Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. “Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, “so you will live well and have a long life.” Ephesians 6:1-3

Obey thy father and mother, thus sayeth the Lord! Yeah, right. We certainly don’t feel like obeying our parents all the time. For instance, my dad once told me (this is a totally true story) that I had to ride my dirt bike (a sweet Honda CRX 80) over this major drop-off in the deserts of Arizona. I was maybe 11-years old at the time and just couldn’t get up the nerve to ride over a 12-foot cliff! Who knew that an 11-year old would freak out about riding his dirt bike over the edge of a cliff?

Anyway, my dad tried bribing me, coercing me, and finally, when neither of those healthy parenting strategies worked, he resorted to threatening me. That’s right, my dad threatened punishment if I didn’t ride over the edge so he and my older brother could keep on going with their afternoon ride. Out of total bitterness I gunned my engine and shot off over the edge. I hit that edge at full throttle and literally flew through the air and then lost my grip on the bike. Me, the bike, and the birds flying near by flew down the side of the canyon wall and landed in a heap at the bottom with the bike revving its engine and pulling doughnuts on my legs.

Believe it or not, this is not a lesson about disobeying your parents. God tells all followers of Christ to obey their parents, and in fact, this command even comes with a promise. Things will go well for you if you listen to your parents and honor them with your attitude. You will live a long and successful life when you honor your mother and father. My dad’s intention was not that I would hurt myself that afternoon. In fact, if I had actually listened and obeyed, instead of being stubborn, I would have heard him trying to tell me how to make my way down safely.

CHECK IT

1. How can you better obey your parents?
2. Is there something you need to apologize for with a parent? Go and ask forgiveness from that parent.
3. When has listening to your parent ever helped you in life?

“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.” Luke 6:27-30

Every body sing that famous Beatles song with me, “Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.” You’ve probably heard the term “tough love”, and it more than likely came right before you got whacked by your parent, or grounded, or punished in some creative (yet terrifying) way. I’m not talking about that kind of tough love.

Tough love is when a friend spreads a vicious rumor about you and instead of spreading a nasty rumor of your own, you forgive that friend. Tough love is when some punk takes a punch at you, and instead of fighting back and smack’n him in to tomorrow, you get up and walk away from the fight because you are better than a punch.

Want to be radical? Want to throw “The Volt” (Made famous by Moto X rider Kyle Loza. Loza hits the ramp at full speed on his motorcycle and then he literally lets go of the bike and takes a full vertical 360 spin and grabs back on before falling to his death!) in someone’s face? Then do what very few people ever try to do, instead of allowing someone who’s hurt you to bring the worst of you out, let it bring the best. In fact, do to that kid what you wished he would have done to you. The Golden Rule. Too many kids out there think it’s “weak” to back down and do the right thing, but Christ said that it is not only the best thing to do, but only the truly strong can even pull it off.

CHECK IT

1. Who’s been bothering you lately?  What can you do for them that they aren’t doing for you?
2. Pray for someone right now that has hurt you in the past week.
3. How could you be a servant this week for Christ?

“Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Have you ever just wanted to smack somebody? Like John Cena, just pick them up and toss them through the air and then finish them off with a sweet submission move? Parents, friends, and teachers have all hurt you in some way or another. I’ve been hurt, and I’ve wanted to use WWE moves, but then I remembered that I didn’t have the strength nor the flexibility to pull it off properly. I would just end up hurting myself and the perp would walk free, probably laughing at me as he stomped on my stomach.

Our natural reaction to getting hurt is to fight back, to hurt back. It feels like the “right” thing to do at the time, but usually, if we gave in to the feelings, it doesn’t normally feel too good. That is why Christ is so incredible. He knows a whole bunch of stuff that we don’t, like for example, when we are really mad at someone we should turn the other cheek – or like the verse says – be gentle and sensitive to forgive others.

If you want your life to be like Christ, then you have to learn how to forgive instead of fight. To be sensitive to other’s feelings and needs so that you can be a true friend to someone who is hurting. But most importantly, you will want to learn to forgive those who hurt you because that is what Christ did for us. We didn’t deserve forgiveness, that is what is so cool about Christ forgiving us – we didn’t earn it but he gave it to us anyway. You can be like Christ when you choose to forgive someone, maybe even when they don’t deserve it.

CHECK IT

1. Who do you need to forgive in your family or circle of friends?
2. How can you be more sensitive to someone at school (i.e. maybe someone who needs a friend)?
3. What does it mean that Christ forgave you?

“There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.” Romans 5:3-5

My dad used to tell me that nothing bad could ever happen to a Christian. What? That used to make no sense to me and he would get nasty responses from other people who would hear him say it. Bad things happen to Christians all the time. You probably have something in your own life that hurts to even think about. But when you read Romans 5:3-5 my dad’s crazy statement starts to make sense.

No matter what happens in your life, anything at all, God will use that trial or hurtful experience to build patience and virtue in your life. Bad things happen, that’s for sure, but God turns those bad things in to incredible things like patience and virtue. Which just happen to be two of the greatest qualities a Christian can have!

Virtue, in fact, means the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. How cool is that! When you go through hurtful times in your life, and then you allow Christ to turn them into something virtuous – you get a stronger and more dedicated ability to do what is right. Bad things will come your way, the good news however, is that Christ will not let them stay bad for long. He will use them to ultimately make your life better and the lives of the people around you. Don’t be surprised if Christ uses you to help someone who’s going through something you went through (but made it through).

CHECK IT

1. How has Christ turned something bad in your life into something good?
2. What do you think God has planned for your life because of the hurts you’ve experienced?
3. Who do you know, in your circle of friends, that could really use your help because of something you’ve overcome in life?

Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size – abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. – 2 Corinthians 12:10

You got something…everybody’s got something like broken bones, mean parents, teachers who get jazzed by handing out a ton of homework (and on a holiday weekend no less). Some of you really got something, maybe even something you’ve never talked to anyone about. The reality is that no matter how hurt or weak we become, a Christ-follower can count on the power and strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to pull us through the tough times.

The apostle Paul new this more than anyone; he got beaten, accused, harassed, and just plain whipped for following Christ. But he learned, just like you can learn, that when he was the most tired, the most beat up, the most teased, Christ came and took over and turned those bad things in to strength of character, perseverance, and one of the most influential writers of all time. At our weakest, Christ is the strongest.

It’s a paradox – it doesn’t make sense. How can our weakness through painful events in our lives actually help us to be our strongest? It’s easy. When you know Christ, and have a personal relationship with him, then at your weakest moments you will reach out to Jesus and he will give you strength. That’s when Christ pours his grace into your life, because you’ve gone beyond yourself and trusted Christ to work on your problems…and he will work on them. He works on them by giving you the courage and the power – divine power – to overcome anything that comes your way.

CHECK IT

1. What’s the worst thing that has happened to you? How can you give that over to Christ?
2. What weakness (like maybe a physical problem) or hurt in your life has Christ used for something good?
3. What does it mean to let Christ take it over?