Ongoing Challenges in Retaining Young Congregants

1. Welcome To The Services Of The Dunlap church of Christ We Are So Glad You Are Here!

2. Welcome To The Services Of The Dunlap church of Christ Questions? Just Let Us Know!

3. Proverbs 1:10-16 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. (11) If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: (12) Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

4. (13) We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: (14) Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: (15) My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: (16) For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.”

5. Not Uncommon For Young People • Lose interest in spiritual matters • Pull away – become “distant” • Start missing some – then quit attending • Become involved in alcohol and/or drugs • Date, engage & marry non-Christians Ultimately Lose Them To The World!

6. Why? Knowing why may help prevent losing more!

7. Why Are We Losing Our Young People? I. Bad Influence - Of Their Friends

8. Why Are We Losing Our Young People? I. Bad Influence - Of Their Friends “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” I Corinthians 15:33

9. Why Are We Losing Our Young People? I. Bad Influence - Of Their Friends “Be not deceived: evil companionships corrupt good morals.” I Corinthians 15:33

10. Proverbs 1:10,11,14,15 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. (11) If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: (14) Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: (15) My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:”

11. I. BadInfluence – Of Their Friends A. Warnings B.How It Happens 1. Gradually drift (Hebrews 2:1) 2. Desensitized to sin (Psa. 1:1) 3. Pressure mounts when outnumbered (Ex.23:2; Rom.12:2) 4. Easily become like them (Proverbs 23:20-21)

12. Proverbs 23:20,21 “Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: (21) For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.” Wallow with the hogs and you will begin to smell like the hogs.

13. Love Demands Concern!

14. ConcernNecessitates Questions!

15. Are We Questioning? • Too Trusting? • Naïve? • Immature? • Inexperienced?

16. Why Are We Losing Our Young People? I. Bad Influence – Of Their Friends II. Poor Example – Of Their Parents

17. II. Poor Example – Of Their Parents A. Young People Learn From What They See B.Young People Often See Parents Who: 1. Didn’t attend Sunday Bible class 2. Didn’t attend Sunday night 3. Didn’t attend on Wednesday night 4. Didn’t support gospel meetings, VBS, etc. 5. Emphasize material over spiritual 7. Emphasize school work, sports, hobbies, etc. to the exclusion of Bible work 8. Flirt with worldliness in all its forms Should Not Be Surprised When They Turn Out Just Like We Have Trained Them!

18. Why Are We Losing Our Young People? I. Bad Influence – Of Their Friends II. Poor Example – Of Their Parents III. Weak Image – Of The Church

19. III. Weak Image – Of The Church From the time a child is old enough to pay attention to what goes on in the church (let’s say 8 years old) they form an image of the church and Christianity. Until they are 18 (10 year period), what image is formed?

20. The church is: “the house, household, family of God, the pillar & ground of the truth” I Timothy 3:15 Therefore, a community without the church is a lost community!

21. “babes” I Peter 2:2 desiring the sincere milk of the word in order to grow thereby “babes” I Cor.3:1-3 not spiritual, but carnal envying, and strife, divisions

22. Why Are We Losing Our Young People? I. Bad Influence – Of Their Friends II. Poor Example – Of Their Parents III. Weak Image – Of The Church IV. Lax Standards – At Home

23. IV. Lax Standards – At Home A. Training young people requires high standards 1. Ephesians 6:1-4 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; (3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. (4) And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

24. IV. Lax Standards – At Home A. Training young people requires high standards 1. Ephesians 6:1-4 2. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

25. IV. Lax Standards – At Home A. Training young people requires high standards1. Ephesians 6:1-4 2. Proverbs 22:6 3.Deut. 4:9-10“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; (10) Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.”

26. Common Lax Standards 1. Little corrective discipline in younger years Proverbs 22:15 “the rod of correction” Proverbs 19:18 “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” 2. Careless in watching: (clothing, music, movies, TV, who with, where go) 3. Not involved in religious training 4. Little communication to bond, teach (Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himselfbringeth his mother to shame.”)

27. Why Are We Losing Our Young People? I. Bad Influence – Of Their Friends II. Poor Example – Of Their Parents III. Weak Image – Of The Church IV. Lax Standards – At Home V. Little Time – As A Family

28. V. Little Time – As A Family A. We Simply Cannot Fulfill Some Of Our God Given Responsibilities Without Time. 1. Takes time to be an example 2. Takes time to teach them 3. Takes time to help through problems 4. Takes time to understand them 5. Takes time to communicate 6. Takes time to build a relationship that lasts

29. V. Little Time – As A Family A. Can’t Fulfill Some Respon. Without Time B.Redeeming time (Ephesians 5:15-16) 1. Make wise use of time 2. Sad when grow up – have no time for parents

30. V. Little Time – as a Family A. Can’t Fulfill Some Respon. Without Time B.Redeeming time (Eph. 5:15-16) C. Often Too Busy 1. To eat together 2. To talk about each other’s day 3. Go somewhere as a family 4. Help a teenager through some problems

31. Why Are We Losing Our Young People? I. Bad Influence – Of Their Friends II. Poor Example – Of Their Parents III. Weak Image – Of The Church IV. Lax Standards – At Home V. Little Time – As A Family

32. If You Are Not Going To Adhere To The Standards God Has Given, Don't Have Children!

33. Let Us Be Men & Women Of Conviction & Character, Not Wimps & Sissies! Hard Job? Costly? Absolutely, But Worth Whatever The Price Paid!

34. The Simple Plan • HEAR –Rom.10:17; Jno.20:30,31 • BELIEVE –John 8:24; Hebrews 11:6 • REPENT –Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30,31 • CONFESS –Romans 10:10; Acts 8:37 • BE BAPTIZED –Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16 • ADDED TO CHURCH (Acts 2:41,47)

35. The Simple Plan • HEAR –Rom.10:17; Jno.20:30,31 • BELIEVE –John 8:24; Hebrews 11:6 • REPENT –Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30,31 • CONFESS –Romans 10:10; Acts 8:37 • BE BAPTIZED –Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16 • ADDED TO CHURCH (Acts 2:41,47)

36. Are You Wayward? “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” (Acts 8:22) “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)