Running After God

In Psalm 42:1the sons of Korah said that their hearts thirsted for God as a deer thirst for water. This the great desire of any parent for their children. But how do we know if we are succeeding? Paul Tripp gives five ways (Maybe Mr. Tripp thinks the number five is the number of perfection) we can know whether or not our teenagers are pursuing God.

1. There will be an independent life of personal worship and devotion.  This teenager will spend personal time with the Lord.

2. There will be a desire for corporate worship and instruction.

3. A teenager who has a heart for God will also pursue fellowship with the body of Christ. He will want to spend time with others of like mind. He will look for peers who share his faith and his desire to be involved in the Christian community…He will also value the help, prayer, encouragement, experience, insight, and wisdom of the older members of the body of Christ.

4. The teenager who has a heart for God will be relaxed and open in discussions about spiritual things…We are seeking to produce young adults who love the Lord and his Word, who understand that it speaks in some way to every situation of life, and who are hungry to be guided and corrected by it.

5. Teenagers who have a heart for God will approach decision-making from a biblical perspective…We want them to see the Bible as their most important tool in making the critical and practical decisions of life.