Personal notes from a Sunday morning at Denton Bible Church:

Text Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Sermon Notes (Chris Wilson, Student Ministries, in the pulpit)

Kids today – what they have to deal with can be mind blowing.

HOW’D WE GET HERE?
The Greatest Generation: (coined by Tom Brokaw) Those born in the 20’s and 30’s; their upbringing was based on values…doing what is/was right

Baby Boomers: A creative generation that still remembers “Leave it to Beaver”, “Andy Griffith”, “The Cosby Show”, “Family Ties” – TV shows  that had value, message, and were just simply “good”

Gen Xers:  vastly deviant from “The Greatest Generation”; technology kids – iPhones, iPads, internet, video games, texting, etc.

Digital Natives watch television such as:

• “Skins”
• “Glee”
• “Teen Mom”
• “16 and Pregnant”
• “Vampire Diaries”
• “Date My Mom”

No longer do youth learn a life/religion value system from their parents and adult mentors. Instead, values are learned from media…one look at a few television shows today and we ask “How did it get so bad?”

Our youth today deal with and live by:

• question why things happen
• shy from commitments
• nothing is black and white
• argue with parents; watch parents argue amongst themselves
• have no responsibility/obligation for truth
• dwell in and expect unearned prosperity
• do not foster or nurture relationships

HOW DID THINGS GET SO BAD?
God knew this would happen (Romans 1:18-23)

HOW DO WE FIX IT?
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – God has hope…knows it will be OK if Christians are no longer thought to be hypocrites (say one thing, do another); parents do parenting, church does churching

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.