It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them. Proverbs 13:19

Where are our dreamers? Dreamers are the ones who dream and accomplish those dreams that own us. Think about it. If we look at the population of the United States as a whole and evaluate the people that make the laws, interpret them, govern us, radical leaders, corporate leaders, influential marketers all of them have one thing in common, dreams that came true. Look at Martin Luther King Jr. his actions and “I have a dream…” changed history and has owned us ever since.

I have heard, (but I think that it is impossible to document) that 98 percent of our population are followers of culture and 2 percent are the shapers of culture (culture is what we believe, what we do and how we live our lives from day to day. It binds us to those who think and live is a similar manner. It’s the values, attitudes and behaviors that drive how we live our lives).

What makes us followers? I think I have identified some phrases that I hear (from me and others) that helps us determine what a follower of culture might look like; I’ve got to have those shoes! I never miss my favorite TV show, I have see every episode for every season! I have to have that cell phone! Everybody’s doing it! (have you heard your teen say some or all of there?) We pattern our lives around this culture (if not this culture, what culture are we to be shaping our lives to?) We are followers, part of the 98 percent. I have been challenged in this myself. We must become part of that 2 percent, or actually the ones that influence that 2 percent.

The innovate are that 2 percent, and I want to be part of that and make it larger. Scripture says how pleasant to see dreams come true (yes we have to work for them, it will not just happen) and lets see those dreams of our teens come true. Not dreams for thinks in this culture, but the culture to come.

This culture says more stuff. To watch, see, do, drink, eat, makes you pretty, makes you popular, and what makes you sexy, WHATEVER it is all going to burn.

We cannot be like the fools anymore and refuse to attain the dreams that God has given us. We need to allow and teach (by example) what it means to attain those dreams. Look at Josephs (Isaac’s son) life, what drove him to become the most influential person in the world? A DREAM.

love you all

_pastor tim

We just need to open today’s paper and see the headlines of what another famous teen has done again. The media (the machine) is so good at setting the standard for our teens and what is it doing to them?

Our teens are influenced by the machine there is no question about that.

The machines primary focus is money; they are driven by money and creating life long buyers at the expense of our teen’s virtue, morality, and innocence. They know that by thirteen years old teens make life long brand decisions, they will by the same music, food, clothing companies, etc. Many media outlets have a “cradle to grave” strategy for roping our teens to become buyers of their stuff. The machine looks at our teens as gold mines. There are 33 million teenagers currently in the United States of America, and they spend $150 billion dollars annually (the teens), and parents you spend $200 billion annually on purchases influenced by our teens. Why? That is a lot of money on things that will burn in the end.

PBS ran a program a few years ago called “merchants of cool” and in that program they defined the strategy of the machine to win our teens and mold them into two specific categories. First, “Mooks”; a mook is a teenage boy between the age of 11-18. The goal of the machine is to influence them in to the mook lifestyle which is; irresponsibility, perverted, apathetic, use of crude humor, and disrespectful (does this sound like you teen?). Second, “Midrifffs”; a midriff is a teenage girl between the are of 11-18 and the primary goal is if you got it flaunt it, secondary is act like you are older than you really are (sound like your teenage daughter?). This is exactly what the machine is trying to accomplish in our teens.

Viacom boldly proclaims “we don’t advertise to this generation; we own it this generation”. The machine is hungry and ready to devour. What does this sound like? Yes, 1 Peter 5:8 “Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” our teens. We must own this generation not Viacom or any other machine out to destroy our teens. What do we do? This is what we will be exploring for the next few weeks. So keep reading.

You are loved

_pastor tim