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What age do you think of when I mention Adolescents?

What age do you think of when I mention Adolescents?. Anyone in age range from puberty to early twenties. What is the typical view of adolescents?. Psalm 139:13-14 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.

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What age do you think of when I mention Adolescents?

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  1. What age do you think of when I mention Adolescents? Anyone in age range from puberty to early twenties

  2. What is the typical view of adolescents?

  3. Psalm 139:13-14 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;          Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. So important to remember, Adolescents are created in God’s image, for a purpose, for His glory and we as servants & as members of the Body of Christ, have a part to play in understanding & achieving this purpose

  4. The most difficult phase of life Let's explore what the adolescent goes through • Biologically • Mentally • Emotionally • Sexually • Socially and • Spiritually And what we can do in walking with them through this phase of life

  5. Biological Aspects • Hormonal Changes • Neurotransmitter Changes- Dopamine • Prefrontal cortex not yet fully developed, must process info with amygdala and hippocampus. This results in highly emotional reactions. We are much more successful when appeal to emotion rather than logic. • Outward appearance- pimples, facial hair, change of voice, menses, budding of breasts and axillary hair growth

  6. Mental Aspects Time when trying to build their personality and independent thinking and belief system. Adolescents tend to think in extremes and generalizations • Mayor in 9/11 • Commercial re: famine in Africa • Discussion convinced of one thing and some time later convinced of the other.

  7. Emotional Aspects • Must deal with the emotions of being related to differently from what used to • How their parents relate to them (can’t sleep in the same bed anymore) • How people greet them (from kisses & hugs to a handshake or tap on the shoulder) • The body has grown, but the mind is lagging behind • eg. • Must deal with emotions that peer group imposes on them about appearance • Must deal with desire to be accepted by peers and pressure to belong to a group • Must deal with their need for support and comfort vs. their need for independence  This is normal, remember both needs.

  8. Sexual Aspects • God created us as sexual beings. Due to raging hormones in addition to cultural influences, the adolescent is VERY interested in learning about sex • It is extremely important that we give a balanced view • Don’t talk about it … X • Don’t do it, it’s bad, will ruin your life … X • + Best to give a balanced view - Sex is good b/c God created it but within the boundaries of marriage- otherwise, it is harmful & destructive (good weekend programs)

  9. Social Aspects My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6) We (parents & servants) need to keep ourselves educated to the influences on our youth i.e. happenings at school, with peers, TV, radio, games, movies, magazines, clothing, what drugs are readily available to them and which are the “drug of choice” for the area. In doing so, we: • Close the gap between us and youth to relate better • Are proactive rather than reactive to inform & educate them. e.g. Abouna w/ Da Vinci Code

  10. Spiritual Aspects The best defense is a good offense • Help them in establishing a relational foundation with our Lord (In advance). It is not the sole job of the church- it needs to start at home. • Make sure the emphasis is on their relationship with God and that the spiritual disciplines are integral in that - avoid making the rituals the goal = a form of idolatry • Be aware of what we are modeling for them to see (problems, difficult people…etc.) Actions are much louder & more memorable than words… “You are being watched & recorded”

  11. Things to keep in mind • These are God’s creations for His Glory- we are to help them grow in their purpose • What the adolescent is going through physically-they think in extremes • They feel insecure about their physical looks • Logic will probably not persuade as much as emotion • Do not take personally or negatively the waffling between dependence and independence • They need to hear balanced understanding of sex • Be proactive vs. reactive in terms of what they face on a daily basis • Must model a true relationship with our Lord to encourage them in a strong Christian foundation & the reason behind it

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