What Parents Need to Hear from the Youth Pastor

I sit here on a cold day in January with my heart burdened to save a generation from spiritual, emotional, and eternal destruction. As I sit here I am reminded that there are millions of teens in the borders of the United States and most of them are lost without Jesus Christ.  Some statistics declares that only 4% of these millions of teens are truly devoted to a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. If this statistic is true, we are in spiritual crises. After eight years of full time youth ministry and seeing the spiritual state of teens across our land, I believe there are some things that parents need to hear from the Youth Pastor.

First, I believe parents need to hear that it is ultimately there responsibility for their student’s spiritual state. The Bible declares in Proverbs 22:6 that we must train up children in the ways they should go and when they grow older that it won’t depart from them. In other words, parents must take to this scripture and focus on training their children in the ways of God and not neglect this responsibility. I have had many experiences over the years where parents will bring me their teen and ask me to perform a miracle in the student’s life. Many years of family dysfunction, no Christian values, and a lifestyle of sin has been deposited into this student for years and parents desire an overnight turn around. Now, I believe that when you receive Christ all things become new and salvation brings forth a radical change.

I feel that Christian parents must count the cost before even having a child and must realize that they will be the ultimate spiritual advisor in the child’s life. I believe we can see a great example from the life of Hannah in 1 Samuel. Hannah prays for a child and when she receives Samuel her son, she then positions him in the house of the Lord to be raised up for the Lord’s work. Positioning our children from spiritual growth is such a key to their spiritual success. Students will not draw close to God on Wednesday evenings in front of the television when they could be positioned in a Wednesday night youth Bible study. Parents must take action and make sure their student is in the place to receive from God. Parents today must realize the responsibility that they have to teach the ways of God to their kids.

Secondly, parents need to guard the hearts of their student. The Bible declares in Proverbs 4:23 that we must guard our hearts with all diligence. The spiritual heart is the most vital asset that we and our children have. We will buy security alarms for our homes. We even by security alarms for our student’s cars and we buy locks for their lockers at school. How often do we make sure that our children’s hearts are protected? If not careful, we will allow secular, worldly, and devilish entertainment to flood our kid’s hearts through movies, music, and the internet. Most of the time, parents are the ones flipping the bill for this to take place. Parents wake up! Check your child’s Facebook page, check their music, be careful of media saturation, and check what is influencing their lives. Parents are responsible to guard the heart of the child while under your authority. We cannot behave like Priest Eli (1 Samuel) who knew that his sons were involved in worldly stuff and turned his head pretending he didn’t know what was going on.

Lastly, parents need to exemplify spiritual behaviors before their child. I believe that one of the keys to revival in this last generation is parents becoming spiritual before their children. It is time that teens see their parents reading and studying their Bibles, praying at home, fasting, and being involved in ministry. Parents need to set up spiritual times at home with the family and connect with God.

Parents, hear this Youth Pastor. We can spare a generation, keep our Godly heritage, and impact this world if we will step up and take responsibility. It is not my intention to speak down or negative but to stir your hearts to take your family back to God. Let’s be like Joshua and declare in 2011 that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I believe with God’s help and guidance, parents can radically change the course of their child’s mindset towards God.  I pray that God inspires you with these words and that your family will elevate to another level of spiritual living!