"The Good Old Days"

S – Ps 77:5 – “I think of the good old days, long since ended.

O – The Jews had seen some great times, but at this time in the Bible, things are going bad, and they are asking, “Where is God?” I think we are just like them. It’s easy to praise God when things are good, but we seem to turn from praise to blaming God when things are bad. Jesus never promised us that things would always be good in our lives. But He promises to always be there. Things may change in our lives…. Our pastor may leave the church, the church loses members, we lose a loved one, we lose our job. And it’s easy to look back and say, “remember when things were good?” During these times we have to hold on to God and have faith. It is during these times where we usually see the most spiritual growth. These are the times when you will know just how important God is to your life.

A – During difficult times, draw closer to God

P – Father, help me to know that life is not perfect, but you are. Help me to remain faithful during difficult times.

"And They Feared God"

S – 1 Samuel 5:10 – “they cried out, ‘They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us too.’”

O – When the Philistines started to see God’s power, and they saw what He did in other cities, they were afraid. They did not worship God, but they knew He was real, and they knew what He could do.

A – We need to bring the word of God to the people so that He can do miracles in our city. People need to see what God can do. We need to make God real in our lives.

P – God, may people see my life and know that you are real. Help me to bring your word to our city.

"Can You Praise?"

S – Ps 64:10 – “And those who do right will praise Him.”

O – I have a hard time praising God sometimes. Not because of God, but because of me. I find myself ashamed of my actions. Satan will use my mistakes to tell me I’m not good enough to follow God. The best thing I can do is strive to follow Jesus. If I’m having a hard time with my spiritual life, it’s not anything God has done. There is something I need to re-evaluate in my life.

A – I need to live for Jesus. I’m the one who walks away. Jesus is always there.

P – Father, forgive me of my sins. Help me to do what is right in your eyes.

Dear Pastors and Youth Pastors

• 2 out of 5 Teenage girls get pregnant
• Within the Hispanic population: 3 out of 5 Teenage girls get pregnant
• The Center for Disease Control reports that 47.8% of students have had sexual intercourse

Shocked? No? Check this out

• Teen childbearing costs the state of Texas approximately 1 billion dollars a year

• Nationally teen childbearing costs taxpayers at least 9.1 billion dollars a year (and we wonder why there isn’t enough federal money to help our kids go to college)

If those numbers still did not shock you, think of the lives of our teens

• The majority of teen mothers and children live in poverty
• Less then half of all teen moms DO NOT finish high school
• 8 out of 10 teen fathers DO NOT marry their baby’s mother (think of how many of our teens have said, “I love him and we’ll be together forever”)

Unfortunately, many people who read these statistics will still not be shocked. For many families, schools, and churches, this tragedy of teen sex and teen pregnancy has become a normal part of life. The bar of expectations for our students has lowered over the years. Where we use to dream of our children becoming doctors, lawyers, and teachers, we now just pray for them to “at least” finish high school before they get pregnant.

If there was one phrase in the English language that I wish I could erase, it would be the phrase “at least.”

- “well, he may not be passing, but at least he’s in school”

- “he may not be a very good kid, but at least he’s not in jail”

- “she had a baby at 15, but at least she is finishing high school”

If we expect the very least from our kids, that is what they are going to give us.

What is wrong with having higher expectations for our kids? The Lord says in the book of John that He came to give us life and life to the fullest! Life Abundantly! In Jeremiah He promises us plans to prosper us and give us a hope and a future. Our teens need to know that God has great plans for their life, but if they decide to become sexually active, they are putting those plans in jeopardy. We know that God can work in any circumstance and in anyone’s life, but it is clear in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, “God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.”

So as a church, how do we effectively reach our teens and help them to remain abstinent until marriage, thus avoiding the negative consequences that accompany teen sex?

We need to have good, open communication with our kids

Some people still have a difficult time hearing the word “sex” mentioned in church. But we need to find a proper way to give our kids appropriate, biblical knowledge on the subject of sex. We need to let them know what God’s plan for a sexual relationship is and why it is important to keep that relationship within the HOLY bonds of marriage.

We need to give our students resources and tools to help them say NO

It’s not enough for us to say, “God says not to have sex until marriage.” All of our children are receiving messages from movies, music, internet, friends, and sometimes even school teachers that is completely opposite of God’s word. They need help to fight against these messages. They need lessons they can apply to real life situations. They need guidance and examples of what a healthy relationship looks like. And, they need tips on how to have holy dating relationships.

We need to empower parents

I have been working as an abstinence educator for over 8 years. I have had the opportunity to speak to many people on this subject. However, to this very day, my parents have never told me where babies come from. I never had “the talk” with my dad. I think many parents are afraid to talk to their kids about sex. For so long, this subject was seen as inappropriate and embarrassing. So, many parents, like mine, happily signed the permission slip for their kids to learn about sex from their school. But, as many of you know, our schools are not doing an appropriate job in instilling morals, healthy choices, and the idea of choosing abstinence as the healthiest choice for your life into our kids. The world is filling the minds of our teens with ideas that go against God’s plan for sex. It is time that parents take back the responsibility of teaching their children about sex, and boldly and appropriately let them know that God created sex for our enjoyment within a holy and sanctified marriage.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

If you and your church want to make an impact in the lives of teens, you want your kids to make a commitment to abstain from sex until marriage, and you want to improve communication between kids and their parents, then I want to help. Go to http://www.davidnatividad/ and check out the workshop “Raising the Bar of Expectations." If you would like to bring this workshop to your church, or if you have any questions, please contact me

David Natividad

david@yourswbc.com

Mom and Dad

Tomorrow I will be taking my parents out to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.

45 YEARS!!!! How cool is that?

Now, I've been around for 32 years, so I've seen my parents live their life as husband and wife. Is it a perfect marriage? NO! But, there is no such thing. Since a marriage is made up of two people, and since no person is perfect, then a marriage cannot be. But that's ok. I think it is the imperfections that make it most personal.

If there is one thing I can tell you I've learned from my mom and dad (there are A LOT of things, but they won't all fit on this blog) its what true love is in a marriage. I wish I could tell you that my dad is the most romantic man in the world, or that my mom is the kind of woman who appreciates romance, flowers, jewelry, and candy. But I've never really seen them that way. They are an old school Hispanic couple who rarely show their romantic side. I'm sure they have had their romantic moments. I can think back on some times when my dad would say sweet things about my mom, or embarrass her by kissing her in public.. haha

But when I think of their marriage, romance is not the first thing that comes to mind. Now, I have made a promise that when I get married I will try my hardest to always be romantic. I hope that flowers, cards, and gifts will always be a part of my wife's life. But I also know that a marriage is not built on romantic love. It is built on TRUE, REAL love. When times are bad, or when someone is upset, it's not romantic love that helps to solve the problem... it's true love. It is commitment. It is hard work. My mom and dad are HARD workers. I've only met a few other people in my life that have similar work ethic as my mom and dad. If it's their job, if it's their kids, or if it's their marriage... they work hard to make it happen.

I praise God that I never had to worry about not having a place to live, food to eat, or having clothes on my back. My parents worked hard to provide for their family. I was also very lucky that in high school, I could focus completely on school, sports, band, student government, one act play, etc... because my mom and dad worked so hard so their kids wouldn't have to have a job to help support the family. And the best thing in my life was that as a kid, and as a teenager, and now as an adult, I never had to worry about my parents ever getting a divorce. My parents worked hard to make sure their marriage worked. They were committed. FOR LIFE! They supported each other. They worked together to raise their children.

I feel so bad for children who have to ask, "why isn't daddy coming home." I couldn't imagine what that would be like. I grew up in a happy home.

I know that a single parent can still provide a happy home. But, I couldn't imagine living without both a mom and a dad at home... showing me an example of what commitment is. An example of how to care for someone else. An example of how to be faithful. Two people who truly meant, "till death do us part." They taught me the importance of faith.

The reason my mom and dad have such a strong marriage is because they are both servants of Jesus Christ. God is the center of our family. If it was up to my mom and dad on their own, then there is a big chance that they would be just another statistic in the divorce category. But because of our savior and His great wisdom, we are celebrating a great day tomorrow. 45 years of marriage. I guess that might be rare this day and age.... But it's something I knew we would one day celebrate.

Mi Familia Pt. 3

(Mi Familia Pt 1 and Pt 2 can be found at myspace.com/davidnatividad)

I became a Christian at the age of 9. My mom and dad encouraged me to do well in school, music, and sports. For many years I was surrounded by friends who all wanted to do well in life. These are all reasons that I have found some success in my life (success not measured by money or status, but by looking for the purposes God has for my life). But also, I've always had this inner desire... this gut feeling that pushed me to always want more.

Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

I've always believed that as Christians, we are called to do things with a holy and higher expectation. I truly believe that Christians should be at the top of their class, they should be known as the hardest working athlete on their team, and the best worker at their job. We do these things not because we have a big ego, but because we give our best to the Lord. We worship Him in everything we do. If I'm getting an "A" in math, or if I'm scoring a touchdown, Colossians says that I do it for the honor and glory of God... no one else. Now, automatically, when we do this for the Lord, others benefit from it.

I think that if there is anything that I could pray for all of my cousins, I would pray that they have the inner desire to do all things as if working for the Lord. I pray they have the inner desire to improve themselves through education and hard work. I want them to know that even though there is nothing wrong with working at lower paying jobs, there is also NOTHING wrong with wanting to do more with your life. Raise the Bar of expectations. What is stopping you from becoming a Doctor or a Lawyer. What is keeping you from getting a Bachelor's, Masters, Or PhD? NOTHING!

Philippians 4:13 says, "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength"

WHAT IS STOPPING YOU?

Let's be honest.... Will alcohol be around 20 years from now? YES.. it was here before you were born and it will be here long after you are dead and gone. Will drugs be around 20 years from now? YES... again, people were smoking weed long before you were born, and unfortunately it will still be here long after you are dead and gone. Please don't thing you are doing anything special by smoking weed... There will always be dirty little clubs, and dark little bars open late at night. They've been here, and they will always be here.

But you know what won't be here 20 years from now? The opportunities you have right now!! Your chance to do good in school... your chance to go back to school... you chance to turn over everything to God and to say, "Lord, I need you. I can do all things only through you." Why are you focused so much on things that have no meaning and will be here forever? It makes me want to cry every time I see young people put so much importance on a "party life." I promise I'm going to yell at the top of my lungs the next time I see one of my little cousins put "I love to drink and party" on their myspace profile!! WHY? WHY? WHY??????

We are not promised tomorrow! You can't say, "I'll have fun now, but one day I'll get serious about God, or my education, or my career." Maybe "one day" may not get here. And when you leave this planet do you want to be known as a person who did incredible things with their life, or as someone who really knew how to "party." You want to be known as a "party animal?" All you are doing is joining the millions of other fools who think that is important. Any idiot can be known as someone who can drink a beer or smoke some weed. Our schools are full of them. But to be a person who stands out. A person who allows God to move in their life... to make an impact in their generation... to be known as someone who helped others, achieved greatness, and did something others couldn't do. That is what God wants to do with you.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God has an incredible plan for your life. And I guarantee you it has nothing to do with impressing the local fools on how hard you can party. God has called you for greater and mightier things.

In Him,

D.

Item one.. Let's Pray

Yesterday was my first day of my new schedule at SW Baptist Church. Since this is my first staff position at a church I'm not sure how things will be different from my other jobs. I mean, when I was growing up, the churches I attended didn't have staff. I went to small churches that had bi-vocational pastors. So, any type of meetings that had to do with church business came in the form of the "sesion de negocios," or "church business meeting." Now, if anyone reading this was raised in a traditional Hispanic Southern Baptist Church then you know why I was nervous when Pastor Mike, Pastor of SW Baptist Church, called a staff meeting for Monday morning. Old school church business meetings are infamous for being cut throat.

But as Pastor Mike started talking during our meeting, I felt like I was back at my non-profit office planning the weeks activities. We were breaking down Sunday's service and asking ourselves what we can do to better serve the members. We talked about future plans and about what I need to do to research the probabilities of our church pursuing certain projects. It was a great meeting and I felt like I was right back in my element doing the things I know how to do. You see, I had no idea what to expect. I was nervous. I didn't know if my skills running a non-profit would help me in the church. I know a church technically is a non-profit, but I've been working in non-profits for a long time and I've been going to church for a LONG time. I never saw the two being run the same way.

I think one advantage for SW Baptist is that Pastor Mike has a great business background. He runs his meetings like a business. We are talking about project points, creating action plans, assigning deadlines, and delegating assignments to other leaders.

But even though he runs his meetings like a business, there was one meeting objective that was completely different. You see, in this meeting there were several points that we had to cover. The first point was PRAYER! And I don't just mean, "hey let's pray to start our meeting..." I mean our first and most important point of the meeting was to pray. We went over prayer requests and we prayed. We didn't pray for our meeting, we prayed for the church, the people, and for each other. So many times, even in the church, we don't' recognize the importance of prayer. As someone who has been a part of praise teams and other ministries, I always treated prayer as just a ritualistic thing we did before each practice or before each meeting. Prayer was never an important part of practice or the meeting. We never said, "hey, during the first 30 minutes of practice all we are going to do is pray. Pray for each other and this ministry." Sometimes we're so lazy getting to the church on time that we don't have adequate time to practice or meet, much less lay aside time to pray.

I know this is not anything very deep, and it probably didn't make anyone of you stop and say, "wow, I never thought of that." I guess I was just happy to see that prayer wasn't something we did just to start our meeting, Prayer was a part of the meeting. And, it was the thing we spent the most time on. I guess all I can hope for is that of any of you are dreading your next business meeting at church, maybe you can make prayer a major part of that meeting.

Item number one on the agenda.... Let's Pray.