Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Who are your kid's friends
If your teenager is running with the wrong crowd and getting into trouble, you might want to consider a change in venue.
Most teens aren’t strong enough to turn away from the wrong crowd, even when they want to. So, a parent must step in to make the break for them. This can include moving, changing schools, home schooling or having the teen go to another city to live with relatives for a time. Or simply taking a more active role in their activities and friends.
Leaving your teen with the wrong crowd is asking for trouble. If they cannot make the break themselves, then make the break for them, since choosing what influences are allowed in your teenager’s life is among your most important parental duties.
Most teens aren’t strong enough to turn away from the wrong crowd, even when they want to. So, a parent must step in to make the break for them. This can include moving, changing schools, home schooling or having the teen go to another city to live with relatives for a time. Or simply taking a more active role in their activities and friends.
Leaving your teen with the wrong crowd is asking for trouble. If they cannot make the break themselves, then make the break for them, since choosing what influences are allowed in your teenager’s life is among your most important parental duties.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Joyce Myers healing...
My body wasn’t made for sin, but for the Lord. My body wasn’t made for sickness, but for the Lord. My body is a member of Christ. My body belongs to Christ. Satan cannot make Christ’s body sick. Satan, how dare you trespass on God’s property. Take your hands off God’s property in Jesus’ Name! My body is the temple of Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord that healeth. He is in me healing me now, for He is the Lord that healeth me. I have been bought with a price. Jesus’ blood cleansed me from all sin; and by His stripes, my body is healed. I glorify God in my body. I refuse to allow disease in my body in Jesus’ Name. You foul disease, take your hands off my body in Jesus’ Name!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Parenting consistency
The one thing parents say they would have done differently is to be more consistent.
It is common for parents to realize too late that their own inconsistency is leading their teen to a place they really didn’t want to go. They thought they were being loving parents, but they failed to consider that teens need and actually want structure. In fact, most thrive when clear boundaries are in place, because it is the one anchor in their otherwise turbulent life.
So, as you walk along side your teen, be sure they know you’ll not fail to consistently stand in front of them when they start down the wrong path. It is the most loving thing you can do.
It is common for parents to realize too late that their own inconsistency is leading their teen to a place they really didn’t want to go. They thought they were being loving parents, but they failed to consider that teens need and actually want structure. In fact, most thrive when clear boundaries are in place, because it is the one anchor in their otherwise turbulent life.
So, as you walk along side your teen, be sure they know you’ll not fail to consistently stand in front of them when they start down the wrong path. It is the most loving thing you can do.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
33 Miles ‎33 Miles!! Chris & Conrad!! JJ Heller! All coming to Apopka High School Oct 10th for the Today tour!! get your tickets here! 407-889-7288
http://ping.fm/HcrMB
http://ping.fm/HcrMB
Monday, September 27, 2010
33 Miles!! Chris & Conrad!! JJ Heller! All coming to Apopka High School Oct 10th for the Today tour!! get your tickets here! http://ping.fm/WTPSA
33 Miles! Chris and Conrad!! JJ Heller! All coming to Apopka High School Auditorium Oct 10th!! Get your tickets here!! http://ping.fm/OQWIg
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Check... Out http://syatp.com/ for a promo video and more info on this event!
APOPKA HIGH!! See you t the pole 6:45 AM at the Darter!
APOPKA HIGH!! See you t the pole 6:45 AM at the Darter!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Does your family have a Mission / Purpose statement?
Does your family have a mission Statement? This is an easy yet amazing way to draw your family closer and build a lot more unity between parents and kids and also brothers and sisters!!
Your family mission statement doesn’t have to be long. It could be as simple as “Our family will honor God and each other in everything we do.â€
It’s a statement you can use as a measuring stick for family rules and every decision you make. In fact, I recommend having it engraved or printed on a plaque for your refrigerator or above your door. You’ll find it to be a good reminder and a foundation for structuring discipline for you and your family.
Your family mission statement doesn’t have to be long. It could be as simple as “Our family will honor God and each other in everything we do.â€
It’s a statement you can use as a measuring stick for family rules and every decision you make. In fact, I recommend having it engraved or printed on a plaque for your refrigerator or above your door. You’ll find it to be a good reminder and a foundation for structuring discipline for you and your family.
Doctors Advise No TV in Teenagers Bedrooms
Doctors Advise No TV in Teenagers Bedrooms
Two questions that doctors are being encouraged to ask teenage patients:
1. How much time do you spend daily with entertainment media?
2. Is there a TV set or Internet access in your bedroom?
Hmmmm. Perhaps these are important influences to consider.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just released (August 30, 2010) their brand new study titled, "Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media." This report examines media messages teenagers are absorbing and how those influences affect their well being. In other words... when kids watch the music video for the #2 song Teenage Dream and watch Katy Perry getting her clothes torn off by a guy... does that really affect our kids? That's what the AAP sought to discover.
The results of this study? Pretty scary. (I'll definitely be including some of this in my upcoming parent workshops.)
Here are some of the elements that jumped out at me:
More than 75% of prime-time programs contain sexual content.
Only 14% of these incidents mention any risks or responsibilities of sexual activity.
Talk about sex on TV can occur as often as 8 to 10 times per hour.
Between 1997 and 2001 alone, the amount of sexual content on TV nearly doubled.
American media makes sex seem like a harmless sport in which everyone engages, and results of considerable research have indicated that the media can have a major effect on young people's attitudes and behaviors.
The media may function as a "superpeer" in convincing adolescents that sexual activity is a normative behavior for young teenagers.
Listening to sexually degrading lyrics is associated with earlier sexual intercourse.
Out of nine longitudinal studies seeking to answer whether sexy media contributes to early sexual activity, seven of these studies have shown that exposure to sexual content in TV and other media in early adolescence can as much as double the risk of early sexual intercourse.
Early exposure to sexual content doubled the risk of teen pregnancy.
Bedroom TVs are associated with greater substance use and sexual activity by teenagers.
They summarized their findings well: "Clearly, the media play a major role in determining whether certain teenagers become sexually active earlier rather than later."
The good news from the report:
Teenagers whose parents control their TV-viewing habits are less sexually experienced
Adolescents whose parents limit their TV-viewing are less likely to engage in early sex.
The messages from this report are loud and clear. Media affects our kids. So parents, help your kids make good media decisions. Pretty simple.
The report actually words it like this: Pediatricians should counsel parents to recognize the importance of the media, exert control over their children's media choices, keep their children's bedrooms free of TVs and Internet connections, and avoid letting their children see PG-13– and R-rated movies that are inappropriate for them.
Interesting that someone is finally chiming in about PG-13 movies.
This isn't the AAP's first report on the subject. Last year the AAP released similar reports on the effects of sex and violence in the media. We wrote a Youth Culture Window article detailing the results of those reports, urging parents to monitor their kids' media and help them make good media choices. This month's AAP report conveys much of the same, but with even more current data revealing exactly how dire the situation is becoming.
Two questions that doctors are being encouraged to ask teenage patients:
1. How much time do you spend daily with entertainment media?
2. Is there a TV set or Internet access in your bedroom?
Hmmmm. Perhaps these are important influences to consider.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just released (August 30, 2010) their brand new study titled, "Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media." This report examines media messages teenagers are absorbing and how those influences affect their well being. In other words... when kids watch the music video for the #2 song Teenage Dream and watch Katy Perry getting her clothes torn off by a guy... does that really affect our kids? That's what the AAP sought to discover.
The results of this study? Pretty scary. (I'll definitely be including some of this in my upcoming parent workshops.)
Here are some of the elements that jumped out at me:
More than 75% of prime-time programs contain sexual content.
Only 14% of these incidents mention any risks or responsibilities of sexual activity.
Talk about sex on TV can occur as often as 8 to 10 times per hour.
Between 1997 and 2001 alone, the amount of sexual content on TV nearly doubled.
American media makes sex seem like a harmless sport in which everyone engages, and results of considerable research have indicated that the media can have a major effect on young people's attitudes and behaviors.
The media may function as a "superpeer" in convincing adolescents that sexual activity is a normative behavior for young teenagers.
Listening to sexually degrading lyrics is associated with earlier sexual intercourse.
Out of nine longitudinal studies seeking to answer whether sexy media contributes to early sexual activity, seven of these studies have shown that exposure to sexual content in TV and other media in early adolescence can as much as double the risk of early sexual intercourse.
Early exposure to sexual content doubled the risk of teen pregnancy.
Bedroom TVs are associated with greater substance use and sexual activity by teenagers.
They summarized their findings well: "Clearly, the media play a major role in determining whether certain teenagers become sexually active earlier rather than later."
The good news from the report:
Teenagers whose parents control their TV-viewing habits are less sexually experienced
Adolescents whose parents limit their TV-viewing are less likely to engage in early sex.
The messages from this report are loud and clear. Media affects our kids. So parents, help your kids make good media decisions. Pretty simple.
The report actually words it like this: Pediatricians should counsel parents to recognize the importance of the media, exert control over their children's media choices, keep their children's bedrooms free of TVs and Internet connections, and avoid letting their children see PG-13– and R-rated movies that are inappropriate for them.
Interesting that someone is finally chiming in about PG-13 movies.
This isn't the AAP's first report on the subject. Last year the AAP released similar reports on the effects of sex and violence in the media. We wrote a Youth Culture Window article detailing the results of those reports, urging parents to monitor their kids' media and help them make good media choices. This month's AAP report conveys much of the same, but with even more current data revealing exactly how dire the situation is becoming.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
"Wannabe Cool' Christianity
The Wall Street Journal posted an article recently talking about "Hipster" Christianity, an article that, in all honesty, was a little critical of churches today that are trying too hard to be "cool."
But I love the author's conclusion. Here's just a snippet: (emphasis mine)
"And the further irony," he adds, "is that the younger generations who are less impressed by whiz-bang technology, who often see through what is slick and glitzy, and who have been on the receiving end of enough marketing to nauseate them, are as likely to walk away from these oh-so-relevant churches as to walk into them."
If the evangelical Christian leadership thinks that "cool Christianity" is a sustainable path forward, they are severely mistaken. As a twentysomething, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don't want cool as much as we want real.
If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it's easy or trendy or popular. It's because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It's because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It's not because we want more of the same.
The article (click here to read the entire article) is by Brett McCracken, author of the book, Hipster Christianity: Where Church and Cool Collide (Baker Books).
If you read the entire article, you'll probably find McCracken a little critical of today's churches. An example:
There are various ways that churches attempt to be cool. For some, it means trying to seem more culturally savvy. The pastor quotes Stephen Colbert or references Lady Gaga during his sermon, or a church sponsors a screening of the R-rated "No Country For Old Men." For others, the emphasis is on looking cool, perhaps by giving the pastor a metrosexual makeover, with skinny jeans and an $80 haircut, or by insisting on trendy eco-friendly paper and helvetica-only fonts on all printed materials. Then there is the option of holding a worship service in a bar or nightclub (as is the case for L.A.'s Mosaic church, whose downtown location meets at a nightspot called Club Mayan).
A little harsh maybe. There is nothing wrong with meeting where you need to meet if it is the best solution, But I think many of us have seen some of these elements "out of balance" on either extreme. For example. We, like the author of the article, have probably seen the church that seems to just "try too hard." They concentrate so hard on looks and appeal, but are stingy when it comes to simply opening the scripture and teaching truth. But before we cast stones, we need to realize that this church might just be an "overreaction" to a church that has been dead for decades because they put people to sleep with bad teaching and a lack of relevance. (Most of us have sat through some of these services) There's nothing wrong with quoting Stephen Colbert or referencing current music. These elements become "out of hand" when they monopolize a service and Jesus becomes lost in the shuffle.
This discussion has huge relevance in youth ministry circles. As McCracken points out, kids are savvy to being target-marketed with the "slick and glitzy." Some of us need to sit back and take a deep look at our ministries, asking some tough questions. Does slick and glitzy trump relational ministry? Do we spend more time programming then hanging with kids? Are we better at presentation than connecting? (all red flags) But don't ignore the opposite side of the spectrum. Do we lack good communicators that are gifted at teaching the scriptures? Do we not provide safe arenas where kids can feel safe to dialogue? Do we put kids to sleep? (all red flags as well)
I think many churches and youth ministries are searching for a balance here. It would be nice to be relevant to the culture the way the Apostle Paul was, but at the same time, not stray from the privilege of clearly introducing people to the love of Jesus. McCracken's article is a good reminder of that. (and a good discussion peice for your next volunteer training)
McCracken is a graduate of Wheaton and UCLA, currently the managing editor for Biola University's Biola Magazine and working on his Master's in Theology at Talbot. He regularly writes movie reviews for Christianity Today and articles for Relevant Magazine. You can see an online video interview of him about his new book here.
But I love the author's conclusion. Here's just a snippet: (emphasis mine)
"And the further irony," he adds, "is that the younger generations who are less impressed by whiz-bang technology, who often see through what is slick and glitzy, and who have been on the receiving end of enough marketing to nauseate them, are as likely to walk away from these oh-so-relevant churches as to walk into them."
If the evangelical Christian leadership thinks that "cool Christianity" is a sustainable path forward, they are severely mistaken. As a twentysomething, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don't want cool as much as we want real.
If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it's easy or trendy or popular. It's because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It's because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It's not because we want more of the same.
The article (click here to read the entire article) is by Brett McCracken, author of the book, Hipster Christianity: Where Church and Cool Collide (Baker Books).
If you read the entire article, you'll probably find McCracken a little critical of today's churches. An example:
There are various ways that churches attempt to be cool. For some, it means trying to seem more culturally savvy. The pastor quotes Stephen Colbert or references Lady Gaga during his sermon, or a church sponsors a screening of the R-rated "No Country For Old Men." For others, the emphasis is on looking cool, perhaps by giving the pastor a metrosexual makeover, with skinny jeans and an $80 haircut, or by insisting on trendy eco-friendly paper and helvetica-only fonts on all printed materials. Then there is the option of holding a worship service in a bar or nightclub (as is the case for L.A.'s Mosaic church, whose downtown location meets at a nightspot called Club Mayan).
A little harsh maybe. There is nothing wrong with meeting where you need to meet if it is the best solution, But I think many of us have seen some of these elements "out of balance" on either extreme. For example. We, like the author of the article, have probably seen the church that seems to just "try too hard." They concentrate so hard on looks and appeal, but are stingy when it comes to simply opening the scripture and teaching truth. But before we cast stones, we need to realize that this church might just be an "overreaction" to a church that has been dead for decades because they put people to sleep with bad teaching and a lack of relevance. (Most of us have sat through some of these services) There's nothing wrong with quoting Stephen Colbert or referencing current music. These elements become "out of hand" when they monopolize a service and Jesus becomes lost in the shuffle.
This discussion has huge relevance in youth ministry circles. As McCracken points out, kids are savvy to being target-marketed with the "slick and glitzy." Some of us need to sit back and take a deep look at our ministries, asking some tough questions. Does slick and glitzy trump relational ministry? Do we spend more time programming then hanging with kids? Are we better at presentation than connecting? (all red flags) But don't ignore the opposite side of the spectrum. Do we lack good communicators that are gifted at teaching the scriptures? Do we not provide safe arenas where kids can feel safe to dialogue? Do we put kids to sleep? (all red flags as well)
I think many churches and youth ministries are searching for a balance here. It would be nice to be relevant to the culture the way the Apostle Paul was, but at the same time, not stray from the privilege of clearly introducing people to the love of Jesus. McCracken's article is a good reminder of that. (and a good discussion peice for your next volunteer training)
McCracken is a graduate of Wheaton and UCLA, currently the managing editor for Biola University's Biola Magazine and working on his Master's in Theology at Talbot. He regularly writes movie reviews for Christianity Today and articles for Relevant Magazine. You can see an online video interview of him about his new book here.
Parenting Priority
Some parents worry too much about their teenagers.
The parent who incessantly worries about their teenager, can’t get away for a break because they’re afraid what the teen will do. The ones who think and who talks only about their teen’s problems, is headed for disaster. I see it all the time. The parents get so focused on their teenager that they become quick-tempered, nervous wreaks. It draws a wedge in the marriage and the whole family can be lost.
The best thing parents can do – for themselves, their family and their teenager — is to make sure their marriage remains healthy and strong. Make that your first priority, and you’ll be much more able to deal with anything your children throw your way.
Remember that they are a part of the whole family, the team if you will and it is not all about them!!
The parent who incessantly worries about their teenager, can’t get away for a break because they’re afraid what the teen will do. The ones who think and who talks only about their teen’s problems, is headed for disaster. I see it all the time. The parents get so focused on their teenager that they become quick-tempered, nervous wreaks. It draws a wedge in the marriage and the whole family can be lost.
The best thing parents can do – for themselves, their family and their teenager — is to make sure their marriage remains healthy and strong. Make that your first priority, and you’ll be much more able to deal with anything your children throw your way.
Remember that they are a part of the whole family, the team if you will and it is not all about them!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Hugs after conflict
In times of conflict with a teenager, my goal for every difficult and sometimes heated discussion is this: in the end, I want there to be an opportunity for us to hug one another.¨In an argument with your teen, even if your mind hasn't been changed and even if you still can't agree, you can at least agree to disagree because it was all talked out. You're still in charge, so hopefully that is not in question. But it's important for your teen to know that relationship is important, so try to maintain an attitude of respect in your tone and demeanor ¨In a time of conflict, parents are wise to show their teen that they are as interested in maintaining the relationship as they are in enforcing rules.
Listen to your teens heart
A Sunday school teacher once asked her class, What's wrong with grown-ups? A boy responded, Grown-ups never really listen because they already know what they're going to answer. ¨Not talking is one action. Listening is another. Sometimes I think God gave us two ears and one mouth just because He wants us to listen twice as much as we talk. Even so, not talking doesn't mean we're listening.¨Mom and dad, you may hear the words your teen is saying, but are you really listening to her heart? She doesn't need your response, your judgment, your opinion or your solution. In fact, she probably isn't asking for anything. She just needs your undivided attention and a listening ear.
Your Teen in shutdown mode
Most teens want to say, My parents listened to me they heard me and they valued me. For your kid to say that, I'd say you are moving toward parenting perfection. ¨All teens want to do is talk and have someone listen to them. If they share what is on their heart, and that is missed, they eventually quit sharing altogether. ¨If your teen is in shutdown mode, it may be because you aren't listening. So share your desire to become a better listener. Find regular opportunities to talk, even if they feel a bit forced at first. Eventually, with diligence on your part, your teen will again open up and trust her dreams, thoughts and questions with you.
Instilling Value in your teens
A major challenge in parenting is learning to work together in your roles as mom and dad. And this is especially important when it comes to communicating a sense of value to your child. It's time for each parent to instill value in their kids.
A bible for the next generation
It's always interesting to see what new ideas people are coming up with to try to capture the attention of this young "digital" generation.
Enter the GLO Bible, stage left.
Glo's YouTube ad says, "God's Word is sacred and perfect. But with Glo, it's amplified."
Check it out:
http://ping.fm/7fWOa
Interesting. They're really marketing toward the fact that, 'times have changed."
It's funny. I wonder how different this is than many of the Bible software that's already out there. I admit, the maps, and the hours of HD video look pretty cool.
This "Guardian" article quotes the GLO Bible creator Nelson Saba, a former aeronautical engineer and banker:
"There is nothing wrong with the Bible but we have two generations which favor interactive media. Unless you put the Bible on that media you won't connect with them. It's not about mimicking paper. It's about offering an experience."
The article goes on to talk about some of the ways they, and I quote, "put a fresh spin" on scripture.
Hmmmmm. It will be interesting to see.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
What about Katie Perry?
Katy Perry has been in the limelight quite a bit lately, hosting the Teen Choice Awards on Fox on Monday night, on the current cover of Rolling Stone magazine, breaking records with her summer hit California Gurls, and now watching her song Teenage Dream climb the charts (it's the #3 most downloaded song on iTunes as I write this, and #9 on Billboard's Hot 100).
I read the Rolling Stone interview over the weekend, David R. Smith (who writes many of our Youth Culture Window articles) and told him, "We've got to chime in on this to our readers."
So David has been working on a nice little piece about Katy Perry... you'll see it soon.
It's fascinating. Here's a girl that was raised in a strict (and dare I say "weird") religious home.... she wasn't allowed to say "deviled eggs" they had to call them "angeled eggs," no TV, no secular music. So... whenever she was away from home at her friends' house... she says she was glued to MTV.
Hmmmmm.
Rolling Stone portrays her as a "good girl," actually comparing her to Taylor Swift. But a paragraph later she is spouting off the f-word, joking like she's going to show her pubic hair to prove her "real hair color," and making sexual references that sadly, probably wouldn't make many kids in this culture wince.
The lyrics of her new song speak pretty loudly as well. I already ranted a bit about that in my expose' about the Teen Choice Awards where she sang Teenage Dream, singing:
We drove to Cali
And got drunk on the beach
Got a motel and
Built a floor out of sheets
I finally found you
My missing puzzle piece
I'm complete
Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever
All that to an audience of teens and tweens.
What a "good girl."
Sad. Katy is really talented and seems like a lot of fun. But she's learned what sells and she's not worried about who's becoming corrupted, or sexualized along the way.
Katie has a gift and it would be so great for her to use it to influence kids for the better!
I read the Rolling Stone interview over the weekend, David R. Smith (who writes many of our Youth Culture Window articles) and told him, "We've got to chime in on this to our readers."
So David has been working on a nice little piece about Katy Perry... you'll see it soon.
It's fascinating. Here's a girl that was raised in a strict (and dare I say "weird") religious home.... she wasn't allowed to say "deviled eggs" they had to call them "angeled eggs," no TV, no secular music. So... whenever she was away from home at her friends' house... she says she was glued to MTV.
Hmmmmm.
Rolling Stone portrays her as a "good girl," actually comparing her to Taylor Swift. But a paragraph later she is spouting off the f-word, joking like she's going to show her pubic hair to prove her "real hair color," and making sexual references that sadly, probably wouldn't make many kids in this culture wince.
The lyrics of her new song speak pretty loudly as well. I already ranted a bit about that in my expose' about the Teen Choice Awards where she sang Teenage Dream, singing:
We drove to Cali
And got drunk on the beach
Got a motel and
Built a floor out of sheets
I finally found you
My missing puzzle piece
I'm complete
Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever
All that to an audience of teens and tweens.
What a "good girl."
Sad. Katy is really talented and seems like a lot of fun. But she's learned what sells and she's not worried about who's becoming corrupted, or sexualized along the way.
Katie has a gift and it would be so great for her to use it to influence kids for the better!
A look at Twilight Eclipse
I went to a movie & as I arrived to the movie theater just before 8PM, I saw a long stream of females lined up along the walls of the theaters... Twilight fans, all waiting for the midnight showing of Twilight's newest film, Eclipse.
On the way to the theater (I was going to see The A-Team), we walked passed literally hundreds of these fans sitting in roped off areas, in eager anticipation of the film over four hours away. Not a male in sight! Mostly teenagers, some tweens, and about one in 5 seemed to be moms. Interesting group. I've never seen more Twilight t-shirts, tattoos, posters, and yes, even shrines! (Several groups had commandeered a bench and set up a shrine-of-sorts to Patrick and Taylor. Wow. Even Star Wars fans were saying, "These people are so weird!")
Sp I thought I would share a few thoughts on this movie...
One of the biggest problem I have with the movie (besides the whole vampire thing) continues to be the characters and the choices they make. Edward is so “in love� (aka obsessed) with Bella that he seems unable to make any rational decision outside of their relationship. Likewise, Jacob, who is still in love with Bella, refuses to accept the reality that she will never feel that same way towards him even though she has told him many times. Then there is Bella. She is willing to sacrifice everything, including her family, her dreams and even her soul, to be with Edward (i.e. become a vampire). It’s the same old thing that we saw in the second film, New Moon.
Realistically nothing has changed. The characters are far from role models. As parents and youth leaders we need to be equipped and ready to discuss these issues with our students.
Let's keep dialoguing with our kids about these issues we see popping up in youth culture.
I have heard it said that it is just a love story so what is the problem with that? Well, it is much more than a "love story" It is about blood sucking, immoral, socially disturbed vampires that are becoming role models for our teens! LOL
You draw your own conclusions from there.
What about Katie Perry
Katy Perry has been in the limelight quite a bit lately, hosting the Teen Choice Awards on Fox on Monday night, on the current cover of Rolling Stone magazine, breaking records with her summer hit California Gurls, and now watching her song Teenage Dream climb the charts (it's the #3 most downloaded song on iTunes as I write this, and #9 on Billboard's Hot 100).
I read the Rolling Stone interview over the weekend, David R. Smith (who writes many of our Youth Culture Window articles) and told him, "We've got to chime in on this to our readers."
So David has been working on a nice little piece about Katy Perry... you'll see it soon.
It's fascinating. Here's a girl that was raised in a strict (and dare I say "weird") religious home.... she wasn't allowed to say "deviled eggs" they had to call them "angeled eggs," no TV, no secular music. So... whenever she was away from home at her friends' house... she says she was glued to MTV.
Hmmmmm.
Rolling Stone portrays her as a "good girl," actually comparing her to Taylor Swift. But a paragraph later she is spouting off the f-word, joking like she's going to show her pubic hair to prove her "real hair color," and making sexual references that sadly, probably wouldn't make many kids in this culture wince.
The lyrics of her new song speak pretty loudly as well. I already ranted a bit about that in my expose' about the Teen Choice Awards where she sang Teenage Dream, singing:
We drove to Cali
And got drunk on the beach
Got a motel and
Built a floor out of sheets
I finally found you
My missing puzzle piece
I'm complete
Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever
All that to an audience of teens and tweens.
What a "good girl."
Sad. Katy is really talented and seems like a lot of fun. But she's learned what sells and she's not worried about who's becoming corrupted, or sexualized along the way.
Katie has a gift and it would be so great for her to use it to influence kids for the better!
http://ping.fm/1Y9qa
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Connecting
Youth ministry is CONNECTING!!! If I was to tell a new Youth Pastor or leader what it the one thing you need to excel at it would be connecting with kids and love them as Christ loves us, connecting with other ministries and connecting with your community!
Connect with kids. You know—take them out for coffee, go to their baseball game, get ice cream with them after school. Spending time with them and letting Christ’s love embrace them through you.
Much of the youth ministry world have not been making “connecting†a priority. Youth ministries are getting good at programming, giving talks, big events and even Bible studies. But not much effort was given to connecting with kids one-on-one.
There is "relational ministry†void every time someone would ask me questions about “problems†in their youth ministry. They would ask me about a kid that wasn’t responding, or a student leader who had fallen into sin, or a certain type of kid that they just weren’t attracting to their ministry. In all these situations I asked one question in return, “Have you tried connecting with them one-on-one?â€
Starting a mentoring program, get your leaders to connect with the youth and be a positive role model in their lives. It makes such a huge difference!
Connecting with your community and other ministries has been neglected too! It is time to realize that we are not the only ministry in town and that we cannot do this all on our own.
Start a ministry alliance, get together with other youth Pastors in your area to strategically reach your local schools and city.
Are you connecting… or are you just “running program?â€
Connect with kids. You know—take them out for coffee, go to their baseball game, get ice cream with them after school. Spending time with them and letting Christ’s love embrace them through you.
Much of the youth ministry world have not been making “connecting†a priority. Youth ministries are getting good at programming, giving talks, big events and even Bible studies. But not much effort was given to connecting with kids one-on-one.
There is "relational ministry†void every time someone would ask me questions about “problems†in their youth ministry. They would ask me about a kid that wasn’t responding, or a student leader who had fallen into sin, or a certain type of kid that they just weren’t attracting to their ministry. In all these situations I asked one question in return, “Have you tried connecting with them one-on-one?â€
Starting a mentoring program, get your leaders to connect with the youth and be a positive role model in their lives. It makes such a huge difference!
Connecting with your community and other ministries has been neglected too! It is time to realize that we are not the only ministry in town and that we cannot do this all on our own.
Start a ministry alliance, get together with other youth Pastors in your area to strategically reach your local schools and city.
Are you connecting… or are you just “running program?â€
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
CAMP DECISION
Everyone who is going to Camp Decision please read! We will be meeting at the church at 10am on Monday and arriving back at the church at 2pm on Friday. If your parents are picking you up from camp, they need to pick you up by 1pm.
Make sure to bring:
Bible, notebook, and pen.
Personal Toiletries (deodorant, toothbrush, soap, etc)
Bring enough clothes for sport competitions and services for 4 days. Please remember that this is camp so wear clothes that are suitable for outdoors, but modest enough not to cause anyone to get their eyes off Jesus! It is recommended that you not bring expensive clothes or jewelry to camp with you.
Towels & washcloths.
Sleeping Bag and/or sheets and a pillow.
Bathing suit. (Two pieces may be worn WITH a dark colored cover-up both in the pool and out, NO SPEEDOS!)
Insect repellent.(optional)
Suntan lotion or sunscreen.
Flashlight. (optional)
Money for snack bar.
Money for Camp Decision bookstore.
Snacks for security.
Rain gear... you never know...
A desire to know God for yourself! Bring your excitement to see what God is going to do during Camp Decision!
Make sure to bring:
Bible, notebook, and pen.
Personal Toiletries (deodorant, toothbrush, soap, etc)
Bring enough clothes for sport competitions and services for 4 days. Please remember that this is camp so wear clothes that are suitable for outdoors, but modest enough not to cause anyone to get their eyes off Jesus! It is recommended that you not bring expensive clothes or jewelry to camp with you.
Towels & washcloths.
Sleeping Bag and/or sheets and a pillow.
Bathing suit. (Two pieces may be worn WITH a dark colored cover-up both in the pool and out, NO SPEEDOS!)
Insect repellent.(optional)
Suntan lotion or sunscreen.
Flashlight. (optional)
Money for snack bar.
Money for Camp Decision bookstore.
Snacks for security.
Rain gear... you never know...
A desire to know God for yourself! Bring your excitement to see what God is going to do during Camp Decision!
Everyone who is going to Camp Decision please read! We will be meeting at the church at 10am on Monday and arriving back at the church at 2pm on Friday. If your parents are picking you up from camp, they need to pick you up by 1pm.
Make sure to bring:
Bible, notebook, and pen.
Personal Toiletries (deodorant, toothbrush, soap, etc)
Bring enough clothes for sport competitions and services for 4 days. Please remember that this is camp so wear clothes that are suitable for outdoors, but modest enough not to cause anyone to get their eyes off Jesus! It is recommended that you not bring expensive clothes or jewelry to camp with you.
Towels & washcloths.
Sleeping Bag and/or sheets and a pillow.
Bathing suit. (Two pieces may be worn WITH a dark colored cover-up both in the pool and out, NO SPEEDOS!)
Insect repellent.(optional)
Suntan lotion or sunscreen.
Flashlight. (optional)
Money for snack bar.
Money for Camp Decision bookstore.
Snacks for security.
Rain gear... you never know...
A desire to know God for yourself! Bring your excitement to see what God is going to do during Camp Decision!
Make sure to bring:
Bible, notebook, and pen.
Personal Toiletries (deodorant, toothbrush, soap, etc)
Bring enough clothes for sport competitions and services for 4 days. Please remember that this is camp so wear clothes that are suitable for outdoors, but modest enough not to cause anyone to get their eyes off Jesus! It is recommended that you not bring expensive clothes or jewelry to camp with you.
Towels & washcloths.
Sleeping Bag and/or sheets and a pillow.
Bathing suit. (Two pieces may be worn WITH a dark colored cover-up both in the pool and out, NO SPEEDOS!)
Insect repellent.(optional)
Suntan lotion or sunscreen.
Flashlight. (optional)
Money for snack bar.
Money for Camp Decision bookstore.
Snacks for security.
Rain gear... you never know...
A desire to know God for yourself! Bring your excitement to see what God is going to do during Camp Decision!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Pushing the Limits
The MTV F***ing Movie Awards
An article from Jonathan McKee at TheSource4YM.com
6/7/2010
TIME FOR US TO RETHINK WHAT OUR YOUTH ARE WATCHING!!
I don’t think anyone could have said it more true than New Moon star Peter Facinelli at the close of the MTV Movie Awards last night when he joked, “I’ve never heard the word ‘f**k’ used so many times in one evening.â€
He wasn’t kidding. Joe Pesci was covering his ears! The poor guy hitting the sensor button probably developed a callus in the first half hour!
The sad fact is, the rampant use of f-bombs was probably one of the least worrisome elements of the evening. MTV provided girl-on-girl action, oral sex gestures, penis jokes, testicle jokes… and probably the icing on the cake, Christina Aguilera singing a song about receiving oral sex, complete with a close up of a little red heart-light lit up on her crotch at the end of the performance.
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. MTV has put themselves in a bind. Each year they try to trump the previous year, and the easiest way to do that is to push the limits even further. It’s difficult to even imagine the show 10 years from today.
Second Guessing My Own Recommendation
For years I’ve been recommending that parents and youth workers watch this show to harness just a glimpse at youth culture. I’ve said it year after year, “I only watch three of these shows a year: The MTV Movie Awards, The Teen Choice Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards.†Those three shows alone give anyone an accurate picture of exactly what our entertainment world is marketing to today’s teenagers.
Unfortunately, that little “taste†is starting to make me a little bit ill.
Last night my wife and I were driving home when I remembered that I had to watch the show so I could write this article. I dreaded the chore. I could think of a hundred things I’d rather do.
But more than that, I am just getting tired of MTV and the CW and ABC trying desperately to target teenagers to watch their trash. It’s heartbreaking to me that adults are pimping this kind of content to our kids for one simple reason: ratings and money. Yes… it sounds like two reasons. But I assure you, they are one and the same.
Jersey Shore and Katy Perry
The show really began an hour before the show with the red carpet interviews. This year’s red carpet interview was basically a giant infomercial for MTV’s new reality show Jersey Shore, with Shore character Snooki on the mike helping MTV regulars interview the stars. In this pre-show, we got to hear Katy Perry joke about everything from doing a threesome to rumors of her performing naked. “I’m a tease,†she offered. (Hmmmmm…. I hadn’t noticed. Maybe next time she’ll admit that she’s a sellout too.)
The pre-show showed us glimpses of Katy’s racy music video with Snoop Dog, and then an exclusive, the first 10 minutes of Jersey Shore—Season Two.
Wow! I’m going to sound like my grandpa here, but, “I can’t believe they call that entertainment.†One of the characters of the show described it like this: (imagine a thick jersey accent) “Lot’s of fights, lot’s of hookups, lots of drama. One minute you got three girls in a Jacuzzi, the next minute someone’s in jail and you have to bail them out.â€
The dialogue was unbelievable. Snooki is making meatballs with her new boyfriend Emilio. “How many balls do you want?†Emilio asks with a smirk.
Snooki pauses, then smiles. “Two, in my face.â€
Then we’re blessed with Snooki’s keen insight about relationships.
“Me and Emilio have been together for two and a half months. I really don’t want to cheat. Like seriously, I don’t want to. But you know, if you’re going to hand me a bottle of freaking (she named a drink), something just comes over me. Like I just go crazy!â€
At this point, I couldn’t wait for the actual award show to begin.
The Lowlights
The show opened with Tom Cruise reprising his role from the R-rated 2008 movie Tropic Thunder.
Uh… did I miss something? It’s 2010, isn’t it?
The fat, bald, and harry Tom Cruise character Les Grossman gave the sensor guy a run for his money in the first 60 seconds. His speech was probably summarized in these three sentences:
“See movies are nothing but a marriage of picture and sound. My job is to get those two things drunk—get them “f**cking. The illegitimate baby they make is called entertainment.â€
Unfortunately that wasn’t the last we saw of Cruises “Grossman†character that evening. Grossman joined us again later to dance in a traditional crotch-grabbing and hip thrusting fashion to a Ludacris song. (Yes, that’s the name of the artist, and yes, pun intended!) The opening words of the song:
[Chorus]
(Yeek-Yeek Woop-Woop) Why you all in my ear? Talkin' a whole bunch a sh** that I ain't tryin to hear.
Get Back! Motherf***er You don't know me like that.
Get back! Motherf***er You don't know me like that!
Then “Grossman†began dancing with J-lo, holding a walking cane up to his crotch like a penis pointed at J-lo.
The host of the evening, Aziz Ansari, is a talented comedian. Unfortunately, like many talented comedians today, Aziz constantly grabs for the low hanging fruit of sexual humor and vulgarity. It was hard to watch Aziz cracking jokes about Taylor Lautner’s “nuts†when the cameraman was showing us 11-year-old Jaden Smith in the audience cracking up.
Think about that visual for a second—adults telling raunchy jokes and showing explicit material to 11-year-olds. If Jaden was walking through a park and a stranger approached him joking about testicles, erections and vaginas… my guess is that Jaden’s dad, Will Smith, might have a thing or two to say to this individual.
I wonder in the same situation if a lady came up to Jaden and started singing a song about people licking her vagina (as Christina Aguilera would do to the crowd later that evening)… I wonder how long Will would allow that to happen.
But as long as Jaden is sitting in the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA, and our kids are sitting in the popcorn-grease-saturated theatre seats, or on couches in front of big screen TVs… then it must be okay.
It’s obvious that MTV and parents all over the world just don’t mind this kind of content. Because if they did, they probably wouldn’t let kids watch the show. They probably wouldn’t allow their kids to vote whether the R-rated movie The Hangover is the best movie of the year.
Sigh.
Some of the names of the awards speak loudly to the caliber of the show. This year the show boasted the “WTF†award (Yes, that stands for “What the f**k?!â€) and the “Scared as S**t Performance.†These were in addition to the traditional “Best Male Performance,†“Best Female,†and don’t forget the annual opportunity to show two girls kissing, the “Best Kiss Award.†This year Kristen Stewart actually won the award for kissing Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, not the kiss she was also nominated for with female actress Dakota Fanning in the film Runaways.
That wasn’t the last girl on girl kiss we saw that evening. Sandra Bullock planted one on Scarlet Johansson in another awkward MTV moment. If you haven’t noticed, threesomes and girl on girl action are a pre-requisite for most entertainment today.
Commercials
It’s always educational to see what commercials MTV airs throughout the Awards each year. Last year we literally got to see the blurred testicles of a skater in their “Balls Out Comedy†commercials. This year MTV didn’t hold back either. The show that probably ran the most commercials of the evening is their brand new series, The Hard Times of RJ Berger, the show about a nerdy kid that gets popular on his campus because of his big penis. The commercials made that point very clear.
But don’t worry parents. MTV also has a show with a puppet. Won’t that be neat for the children! Well, before you begin thinking “Muppets†or “Sesame Street,†remember this is MTV. MTV’s commercials for Warren the Ape revealed a puppet that we saw humping a girl in a bikini top, and we heard saying lines like, “I’m icing my balls†and “I do! I do love porn!†(We’ve come a long way since Mr. Rogers.)
Then there’s Jersey Shore.
Enough said.
Musical Performances
The evening featured two musical performances. One from a duo made in heaven, Katy Perry and Snoop Dog, singing their number one hit California Gurls. It’s hard to even explain this performance in print. At first glance the lyrics don’t look explicit:
California girls
We're unforgettable
Daisy Dukes
Bikinis on top
Sun-kissed skin
So hot
Will melt your popsicle
But add Perry’s lewd hand gestures to lyrics like “melt your popsicle,†and you’ve got an entirely new meaning. Maybe that’s why Entertainment Weekly called this a “raunchified rendition (check the hand motions!) of the new official song of the summer.â€
Just when I thought that the evening couldn’t get any worse, Christina Aguilera performed a montage of some of her hits. Her performance was so across the line it’s difficult to verbalize. It started with her typical provocative dancing and thrusts. But apparently this wasn’t enough. After all, think what we’ve seen from other artists of late (Adam Lambert? Britney?). Several times Christina’s dancers dropped down and groped her leg, licking it. One of her male dancers even licked upward towards her crotch. As if this wasn’t enough, she then broke out in a song about licking her “Woohoo,†a song titled (I kid you not) “Woohoo.†Here’s a peek at the lyrics:
You Know You Really Wanna (HEY) , Wanna Taste My
You Know You Wanna Get a Peak Wanna See My
You Know You Wanna Put Your Lips Where my Hips Are , Kiss On My , All Over My…
It was almost comedy watching what MTV chose to edit from those lyrics. After all, none of the words are cusswords. But even MTV realized that this song would be overboard. So they simply bleeped out the words, “Wanna Taste My.â€
Ironically, MTV had no problem zooming in on Christina’s crotch at the end of the performance, where she had a glowing red heart-shaped light in front of her… dare I say Whoohoo?
The evening didn’t end with Christina. I haven’t even mentioned Mark Walberg simulating sodomy with Will Farrell, or the guy from The Hangover giving thanks to voters from his penis. It was one over-the-top moment after the next.
Nothing New
This is nothing new.
We’ve been here before. Mankind loves to do things their own way instead of God’s way. That’s sin, in a nutshell: when we do things our way instead of His way. And sooner or later we start suffering the consequences of our behavior…unless someone tells us the truth, and we respond to it.
I love the Bible passage in I Kings, Chapter 22. An eight-year-old named Josiah became king. The Bible describes him as “doing right in the eyes of the LORD.†“Not turning aside to the right or to the left.â€
In this moving story, this young king grows up and sends his secretary to the temple of the LORD on an errand. The secretary and the high priest stumbled upon a book while on this errand—the Book of the Law. They bring the book back to the king and read it.
Josiah’s eyes are opened!
When Josiah read the Book of the Law—the stories about God and His people—he literally tore his clothes in despair, realizing how bad things had become. In Chapter 23 this young king started cleaning house. He began removing false gods that had crept their way into the temple. He got rid of the prostitutes. He got rid of the sexually explicit artifacts that they used to worship other gods. Josiah saw the truth and he cleaned house!
Parents in 2010 need to do two things: they need to hear the truth, and they need to clean house.
We need to all be about sharing the truth. In Deuteronomy, Chapter 6 God told us to “remember these things†and tell them to our children. He went on to tell us to talk about these things when we wake up, when we go to bed, when we walk along the road… you get the idea.
In America, not only have we stopped talking to our children about God’s truth, we are letting them watch Jersey Shore and listen to Christina Aguilera.
It’s time to clean house.
The MTV F***ing Movie Awards
An article from Jonathan McKee at TheSource4YM.com
6/7/2010
TIME FOR US TO RETHINK WHAT OUR YOUTH ARE WATCHING!!
I don’t think anyone could have said it more true than New Moon star Peter Facinelli at the close of the MTV Movie Awards last night when he joked, “I’ve never heard the word ‘f**k’ used so many times in one evening.â€
He wasn’t kidding. Joe Pesci was covering his ears! The poor guy hitting the sensor button probably developed a callus in the first half hour!
The sad fact is, the rampant use of f-bombs was probably one of the least worrisome elements of the evening. MTV provided girl-on-girl action, oral sex gestures, penis jokes, testicle jokes… and probably the icing on the cake, Christina Aguilera singing a song about receiving oral sex, complete with a close up of a little red heart-light lit up on her crotch at the end of the performance.
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. MTV has put themselves in a bind. Each year they try to trump the previous year, and the easiest way to do that is to push the limits even further. It’s difficult to even imagine the show 10 years from today.
Second Guessing My Own Recommendation
For years I’ve been recommending that parents and youth workers watch this show to harness just a glimpse at youth culture. I’ve said it year after year, “I only watch three of these shows a year: The MTV Movie Awards, The Teen Choice Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards.†Those three shows alone give anyone an accurate picture of exactly what our entertainment world is marketing to today’s teenagers.
Unfortunately, that little “taste†is starting to make me a little bit ill.
Last night my wife and I were driving home when I remembered that I had to watch the show so I could write this article. I dreaded the chore. I could think of a hundred things I’d rather do.
But more than that, I am just getting tired of MTV and the CW and ABC trying desperately to target teenagers to watch their trash. It’s heartbreaking to me that adults are pimping this kind of content to our kids for one simple reason: ratings and money. Yes… it sounds like two reasons. But I assure you, they are one and the same.
Jersey Shore and Katy Perry
The show really began an hour before the show with the red carpet interviews. This year’s red carpet interview was basically a giant infomercial for MTV’s new reality show Jersey Shore, with Shore character Snooki on the mike helping MTV regulars interview the stars. In this pre-show, we got to hear Katy Perry joke about everything from doing a threesome to rumors of her performing naked. “I’m a tease,†she offered. (Hmmmmm…. I hadn’t noticed. Maybe next time she’ll admit that she’s a sellout too.)
The pre-show showed us glimpses of Katy’s racy music video with Snoop Dog, and then an exclusive, the first 10 minutes of Jersey Shore—Season Two.
Wow! I’m going to sound like my grandpa here, but, “I can’t believe they call that entertainment.†One of the characters of the show described it like this: (imagine a thick jersey accent) “Lot’s of fights, lot’s of hookups, lots of drama. One minute you got three girls in a Jacuzzi, the next minute someone’s in jail and you have to bail them out.â€
The dialogue was unbelievable. Snooki is making meatballs with her new boyfriend Emilio. “How many balls do you want?†Emilio asks with a smirk.
Snooki pauses, then smiles. “Two, in my face.â€
Then we’re blessed with Snooki’s keen insight about relationships.
“Me and Emilio have been together for two and a half months. I really don’t want to cheat. Like seriously, I don’t want to. But you know, if you’re going to hand me a bottle of freaking (she named a drink), something just comes over me. Like I just go crazy!â€
At this point, I couldn’t wait for the actual award show to begin.
The Lowlights
The show opened with Tom Cruise reprising his role from the R-rated 2008 movie Tropic Thunder.
Uh… did I miss something? It’s 2010, isn’t it?
The fat, bald, and harry Tom Cruise character Les Grossman gave the sensor guy a run for his money in the first 60 seconds. His speech was probably summarized in these three sentences:
“See movies are nothing but a marriage of picture and sound. My job is to get those two things drunk—get them “f**cking. The illegitimate baby they make is called entertainment.â€
Unfortunately that wasn’t the last we saw of Cruises “Grossman†character that evening. Grossman joined us again later to dance in a traditional crotch-grabbing and hip thrusting fashion to a Ludacris song. (Yes, that’s the name of the artist, and yes, pun intended!) The opening words of the song:
[Chorus]
(Yeek-Yeek Woop-Woop) Why you all in my ear? Talkin' a whole bunch a sh** that I ain't tryin to hear.
Get Back! Motherf***er You don't know me like that.
Get back! Motherf***er You don't know me like that!
Then “Grossman†began dancing with J-lo, holding a walking cane up to his crotch like a penis pointed at J-lo.
The host of the evening, Aziz Ansari, is a talented comedian. Unfortunately, like many talented comedians today, Aziz constantly grabs for the low hanging fruit of sexual humor and vulgarity. It was hard to watch Aziz cracking jokes about Taylor Lautner’s “nuts†when the cameraman was showing us 11-year-old Jaden Smith in the audience cracking up.
Think about that visual for a second—adults telling raunchy jokes and showing explicit material to 11-year-olds. If Jaden was walking through a park and a stranger approached him joking about testicles, erections and vaginas… my guess is that Jaden’s dad, Will Smith, might have a thing or two to say to this individual.
I wonder in the same situation if a lady came up to Jaden and started singing a song about people licking her vagina (as Christina Aguilera would do to the crowd later that evening)… I wonder how long Will would allow that to happen.
But as long as Jaden is sitting in the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA, and our kids are sitting in the popcorn-grease-saturated theatre seats, or on couches in front of big screen TVs… then it must be okay.
It’s obvious that MTV and parents all over the world just don’t mind this kind of content. Because if they did, they probably wouldn’t let kids watch the show. They probably wouldn’t allow their kids to vote whether the R-rated movie The Hangover is the best movie of the year.
Sigh.
Some of the names of the awards speak loudly to the caliber of the show. This year the show boasted the “WTF†award (Yes, that stands for “What the f**k?!â€) and the “Scared as S**t Performance.†These were in addition to the traditional “Best Male Performance,†“Best Female,†and don’t forget the annual opportunity to show two girls kissing, the “Best Kiss Award.†This year Kristen Stewart actually won the award for kissing Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, not the kiss she was also nominated for with female actress Dakota Fanning in the film Runaways.
That wasn’t the last girl on girl kiss we saw that evening. Sandra Bullock planted one on Scarlet Johansson in another awkward MTV moment. If you haven’t noticed, threesomes and girl on girl action are a pre-requisite for most entertainment today.
Commercials
It’s always educational to see what commercials MTV airs throughout the Awards each year. Last year we literally got to see the blurred testicles of a skater in their “Balls Out Comedy†commercials. This year MTV didn’t hold back either. The show that probably ran the most commercials of the evening is their brand new series, The Hard Times of RJ Berger, the show about a nerdy kid that gets popular on his campus because of his big penis. The commercials made that point very clear.
But don’t worry parents. MTV also has a show with a puppet. Won’t that be neat for the children! Well, before you begin thinking “Muppets†or “Sesame Street,†remember this is MTV. MTV’s commercials for Warren the Ape revealed a puppet that we saw humping a girl in a bikini top, and we heard saying lines like, “I’m icing my balls†and “I do! I do love porn!†(We’ve come a long way since Mr. Rogers.)
Then there’s Jersey Shore.
Enough said.
Musical Performances
The evening featured two musical performances. One from a duo made in heaven, Katy Perry and Snoop Dog, singing their number one hit California Gurls. It’s hard to even explain this performance in print. At first glance the lyrics don’t look explicit:
California girls
We're unforgettable
Daisy Dukes
Bikinis on top
Sun-kissed skin
So hot
Will melt your popsicle
But add Perry’s lewd hand gestures to lyrics like “melt your popsicle,†and you’ve got an entirely new meaning. Maybe that’s why Entertainment Weekly called this a “raunchified rendition (check the hand motions!) of the new official song of the summer.â€
Just when I thought that the evening couldn’t get any worse, Christina Aguilera performed a montage of some of her hits. Her performance was so across the line it’s difficult to verbalize. It started with her typical provocative dancing and thrusts. But apparently this wasn’t enough. After all, think what we’ve seen from other artists of late (Adam Lambert? Britney?). Several times Christina’s dancers dropped down and groped her leg, licking it. One of her male dancers even licked upward towards her crotch. As if this wasn’t enough, she then broke out in a song about licking her “Woohoo,†a song titled (I kid you not) “Woohoo.†Here’s a peek at the lyrics:
You Know You Really Wanna (HEY) , Wanna Taste My
You Know You Wanna Get a Peak Wanna See My
You Know You Wanna Put Your Lips Where my Hips Are , Kiss On My , All Over My…
It was almost comedy watching what MTV chose to edit from those lyrics. After all, none of the words are cusswords. But even MTV realized that this song would be overboard. So they simply bleeped out the words, “Wanna Taste My.â€
Ironically, MTV had no problem zooming in on Christina’s crotch at the end of the performance, where she had a glowing red heart-shaped light in front of her… dare I say Whoohoo?
The evening didn’t end with Christina. I haven’t even mentioned Mark Walberg simulating sodomy with Will Farrell, or the guy from The Hangover giving thanks to voters from his penis. It was one over-the-top moment after the next.
Nothing New
This is nothing new.
We’ve been here before. Mankind loves to do things their own way instead of God’s way. That’s sin, in a nutshell: when we do things our way instead of His way. And sooner or later we start suffering the consequences of our behavior…unless someone tells us the truth, and we respond to it.
I love the Bible passage in I Kings, Chapter 22. An eight-year-old named Josiah became king. The Bible describes him as “doing right in the eyes of the LORD.†“Not turning aside to the right or to the left.â€
In this moving story, this young king grows up and sends his secretary to the temple of the LORD on an errand. The secretary and the high priest stumbled upon a book while on this errand—the Book of the Law. They bring the book back to the king and read it.
Josiah’s eyes are opened!
When Josiah read the Book of the Law—the stories about God and His people—he literally tore his clothes in despair, realizing how bad things had become. In Chapter 23 this young king started cleaning house. He began removing false gods that had crept their way into the temple. He got rid of the prostitutes. He got rid of the sexually explicit artifacts that they used to worship other gods. Josiah saw the truth and he cleaned house!
Parents in 2010 need to do two things: they need to hear the truth, and they need to clean house.
We need to all be about sharing the truth. In Deuteronomy, Chapter 6 God told us to “remember these things†and tell them to our children. He went on to tell us to talk about these things when we wake up, when we go to bed, when we walk along the road… you get the idea.
In America, not only have we stopped talking to our children about God’s truth, we are letting them watch Jersey Shore and listen to Christina Aguilera.
It’s time to clean house.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Join us at Victory Church Live! For a special Mothers Day celebration!! http://ping.fm/HifhL
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Douglas Michael Bankson Good morning all! Here's a great thought for today; GRACE IS BIGGER! No matter what you are facing... GRACE IS BIGGER! Whether it's temptation, fear, a financial challenge, loneliness, a heavy workload... GRACE IS BIGGER! Whatever the task, His grace is a sufficient supply for you. GRACE IS BIGGER! Run boldly to the ...throne of grace (God's ability through His unmerited favor), obtain mercy, and find the grace to help you in the time of need because... GRACE IS BIGGER! So whatever the mountain, like the Bible says, cry "GRACE, GRACE" to it right now because... GRACE IS BIGGER!!!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Playa's
You Know I'm Just Gonna Hurtcha!
#1 hit on the music charts today, Break Your Heart
"The song is trying to justify this kind of playa lifestyle,"It's the kind of lie that today's young girls are buying."
This candid new song, Break Your Heart, is by Taio Cruz. He'd probably just argue that he's "keeping it real." Because he and rapper Ludacris make their intentions clear throughout the song. "I'm going to hurt you." "I've got a problem with misbehavin."
Oh... well then I guess it's okay then. As long as he admits it up front, right?
David R. Smith does an incredible job at unpacking this song in this week's Youth Culture Windowarticle, Low Expectations for Love. In the article, he not only provides us with information about the song and the artist, he also shares some concern about the impact on our girls' self esteem. He wraps up the article by providing some questions that we can ask our teeenagers about this song, or more importantly, this mindset. I encourage you to read that article.
Teens are always talking with me about girls at school. He and a few friends were sharing how quick and easy girls are to provide sexual favors to guys today. Girls are growing up in a world that not only convinces them that they need to dress like a hootchie, but that they need to be sexual objects. Now songs like Break Your Heart seem to be conveying, "Some guys are like this... and that's okay."
With today's "hookup" mentality, this probably isn't a big deal. Hooking upbasically means "being sexually active for fun, with no strings attached." Perhaps Cruz and Ludacris think that today's "Hookup" generation won't feel any guilt or regret when they're treated like an object.
If they only knew how many tears were shed the day after.
What messages are your kids hearing from songs like this?
#1 hit on the music charts today, Break Your Heart
"The song is trying to justify this kind of playa lifestyle,"It's the kind of lie that today's young girls are buying."
This candid new song, Break Your Heart, is by Taio Cruz. He'd probably just argue that he's "keeping it real." Because he and rapper Ludacris make their intentions clear throughout the song. "I'm going to hurt you." "I've got a problem with misbehavin."
Oh... well then I guess it's okay then. As long as he admits it up front, right?
David R. Smith does an incredible job at unpacking this song in this week's Youth Culture Windowarticle, Low Expectations for Love. In the article, he not only provides us with information about the song and the artist, he also shares some concern about the impact on our girls' self esteem. He wraps up the article by providing some questions that we can ask our teeenagers about this song, or more importantly, this mindset. I encourage you to read that article.
Teens are always talking with me about girls at school. He and a few friends were sharing how quick and easy girls are to provide sexual favors to guys today. Girls are growing up in a world that not only convinces them that they need to dress like a hootchie, but that they need to be sexual objects. Now songs like Break Your Heart seem to be conveying, "Some guys are like this... and that's okay."
With today's "hookup" mentality, this probably isn't a big deal. Hooking upbasically means "being sexually active for fun, with no strings attached." Perhaps Cruz and Ludacris think that today's "Hookup" generation won't feel any guilt or regret when they're treated like an object.
If they only knew how many tears were shed the day after.
What messages are your kids hearing from songs like this?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
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