Taking back a whole generation for God is not going to come easy. In fact, sometimes it is a pretty overwhelming task. But we have many reasons to know that it is possible. Just take a look at King David. He led an entire nation into battle when the only thing that he had done before was herd sheep.

To us, a whole generation may seem just as big as the nation of Israel seemed to David. He was willing to go for it and we must be, too. It does not matter what the past looks like or even who thinks we can do it. God wants us to be leaders in our generation just like this king was in his.

First, we must learn from King David and prepare for this battle. Once he became king, David had a chance to defeat the Philistines, Israel's greatest enemy, and he did it! We can learn how to successfully take back our generation by following David's example.

Prepare in Prayer
In 2 Samuel 5 the Philistines were about to attack the Israelites. David realized that he could only do one thing. In verse 19, he asked the Lord, "'Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?' The Lord answered, 'Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you'" (NIV).

The most important thing for us to do is to really know God. David knew God so well that he knew that he could ask anything and that God would answer him.

By talking to God and reading his word every day, we will know that we are ready when we need to ask God what to do and how to do it. In those times, we will have no problem trusting him.

Start knowing God more now: spend a part of every day talking to God and giving him a chance to talk to you. Choose a time right now and commit to pray every day at that time for at least 15 minutes; do this every day this week. Get to know God the way that King David did.

Strategize Wisely
When the Philistines returned after the first battle, David was listening and heard God's instructions in verse 23 to "not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees" (NIV).

This was very important because David would not have been successful if he had attacked any other way. God knew which way the Philistines were coming and was able to give King David the perfect instructions for handling that specific situation. In the same way, we need to learn to plan wisely if we are going to take back a whole generation.

In addition to listening to God and reading the Bible, it is also important to talk to wise adults in the church when we have ideas to make a difference in this generation. Whether we are planning events or to share our faith, many adults can provide wise strategies like the Lord provided for King David.

If there is something great that you want to do to take back this generation, get some advice so that you will be able to make the most of your opportunity.

Be Ready to Move
Verse 24 says that David's army would need to "move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army" (NIV). David won the battle when he waited for God's perfect time.

Because this was King David's second encounter with the Philistines, he could have easily focused on the fact that he had already won once and could do it again. However, this second attack would not have been a success if David had not waited for God's signal. No matter what we are doing, we have to wait for God to say "GO."

We cannot make all the plans to take back this generation in an instant. But what we can do is practice listening for direction from God. He will always let us know when He is ready to do something great. We just have to be ready to go when he says it's time. Start asking God to show you the right timing for all of your plans, and be ready to go when He says to go.

King David did all of these things and rose triumphantly from his battles. No matter how impossible the fight seems, when we pray, make plans, and wait for God's timing, there is nothing stopping this generation from being taken back. If we realize that we are never too small and then give it our all, we will see amazing things happen!

Kenneth Nahigian grew up in a Christian home. Devout and dedicated to his faith during his pre-teen years, he began exploring other religions while in high school. Interestingly, he returned to his faith his first year in college, but then began to ask questions again. Doubts assaulted his mind, and before long, he found himself backsliding again, no longer devoted or even believing in the Christian faith.

His story does not stand alone. There are countless stories of teenagers who have fallen away from the faith or even began to integrate the destructive ideas of the culture into their beliefs. In a study by Barna Research, 63% of church going, supposedly Christian teens said that they believed Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Jews, and all other people pray to the same God, even though they use different names for their god. In other areas of truth, such as the divinity of Christ, the resurrection, and the reality of absolute truth, many teens simply do not hold orthodox views. Many would contend that Christ is not the only way to God, that they are not sure there really was a resurrection, and that there is no absolute truth. And yet, these same teenagers would classify themselves as Christians if asked.

A great chasm exists between the reality of what it means to be a believer in Christ and what many of today's teenagers perceive. Are they, in fact, creating their own religion? Have they integrated the values of a morally degenerate culture into Christianity, and as a result, created something that is no longer Christian?

Although these types of beliefs run rampant in our nation, other studies make it clear that teens are still searching for a meaningful connection to religion. In a study by the leading trans-denominational Jewish teen movement, it was found that 68% of teenagers say that religion is important to them. Of these teens, 92% said that they were seeking a better connection. Teenagers are searching. They do want to experience something real and authentic. So why is there this seemingly irreconcilable gap between their desire for something deeper and their actual perception and understanding of God?

Barna Research also found that many church going teens are not being challenged by the preaching and teaching of the true Gospel. There are countless American teenagers who do not understand what it truly means to be a follower of Christ, but have only been taught to "accept Christ" and then continue living the same lives they were living. With a shaky foundation, they encounter the culture head on and find it difficult to hold onto the faith they barely know.

Easily swayed and not truly understanding why they believe what they say they do, teens try desperately to hold on to a semblance of Christianity, but end up entangling Christian values with those of the culture surrounding them. Many of these same teenagers continue to faithfully attend church and youth group, yet have been so branded by the morality of the world that they find it difficult to truly believe in what they are being taught.

This progression continues, and teens begin to doubt. They are reluctant to truly believe in the divinity of Christ. All the while, these same teens continue searching for something deeper and for a way to genuinely connect with their beliefs. Without a strong and steadfast foundation, however, it is almost a futile pursuit.

There are two value systems battling within them. For example, they debate creationism and evolution. They know that if they choose to believe in Creation, they must face a world that is hostile to their beliefs. They ponder the notion of an absolute truth, unable to reconcile the idea of only one road to heaven with a world espousing moral relativism and a "do what's right for you" theology. They struggle with sin, trying to understand how they are supposed to "forsake it all." Surrounded by immorality, the concept of living a holy life before God seems almost impossible. Every day, they face a world that upholds the pursuit of pleasure as a virtue. Sex is everywhere, drugs are everywhere. Today's teenagers have faced abortion, school shootings, suicide, teen pregnancy, the teaching of evolution as truth and the debunking of Christian ideals in nearly all facets of life. Is it any wonder that they have created a Christianity that is so far from everything it was intended to be?

There is no step-by-step, simple solution to this problem. There is certainly no magic wand to wave and make everything perfect. There are, however, practical steps that we can take to begin to bring teens to an understanding of true Christianity. Because many of them have not been taught the foundations of the faith, that is where we must begin. There are three things that must happen if we want to help teens build this foundation:

1. Meet Teens Where They Are
We must meet teens where they are. Every individual is at a different place. As parents, pastors, youth leaders and adults, it is important that we build relationships with teenagers and find out where they are in their own faith. Do not be quick to judge, but try to understand the world they live in and the different issues they face day after day. Invest time in them and show them that you care. Love and understanding is the platform from which we must speak truth into their lives.

2. Build a Strong Foundation in Your Own Life
If we want to help teenagers build a strong foundation, we must have one first. This is absolutely essential. We cannot take people where we have not been or teach what we do not know. We must make sure that we truly understand concepts like sin, repentance, discipleship, spiritual warfare, prayer and what it really means to follow Christ in all things. It may mean that you need to become better acquainted with the creation vs. evolution debate as well as issues like abortion, euthanasia, and moral relativism. Your teenagers have questions about these topics. As a youth leader, perhaps you can bring in someone to talk to your teens about these issues. As a parent, be ready to answer questions and lead your teenagers to the truth.

3. Be an Example
This generation has seen and heard enough hypocrisy in the church. A lot of times, your greatest message is your life. Build relationships with teenagers, take them out to lunch, invest your time in them; and as you do so, show them what it means to walk this Christian life. Show them what it means to have an authentic and vibrant relationship with Christ.

Because more and more teenagers believe in a "new Christianity", we must grab a hold of the hunger they do have and lead them to the reality of Jesus Christ. As we implement these principles, teenager by teenager, we can change mindsets and teach this nation's youth to have a foundation this world's value systems cannot shake.

They finally proved what we have known all along. Recent studies by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill show that the more sexually explicit material teens see on television, the more likely they are to have premarital sex. Who would have guessed?

Now that we know that sex in the media is affecting teens, should we be worried? And what can we do to stop its influence? Let's start by taking a look at what they are watching.

The Influence of TV
Desperate Housewives is one of the most favored and talked about shows among teens today. Gaining their hearty approval, teens even awarded lead actress Eva Longoria with this year's favorite Female Breakout Actress during the Teen Choice Awards.

To give you a little taste for what the show is like, here is a brief synopsis of one of the episodes: A brother and sister, mad at their mother, plan on getting back at her by seducing her new love interest. After many failed attempts from the sister to effectively seduce him, the brother, a homosexual, decides to give it his best. He successfully coerces the older man into having intimate homosexual relations with him in his own mother's bed. The episode showed scenes of the two males in bed together.

This is one of America's top TV shows, second only to American Idol! Take a step back and examine the lessons that are being ingrained in the heart of your teen.

Messages from TV
-Homosexuality and bisexuality are normal, prevalent, and acceptable.

-It's common for teenage boys to sleep with older men. In fact, it's a good way to make your parent's mad.

-Parents in the average household have multiple sexual partners, and it's okay for you to be sexually active and have multiple partners too.

Alarming? Of course! It used to be that kids would just stick their tongues out behind that parent's back, but now they are having homosexual relations with their parent's love interests. What has happened?

In another episode, the mother asks her housekeeper to be the surrogate mother for a child she and her husband want to have. When she finds out that the housekeeper is a virgin and wants to save herself for marriage, she mocks the housekeeper for trying to keep her purity, relating virginity to an old fad of the 50's that is not coming back in style, and says that if she ever wanted to marry a wealthy husband, he will only want her if she is "experienced."

More TV Messages

-Sex has no deep significance.

-Sex is an elite practice where those who have the most experience are most valued, more important, and more successful.

-You are a naïve lower class citizen who hasn't reached social maturity yet if you think you should save yourself for marriage.

-Being prudent sexually or remaining abstinent is something that you associate with old fads, boredom, and stupidity.

-Sexual promiscuity has no consequences.

Messages like these are all over the mass media in some of the most watched television shows. In CSI, sex is mentioned in almost every single episode and there are actual graphic sex scenes right on the screen. In the OC, the teen characters regularly discuss their sex lives and go on missions to help each other improve them. The entire network of MTV--teen's favorite channel--has so much sexual content that we don't even know where to start.

In fact, rarely do you see positive images of teens that aren't having sex. The most successful, beautiful, fulfilled characters in Hollywood are fit young people in glamorous sexual relationships.



Compared to the Truth
Now, just look at these messages. Not a single one of them is true; yet, they are the very messages teaching and influencing teens today. Beware, you may have told your teen the truth, but is that what really influences them? Often what a person sees and hears the most is what that person will believe. Make sure Hollywood is not raising your teen.

If the information on what was contained in today's television shows did not shock you, consider what has shaped your views of sex and take a look at what the Word of God has to say about sex and relationships:

-Man shall be the husband of one wife (1 Tim. 3:2, Titus 1:6)
Homosexuality is immoral and an abomination to God (Lev. 18:22, 1 Tim. 1:9-11)

-Do not commit adultery (Deut. 5:18)

-You can commit adultery by just looking at a woman lustfully (Matt. 5:27-28)

-Love your wife (Eph. 5:25, Col. 3:19)

-Respect your husband (Eph. 5:33)

-Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Prov. 4:23)

-Do not arouse or awaken love before its time (Song 2:7, 3:5, 8:4)

As a parent, the best things you can do to keep your child from engaging in sexual behavior as a teen is to be a good model in the home. Second to that and almost equally important is to make sure that it is actually you that they are learning from, not Hollywood or disillusioned peers.

After knowing what scripture says, be proactive. Screen television shows and look for the messages they are sending. If they do not line up with scripture, throw them out. It is much more important to guard your life and be closer to God than it is to get your TV fix for the week.

Six Steps to a Healthy View of Sex
Parents and adults can lead young people through these steps, or teens can simply follow them themselves.

-Write a list of your favorite shows.
Take a step back and do some research to find out what values this show is really portraying. (A great place to start is the Parents Television Council's Family Guide to Prime Time Television.)

-Find out what scripture says about sex and what a healthy sexual relationship should be like, and compare that to the messages of your favorite shows.
Realize that your morality, purity, and future are more important than a television show.

-Decide whether or not these shows are worth watching anymore. Parents, many times you will have to make this decision for your kids.

We are battling against what the world says about sex. Remember that no matter what we see on TV, romance and sex are precious and priceless gifts from the Lord.

As you work with a caring spirit to change teens' view of sex, they will understand that you love them and care about them and will realize that they are worth having their purity preserved. If this message will seep into their hearts and take root, then they will be motivated to protect themselves from the mistake of premarital sex and the inappropriate messages that media sends.