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{Heart4Teens.com} *Guidelines For Dating* ______________________________________ If you enjoy this free email service, I encourage you to spread the word to family and friends that we may bring inspiration into the lives of teenagers everywhere! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, you can join Heart4Teen.com readers around the world by sending a blank e-mail to: Heart4Teens-subscribe@myinjesus.com or visit: http://www.Heart4Teens.com Visit our inspirational web site to read all the past articles in our archives and view the tons of resources we have there for teens! http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Teen_Stories ____________________________________________ Be sure to check out our other inspirational email list and web site! http://www.HeartTouchers.com To subscribe send a blank email to: HeartTouchers-subscribe@myinjesus.com _________________________________________ Guidelines For Dating by Dawson McAllister God wants the best for us in every area of our lives. This includes relationships with boyfriends or girlfriends. We should date for fun, friendship, personality development and selection of a mate, not to be popular or for security. Don't allow peer pressure to force you into dating situations that are not appropriate. Realize that over 50% of girls and over 40% of guys never date in high school. The Bible gives us some very clear principles to guide us in making decisions about dating. Guard your heart. The Bible tells us to be very careful about giving our affections, because our heart influences everything else in our life. "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23) You are known by the company you keep. We also tend to become like the company we keep. This principle is closely related to the first one and is just as important in friendships as in dating."Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33) Christians should only date other Christians. Although it is fine for Christians to have non-Christian friends, those who are especially close to our heart should be mature believers who are seeking to follow Christ with their lives."Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). Is it really love? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 defines real love. Ask yourself these questions:Are you patient with each other? Are you kind to each other? Are you never envious of each other? Do you never boast to or about each other? Is your relationship characterized by humility? Are you never rude to each other? Are you not self-seeking? Are you not easily angered with each other? Do you keep no record of wrongs? Are you truthful with each other? Do you protect each other? Do you trust each other? If you answered "yes" to the above questions, then 1 Corinthians 13 says that you truly have a loving relationship. If you answered "no" to any of the above questions, then maybe you should discuss those issues with your boyfriend or girlfriend. How Far is Too Far? Many students ask the question, "How far should I go on a date?" Here are some principles that will help you decide what is appropriate behavior on a date. Does the situation I put myself in invite sexual immorality or help me avoid it? 1 Corinthians 6:18 says to "flee from sexual immorality." We cannot do this if we are tempting ourselves through carelessness. What kind of reputation does my potential date have? When you accept a date you are essentially saying, "My values are the same as your values." That in itself can put you in a position you may regret later. Remember 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Bad company corrupts good character." Will there be any pressure to use alcohol or drugs? Don't give up your values for a date. Am I attracting the wrong type of person? Make sure that the message you send with your actions doesn't attract people who will lead you to compromise your values. Am I aware that sin is first committed in the heart? Matthew 5:28 says, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Are you going to the right kind of place for a date? Many good intentions have been forgotten because the temptation and opportunity were too great. Am I doing anything to encourage sexual desire? Don't engage in any impure contact that is sexually motivated, such as petting. If You Have Already Gone Too Far, Why Stop? God is forgiving. 1 John 1:9 tells us that God is faithful and just to forgive our sins if we confess them. You can start fresh with God anytime you want to. God is holy. His word tells us that sexual sin is wrong, and He knows what is best. God is caring. God knows that going too far before marriage tends to break up couples and leads to less happy marriages. He knows that most guys do not want to marry a girl who has been intimate with someone else. Copyright © 1997, Dawson McAllister Live! Used by permission _________________________________ Thought For The Day: "The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." Verse for the Day: "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:20 Teen's Thought For The Day: "Always have an older person in your life whom you trust and can go to for advice. Do you really want to base life-changing decisions on the advice of your peers who have no more life experience than you?" -- Michael T. Powers Parent's Thought For The Day "Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man."--Tagore Coach's Thought For The Day "On the day of victory, no fatigue is felt." Deep Thought For The Day: "Usually I try to take it one day at a time, but lately several have attacked me at once!" _________________________________________ Let's Go Surfing Dude! ~ The Passion of the Christ Have you seen Mel Gibson's powerful and controversial movie yet? Are you curious as to what all the fuss is about? This is the place to find out. http://www.gospelcom.net/entertainment/passion __________________________________________ Author MICHAEL T. POWERS www.Heart4Teens.com Contributing Author to Chicken Soup for the Teen's Soul on Love and Friendship and 19 other inspirational books. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 _________________________________________ ALL-STAR Ministry --The Youth Church of Faith Community Church in Janesville, WI If you are in 6-12th grade and live in the southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois area and would like to check us out, we meet every Sunday night from 6:30-8:30 PM at Faith Community Church which is located at 2931 Lucerne Dr. in Janesville, WI. (About 3 blocks south-east of The Skating Place.) Currently we have students from Fort Atkinson, Milton, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Marshall, Orfordville, Clinton, Beloit Memorial, Beloit Turner, South Beloit, and Hononegah. E-mail me back if you have any questions about our weekly meetings or would like to come to any of our events that are listed below... We have way too much fun and then, most importantly, talk about issues that are relevant to you as a teenager. THIS WEEK: All-Stars: Footloose and Fence Free! NEXT WEEK: No All-Star Youth Ministry! Use this time to spend with the woman who gave birth to you!!!!!! _______________________________________________ UPCOMING EVENTS: Saturday May 8: Trip to the Fireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson for dinner and a musical! See Tedi Knox for details! Monday May 24: 7:00-8:15 PM Rock TV hosted by Faith Community Church! Wednesday July 7: Trip to Great America! Friday July 9: Lock-In at Central Christian Church! Saturday July 24: Canoe Trip down the Sugar River (Guys only) September 18-20: Youth Fall Retreat at Phantom Ranch! October 29-30: Mall of America Trip! (Ladies only) ________________________________________________ All-Stars has extended its time to 6:00 - 8:30 PM on Sunday nights. 6:00 - 6:30 will be time for the youth to chat and discuss anything they want with the youth leaders or each other. 6:30 - 7:00 PM will be for games or fun activities and then 7:00 - 8:30 PM will be for the lesson and discussion time. Students are still welcome to "hang out" after 8:30 PM if they want, as the leaders are usually at the church until at least 10:00 PM, and some nights even later. (For the past couple of months the students have continually complained that we are running out of time before we get to really discuss the topics in full and asked if we could have longer teaching times... I know, most of you are probably now getting back up off the floor from the shock. have been most encouraged that the teens have been wanting to stay longer to be able to discuss the lessons more fully.) The Outlet: "Get plugged into Jesus Christ!" (Teen Cell Groups) Wednesday night community groups for teens. The groups are limited to no more than ten teens and will be originally split into Jr. High and High School ages. This night is for those teens who want to dig deeper than what we do in All-Stars, but may not be ready to be a part of the Extreme Teens. These cell groups will also be doing special activities with each other as the year goes on to build community. "Extreme Teens" meet Wednesday nights from 6:30 - 8:00 PM at the church. (September -May) This group is very extensive with weekly homework, memorization, service projects, etc. Students interested in this group will have to fill out an application, provide references as to why others think they should be involved with this, and sign an agreement as to what is expected of them. We are very excited at what God is doing with our youth! _______________________________________________ Reading Books, Changing Lives! For those of you who love to read or love to give out books as gifts... You can now order a number of different autographed best-selling inspirational books for the same price you would get them in the store, the shipping to you is paid for, and you are helping change the lives of teenagers and those they come in contact with! If you love to read inspirational stories, these books are most likely those you will eventually buy anyway. And how cool would it be to be able to buy books like those in the Chicken Soup series for your friends and family with a personalized autographed message by one of the contributing authors! How's that for a unique gift! Check out this link to find out more! http://www.HeartTouchers.com/books |
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Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
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