“How Can A Young Man Cleanse His Way” (Psalm 119:9)

1. “How Can A Young Man Cleanse His Way”(Psalm 119:9) Working With Young Adults

2. Introduction • “How can a young man cleanse his way?” (Psalm 119:9-11) • “By taking Heed according to Your word” • In this study we will notice • What efforts the sectarians have made to provide for social desires • What our responsibility is in working with young adults

3. Introduction • Definitions • Young- “as being in the first part of life” (Webster, Dictionary of American English) • Adult- “having arrived at mature years, or to full size and strength; as an adult person or plant.” (Webster, Dictionary of American English)

4. Introduction • Primarily we will notice those who are college age to early 30’s • The Biblical principals are applicable to those of more advanced years as well

5. Introduction • The Bible speaks about the young. • Eccl. 11:9 • 1 Tim. 4:12 • Their responsibility to the Lord is to remain faithful to Him. • Knowing that the young have the responsibility to keep their lives pure and to “know that God will bring you into Judgment” is the key to understanding our responsibility to work with them.

6. What do the Sectarians offer? • Primarily Focus is centered not of Salvation and Faithfulness • But social desires and wants.

7. Larry Brown: Associate “Pastor,” Singles Ministries Gateway Church “Imagine a place where you are safe at home, where you have thousands of aunts, uncles, parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren—a place of acceptance, advocacy and abundance. A group of people who challenge you to go beyond where you are, but don't judge you for where you have been. Doesn't this sound great? It is possible because at Gateway EVERY SINGLE PERSON MATTERS! The Singles Ministries at Gateway Church is full of life and diversity. We serve individuals from all walks of life. Some of our singles are young, some are married but separated, others have never been married, and some wish they had never been married, while a select few can't think of anything else but getting married.

8. Larry Brown: Associate “Pastor,” Singles Ministries Gateway Church Many are gainfully employed and are making major contributions to society; others are looking for work and are struggling to make ends meet. A few of our young singles don't consider themselves single, they just aren't married yet. Several of our singles are a little [angry] that we use the word single. (I mean, after all, we don't refer to married people as doubles, do we?) As you can see, we have people that know where you are coming from and will meet you where you are” (Brown, gatewaypeople.com).

9. Larry Brown: Associate “Pastor,” Singles Ministries Gateway Church “Nexus Ministry” “If you are a single in your mid 20's to 30's, you are part of a diverse group of individuals who have all the marks of being the next "greatest generation." You are ambitious, informed, educated, hard working and trend-setting; yet you feel a bit tumultuous, troubled, broken and independent. You know you have great potential, but sometimes it seems society won't give you a chance, take you seriously or acknowledge that you count. Nexus is the ministry for you if you don't fit the mold, if you strive for something better, if you know you have something to offer” (Brown, gatewaypeople.com).

10. Marcus Brecheen, Associate “Pastor” of Marriage & Family Ministries at Gateway Church “Pre-Marriage Counseling Ministry” “At Gateway Church we define Pre-Marriage Ministries as "a short ministry for a lifetime marriage."Our strategy is based on the guiding principle that the long-term success of any venture can be attributed primarily to its foundation. We are more interested in the marriage than in the wedding. It is on that premise that we will only perform marriages for those couples who have fulfilled our guidelines. Our reasoning is found in today's statistics, which show that over half of all marriages end in divorce ... and less than half of those that endure are truly happy ones.

11. Marcus Brecheen, Associate “Pastor” of Marriage & Family Ministries at Gateway Church Our desire is for marriages in which both partners are truly fulfilled for a lifetime. Our experience is that the key to fulfillment in marriage is a solid foundation. We believe that with just a little effort in the present, couples can resolve differences which often pose problems for them in the future.God is the Creator and Designer of marriage and His ways work best. His intention for you is to have a marriage that grows happier each year. With that in mind, we've designed a strategy to give you the foundational tools to experience deep fulfillment from the start” (Brecheen, gatewaypeople.com).

12. Larry Brown Marcus Brecheen Both Former Preachers in the Institutional Churches of Christ

13. Second Baptist Church Houston Texas • “Largest single-adult ministry in the U.S” • “Get connected with others by visiting one of our Bible study classes for singles. Each class, which averages between 50 and 150 people, maintains a full social calendar with parties, small groups,, service projects, retreats and sports leagues” (www.second.org/global/singles.aspx).

14. Second Baptist Church Houston Texas • “Largest single-adult ministry in the U.S” • Get connected with others by visiting one of our Bible study classes for singles. Each class, which averages between 50 and 150 people, maintains a full social calendar with parties, small groups,, service projects, retreats and sports leagues” (www.second.org/global/singles.aspx).

15. Second Baptist Church Houston Texas • “Largest single-adult ministry in the U.S” • Get connected with others by visiting one of our Bible study classes for singles. Each class, which averages between 50 and 150 people, maintains a full social calendar with parties, small groups, service projects, retreats and sports leagues” (www.second.org/global/singles.aspx).

16. Broadway church of Christ, Lubbock Texas “Christ in Action” University Ministry “We are a group of people who are looking to and for Jesus in our world today. We are reminded of the passage found in Matthew 16:15: “But what about you?” he asked “Who do you say that I am?” In answering this question we are also given the answer to our own question. We are Christians who believe That in order to know Christ, we must strive to be like Jesus. In fact, we must not only be like Jesus, we must Be Jesus for our time and place” (www.broadway-church.org/ca/default.htm)

17. “Be Jesus for Our time and Place” • This is a Good Concept. • (Galatians 2:20) • Yet their “ministry” is not what it seems. • Notice:

18. Broadway church of Christ, Lubbock Texas “Christ in Action” University Ministry • Posted in their News and Events “Summer News” “Sunday Nights– Devos and fellowship time. Each Sunday night we will schedule different events around Lubbock. We will have a short Devotional followed by fun fellowship. Examples include Sand Volleyball at the Knowlton’s, swimming, Putt-Putt, movie nights, etc…” (www.broadway-church.org/ca/default.htm).

19. Fred Stoeker “Everyman’s Battle” “My church in Des Monies has an excellent choir known throughout our region for its professional sound. Our orchestra is even supplemented with players from the local professional symphony orchestra. In discussing our church with a new neighbor, she said, “Oh, I’ve been to your church, I really like it. It’s like a show!” My church has an excellent schedule of tradition-driven events. There is our “Super Bowl Sunday” evening service that fosters racial harmony. We have “Honor America Night” every fourth of July to honor our great country, inviting renowned speakers like, Elizabeth Dole, Gary Bauer, and Cal Thomas. Our Annual “Metro Night” honors the volunteers and staff of our daughter church in the inner city. We have Christmas specials, Easter specials, ‘Friends Day,’ ‘Back to School Night,’ and much more.

20. Clearly, we’re striving to be ‘the church to belong to’ in Des Moines. Have we profited? What has come from this search for excellence? Recently, we scheduled a week of nightly all-church prayer meetings to begin the new year. Now hardly anyone would argue with the strategic value of prayer or question the fact that we’re commanded as believers to be faithful at it. But obedience in the matter of prayer is costly and takes commitment. On Monday night as our week of prayer began, a mere thirty-four adults showed up out of a regular church attendance of twenty-three hundred. By Thursday, only seventeen adults were praying. I was totally discouraged. Yet one week later, on Worker Recognition Sunday, one thousand people where there to be recognized for their service in the church”” (Arterburn, Stoeker 52)

21. What Do We Have To Offer? • We are NOT in competition with the denominations!

22. God’s Word: The Truth • (Romans 10:17) God’s Word • (Hebrews 11:6) Why is Faith important? • (John 17:17) The Lord’s word is “truth” • (Acts 20:32) God’s word Builds up and Gives and Inheritance • (James 1:21) God’s word is able to save our souls • (2 Peter 1:3) God has given us all things “unto life and godliness”

23. New Testament Christianity • The commands of the Lord; that by which we will be judged. • 2 Corinthians 5:10 • Romans 2:16 • John 12:48 • Faithful churches are helping people to prepare for that day! • We must do his will (Matthew 7:21-23)

24. New Testament Christianity • New Testament worship • Acts 2:42 • (John 4:24)The opportunity to worship in Spirit and truth • No gimmick was used on Pentecost! And yet, 3000 obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:41) • (1 Corinthians 2:2) “ I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

25. A Family • (Romans 12:15) Rejoice and weep together • (Galatians 6:2) “bear one another’s burdens…” • Family of God is concerned with spiritual righteousness • (Galatians 6:1) Restore those in error • (Galatians 6:6) the taught share in “all good things” with the teacher • (Hebrews 3:12-13) Exhort one another to keep from sin

26. A Family • (Mark 3:33-35) “Those who do the will of God are My Brothers” • (Mark 10:29-30) receive a hundredfold what was given up for the sake of Christ • (1 Timothy 5:1-2) Christians are to treat each other as a family • (1 Peter 3:8) Christians are to “love as brothers”

27. The Importance of Godly Physical Families • (Romans 14:12) We must give an account of ourselves. • The blame for young adults who go into apostasy does not always lie with the parents. • What can we do to help children remain faithful when they become adults?

28. Teach Children the Word of God • (Ephesians 6:4) bring them up in the “training and admonition of the Lord” • (2 Timothy 1:5) Timothy’s faith • (Proverbs 22:6) “Train up a child in the way he should go”

29. Discipline Properly • (Proverbs 13:24) “He who spares his rod hates his son…” • (Proverbs 19:18) “Chasten you son while there is hope…” • (Hebrews 12:5-11) God Chastens His children

30. Be A Good Example • How many have gone into sin because the followed a “faithful Christian’s” Bad example? • (Matthew 18:6) could our example cause one to sin?

31. Be A Good Example • Children see our example in: • Our attendance (Hebrews 10:23-26) • Our conduct (Philippians 1:27) • (John 14:15) “if you love me, keep my commandments”