The Hunger Games… (Is Catching Fire)
Jan 1st
Aaron M. Davis
If you know anything about The Hunger Games, then you may have chuckled at the pun in my title. If not, you’re the reason I am writing this article. As a conduit between student culture and all of you who are laborers in one of the hardest, and yet most rewarding fields, I can honestly say it brings a smile to my face when we get requests and feedback on our material, and for that I say “Thank You.” I sent out a Tweet early last week, after seeing a trailer for an upcoming movie based on this book, trying to see if there was any interest in knowing more about the Hunger Games, and the response was great, leading me to believe that there are a lot of you out there that have been exposed to the new phenomenon, penned by author Suzanne Collins. So after checking and double checking the content with various sources (because I never walk into an investigation blindly, and neither should you) I decided that I myself would explore the world of Katniss Everdeen to inform you what my personal opinion is on the story. I appreciate the fact that you value my opinion (why else would you be reading?) and hope you find what I encountered in this book helpful and informative.
***SPOILERS AHEAD*** (If you intend to read, you may want to reconsider this post.
The Hunger Games opens on a world that I might only describe as post apocalyptic of sorts. It is set in what used to be North America, although I am not fully aware on how it has come to be the country of Panem now. The story follows the voice of a girl named Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old from the 12th district of Panem. The country is divided into 12 districts, each of which has a special trait or occupation that is unique to their state. At the center of Panem is what’s known as the Capital, which enforces rules and regulations on each of the 12 districts. Somewhere in the past, there was a revolt against the Capital, and to remind all of the citizens of their place, the Capital now demands that each year, there is an event held known as the Hunger Games. In this event, each district is required to send two children between the ages of 12 to 18, one boy and one girl, to participate in a fight to the death. The victor is guaranteed a life of great wealth, and benefits for their district. But for the other 23, it means the end of their life.
There isn’t an option for the children that are of age to participate. The only “freedom” they have is to volunteer to be a participant in the games. However if they do not, and their name gets pulled from the giant ball, they must participate. The story opens on a bit of background from Katniss. Her father died in a mine explosion, she has a younger sister who just became of age to be chosen in the games, her mother is unreliable and doesn’t care for the family, and Katniss spends her days hunting for food to feed the three of them. On the day of choosing the representatives from each district, against all odds, Katniss’ younger sister gets chosen. As she gets pulled out from the crowd, Katniss screams that she instead will stand in the place of her little sister, and is accepted into the games as a replacement. She then proceeds to go through the process, gets put into the arena with 23 other kids from the other districts, and miraculously makes it out alive as the last standing contestant.
Content Guide
Now that I have laid out the plot of the story, let’s talk about the content of the book itself. Honestly, after the overwhelming negativity of the Twilight series and the Harry Potter books, it’s refreshing to see something that isn’t dealing with witchcraft, wizardry, vampires, and spiritual darkness. I have been on a soapbox over the last several months if not a year or more about the fact that young people (and people in general) are desiring a supernatural feeling to impact them, and Hollywood is doing it’s best to eliminate the church from that role. Although there is some rough content in the Hunger Games, the truth is that it pales in comparison to these other books.
Sexual Content: A-
There are several instances where the main character is mentioned to be naked, although none of the times are in a sexual situation. Often times it was when the designers of her wardrobes were looking her over, or when she was getting looked at by doctors. No character is ever mentioned to have any sexual desires of any sort. There is a small romantic story line between Katniss, and the boy from her district named Peeta. They kiss multiple times in the book, but never anything further.
Violence: C
There is no doubt that this book is definitely one with violence. 24 kids are put into an arena to kill each other. It’s not exactly humane. However, the actual killings themselves had a mild tone to them. There were no ridiculously explicit descriptions of the deaths. Most of them were alluded to or else mentioned briefly and then passed. Some characters were depicted as inhumane, using brute force to finish off others, but most death scenes were quickly passed over. The killings were more acts of survival than acts of terror.
Language: A+
Honestly, I can’t remember one foul word or one sexual innuendo in the entire book.
Miscellaneous:
There were mutations that were described as half human half wolf, that were released on the remaining kids as the games got slower. The fantasy imagery was minor compared to that of the Twilight books and Harry Potter books, based on what I’ve heard about those.
In Conclusion:
I exchanged a few messages with an apostolic parent who read the books because their child wanted to read them. The parent told me that after reading the series, they decided to let the child read the books. I am not a parent, but as a christian, I think that what we subject ourselves to is such an important decision, that we need to be well aware before doing so. I will say that after reading book one of the series, I went and bought book two and intend to start it soon. I am at a maturity level where I can handle the plot of this story and I would even say that it is appropriate for most teenagers. Let’s be honest, the video games they play and the movies they watch depict far worse. Overall, The Hunger Games is a fast paced roller coaster of a ride that kept me entertained enough to finish it in less than a week, and these are not my style books, so that says a lot. I will most likely do a short review of the next two, but in the mean time I would say that it is safe material for your youth who love to read, and want a good science fiction type alternative to Twilight. If you have any questions about the books, don’t hesitate to ask.
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
-@amdavis36
Church Music is Boring
Sep 20th
Aaron M. Davis
I’d be willing to bet that if you have had any remote contact with “church’d” youth in any setting, you have probably heard this – You get in the car with a young person and the minute their radio comes on, they scramble to turn the volume down before you catch a good intake of their secret indulgence. They aren’t quite quick enough and you recognize the seductive beats of Gaga or whomever, and question their reasoning for ingesting that junk into their ears. They proceed to explain that they don’t listen to it all the time, that their cousin’s uncle’s nephew’s dog changed the dial… or whatever! You’re faced with a dilemma: to frantically change your next youth class lesson to why you shouldn’t listen to worldly music, and risk becoming redundant, or tackle the issue then and there. Ultimately, if the young person is honest with them self and you, you’ll get the dreaded church music is boring excuse. So print out this post and carry it with you everywhere, that way you are ready when this inevitable event happens.
1. If God Wanted You to Listen to Music Influenced by The DEVIL, He Would Have Let Him Stay in Heaven! Hold up, because I want to make sure you got that before we move on. Before his current occupation as the scary monster who gets blamed for all my bad days, the devil was actually the choir director in the presence of God and the angels! This dude had the voice that was untouchable! Can you imagine the ability he had at that moment in time. The captivating rhythms and melodies that created an awe inspired presence of worship at God’s feet. This dude had it going on. But as some (notice I said some, not all) disgustingly gifted artists do, he got a little cocky and decided he could run the show better. How on earth can we doubt the power of secular music, considering the source from which it comes?
2. Music and Your Brain Get Along. A study by some smart people in Austin, Texas showed that musical training appears to modify the brain’s auditory cortex. In simpler terms, it creates a faster response time for emotions and feelings triggered by sound. So When you exercise your brains ability to distinguish different types of music, or even to create it, you are working out your reaction time to engage in the emotions triggered by said music. So if Lady Gaga makes you feel all warm and fuzzy towards homosexuals, the more you hear her music, the faster your tolerance for luscious behavior shows up.
3. Secular Music is Praise and Worship. Don’t write me off as crazy yet. Consider the following quote: “Some artists want your money so they can buy Range Rovers and diamond braclets, but I don’t care about that kind of stuff. I want your soul.” -Lady Gaga. Not gonna lie, I get a little queezy just typing that out. We have encountered a dangerous dilemma here. The truth is that young people DO want a connection with a supernatural power. The world is putting it before their eyes. They get them all desensitized to the supernatural by showing them vampires and ware-wolves that struggle with feelings of love and mushy gushy girls who think it’s a new level of the dangerous boy Hollywood has taught them to desire. (side rant: read an article in the paper the other day about a boy who had AUTHORITIES CONVINCED that he was a vampire. What kind of sick twisted fantasy was this kid trying to conjure up, and furthermore, how did he confuse authorities enough that they didn’t even have a grasp on reality???? I’ll tell you how. There were supernatural powers in play there.) Now back to music.
4. Show Your Youth “The Truth About Hip-Hop” You can find clips on YouTube or you can find his full videos here.
5. How Can Your Youth Be Delivered From The Perfect Pitch Grip of Satan, When Their Leader Listens to The Same Stuff? I went there. I know that it’s a touchy topic and I am just hidden behind this computer screen, and I would never disrespect someone in spiritual authority over me, but having once been bound by the very industry that I’m speaking of, I can say with certainty that leaders of young people today need to have a grip on the reality that music can DESTROY your spiritual life.
5. Create A Game Plan, and Execute. A young person (Let’s call him Timmy) contacted me a few weeks ago expressing a desire to change his life. He opened up and it allowed me to minister to him in a way I hadn’t before. Long story short, he ended up giving me a stack of secular music and asking for my help. So I put him on a 7 day music fast, from ALL music. All he could listen to was music in church and in involuntary situations (public places). He stuck to it and immediately Timmy took a turn for the better in church, conversation, and life in general. Timmy has yet to come ask me for his CDs back.
6, Lastly, Have Alternatives. I am giving Timmy my CD case for a few days so he can share my music. Timmy likes rock. I am not giving him the Gaither Vocal Band. I gave Timmy some Kutless, Red, Sanctus Real and Needtobreathe. You can’t fight a forest fire with a blanket. You have to use what will be useful. Then keep inching them to where they need to be. By the way, Timmy is a kid who has been in church his whole life. Don’t expect your kids to be able to do this all by them self, no matter how church’d they are. They need your guidance. Set up an accountability program.
I do not have all the answers. But I can assure you that I have struggled with bondage from secular music addictions. It’s a nasty battle but it can be won.
Today was an epic day in christian music releases. Here are some new and old albums to get into your kids hands.
Suggestions
NEEDTOBREATHE “The Reckoning” – New Today and amazing
NEEDTOBREATHE “The Outsiders”
Gungor “Ghosts Upon The Earth” – New Today and amazing
Gungor “Beautiful Things” – Sweet album.
Jamie Grace “One Song At A Time”
Leeland “The Great Awakening” – Haven’t listened yet but it’s Leeland so it’ll be great.
Youth today want the supernatural and the world is giving it to them. It’s time for the church to respond.
-Davis
VMA Awards
Aug 28th
- Jason Talley
What do you get when you combine sex, drugs, music, lots of celebrities and MILLIONS of teenagers??? You’ve got the MTV Video Music Awards, that’s what. It is by far the largest television event of the year for MTV, and they take every second of the allotted two hours to indoctrinate your kids with the junk that many call life. But before I give you my complete thoughts on the VMA’s, let’s look at who won what:
Pop Music Video: Britney Spears, “Till the World Ends.”
Rock video: Foo Fighters, “Walk.”
Hip-hop video: Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass.”
Collaboration: Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, “E.T.”
Male video: Justin Bieber, “U Smile.”
Female video: Lady Gaga, “Born This Way.”
Video with a message: Lady Gaga, “Born This Way.”
Choreography: Beyonce, “Run the World (Girls).”
Editing: Adele, “Rolling in the Deep.”
Special effects: Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, “E.T.”
Cinematography: Adele, “Rolling in the Deep.”
Art direction: Adele, “Rolling in the Deep.”
Direction: Adele, “Rolling in the Deep.”
Best new artist: Tyler, The Creator, “Yonkers.”
Video of the year: Katy Perry, “Firework.”
Alright, now let me start with this – The first to hit the stage – Lady GaGa. Not surprising, but in her normal GaGa way she comes out dressed crazy. But this time it’s dressed as Joe Calderone smoking a cigarette performing ‘You and I’. This makes me sick… Seeing a woman dressed as a man, talking like a man, acting like a man, It’s crazy. This is what kids see and many use as role models… ugh.
Here’s the thing… Just this last Friday night I went to preview the new Planet of the Apes movie – which I was very disappointed in, by the way – and as I walked toward the theater I noticed something amazing and it caused me to stop dead in my tracks. The AMC that I frequent is in the middle of an outdoor shopping mall and there are people everywhere all the time… but the thing that caught my attention was the fact that everyone within view of me was flooding to the theater I mean, what appeared to be hundreds of people were heading to the movies like it was the last chance they would get to see a film. I was amazed. I immediately started thinking about how our culture is so centered around entertainment. We want to be entertained so badly, we will sometimes spend our last dollar just to do it. Payment plans on TV’s, stereo systems and computers, spending billions of dollars on phones with the capability of watching movies or accessing games at any given moment – sometimes even to our and our kids own detriment – (if you don’t think kids look at inappropriate material on their smart phone, you’re wrong- but that’s another post for another time) I’m not saying that stereo’s or an iPhone is a bad thing, but I am saying that I truly believe God wants to speak to us, and to our students, but sometimes we have the noise so loud that it is literally impossible for us to hear his still small voice over the pollution.
The VMA’s are like all of entertainment that kids today listen to, watch, and hear about all thrown into one two hour slot for them to sit and gawk over. The whole time their mind is being infiltrated with thoughts and ideas about life that are not consistent with the way God intended life to be. Here’s what I honestly think – We love entertainment… and we should. Because Genesis tells us that we were created in God’s image, with His likeness. GOD LOVES ENTERTAINMENT – He really does. Don’t believe me? God inhabits our praise, he loves to hear us sing, he looks forward to seeing us every day and for you and I to talk to him. While girls are screaming over Justin Bieber or Taylor Lautner, God is screaming for you and I every time we come into His presence. He want’s us way more than we want Him…
Man, I better move on before I get too deep. Here’s the bottom line- Millions of kids watched the MTV Video Music awards tonight and got their ears, minds, and hearts pumped full of GaGa, Brittany, Bieber, and tons of other junk that needs not to be in the home, much less in their heads – the way the celebrities dressed spoke to them, the way they acted spoke to them, the language they used spoke to them… but guess what didn’t speak to them… the voice of God. I’m sure somewhere in the US kids decided to miss their church’s evening service just for this once-a-year event.
Will we allow entertainment to overtake the students that we work so hard to minister to just because we are ignorant to the forces that are really at play here? Will we continually make jokes and some even help the industry by pushing songs and artist through our messages and visual illustrations, or will we grab the horns of the alter and say NO! Enough is enough. If entertainment is going to run my life, run my family, run my students lives, it’s going to be entertainment that we are providing to HIM and not the junk that this world produces. Does this make sense? Sometimes I wonder…
This is ridiculous.
- JT
Back to School Discussion Starters
Aug 22nd
- Jason Talley
It’s hard to believe that summer has already come and gone. Many parents and surprisingly students are rejoicing alike for new beginnings this school year. Are you kids prepared for the peer pressure they might face? I was doing some reading today and ran across an article that I just had to share… This was taken from http://www.prnewswire.com. Check it out -
Top Talking Points for Parents with Teens Going Back to School
WERNERSVILLE, Pa., Aug. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Whether teens are entering high school for the first time or advancing grades, heading back-to-school can be both exciting and stressful. As teens face new challenges, new environments and new social influences in heading back to school, these stressors can lead teens to experiment with illegal substances. Recent studies have shown high stress teens are twice as likely as low stress teens to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs.
“When parents and teens have open lines of communication and are able to speak authentically about the dangers of illegal substances, there is a dramatic reduction in the likelihood that teens will engage in this type of high-risk behavior,” explainedTammy Granger, student assistance program coordinator, Caron Treatment Centers, a nationally recognized non-profit provider of alcohol and drug addiction treatment. “Many parents underestimate the role they can play in preventing their teens from using drugs and alcohol, but an effective conversation can make a surprising amount of impact.”
There are several key ways for parents to facilitate successful back-to-school prep conversations and feel confident in
addressing sensitive issues, like drug and alcohol use and abuse, with their teens.
- Talk early and often: Don’t wait until the day before school begins to have a conversation about expectations. Addressing potential issues well before they occur, and having continued conversations, is an effective way to deter negative behavior.
- Create an annual contract: A contract that puts expectations in writing, created with the teens’ input, provides an objective record of agreed-upon rules. Topics to address in the contract may include drug and alcohol abstinence, curfew, technology usage, and family rules and consequences.
- Set expectations regarding academic performance: If a teen is consuming drugs or alcohol, parents are likely to observe a decline in his or her grades. Teens who understand that they’re expected to achieve a certain caliber of academic performance will often be more focused.
Reinforce that prescription drugs can also be abused: Increasingly, teens are prescribed medicine for issues such as Attention Deficit Disorder, depression and anxiety. Parents must remind teens if they take prescription drugs, they must take only the prescribed amount, and they should never take friends’ prescription drugs.
- Address current observable areas of concern: If teens exhibit potential drug and alcohol abuse warning signs, such as rapid mood swings, anger management issues, withdrawal from family activity or physical changes like significant weight loss and changes in sleeping patterns, parent must discuss this with them immediately. Parents should also take advantage of school resources that may be available at little or no cost, including assessment and counseling services.
As teens grow throughout high school, they deal with more autonomy and independence, heightened social pressures, navigating new friend groups and increased workloads. During times of stress, teens are likely to be tempted to use drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. Parents can help teens deal with potentially overwhelming situations with open, honest communication about alternative coping mechanisms and reinforcing they are available to listen.
For additional resources and facts on addiction and prevention, parents can visit www.caron.org.
About Caron Treatment Centers
Caron Treatment Centers is a nationally recognized non-profit provider of alcohol and drug addiction treatment. Founded in 1957, Caron is one of the oldest and largest facilities offering primary, relapse and extended residential treatment for young adults, adults and adolescents, as well as families affected by the disease of addiction. Caron’s treatment is gender separate and gender specific. Caron has extensive experience in the treatment of co-occurring psychological/psychiatric disorders.
Formerly the Caron Foundation, Caron Treatment Centers operates residential treatment centers in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, and Dallas, Texas. Caron also operates Caron Renaissance, an extended care treatment center in Boca Raton, Florida and has regional offices in Bermuda, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. Caron will acquire the Hanley Center in Fall 2011.
For more information visit www.caron.org or follow Caron on Twitter @CaronTreatment.
We all know that drugs and alcohol are serious things and I bet you think your kid would never go down that road… It’s never too late to have this talk with your kids and to also set up ways for them to be accountable on these issues.
Now you know
-JT
A Movie Worth Watching
Aug 15th
- Jason Talley
Before you read this post, check out the trailer by clicking Here
I had the privilege a week ago to go with our youth staff to a private screening of a new movie coming out called Seven Days in Utopia. It was a great film- I mean, when you put God and golf together in the same film, how can it not be. 
Here’s the thing… many times when we have seen Christian movies in the past, we have automatically thought – eh, low budget- Which translates into bad acting and cheezy lines. But ever since the launch of To Save a Life back in 2009, the Christian film industry has really stepped up its game, following that with the release of Soul Surfer this year as well – Seven Days in Utopia is defiantly no disappointment. Here’s the basic plot – A golfer named Luke Chisholm (played by Lucas Black) has been pushed by his father to to play golf all his life, and on the last hole of a tournament he goes off the handle because of the pressure. After storming off he wrecks his car in a small town called Utopia. A former golf champion Chuck (played by Robert Bear) finds him and teaches him things about golf and faith that he never knew. Now I’m not gonna’ lie to you, I cried almost the entire way through this movie. I don’t want to give anything else away or comment further, but I’m telling you – this movie is a MUST SEE!!!
Now you know,
- JT
LMFAO ~ More Than Just An Offensive Acronym
Jul 22nd
Aaron M. Davis
If you have followed Students and Culture for any extended length of time, you may of already wondered what makes us decide to write on certain songs or movies and so on. After all, here we are writing about material that we are encouraging you and your youth to stay away from, but we obviously have to find it. 90% of the songs I cover here are a result of me opening up iTunes (the #1 source for downloaded music) and browsing the top songs/albums. I do not listen to top 40 stations and don’t encourage others to, even if it’s for the sake of “research.” The other 10% come from suggestions. This is one of those posts. Someone that lives between the north and south pole sent me a text the other day asking me if I had heard of LMFAO. I thought they were referring to the acronym, “laughing my f****** a** off.” (Sorry if that offends you but you should know what it means.) I was set back at their question until they informed me that there is a band with that name, and yes their acronym holds the same meaning. They told me to check out the song “Party Rock Anthem”, and as I do with all suggestions, I make sure it’s a song that people are even listening to. There is no point in covering music that isn’t getting any air time. So I went to Prophet Google, and opened up iTunes and “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO was sitting in the number one song slot. After doing a little digging, this song is definitely one you need to be aware of.
Click here to check out the lyrics.
Please keep in mind that this is currently the number one downloaded song on iTunes, and it’s also in the top spot on the Billboard charts. LMFAO is an uncle-nephew duo made up of DJs Redfoo (Stefan Kendal Gordy) and SkyBlu (Skyler Austen Gordy). They can often be seen sporting shirts with explicit words on them (finding one to put in this article was tough) and carry a disco rock look that seems to be coming back. In a music culture that is 95% image and 5% talent (Ke$ha and Gaga are prime examples) these dudes fit right in. While browsing the lyrics of some of their other songs, I realized that they are feeding right off of the trend in music where women are exploited and drinking and partying is strongly promoted.
There is no place for anthems like this in the church.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2
What will be our anthem? Watch this video, and think about the call it’s making.
Harry Potter – It’s All Over Now… or is it?
Jul 17th
- Jason Talley
The legendary Harry Potter series has officially ended as of July 15th, 2011. It’s hard to believe that the story that came from the mind of J.K. Rowling in 1990 that sold Millions of books and entertained the masses is now complete. I’m personally amazed at how long this saga lasted in full feature films. The first movie was released in 2001 – Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, now 10 years later and eight movies completed, Harry Potter has become and always will be a name and story that is known around the globe.
Now, before you start freaking out thinking I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, or not – Let me settle the issue up front by saying I think the shier graphics and visual production of the films are amazing, much like Transformers or some of the Marvel films. But I will say that I am not a huge fan of the plots and overall story. While action, mystery, and adventure are always fun, I share the opinion of many that wizardry, sorcery, magic and other forces are simply not things to entertain oneself with. – But we will get on that in just a second. First I want to look at the latest and final chapter of the saga and fill in those of you that might not go see it yourself – but not in that boring movie-review format kind of way, so here we go…
- Harry kills magical thingies that hold the ugly bad guys power -
- The really cool castle that has been the school is destroyed by the bad guys -
- The good guys start losing, and in in the typical movie way, they don’t in the end.
- Harry gets killed – but he doesn’t go to heaven or hell, he goes to some magical place where he can decide if he wants to come back or not. (random comment – All his close friends and family encourage him to die… saying “don’t pity the dead, pity the living)
- Then Harry Comes back to the scene just in time to kill the ugly bad guy.
- The movie ends with a scene of harry and his friends 19 years later sending their kids off to wizard school, just as it all started for them…
Alright – here is what I really think -
for the last 19 years there has been a generation of kids and teens that have defined themselves in the Harry Potter films, and in other films that fall right there with it such as the Twilight saga. There are spirits that are behind every bit of these movies and books. Think I’m crazy? I’m not… I honestly can’t put it much better than Pastor Mark Driskall from Mars Hill church did in this video about the Twilight series, books and movies like it and their affect, check it out -
Seriously – Don’t read on without clicking on this —> http://youtu.be/ENGtXsRS2fs
Have we even considered the spiritual side of films just like this? I think not. Most individuals that watch these films watch them for the simple entertainment value that they have. But what can we be teaching our kids and friends by encouraging them to watch films that lead to power being given to individuals and life being prolonged by some mystical power with no source. Sure, you’re thinking, well, there’s good and evil in these movies, and right you are… there are good sides and bad sides to the films, but let me say this – there are two powers in our world, good and evil. All things good come from God, anything that is not from God is evil. Period. No glory or honor is given to God for the powers or abilities that are displayed in these films, so did good really win? What about when we let our kids see these films with no thought and they leave realizing that that power they just saw on screen isn’t real – or is it? Can we be inadvertently diminishing the Holy Ghost that God put within us and said that it is the “power” that we would have (Acts 1:8)
The difference maker is this – will mainstream Christianity sit by idly while the enemy infiltrates our lives and homes with a demonic message under the guise of entertainment or will we stand up for what Jesus died for and say that there is only one salvation, and ALL POWER is given Him in Heaven and on earth. The main point is this – for the past 19 years, a large majority of this generation has been captivated by the Harry Potter films, their ad campaign says – “It All Ends 7. 15. 2011″ My question is – Did it really or did you take it home?
Now you know…
- JT
Facebook+Skype= more trouble???
Jul 11th
- Jason Talley
Facebook officially announced July 6th that they are now partnering with Skype to bring video calling to the Facebook platform. Cool right? – We’ll see… While the new service is not yet available to all Facebook users, the new integrated video calling with group chat options are believed to be in direct response to the new Google+. Alright, so what does this mean for you? How does this affect your kids?
Here’s the thing… There is a very thin line between using something like this for a good purpose and using it for bad. If you were not around in our humble beginnings, the first article I posted on Students and Culture was on the subject of cyber bulling - (you can read the full article HERE) - Believe it or not, cyber bulling could be a real danger with the new Facebook Video calls. Another real danger is the sexual aspect of it.
Back when the iPhone 4 came out with it’s front facing camera and new FaceTime application, the man behind Steve Job’s Twitter account said the following: “FaceTime - taking sexting to a whole new level…” As if we didn’t have enough problems with kids sending pictures of themselves nude to someone of the opposite sex, now they have the complete option of seeing one another in real time on their phones… and now on Facebook.
OK, don’t worry, I know what your thinking – “Jason, Skype existed before they partnered with Facebook, this is no new thing…” and yes, I know that, but before the partnership with Facebook, Skype users could only communicate with other Skype users. This number was very limited compared to the amount of friends that most kids have on Facebook these days.
I was just talking to my thirteen year old nephew today and told him in a joking way how I couldn’t believe he was adding fifteen to twenty new girls to his profile almost every day. Most of these girls I’m sure he doesn’t actually know, and each of them are now potential candidates for a Facebook video call… sound bad? It gets worse. these calls are not recorded, and there is no record of the transaction between one individual to another. What if one of those “girls” that he is now friends with turn out to not be a 13 year old girl but a sexual predator? All the personal information is given in the info section, and now… we have face-to-face communication redily available with people that we might not even know.
Don’t get me wrong, I see the positives, and I think that overall this can be a good addition to the Facebook social networking platform – if used correctly. But my job is not to jump on here and give you the positives all the time and ignore the possible dangers that this new addition to the most used social media network in the world could actually present.
There it is, and now you know.
- JT
Music Review Podcast
Jul 10th
Parents and youth workers, want some music to suggest to your kids to listen to?
Check out our most recent podcast with Byron Hypolite -
Dangerous Influence
Jun 1st
- Jason Talley
With graduation time upon us, kids everywhere are getting ready to launch out into the world with the knowledge and power that was given to them by their teachers, family members, and even youth pastors. All of this is made possible because of one set of individuals influencing another.
This reminds me of a time that I had a parent call me to thank me for taking time with her son… she proceeded to say – you have “dangerous influence.” WOW! What does that mean? At the time, I really had no clue, but over time I have found that that one statement would change the way I view life and ministry forever…
It all starts here- What is influence?
In-flu-ence – 1) The capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.
Influence is a crazy thing… for real! People are influenced and don’t even know it – that’s why advertisement campaigns are so successful. Have you ever been sitting at home hungry and see a commercial on TV for steak and shrimp at Red Lobster and all of the sudden you’re heading there… wishing at the end of it all that you would have just ate at home? :)
Take a moment and think back about people in your life and how they influenced you… some for good, and some for bad. Ether way, if someone has influence in your life you allowed them to have that influence.
I think of it this way - you have a stage with red tape around it. If the owner of that stage allows me to go up there and speak where most can not, I can’t just take it for granted and say whatever I want to say or do whatever I want to do, because I might get kicked off the stage and not allowed to get back on. The stage or platform of influence is a very powerful place to be, and if you are on it, NEVER take it for granted.
While looking for images for this post, I ran across several things that were very shocking to me, and were also a great example of how this platform can be misused. Let’s look at a few:
”A youth pastor at a Clermont County church is being arranged on a charge of sexual battery involving a 15-year-old girl. Christopher Evans, a youth pastor for four years at Saltair Church of Christ was arrested. Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg said “A sexual relationship started with the female in July of 2008 and continued until Authorities were notified in 2009.
”In his three years as youth minister at a small Gainseville church, Phillip Glenn Terrell won over the trust of the tight-knit congregation that treated him like family. But by repeatedly molesting the teenage son of one of the church members, Terrell not only left the boy emotionally scarred, but hastened the demise of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Terrell pleaded guilty to molesting the 14 year old boy in 2006. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The red brick church on Atlanta Highway, where 50 or 60 people gathered each Sunday at the time of Tarrell’s arrest, now sits empty…”
These men are just two examples of hundreds I found. When I read these things, my first thought is How can this happen? What made it get to this point? How can someone literally take their influence in people’s lives and throw it out the window? Looking at the second man, Phillip – his particular situation is an amazing example of how much influence one person can actually have. He not only affected his students in a negative way, but the entire church shut down because of one man that decided to misuse his influence. That’s DANGEROUS influence!
Let’s take a moment and look at this word – “Dangerous”
- is it a negative word? I don’t think so.
Cutting down a tree with a chainsaw is very dangerous, but when it is used by trained hands, the job gets done and firewood is provided as a result. Climbing to the top of a mountain can be dangerous, but when one knows the way and has the proper equipment, the journey can be safe and secure and they get the opportunity to see things that most people only hear about.
having dangerous influence doesn’t mean it’s bad influence. It comes down to having the knowledge that when you posess dangerous influence that everything you say, do, wear, and represent is going to leave a mark of some sort on someones life. That kind of life can’t afford to make detrimental mistakes, and as a spiritual leader in people’s lives the enemy would love for someone with dangerous influence to fail, fall, compromise or to quit.
With this knowledge, we should then strive even more to be as strong as we can be. Pray like we have never prayed, study like we have never studied, and know God like we have never known Him before. Because when you are at home you have dangerous influence, when you’re at work, you have dangerous influence, and most importantly when we step through the red tape and up on to your stage of influence you don’t just want to look the part, act the part, or sound like the part, you must be the part.
Tell us in the comments section below… how are you using your dangerous influence?
- JT