Tuesday Talks for Parents of Teens: “Stay Beautiful!”

Click anywhere in the image to watch the video.

Parents, I did this talk for the parents of the teens I pastor at Abundant Life Church in Lee’s Summit Missouri.

My hope is this talk helps you have a really great conversation with your teenager about their walk with Jesus!

Just for fun… you may have a yearbook from high school that has messages from your classmates with things like a message from a crush, inside jokes from friends, or the awkward message from an ex-boy/girlfriend.

You probably have messages as simple as “Stay beautiful!”, “Have a great summer!”, or “I’ll miss you!”, or that one profound classmate who made it their duty to really think through what to say as well.

The Apostle Paul would have been that profound classmate who chose his words wisely in a letter to the church at Colossae.

Read Colossians 1:9-14 for a look into the deepest wishes he had for the church Colossians.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. The words we use are powerful because they have the power to build up and also to destroy. Can you share a time when someone said something encouraging to you that spoke life into you?|
   
2. Paul mentions in Colossians 1:9 that he was praying for the individuals he’d written Colossians to. Have you ever had someone tell you they were praying for you? What were they praying for you about? Did their prayers get answered the way they asked God for?
   
3. In verse 9, Paul mentions he is praying for them to experience “knowledge of God’s will, wisdom and spiritual understanding.” If you could ask God one question right now and He had to answer you on the spot, what would you ask Him?
   
4. In verse 11-12, Paul tells them he’s been asking God to draw them deeper into their worship of God by strengthening them with “endurance, patience, joyfully giving thanks to God who has enabled you to share in the inheritance we have in Christ.” What does it mean to worship something?
   
5. Worship isn’t just singing in church but singing is a BIG part of worship! One way to worship is to sing worship songs when you’re not at church. Do you sing to God when you’re not at church?

TRY THIS

Another way we worship God is to make our lives one big “Thank you!” to Him!

1. What is one thing you’re thankful to God for? Pray together and have each person mention one thing to God they’re thankful for in prayer.
   
2. Say thank you to 3 people today and tell them why you’re thankful for them (ex. 3 text messages, write 3 notes, make three calls, etc.).