Heart Connex Parents Page - January 11-14, 2012 - Pure Thoughts
Truth Flowing from One Generation to the Next—Through Strong Heart Connections
PA R ENTS PAGE January 11-14, 2012 Pure Thoughts—Richard Ross, Ph.D. 1. Heart Surprise (Today a teenager goes first): When it’s your turn, say: Our youth group has had some strong leaders in the past, and I’m glad you want to leave your own positive mark. One way I think you can do that is by . . . 2. Read Scripture: Invite a family member to pray. Ask your family members to read Psalm 51:10 and 2 Corinthians 10:5. Discuss the Truth and Untruths in light of these verses. Truth • God creates a pure heart in believers and commands them to take impure thoughts captive. Untruths • It’s OK to have impure thoughts, as long as you don’t act on them. • Enjoying impure thoughts is only human and can’t be helped. • I can determine for myself whether a thought is impure or not. 3. Explore Scripture: Read aloud Psalm 51:10. Say: The word for “create” is the same word used to describe the creation of the world in Genesis 1. God doesn’t just reform old hearts. He creates entirely new, clean hearts. He has to create the new heart because our old hearts would never lead us toward anything pure or holy. Read aloud 2 Corinthians 10:5. Note that Paul’s wording is similar to what was used to describe the surrender of a prisoner of war. Say: John Wesley wrote, “The mind itself . . . lays down all authority of its own, and entirely gives itself up to . . . Christ its conqueror.” As unbelievers, Satan owned our thoughts and held them captive. As Christ followers, our thoughts should be His possession because He died to free our thinking. 4. Think It Through: A teenager will lead this step. 5. Nail It Down: Say: Each member of our family has to make one of the following choices many times each day: • Rejecting impure thoughts to protect a clean heart • Enjoying impure thoughts even though they produce a dirty heart Point out that we can choose to keep or reject impure thoughts, but we cannot choose the consequences. Say: The condition of our hearts will reflect the choices we make. 6. Pray: A teenager will lead this prayer. 7. Blessing: Say: I bless this family for its clean hearts connected together. Parent Tip: All your children will be different. Celebrate their uniqueness with them. Give them your permission to be all that God created them to be. Be their biggest cheerleader.
Copyright © 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention
PA R ENTS PAGE January 11-14, 2012 Pure Thoughts—Richard Ross, Ph.D. 1. Heart Surprise (Today a teenager goes first): When it’s your turn, say: Our youth group has had some strong leaders in the past, and I’m glad you want to leave your own positive mark. One way I think you can do that is by . . . 2. Read Scripture: Invite a family member to pray. Ask your family members to read Psalm 51:10 and 2 Corinthians 10:5. Discuss the Truth and Untruths in light of these verses. Truth • God creates a pure heart in believers and commands them to take impure thoughts captive. Untruths • It’s OK to have impure thoughts, as long as you don’t act on them. • Enjoying impure thoughts is only human and can’t be helped. • I can determine for myself whether a thought is impure or not. 3. Explore Scripture: Read aloud Psalm 51:10. Say: The word for “create” is the same word used to describe the creation of the world in Genesis 1. God doesn’t just reform old hearts. He creates entirely new, clean hearts. He has to create the new heart because our old hearts would never lead us toward anything pure or holy. Read aloud 2 Corinthians 10:5. Note that Paul’s wording is similar to what was used to describe the surrender of a prisoner of war. Say: John Wesley wrote, “The mind itself . . . lays down all authority of its own, and entirely gives itself up to . . . Christ its conqueror.” As unbelievers, Satan owned our thoughts and held them captive. As Christ followers, our thoughts should be His possession because He died to free our thinking. 4. Think It Through: A teenager will lead this step. 5. Nail It Down: Say: Each member of our family has to make one of the following choices many times each day: • Rejecting impure thoughts to protect a clean heart • Enjoying impure thoughts even though they produce a dirty heart Point out that we can choose to keep or reject impure thoughts, but we cannot choose the consequences. Say: The condition of our hearts will reflect the choices we make. 6. Pray: A teenager will lead this prayer. 7. Blessing: Say: I bless this family for its clean hearts connected together. Parent Tip: All your children will be different. Celebrate their uniqueness with them. Give them your permission to be all that God created them to be. Be their biggest cheerleader.
Copyright © 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention
