LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: Week April 8 to 14, 2024, Video: Adolescents who are morally upright, Analysis and Answers.

LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: April 8-14, 2024, Video: Adolescents who are morally upright, Analysis and Responses.

Adolescents who are morally upright (15 mins.) Analysis with the audience.

In the image corresponding to this topic, we see a teenager meditating on a text he has just read. He has a tablet next to him on which he can see an image of the video “When you're a teenager: How can I resist the pressure to have sex?” It is an image of Joseph fleeing from Potiphar's wife.

This week we point out those external pressures that Christian adolescents face in their social and cultural environment. The statement that they face people who pressure them to have sex suggests a negative influence coming from the media and culture in general. These pressures are not only limited to heterosexual relationships, but also include the acceptance of homosexual relationship beliefs. In certain contexts, this cultural landscape can present an additional challenge for adolescents trying to remain faithful to their religious and moral convictions in the midst of a society that often promotes a selfish mentality unrelated to solid ethical values.

Play the VIDEO When you're a teenager: How can I resist the pressure to have sex? Then ask:

How did their classmates put pressure on Cory and Kamryn?

They had pressure from their classmates to have sexual relations, since this was a normal issue for them and they overlooked the fact that our brothers had religious beliefs, which taught them that this was not pleasing to God. .

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, they put a lot of pressure on them, because their classmates talked all day about the relationships they had as a couple, and even, for example, the girl says that her classmates hit her a lot, because she mentions that they tried to touch her, and the boy says that One day he asked a classmate to touch her inappropriately, and when he rejected her, the girl made fun of him and told him that he was probably gay.

Cory was pressured with constant conversations about sex, even knowing that Kori intended to abstain until marriage, due to her religious beliefs. Also, he was pressured with a girl's direct insistence that he touch her inappropriately. 

Cory also had to endure ridicule and insults from his classmates. When he refused to do inappropriate things, they accused him of being boring or gay. He also had to endure some classmates trying to force him to have sexual contact with a young woman. Some colleagues pushed him from behind, while others grabbed his arms in an effort to force him.

Kamryn suffered from social and peer pressure: Her classmates constantly talked about their relationships and expected her to do the same. She also endured physical aggression, as some of her classmates invaded her personal space and even tried to touch her without her consent.

Kamryn endured the temptation to conform: Despite her beliefs and shyness, she felt the desire to fit in and be like others to avoid attracting attention. On the other hand, he endured moral and spiritual pressure, since as a Jehovah's Witness, he felt the need to remain faithful to his principles and what he believed to be right in the eyes of Jehovah.

What helped you to be whole?

Precisely maintain a routine of personal study, have friendship with Jehovah and be upright. In addition to receiving help from his parents on these issues, he prepared them by thinking about how Jehovah would feel if they gave in to those temptations, how it would affect his future. In addition to having studies of articles, publications or, for example, books, young people ask questions. This helped him to continue trusting in Jehovah. 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

It helped them a lot, for example in the case of Joseph, as we very well know, he escaped from Potiphar's wife, because he was determined to make Jehovah happy. He also mentions that personal study helped him because it made him see God as a real person and because he was so real he didn't want to do anything to hurt his feelings. 

In addition, it helped them a lot to talk to their parents, since they could advise them, and studying biblical publications helped them stay loyal, such as the book "What Young People Ask." 

Cory was helped by his previous preparation and education to maintain his integrity. For example, his conversation with his grandmother and reading articles and publications as young people ask, provided him with a solid foundation to resist temptations.

Cory was also helped by prayer and his trust in Jehovah and applying Biblical principles such as 1 Corinthians 6:18. This gave him the strength to act correctly in this difficult situation. Another thing that was of great help to him was being aware of the consequences of his actions. He said everything right, as you say, he acted incorrectly. 

It helped Kamryn to have integrity, be aware of her actions, and reflect on how they could affect her future, her relationship with Jehovah, her friends, and her family. Another thing that helped her was her faith and her close and personal relationship with Jehovah. This strengthened her resolve to not give in to the pressure to conform and give in to the temptations and social and peer pressure she suffered from her classmates.

Another thing that helped Kamryn A stay whole was avoiding compromising situations. She strove to flee sexual immorality and remain firm in her beliefs, following the biblical advice of Proverbs 3:5 and Proverbs 22:3, so her personal study was vital, as it provided her with the strength necessary to resist the pressures and stay true to your convictions.

What Bible principles might help you in similar situations?

We see that there is a principle in the Bible that we find in 1 Corinthians 6:18 where we read the wise advice to flee from immorality. Without a doubt, principles like this will help us in similar situations, as it helped Cory.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Principles like Proverbs 22:3, where we learn that we always have to think carefully before doing something. We must think about how our actions will affect our future, Jehovah, and our family.

Proverbs 3:5 also helps us because it encourages us to completely trust in Jehovah because if we trust in him everything will turn out well. 

The text of Romans 12:2 advises us to discern what Jehovah's will is on these matters in order to resist temptations when difficult situations arise.

Philippians 2:3,4. This text inspires us not to encourage selfishness, thinking only of our desires and needs, but rather to consider others as more important than ourselves, which is why we must seek their well-being first.

Colossians 3:5, since there we are advised to put to death the members of our body that have to do with sexual immorality, impurity, uncontrolled sexual passion. and bad desires.

In 1 Corinthians 10:8, he advises us not to practice sexual immorality. Remembering this text in difficult situations like those experienced by Cory and Kamrym will help us avoid immorality and keep in mind that sexual immorality is a serious sin whose consequence is spiritual death.

ANALYSIS OF OTHER ADDITIONAL POINTS OF THE VIDEO.

CORY

My classmates were talking about sex every day.

KAMRYM

They spent the whole day talking about their boyfriends and girlfriends, what they had done with them, what they were going to do with them over the weekend. 

CORY

They knew that I was a Jehovah's Witness, and that I was not going to have relationships before getting married, but they didn't care, they continued to pressure me.

KAMRYM

Some classmates got very close to me, sometimes they even tried to grab me or touch me.

CORY

One day a girl in my class asked me to touch her inappropriately, of course I said no, but she started making fun of me, and insulted me, telling me that I was boring and that I was probably gay.

KAMRYM

For them it was like a game, they tried to convince me to do things with them, they thought it was funny that it was funny that I always told them no.

CORY

My companions even tried to force me to touch her, two of them came from behind to push me, and two others began to grab my arms and tried to make them touch her, I realized that I had to get out of there quickly.

KAMRYM

Because I was a Jehovah's Witness, I was very different from my classmates, but I was also very shy, that's why sometimes I wanted to be like the others, I wanted to fit in so as not to attract so much attention. But I knew that Jehovah would not like me to try to look like them, to do all the things they did. 

CORY

So I said a quick silent prayer and said Jehovah please help me, and just what Joseph did came to mind. He was able to escape from Potiphar's wife, but he did it because he was determined to make Jehovah happy, and that's exactly what I had to do, and I did it, I ran out of there.

KAMRYM

The personal study helped me a lot, it helped me see Jehovah as someone more real, and because I saw him so real, I didn't want to do anything that would hurt his feelings. Having that friendship with him and trusting him helped me a lot in those moments when I had the desire to fit in, to look like others.

CORY

Saying no to that girl was not easy, but I knew it was what I had to do, I already felt prepared for situations like this thanks to my grandmother. A little before all this happened, she looked up articles from The Watchtower that talked about resisting temptations, although talking about those things with my grandmother was super ultra uncomfortable, the truth is that it helped me a lot to be strong in a spiritual sense, since do not fall into temptation.

KAMRYM

My parents always told me that I had to think carefully before doing something, to think about how my actions would affect my future, and how they would affect my relationship with Jehovah, and also with my friends and my family, think about that, really. which helped me a lot during that time. In the end it is best to trust in Jehovah, because if you trust in him everything will turn out well.

CORY

I remember that the publication that helped me the most was the book: "Young People Ask" volume 2, especially chapter 5, "Why I Should Remain a Virgin." Having this book was like being thrown into a life preserver, reading about other young people. that all over the earth were going through the same situation as me, encouraged me a lot and gave me strength, and also helped me see that I was not alone. 

KAMRYM

I thank Jehovah and his organization very much for showing us young people so much love, because they help us not feel alone and overcome difficult situations like these. In the book: “Young People Ask” in volume 2, there is a chapter on the 14th titled: “How can I protect myself from bullying?” This chapter gave me strength while I was in school to stand firm and thus make Jehovah happy.

CORY

I am super grateful to Jehovah for helping me remember texts like 1 Corinthians 6:18, which says flee from sexual immorality and I am happy that I was able to do just that, but what makes me happiest is knowing that I the heart of Jehovah and there is no better feeling than that.

What can help you resist the pressure to have sex?

Think about the consequences, Proverbs 22:3

Trust in the Lord, Proverbs 3:5.

Flee from sexual immorality, 1 Corinthians 6:18.