Q: Coach Street, I’ve gotten in with the wrong
crowd. I don’t like the things I’m getting into. How can
I get out?
A: You may feel like you can’t get away from the
crowd in your own strength but God wants to help you, if
you let Him. The Bible says, “I can do everything
through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13),
and that’s the key to changing your life – Jesus, is the
One who gives you strength. The first thing you need to
do is to honestly confess your sins to God, ask His
forgiveness, and invite Jesus to come into your heart by
faith, but when Jesus comes in to your heart and life
things will be different. The Bible promises that, “If
anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has
gone, the new has come!” (1 Corinthians 5:17).
With Jesus in your life you must make a clean break
from the crowd and find a new set of friends who will
honestly help you. Look for other Christians, they will
help you grow spiritually and become stronger in your
faith – get involved in FCA at your school, go to a
Bible teaching youth group – get plugged into where
God’s presence can empower you and His Word is building you
up.
Upward bound, Coach Street
Q: Coach Street, All my parents do is criticize
me. They are always complaining about my friends, my
schoolwork, my attitudes – just about everything! How
can I get them off my back?
A: I know it can be tough as you reach the point in
your life that you want more independence and that’s not
necessarily bad. But part of growing up is taking
responsibility for your attitudes and actions.
Responsibility means taking an honest look at what your
parents are pointing out in your life – such as, are
they wrong or right about your schoolwork? Are your
grades suffering because of laziness? What about your
friends, are they a positive or negative influence on
you? Your parents want the best for you. I discovered
that when my parents wanted to know where I was going,
who I was go to be with, what were we going to do
(though it appeared to be “nosy”) the reality was they
were just watching out for me. How about your attitude?
Is it what you know it should be?
Now I’m not saying that parents have it all together,
but the Bible says, “Obey your parents in the Lord, for
this is the right” (Ephesians 6:1). If obey them seems
to hard turn it over to the Lord and ask Him to help
you.
Take this suggestion, try sitting down and talking to
them – share your feelings . . . share your heart. I
think sometimes parents are critical and don’t even
realize it.
My prayer is that you let God help you and He will
make a difference in your relationship with your
parents.
Upward bound, Coach Street
Q: Coach Street, how far is to far?
A: I once read where a father was asked the
question, by his son, "Dad, how far can I go on a date?"
It was obvious he wasn't asking if he could go 5 miles
to Pizza Hut or 8 miles to a movie. He wanted to know
what his dad thought were reasonable and biblical limits
on physical contact during dating. Hand-holding? A quick
peck on the cheek? A lingering kiss? A hug? A long
embrace? Anything short of doing it all?
The father made a comment that I thought was very
wise . . . and which agrees with the message of 1
Thessalonians 4:
"No one should wrong his brother [or sister] or
take advantage of him [or her]" (vs. 6)
He said, "Keep in mind that when you go out on a
date, the person you are with is probably not the person
you will marry. Thinking ahead, how far would you like
your future wife to have gone with that person in a
dating situation?"
Interesting answer, isn't it? How would you like
someone to treat your future husband or wife? With
utmost respect and purity, right?
On the other side, if you are the one who is
pressured to satisfy someone's cravings, you're left
feeling cheapened and thinking less of yourself.
In today's world, however, the message seems to be:
"Don't bother to think ahead to what your actions will
do to your date's relationship with God. Don't think
about his or her emotional well-being or future marriage
partner. Think only of your immediate pleasure."
In the matter of sex, the apostle Paul said, "No one
should wrong his brother or take advantage of him." With
that as your guide, how would you answer someone who
asked you, "How far is to far?"
Upward bound, Coach Street
