughwhichspiritualaccountabilityisprovided.

Regarding Spiritual Friendships

• Themostsignificantinfluenceonthechoicesofchurchedbelieversisneitherteachingsfromthepulpitnoradvicegleanedfromfellowcongregants;itismessagesabsorbedfromthemedia,thelaw,andfamilymembers.

Regarding Family Faith

• Alargemajorityofchurchedbelieversrelyupontheirchurch,ratherthantheirfamily,totraintheirchildrentobecomespirituallymature.

Regarding Family Faith

•  Inanaveragemonth,fewerthanoneoutofeverytenchurchedfamiliesworshipstogetheroutsideofachurchservice;Justasfewpraytogether,otherthanatmeal:mes;andthesameminimalnumbersstudytheBibletogetherathomeorworktogethertoaddresstheneedsofdisadvantagedpeopleintheircommunity.

Regarding Family Faith

•  Thelikelihoodofamarriedcouplewhoareborn‐againchurchgoersge_ngdivorcedisthesameascoupleswhoarenotdisciplesofJesus.

Regarding Family Faith

•  Apartfromchurch‐basedprograms,thetypicalChris:anfamilyspendslessthanthreehourspermonthinendeavorsdesignedtojointlydeveloporapplytheirfaith.

Regarding Family Faith

• MostChris:anparentsdonotbelievetheyaredoingagoodjobatfacilita:ngthespiritualdevelopmentoftheirchildren.

Train a child in the way he should go, and

when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

TRAIN : chanak (khaw-nak’);

to initiate, dedicate, or train.

 Train them to manage God’s money.

(proverbs 3:9-10)

 Train them to carefully select Friends.

(proverbs 13:20)

 Train them to watch their words.

(proverbs 4:24)

 Train them to be responsible.

(proverbs 6:6-8)

 Train them to guard their minds.

(proverbs 23:7)

 Train them to be generous.

(proverbs 11:25)

 Train them to fear God. (proverbs 1:7)

 Are we leading our children or are our

children leading us?