What One Teenager Can Do

by Dick Blackford The article below was written about 17-year-old Tim Wadlington. Tim died of cancer on Sept. 8, 1989, and I attended his funeral on the 12th at Eddysville, Kentucky. The church at Suwanne, where Tim worshipped, has a bulletin that is published solely by the teenagers, called The River of Life. I knew…

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What’s Wrong with Today’s Youth?

by Bill Hall All along we hear questions raised as to what has gone wrong with today’s youth. Recently, a brother expressed his concern along this line and then asked, “What advice would you give young parents to help them avoid mistakes that we have made in our generation?” The first thing we would say…

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Dealing with Criticism

by Mike Grushon One of the persistent problems young people must overcome is criticism from adults. Paul exhorted Timothy to conduct himself in such a way that he would give no one a basis of truth for such criticism (I Timothy 4:12). Unfortunately, some choose to criticize the young even if they do not provide…

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Planning Your Life

by P.D. Wilmeth These seven teenage years are a great adventure in experiences, with all the risks and hazards of unknown paths. They are tremendously important years this is a journey that we make only once. There is no roundtrip ticket, most of us according to the calendar will be on this road for about…

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I Wish Someone Had Told Me

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/I-Wish-Someone-Had-Told-Me.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 5:7-14   I.         I ran across an article by Chuck Lawless about “Ten Conversations I Wish Someone Had with Me as a Teenager.”             A.        Hindsight generally reveals that mistakes could have been avoided             B.        I constantly get told: “I wish someone had told me just how bad this could get”             C.        And…

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Advice to Young Men

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Advice-to-Young-Men.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 2:6-8   I.         In the Seattle Weekly, August 21, 2002, Philip Dawdy wrote an article titled “What Little Boys Are Made Of”             A.        The thrust of the article is that school systems are biased against the way boys generally behave. 85% of the students in the “emotionally and behaviorally disturbed”…

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Not Too Young

Author Unknown Recent research has revealed what teenagers truly desire from the adults in their lives. The Search Institute study found that teens want parents and other older influencers to do the following: Look at us. Spend time talking with us. Listen. Be dependable. Show appreciation for what we do. Relax. Show that you’re interested.…

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Young People

by Hugh Fulford Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash As is the case with old people, the Bible has much to say about young people. In some respects, both “young” and “old” are relative terms. Even after I was in my 60s, I would sometimes be told, “You are still a young man.” To me,…

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The Seasons of Life

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Seasons-of-Life.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8   I.         Solomon said, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1             A.        Each moment in time, each phase of life, must be treated in a manner appropriate to the events – Ecclesiastes 3:11             B.        So many people create problems for themselves…

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A Young Soul Winner

by Jefferson David Tant “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19) Nancy Harber was only 14 (well, almost 15), and at this young age had already experienced one of the greatest joys of…

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How do I get others to see the necessity of attending?

Question: Hey brother Hamilton, I have a concern I know you will be able to help me address. I am a teacher at a local church of Christ. I have been doing my best teaching the congregation starting about a year ago. I am also a teenager who will be graduating this year. My concern…

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I found a wonderful resource for preteens and teens in your writings

Question: I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how appreciative I am to have access to your scripturally sound, open materials. As the mother of two boys and a current elementary principal in our public schools, I see the daily pressure and struggles of preteens and teens. I’m constantly on the…

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Can you achieve anything by just believing in yourself?

Question: Hi Jeff, I am a young man who is inexperienced in life but want to explore. I hear a lot of “you can do anything if you just believe in yourself.” But when I consider that there is a lot to learn, but our life span is short, I get scared. So I ask:…

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Teenage Suicide: Its Causes and Its Cure

by Harold Fite Guardian of Truth – June 20, 1985 If the trend continues, 50,000 suicides will have occurred in this country by the end of 1985. Ten thousand of this number will be committed by young people between the ages of 15 and 34. Suicide is the second greatest killer among those between the ages…

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Reaching the Youth

by Terry Partain Forty-five years ago I was hired to work with another preacher to especially reach out to the youth. I was too late. The youth and their parents had separate social lives. The practice of catering to groups according to their age has destroyed the bonds of affection and understanding as well as…

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How do you handle inappropriate talk in a youth Bible study?

Question: I just graduated from high school and started hanging out with my sister’s friends who are the college-age people in our church. Most of them are on our youth staff. They meet together in what they call a Bible study, but we did not touch a Bible once. It seemed like the whole time…

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How can I defend the faith as a Christian youth?

Question: Please assist me with this question: “How can I defend the faith as a Christian youth?” Thank you. Answer: “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to…

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When I am Old, Then I’ll be Good

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/WhenIAmOldThenIllBeGood.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 25:1-13   I.         In Jesus’ parable of the vineyard workers we learn that salvation is available to all who will come to the Lord, no matter when it is done – Matthew 20:1-16             A.        Jesus in his mercy chooses to treat all alike.             B.        When an elderly man wrote to me,…

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To the Young Men

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ToTheYoungMen.mp3 by Kirk Davidson

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How can a young man seek holiness?

Question: How can a young man seek holiness? Answer: In order to answer your question, we need to explore that is meant by “holy.” The word “holy” translates a Hebrew word referring to something or someone dedicated to the service of a god. “Holy” includes dedication when it is applied to people and things, but…

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The Children of One’s Youth

by Bryan Matthew Dockens The name Jamie Lynn Spears was unknown to me until the sixteen-year-old actress and younger sister of Britney Spears recently announced that she is expecting a child. This news has predictably brought increased attention to the issue of teen pregnancy. Allow me to submit for your consideration, however, that the problem,…

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Why are older people so much nicer and more respectful than young people?

Question: Every time I attend worship, older people like me more than people my age. Why are older people so much nicer and more respectful than young people? There are no young people as nice and respectful as older people. I wish our young people were nice like older people. Answer: “Let your speech always…

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Wisdom and Youth

by Marshall Reid via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 29, July 20, 2008. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a teenager at Florida College, full of energy and life, feeling like I could take on the world. I was going to be successful. I was going to be somebody. I had so…

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The Next Generation

by Steve Klein via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, December 3, 2006 As Solomon looked at life under the sun, he observed that “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4). With the passing of each generation, knowledge, values, and even faith are…

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Any suggestions for material to teach young people?

Question: I read your article on whether boys and girls swimming together was ok or not. I saw it referenced in one of your last posts. I have been explaining a little bit about watching TV shows and listening to certain music or I should say lyrics to songs how it numbs our feelings and we…

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I Wanted to Change the World

Author Unknown When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I…

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What should a teenager do to guard against pride?

Question: The Bible tells us that “Pride comes before destruction.” What are the things a teenager should guard against in order to be respectful and humble? Answer: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). The problem of pride is not unique to teenagers. All people struggle with it since…

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Notes on Youth

Psalm 71:5-6 “For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You.” Proverbs 20:29 “The glory of young men is their strength, and the…

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Should young boys lead singing in worship?

Question: The congregation I am meeting at has, on the last Wednesday night of the month, a singing night. We don’t have classes that night. We come together in the auditorium and sing songs, pray and someone gives a short ten-minute lesson. We let the boys get up in front of the congregation with their…

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Notes on Adolescence and Teenagers

Genesis 37:2-4 “This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all…

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How do you teach preteens about salvation?

Question: How can I effectively teach preteens about the salvation plan? I would like some tips on activities in setting the mood so that when we do the calling they will truly understand what the sacrifice meant. Answer: The beauty of God’s message is that it remains constant, no matter to whom it is taught.…

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Can a woman teach a teenage boy?

Question: I’d like your input concerning a confrontation that I had with two ladies after services last evening. We have a 14-year-old boy who is not yet a Christian. His mother has been teaching him in our Sunday morning Bible class. I mentioned that we need to assign a “Christian man” to teach him. One…

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How do I chasten my teenager for using drugs?

Question: How do I chasten my teenager for using drugs? Question: What do I do if I find my teenager is using drugs? Answer: The use of drugs causes numerous problems for the parent as well as the child. Some of what I’m about to write will need to be modified for your particular situation…

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How do you prevent teenagers from having pre-marital sex?

Question: How do you prevent teenagers from having pre-marital sex? Answer: “We have a little sister, and she has no breasts; what shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for? If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver; but if she is a…

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How do you handle a teenage liar?

Question: Our 13-year-old lies about everything to get what he wants. He lies about not having homework when he does. He hides bad homework from us. We talk to the teachers every day now. He continues to lie even though he knows he is going to get caught. We must search his backpack every night.…

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