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[mandy3381]

this is to whomever can best help me.

I started having devotions each and every night with my teens. Since they do not know the books of the bible well enough to quickly find where scripture is i thought we would begin this week and every week after beginning our devotions in thegensis and work our way thru.

now the questionis.. How do i relate these scriptures in Genesis and in Matthew to one another .. summarize it i guess to wheremy teens(15 and 16)can understand it. I ask for their participation and they give me a blank stare. I need help

i want to present the Word of God to them but appaently going about this all wrong.. Any tips or hints as to what i can do better

now for the scripture

Genesis 6 :5-7

Genesis 7:23

Matthew 24:37-44

God Bles

Mandy

[nebula]

Nothing comes to mind, but I thought you might want to invest in some resource help?

I typed "teen devotions" into Google and got a list of sites you might want to look into.

Click here

[tsth]

Be careful about devotions. Many times they lop-sidedly focus on messages that don't reveal the WHOLE Truth of God's Word, and only look at the things we "want" to hear, rather than the specifics. Don't be afraid to get into the touchier topics with your teens.....sex, marriage, heaven and hell. (not that those 2 mirror each other. ), but just be sure to address specifics.

We do a family alter time on Sunday evenings with our 2 teens. We focus on things that have been neglected within today's society and teachings, like preparation for marriage, dating, and what the Scriptures teach about these topics. We just recently finished talking about James 3 and 4, reading a little and then asking our kids, if they understood what a particular passage meant after we read it out loud........sometimes we find that they're not even sure of what some of the statements meant, and then other times, they give us very profound insights into how these things affect them and their daily lives, or what they think the passages mean. It is very uplifting for us as their parents, as well. Get them to give detailed "guesses" if necessary, but get them to "talk" about what they think something might mean.

Proverbs is also a very good book to study together as a family, since it has so many life applications in one book, that are relevant to every age.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[JB Horn]

this is to whomever can best help me.

I started having devotions each and every night with my teens. Since they do not know the books of the bible well enough to quickly find where scripture is i thought we would begin this week and every week after beginning our devotions in thegensis and work our way thru.

now the questionis.. How do i relate these scriptures in Genesis and in Matthew to one another .. summarize it i guess to wheremy teens(15 and 16)can understand it. I ask for their participation and they give me a blank stare. I need help

i want to present the Word of God to them but appaently going about this all wrong.. Any tips or hints as to what i can do better

now for the scripture

Genesis 6 :5-7

Genesis 7:23

Matthew 24:37-44

God Bles

Mandy

Christ is the Ark of salvation and He will come when you are not expecting Him for those who are ready, those not ready will parish. No one knows the time so you must be on the Ark or you will parish.

But what do I know my kids up and got old years ago

JB

[mandy3381]

Thanks Suzanne for your suggestions

we actually started the devotions when we got back from Superwow(youth convention). I am trying to gear the devotion time in where they participate in the scripture reading.

Lately they havent participated at all other than reading the scriptures i tell them to read. I ask them to summarize the readings(just so i get an idea of whether they understood) and they shut up. I spend 45 minutes talking and get no response.

Not because they dont understand, they tell me point blank.. I dont care.. mom you are the one doing these devotions we arent.

The purpose

getting them to open up the word, reading it.. trying to get them to see how it applies to their life.

I sometimes feel like giving up but when i do the Holy Spirit tells me, not to as long as they are opening the word and reading it , then he is working even if it doesnt show when i want it too.

once again

tanks

Blessing

Mandy

Be careful about devotions. Many times they lop-sidedly focus on messages that don't reveal the WHOLE Truth of God's Word, and only look at the things we "want" to hear, rather than the specifics. Don't be afraid to get into the touchier topics with your teens.....sex, marriage, heaven and hell. (not that those 2 mirror each other. ), but just be sure to address specifics.

We do a family alter time on Sunday evenings with our 2 teens. We focus on things that have been neglected within today's society and teachings, like preparation for marriage, dating, and what the Scriptures teach about these topics. We just recently finished talking about James 3 and 4, reading a little and then asking our kids, if they understood what a particular passage meant after we read it out loud........sometimes we find that they're not even sure of what some of the statements meant, and then other times, they give us very profound insights into how these things affect them and their daily lives, or what they think the passages mean. It is very uplifting for us as their parents, as well. Get them to give detailed "guesses" if necessary, but get them to "talk" about what they think something might mean.

Proverbs is also a very good book to study together as a family, since it has so many life applications in one book, that are relevant to every age.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[MeCajunboy]

this is to whomever can best help me.

I started having devotions each and every night with my teens. Since they do not know the books of the bible well enough to quickly find where scripture is i thought we would begin this week and every week after beginning our devotions in thegensis and work our way thru.

now the questionis.. How do i relate these scriptures in Genesis and in Matthew to one another .. summarize it i guess to wheremy teens(15 and 16)can understand it. I ask for their participation and they give me a blank stare. I need help

i want to present the Word of God to them but appaently going about this all wrong.. Any tips or hints as to what i can do better

now for the scripture

Genesis 6 :5-7

Genesis 7:23

Matthew 24:37-44

God Bles

Mandy

Blessings Mandy, What a wonderful idea and I'm so happy to see that children of that age will sit still long enough to communicate with their parents. My first thought on your plans was to just throw it out to THEM and let them pick a scripture or book that most interests them. This might get you off to a better start. Normally, I have found that any book with storylines in them will get their little minds going at first, I hope??? Best of luck and stick with it dear. You can even ask them to go to their friends for requests and let them come back and report, this will accomplish two things. First, It might give you insight on what problems their friends are experiencing at the time. And secondly, it will tell you what problems their closest friends mighht be dealing with in their own lives and show you children how the Bible is prepared to explain how their friends can resolve their situations by following the Word of God. This way your children don't have to necessarily reveal any of their own personal problems right off. You'll probably find that some of their friends are experiencing family problems as mom and dad fighing or even possible divorces. I'm using these experiences because these are the types of problems that children need to be prepared for as they are all around the families of Faith these days. Single moms and single dads as well. Or even same-sex parents rasing one of their children between the both. Children will need to be equipped with tools of knowledges if you want to prepare them for tomorrow!

Be Blessed

Cajunboy

[Sconzy]

Mandy, tell your teens that what happened in the OT is/was fulfilled in the NT. Then lead them in how Jesus and the OT connect. This will help them whenever they read the OT, they will look at how Jesus is talked about or revealed. Don't expect them to tell you big revelations when you have not told them either. Remember they learn as you teach them not as you expect them. Step by step, that's how we learn, it's a process.

Hope that helps...........

[Carol R]

Hi Mandy,

I have a 16 year old and what I do is every evening we have a small bible reading and a prayer time, I encourage my son to tell me what he thinks the bible is saying, and if he doesnt understand then he asks me, sometimes he cant be bothered but we still do it. I try to not let it drag on too long or I lose him. He is saved, and before we started the readings we just did prayers i slowly built in the readings. Sometimes my son chooses where he would like to read from, sometimes I use devotionals but I make sure its a good one, one that is teaching the word of God.

Hope it all goes well keep praying, they are lucky to have a praying parent.

God Bless you.

Carol R