Overrated and Undervalued

Proverbs 7:4-5
Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.
Recently, Time magazine discussed the ongoing problem of teenage pregnancy. It has, they concluded, reached epidemic proportions. The basic cause for this tremendous problem is the unusual combination of sexual pressure and sexual ignorance.

Children are influenced toward sexual activity as early as grade school. Of course, much of the blame for early sexual involvement can be attributed to the media, which feed us a continual stream of sexual escapades and perversion, implying that adultery and similar affairs are "normal." Reports Time, "Social workers are almost unanimous in citing the influence of the popular media--television, rock music, videos, movies--in propelling the trend toward precocious sexuality. One survey shows that in the course of a year, the average viewer sees more than 9,000 scenes of suggested sexual intercourse or innuendo on prime-time." But Time continues to say, "For all their early experimentation with sex, their immersion in heavy breathing rock music and the erotic fantasies on MTV, one thing about American teenagers has not changed: they are in many ways just as ignorant about the scientific facts of reproduction as they were in the days when Doris Day, not Madonna, was their idol."

Through its obsession with sex, our culture has cheapened sex. Because it is the all-consuming passion of our society, freely available and encouraged, sex is lowered to the level of just another appetite that must be satisfied. In the meantime, teenage girls by the thousands are pregnant, and they're having babies or killing them through abortion. Sex is not just good feeling; it is God's way of renewing the species . . . of producing more human beings. Sex should be understood, cared for, and valued.

In America, however, sex is overrated and undervalued. Of course, the usual secular answer to this dilemma is to "protect" ourselves from impregnating or to kill the unwanted fetus when pregnancy occurs. "Let's teach them about birth control and abortion," the loud voices in society say. But this is a "Band-Aid" approach at best and a heinous sin at worst.

The only real answer lies in raising high the value of human life and of human beings. Women are not "play things" to be used and cast aside, and babies are not toy dolls to discard when we tire of them. When a teenage girl has a baby, at least two precious lives are at stake.

As Christians, let us become vocal in our stand in society . . . through letters to the editor, to our congressmen, and to the networks. Let us become active with our money, boycotting products and businesses that profit from pornography (including video stores). And let us take the lead in sex education, teaching our children about the God-given sex drive, its purposes, and its responsible use under his control and guidelines.
                                                --A Parenting Devotional -- Tyndale New Living Translation

Well I read this devotional this morning and it hit it right on the head of what the world has made God's creation of sex and marriage. We start our dating series in our youth ministry this Wednesday night and will continue with it for the next 8 weeks plus. We'll focus on a lot of what was written in the devotional above along with how to have a godly dating relationship, marriage and sex. If you're a parent that wants to hear what’s going on, feel free to join us in the sanctuary on Wednesday nights. We have several that do already and we invite parents to be plugged into their students life; especially their dating life! For the students; grab your friends and bring them along with you. You don't want to miss this series; we've made it entertaining and informal. We even have some graduates that have decided to join us. So no matter your age or past dating experience there is something for everyone. Hope to see you there!


I'll also be posting some of the sermon notes for your viewing. So stay plugged in or if you'd like you can receive these post by email. Just type in your email address above under "FOLLOW BY EMAIL".