OVERCOMING THE MYTHS OF MODERN ADOLESCENCE

Pastor Reb Bradley

I. WHAT IS MATURITY?

A. ______________: not being ruled by passions, emotions, desires, wishes, or curiosity; freedom from having to do what one feels like doing; the ability to choose to do what is right; fosters the selflessness necessary for love of others. Prov 29:11, 20; 14:16; 21:20; 22:15; 26:11; 12:16, 23; 13:16

B. ______________: understanding; insight; ability to learn from experience; independence; ability to make sound decisions; handling stressful problems with a level head; possible only when not ruled by passions (self-controlled) Prov 10:21; 29:15; 17:16; 18:2; 12:15

C. ______________: accepting personal accountability for one's own actions; faithful and conscientious work habits; integrity; reliability; possible only when not ruled by passions (self-controlled) Prov 17:16; 6:6; 24:30; 26:6; 26:16

 

II. WHY IS MATURING EARLY APPEALING?

A mature child is ___ ______ _____

III. HOW DO WE KNOW AN EARLY MATURITY IS POSSIBLE?

A. What does history tell us -- how were teenagers viewed by past world cultures?

1. What marked onset of adulthood? ______________

2. What was the minimum age for marriage?

3. At what age did teenagers receive adult responsibilities?

B. Physiologically are teens adults?

 

C. Intellectually are teens adults?

LANGUAGE, THINKING, AND REASONING

 

D. What can we conclude? Teens today are _________ their God-given ________

 

IV. WHERE DID WE LOSE IT?

A. William Harris -- 1870's Created _________to accommodate women teachers

 

B. Horace Mann -- Fixed the ________ which standardized age segregation ___________

  

C. G. Stanley Hall - 1904 -- First psychologist and author to promote the idea that young adult teens were still "children." Invented the phase we call "adolescence"; based ideas on ___________

 

D. John Dewey (1859–1952) -- Built American education system around ____________

 

E. Child labor laws -- Formally identified adults as ______________

  

F. 1900-1920 -- Formation of new ______________ organizations

1908 -- Boy Scouts; 1910 -- Girl Guides (Girl Scouts); Boys Clubs, Agricultural clubs, etc

 

G. 1930's -- Ministries for __________ were created which capitalized on and fed immaturity

 

 

V. WHAT WERE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN HISTORY THAT BROUGHT ABOUT EARLIER MATURITY AND HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT THEM TODAY?

A. They were ______________ so acted as ______________

1.

THE PLAN:

View them as ______________ and raise your ______________

 

B. Societies were ______________oriented –- not______________ oriented

 

THE PLAN:

1. Require them to take ______________ as young as possible

 

2. Give them ______________ and ______________

 

3. Minimize the amount of time they spend in ______________ and ______________

 

4. Raise them to see their teen years as their years of _________ – not the _________

1 Cor 7:32-35

 

C. Life was hard and everyone learned to ______________

The Bible exalts the value of ______________
Rom 5:3-5; Jam 1:2-4; Zech 13:9; 1 Pet 1:6-7; Jam 1:2-4; Heb 12:3-11; 2:10

 

 

THE PLAN:

1. Do not remove life's ___________ or exempt them from ______________

2. Do not make it your top goal to give them a ______________ childhood.

3. Teach them that life is not about personal ___________ but __________ and ______________ ______________

 

D. In education there was no ______________

1.

THE PLAN:

1. Minimize the time children spend exclusively with ______________

 

2. Integrate your teens into the ______________

 

3. At church, make opportunity for your teen to ______________ in a formal capacity.

 

 

E. There was a strong ____________ identity rather than a ____________ identity

1.

 

 

THE PLAN:

1. Create a strong ______________

 

2. When you see your children choosing friends over family, ______________

 

 

F. There was a greater respect for ______________

 

THE PLAN:

1. Require your children to ______________

 

 

2. Teach them that ______________ you to ______________ their lives.