Standing

I have worked with junior high, high school, college and adult level teaching opportunities since 1974.  I really did not have a choice, God opened the door and threw me in.  When one venue wrapped up, another would appear and so it has been now for 41 years!  I probably have learned more through teaching than any of my students did!

But, one thing is a constant through the years: the appalling drop out rate from middle school age kids through young adults attending church - much less - Sunday School!  As a generality it has always  been of about 75% of those whom were in middle school that are gone from all Church attendance by the end of college.  Only a 25% retention rate!  And from what I have seen in Canada, England, Scotland, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Russia - this is about the same world wide.  The world has a strong pull on this age group and they will wander away and become lost in the morass of the world and its ways if we are not there to help them stand strong ...

Philippians 2:12-18

We are supposed to be in the world but not a part of the world ...

Stand Up and Obey

We are commanded to love God.
We are commanded to love our neighbor.
The first priority is God and our right standing with Him.
Living out the fruit of our salvation.

Stand Out

Being good is not good enough!
Be a light for all to see.
Clear, bright, different!
That means you are counter-cultural!
Model God's love.

Stand With Jesus 

Romans 12: we are to be a living sacrifice to Jesus - not ourselves!
Worse yet, your/my family in the faith depends upon you and your ability here!

Yeah, I fail, you fail, everyone fails.  But, you get up, clean yourself off before God and try again.  You are the object of watchfulness by the young in the faith everywhere around you, people you do not even know.  But, they are watching, they are seeing your failure - and importantly - what do you do next .....