Choosing Your Friends “Wisely” Proverbs 1:8-19

1. Choosing Your Friends “Wisely”Proverbs 1:8-19 A Study of the Tremendous Amount of Peer Pressure Our Young People Face

2. Pencils Ink pens Binders Notebooks Glue sticks Scissors New clothes Book bag Get good grades Homework Tests ACT/SAT College Prep classes College choice Scholarships Back To School

3. Back To School • Fitting in • Trying to be “cool” – clothing, cell phone, car, etc. • Boyfriend/Girlfriend • Sex • Foul language • Bullying • Violence • Drugs • Alcohol

4. Peer Pressure A "peer" is defined as "a person who has equal standing with another, as in rank, class, or age." Among the many definitions of "pressure" we find, "to force, as by overpowering influence or persuasion." Peer pressure, then, is the persuasion exerted by our friends and neighbors and those of our own age or social circles.

5. Peer Pressure • Peer pressure is blamed for nearly every social ill of our day • The problems teenagers face today are not new • Over 2,500 years ago Socrates wrote, "Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders, and love chatter in places of exercise. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food, and tyrannize their teachers."

6. Peer Pressure • Today’s teenagers face the same temptations their parents and grandparents faced 1 John 2:15–17 • Temptation is the same but so is the means to overcoming

7. Choosing Your Friends “Wisely” Proverbs 1:8-19 • vs. 11 – invited to join a gang • vs. 10 – do not consent • vs. 15 – keep off their path Rehoboam’s “friends” – I Kings 12:4-15

8. Choosing Your Friends “Wisely” • Bullying • 30% of youth in the US (over 5.7mm) are estimated to be involved in bullying either as a bully, a target of bullying, or both • Students in grades 6-10, 13% reported bullying others, 11% reported being the target of bullies and another 6% said that they bullied others and were bullied themselves • Cyber Bullying

9. Choosing Your Friends “Wisely” • Sex • By age 19, 70% of teenagers have engaged in sexual intercourse • By age 15, 13% have engaged in sexual intercourse • US has highest rates of teen pregnancies and births in the Western Industrialized World • Just under 1/3 of all girls in US will get pregnant in their teenage years-750k per year • Unmarried teenagers having babies account for 24% of all unmarried expectant mothers • More than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school

10. Choosing Your Friends “Wisely” • Alcohol • 80.4% of students grades 9-12 had at least one drink • 52% of students grades 9-12 had at least one drink during the 30 days preceding the survey • 33% of students had consumed 5 or more drinks of alcohol on at least one occasion during the 30 days preceding the survey

11. Choosing Your Friends “Wisely” • Drugs • 2/3 of American kids try an illegal drug before they finish high school – 90% if alcohol is included • 1/3 of American kids try an illegal drug other than marijuana before they finish high school • Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States • 42.3% of 12th graders have tried marijuana at least once • Marijuana smoking affects the brain and leads to impaired short-term memory, perception, judgment and motor skills

12. Perhaps you are not being pressured to join a gang (Proverbs 1:11), then is it: • Drugs • The Bible condemns the abuse of body and mind 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 • The Bible warns against habituation and addiction - I Corinthians 6:12 • Drug Abuse is illegal – Romans 13:1-5; I Peter 2:13,14 • Drug Abuse constitutes intoxication Definition: to affect temporarily with diminished control over the physical and mental powers by means of alcoholic liquor, a drug, or other substance. (Random House College Dictionary) Greek word for drunk refers to intoxication, drunkenness; to get drunk, become intoxicated. (Thayer) Romans 13:12-14; Galatians 5:19-21

13. Perhaps you are not being pressured to join a gang (Proverbs 1:11), then is it: • Drugs cont. The Snowball Affect: • Keeping “evil company” – I Cor. 15:33 • Rebel against parents/authorities • Lying to cover up – Rev. 21:8 • Disobedience to parents – Rom. 1:30 • Failure to do schoolwork/job – Eph. 6:5-8 • Stealing – I Cor. 6:9-11 • Neglect of Bible study, prayer, worship,etc. – I Cor. 15:58

14. Perhaps you are not being pressured to join a gang (Proverbs 1:11), then is it: • Drugs • Alcohol • Sex – I Jn. 2:16; I Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19 • Foul language – Col. 3:8 • Bullying/violence – Prov. 6:17

15. Choosing Your Friends “Wisely” • Don’t leave who your friends will be to “chance” - Proverbs 12:26 • Wrong friends are worse than no friends – I Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 13:20; 24:1,2; 29:24; 22:24-25

16. Choosing Your Friends “Wisely” • Be a friend – Proverbs 18:24; 27:17; 27:6; 27:9; 27:10 • Be A Friend to God – James 4:4; 2:23; 2 Chronicles 20:7; John 15:14 • Moral Courage – Daniel 6:10-28

17. Jesus’ Great Example Under Pressure • Jesus always taught the truth – Mt. 19:1-12; 14:1-10 • Jesus always spoke the truth – John 18:37; 4:34 • Jesus always lived the truth – Mt. 9:10-13

18. Jesus’ Great Example Under Pressure • What if your friends ask you a tough Bible question – teach the truth! • What if your friends ask your opinion on some subject – speak the truth! • What if your friends avoid and talk bad about a certain kind of person – live the truth!

19. Plan of Salvation • Hear the Gospel of Christ, Acts 18:8 • Believe in Jesus Christ, Rom. 1:16 • Repent and Turn to God, Luke 13:3 • Confess Jesus Before Men, Acts 8:37 • Baptized into Christ, Mark 16:16 • Grow and Be Faithful, Matthew 10:22 • If Err From The Faith: Repent and Pray God, Acts 8:22