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Faith vs. Fear The supernatural is everywhere these days, and not just because Halloween is approaching. Young people are being bombarded with tales of vampires and magic powers, and they also may be intrigued by psychic claims such as ESP, palm reading, and Tarot cards. By definition, the “supernatural” includes things that people believe are real but can’t be proven. Although ghosts, spirits, and the occult fall into that category, so do positive things such as God and faith. Supernatural forces are powerful; the difference stems from the source of that power. Evil, the father of lies (John 8:44), is behind supernatural phenomena that dishonor God and trick people into thinking they can be godlike. But our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—acts supernaturally on our behalf and for his glory. Meanwhile, Christians trust him based on faith, not sight. “Dark” supernatural phenomena appeal to many teenagers because they’re already dealing with powerful emotions and often searching spiritually. Many kids are curious about anything that goes beyond the definition of “normal,” and some may even be attracted to perceived danger involved in the supernatural. As with many parenting issues, the best approach to keeping your youth safe from harmful experimentation is to talk about the supernatural and be receptive to their questions. Don’t avoid the issue, but don’t hype or romanticize it, either. Point out that God ask us to choose Christian faith over fear. Discernment is an important life skill that youth can use to resist temptations such as evil supernatural beliefs. In Matthew 10:16 (NIV), Jesus instructs his followers to be “as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” With God’s guidance, shrewd snakes can send the Serpent slithering away. 1. Snakes are cautious, patient, and sure. They’re grounded in prayer and use the Bible as the final test for right and wrong. 2. Snakes stay true to themselves. They ask God to give us eyes to see situations as he does. They also approach non-Christian friends with love, not condemnation. 3. Snakes avoid danger. They steer clear of questionable movies, music, TV programs, and Web sites. While they don’t live in bunkers, they shrewdly critique all aspects of their culture from a Christian perspective. 4. Snakes are deadly accurate. They evaluate all “facts” that come their way and engage in hard thinking and discussions with godly mentors who keep them on the narrow path. (Group Magazine)   PulsePulsePulsePulsePulsePulsePulse Although relatively few kids are involved in serious anti-Christian practices, many young people are intrigued by supernatural activities. Almost one-third (30%) of teenagers polled say they have had supernatural encounters. More than 10% say they have communicated with the dead, and nearly 10% claim they have psychic powers. Almost three-quarters (73%) of U.S. teenagers have engaged in a psychic or witchcraft-related activity. The most common listed were using a Ouija board and reading about Wicca, each of which were done by more than 30% of kids. Only 28% of Christian teenagers remember receiving any teaching at their church in the last year that helped shape their views about the supernatural world. (Barna Research Group)   Great Questions ...to Ask Your Kids  Start a conversation about the supernatural by asking your youth these questions: 1. How do you account for the popularity of supernatural practices these days? 2. How can you tell whether a supernatural force is good or evil? What are some ways to resist evil forces? 3. What supernatural abilities accompany your faith in God? How can you harness them? 4. Which supernatural phenomena are you most curious about, and why?  5. What would you tell a friend who was being deceived by evil supernatural influences?   GOD AND YOUR FAMILY Pray that: 1. God will protect your teenagers from all evil forces and activities. 2. Your teenagers will rely on God’s Word and put on his armor each day as they live in our sinful world. 3. God will strengthen your teenagers to resist evil’s whole range of tricks and temptations. 4. Your teenagers will be powerful Christian witnesses to other young people who are attracted to supernatural phenomena.   VERSE OF THE MONTH “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world.” (Ephesians 6:11-12) Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us defenseless. We can harness his mighty power by putting on armor that will strengthen us for all types of spiritual battles. God’s armor includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, a shield of faith, a helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word.   What’s Up With Kids On SimplyYouthMinistry.com, youth minister Lane Palmer notes that a popular horror-movie theme is selling one’s soul to the devil. No one can do that, he writes. That choice is yours. Every time any of us gives in to temptation, we post a spiritual real estate sign that says: “Eternal Soul Available to Demonic Kingdom...Apply Within.” The good news is that we also have the choice every day to keep our souls safe in the all-powerful and loving grip of our heavenly Father. John 10:29 promises that God “is more powerful than anyone else” and “No one can snatch [us] from the Father’s hand.” Here’s the amazing thing about the Christian life. If you have truly trusted in Jesus as your hope of salvation, your eternal destiny is safe and secure. Yet every day in hundreds of little and big ways, you choose to listen to and obey the voice of life or the voice of evil. The choice is yours. Evil would love nothing more than to see you depressed, dwindling in faith,  deceived, and ultimately destroyed. It will trick you any way possible, but you can also be sure that God’s plan is to treat you as his unique and eternally loved child from today through eternity. As you go about each day, think about your choices. Ask: “Does this keep me safe in the Father’s hands or sell my soul to evil? ” Don’t underestimate evils powerful army of demons. One of the best ways to avoid temptation and pursue holiness is to remember that the enemy of your soul is just around the corner, waiting to rip you to shreds. Consider what desires tempt you and drag you away. This week, make a plan to take radical action (see Matthew 5:29-30) so you can live the abundant life that Jesus has promised his children.   FilmWatch Movie: Where the Wild Things Are (releases Oct. 16)                 Genre: Adventure, Fantasy Rating: PG (for mild thematic elements, some adventure action, and brief language) Synopsis: In this adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book, mischievous, misunderstood Max is sent to bed without supper. His imagination runs “wild” as he travels to an island and meets strange creatures. After Max is crowned king, he realizes that ruling these beasts is more complicated than he expected. Discussion Questions: Describe your temper. How does it affect your relationships with other people? with God? What are some constructive ways to deal with anger? Read Psalm 27:1. What are your biggest fears? How do your fears affect your faith, and vice versa?   What Goes Bump in the Night "Jesus answered, 'Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.'" (John 11:9-10) I wonder if the disciples just nodded a lot when Jesus talked. Frankly, He is hard to understand sometimes, isn't He? The disciples had just asked Jesus, in essence, "Are you sure you want to go back to Judea; the Jewish leaders tried to kill you last time you were in town." Jesus answered with the verse above. Read it again. How would you have taken it? Apparently, the disciples just looked at Him, because we're told that Jesus went on to explain why He wanted to go back. In a way, this kind of broken dialogue makes it easier for me to believe these conversations between the Creator of the universe and His confused-but-faithful human followers really happened. The part were Jesus says, “this world’s light” is particularly interesting. At first I thought “this world’s light” can’t compare to the light of the world yet to come and as I read on I thought of our blind faith as the “night” and stumbling as our trials. But, in this case it’s quite simple. The commentators tell me that Jesus' point was probably that we never take a wrong step when we walk in the daylight of God's will, even if it seems like the path is spooky and dangerous. I like that take, but I don't blame the disciples for not getting it, necessarily. They did practice it, though: They kept following Jesus even when they didn't fully understand where He was leading them or why. They trusted Him and let Him set the pace. Following their example is always the best possible path for us, as well. Youth are always coming to me and saying that Scripture always contradicts itself. Most of the time it’s simply a lack of understanding that has taken place. We all to often look at one or two verses and try to make the words fit our question. It’s a whole lot simpler if you let faith fill in the missing pieces. It’s a way to walk in the light, even if doesn't always feel safe. At Wednesday night Chat Rooms we’ve started a new feature called Clues and Views where we follow up a question from the weekly Sunday study guide. We’ve had some great discussions that have led us to create a list of questions that just seem to linger. It’s pretty cool. So, if you haven't done so before, start a list somewhere of things in the Bible or things that people say that don't quite make sense to you and add to the list as you come across them. Then instead of “just nodding” when these things come up, actually look for some answers in Bible commentaries (usually on line) or by asking your Sunday School class, Bible teacher, pastor, youth dude, etc. about them.