WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:
Here is an overview of the current series as well as summaries of each week’s discussions. Listed below each summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about each week’s session of this series. The questions are intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.
write.rewrite.
Series Overview
We are all drawn to great stories—whether that’s on the big screen, small screen, in a book or elsewhere. But we may be completely unaware of one simple truth—that our lives are a story as well. The decisions we make every day are shaping the plot. The things we do, believe and trust determine what is being written. And for many of us, the story we are scripting could be so much more if we let God write, or even rewrite, our story. It’s the story we long for, the one our hearts truly desire.
Session One: A Bigger Story
Whether you’re a thrill-seeker or someone who minimizes risks, we all long for a great story. A great romance. A great adventure. A great mystery. And it could be that the reason we yearn for something so big is because God made us that way. Believe it or not, a big story is unfolding around us, a story God is telling that started long before us and will continue to unfold long after we are gone. The things that draw us, that captivate us, that pull us in are the things that make God’s story great. The question is, are we a part of that story? Are we telling His story? In other words, are our lives reflecting something bigger?
Session One Parent Cue:
• What are some of your favorite stories (in movies, books, etc.)? What specifically about those stories do you love?
• Read Ecclesiastes 3:11. Do you ever wish your life was “more” than what it is now? If yes, why?
Session Two: Lost in the Story
So if we all long for God’s story, then how do we settle for so much less? How does our story get so off track? It happens subtly. Oftentimes, without ever realizing it, the focus of our story shifts—God is moved from a place of prominence, to a place of convenience. But stay this way for long, and it is easy to see a story that has gotten off track. Small changes, seemingly harmless, can take our story to a place it doesn’t belong. Sometimes we think the story is better left in our own hands. But what if we allowed God the control, the freedom and the power He deserves? What if we allowed Him to tell the story? Where would His story take you?
Session Two Parent Cue:
• (This question is for the parent to answer.) Have you ever found yourself in a place in your life where you wondered, “How did I get here?” If you retraced your steps, what were the decisions you made that led you there?
• Each one of you take a decision in your life (whether good or bad) and track the steps that led you to the end result.
Session Three: Rewriting the Script
If you find yourself living in a lesser story, how do you begin to let God rewrite your story? You follow Him. You follow His lead. And that path may sometimes be very clear, and other times it may feel very mysterious. But following Him wholeheartedly, regardless of what we may or may not understand as we go along, is the only way to allow God to write your story. Instead of taking the reigns, embrace God’s direction—join Him, get on board and embrace everywhere His story just may take you.
Session Three Parent Cue:
• What holds you back from trusting God completely?
• What would it take for you to surrender that reluctance?
• How might your life become a bigger story than the one you live now?
FIGHTING FOR THE HEART
Create a culture of unconditional love in your home to fuel the emotional and moral health of your children.
Most of us are unaware of the stories we write every day. We go through life and make the decisions we need to make and do the things we need to do to get through the day and care for our families. But whether we realize it or not, we choose who we interact with and what role we play in other people’s lives. In other words, we choose how we play a part in other people’s stories in both our words and our actions.
And sometimes it’s easy to simply bow out, to feel like we no longer have a role in someone’s life—especially in the life of a teen. I encourage you to watch the film Charlie St. Cloud. Charlie has crisis in his life. The crisis is what he is supposed to do with his life. After a dramatic rescue from death Charlie is wondering through life before realizing that there is a purpose to his life. God has given each parent the gift of a child. Are you pro-actively pursuing the purpose for this gift or are you wondering through this thing called parenthood? The Student Ministry at Harrah Church is here to help you by providing resources for your journey, training, and solid influences in the lives of your children.
