Student Devo's Week 2(March)

Day 1

Enticing Images

The movie Fireproof (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2008) told
the story of a marriage falling apart. Caleb, the husband, had developed a problem with Internet pornography, and that became a part of their marriage problem. The story didn’t really begin to change until Caleb, in exasperation, smashed his computer with a baseball bat.

The flirtation with pornography begins for many when they are teenagers. For some it becomes a lifelong struggle.

Why do you think the lure of pornography is so great for teenagers and adults? ©ISTOCKPHOTO

The problem is not just Internet pornography. Many movies are full of images designed to stimulate sexual arousal. Romance novels depict sexually specific scenes that could burn the corneas off your eyes. Television, magazines—the media is full of enticing images.

Read Ephesians 5:1-5. Paul said sexual immorality “should not even be heard of among you.”

Is it possible for a person to live in America without a hint of sexual immorality in their lives?

Determining what you view in the media may have a huge impact on your life. Don’t allow yourself to watch things you know are wrong. Turn off the computer, switch

the channel, choose a different book. Media will seek to entice you with sexual images. Set personal standards for what you will and will not watch.

My Prayer

Father, help me to guard my eyes from things that

Day 2

Wild Ideas

When you were little, did you ever race around the house like Superman or Wonder Woman, acting out things you had seen on cartoons? Children are often influenced by things they see on television.

Can you think of ways your ideas today have been influenced by media?

As you get older the influence of media gets more subtle. You may have seen Thor (Paramount, 2011) , but you probably didn’t buy a plastic hammer and chase your brother around the house. (OK, maybe you did.) Regardless, media can play a role in shaping your attitude toward everything from politics to your identity.

Read Ephesians 5:6-10. Paul warned us to stay away from ideas that distract from a walk with Christ.

What examples of “empty arguments” can you think of?

How can a person know an argument is “empty”?

Christians have to be careful about the way we consume media. We should not passively accept whatever is offered. We have to question what we see: What is this movie trying to say? Is this book trying to change my attitude about something? How does this message square with the truth of God? Carefully evaluate the messages you hear and weigh their truth claims against the truth of God.

Day 3

Wasted Time

Have you ever been playing a video game and totally lost track of time? Do you know what it’s like to waste a weekend watching television? The media can give us a lot of great things, but they can also rob us of one thing we can never get

back: TIME!

Read Ephesians 5:15-17. What does it mean to make the most of the time you have?

How do you determine what God’s will is for you? How does God’s will affect the way you use your time?

A healthy life includes times of
rest and times of work. Both are important. Relationships with family and friends have great value. God gave you gifts and abilities to be used to make a difference for other people; using those gifts is important. Playing video games,

chatting on Facebook, and watching “The Amazing Race” on television may have some value, but many
in our world have such a media addiction that their lives get unbalanced.

Evaluate your media usage. Are you using media in ways that help your life? Or has media become too much of a negative influence?

My Prayer

Lord Jesus, my time is Yours. Help me to use it in ways that benefit Your kingdom.

Student Devo's (March)

Week 1

Devo 1

Your Value

Next time you’re at the bookstore, look through the covers of the magazines. Almost every title, from Rolling Stone to Teen, features a cover image of someone with sculpted abs, clear skin, and perfect hair. Of course, the photographs on magazine covers aren’t reality. Photographers use imaging software to remove anything that would be unflattering—a blemish, a shadow, a soft line. They are able to present an image of perfection.

What messages do you think the media sends about what makes a person valuable?

How do you feel about that message?

What really makes a person valuable?

One of the subtle lies in the media is that beauty, wealth, and power are what make people valuable. Many people buy this lie and spend their lives disappointed because they can never attain what the media presents as valuable.

Read Psalm 139:13-16. How is this picture of the value of a person di erent from the picture often presented in the media?

How and why does God find you valuable?

When you watch a movie, thumb
through a magazine, or flip on
the television, remember that
true value is determined by God.
Don’t judge yourself by the false images in
the media, and don’t judge anyone else by them either.

Devo 2

My Prayer

Father, You said I am “remarkably and wonderfully made.” Don’t let me forget it.

Real Love

Boy meets girl. Boy sleeps with girl. Boy moves in with girl. Boy and girl buy a house. Boy marries girl. It is a messed up version of romance, but you’ve seen it played out again and again in movies, novels, or television shows. Right? The picture of romance presented in the media is

a lie.

Where do you think most students get their ideas about what a romantic relationship should look like?

Is this a problem? Why or why not?

Read Matthew 19:4-6. What is Jesus saying here?

In these verses Jesus was addressing a question about divorce. Instead of giving the kind of answer

My Prayer

Father, I commit all of my relationships to You. Help me to honor You in the way I explore romance.

they expected, Jesus talked about what God intended marriage to be.

Why do you think Jesus emphasized the two becoming “one flesh”?

Jesus was teaching that a man/woman relationship
is about more than warm feelings or a ection. God intended sexual expression to help cement two lives together to begin a new family. Much of our media treats deep things like love and sexuality as if they are recreational. Sex actually has such significance that it should only be shared with someone to whom you are bonded for life.

Watch the media portrayal of romance cautiously. Allow your values concerning romance to be shaped by the Word of God, not by the images of the media.

Devo 3

Who Is God?

Sometimes God is presented as a Santa Claus for adults. If you’re good, He’ll give you what you want. Sometimes God is presented as a disinterested deity who glances into the lives of the people on planet earth with hesitating disinterest. Sometimes God is presented as an impersonal spirit, a force that is present throughout the universe. From news stories to amusement park presentations, the idea of God is debated from many angles.

What pictures of God have you seen in the media recently?

How accurate do you think these portrayals are?

Perhaps it is di cult to understand completely who God is. After all, the same God who rained down fire on the city of Sodom in the Old Testament also allowed His Son to die for the sins of humanity. God is both serious about righteousness and absolutely merciful.God can be hard to wrap your mind around.

Read Colossians 2:8-10. What do you think it means for “the entire fullness of God’s nature” to exist in Jesus?

Many people want to define God in their own terms. The media certainly paint strange pictures of God. But, if you want to truly understand God, look at Jesus. Jesus is the perfect picture of the nature of God.

My Prayer

God, help me to know You as You are.

THRIVE: Guide For Parents (March-Media)

Guide For Parents

Media is defined as: the main means of mass communication (esp. television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet) regarded collectively. Depending on who you talk to, people might say media has more of an influence on kids today then parents or friends.

Lets face it today media is all over the place. We can try to keep our kids away from the bad parts of media but it still is very easy to access. More important what happens when they are all grown up? There are also many good parts of media. So there is a balance. But are they ready for the media mania on their own?

This month we will be talking about media:

The good

The bad

Discern

Self-Control

Where is God in all of this?

Use the following information and questions to reinforce the truths of this month of Bible study at home. Use one or two of the discussion starters to begin a conversation. Look for teachable moments—at home, in the car, or at a game. Pray and ask God to provide you opportunities to have spiritual conversations with your teenager(s).

Ephesians 5:6-14

THE QUESTION

What is the danger in media?

THE POINT

The world is full of deceptive messages.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

> What forms of media are the most powerful to you?
> What is your favorite form of media? Why?
> What are some of the lies you hear in the media?
> What media messages can cause believers to be led astray in their relationship with Christ?

> How did Paul say we are to live as believers? Why is that important when it comes to media?
> Why are the messages portrayed in the media an indication that we are in a spiritual battle?

> How should we look at these messages?