LIFE TEEN PARENT LETTER

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LIFE NIGHT: SURFER JESUS

CONTENT OVERVIEW

Quite often, people are given nicknames. Sometimes, these nicknames are given at a very
young age, throughout the school years, or even later in life. The nicknames that people
receive may be based on physical attributes, such as height or weight, personality traits,
such as crazy or goofy, or even skills or talents, such as quick or strong. Nicknames can
be terms of endearment or even based on some type of accomplishment that a person
has achieved in their life. Nicknames have a way of communicating something about that
person, who he or she is, and often stay with that person throughout their life.

A major part of our own faith journey is learning about and understanding who Jesus
truly is. In our attempts to fully understand the person of Jesus, we, too, can turn to all the
nicknames or titles that Jesus has been given. We refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God, the
Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Prince of Peace, Redeemer, Messiah, the Way, the
Truth, and the Life, to name just a few.

Each of these names given to Jesus reveal in depth the truth of who Jesus truly was and is
to us today. For example, when Jesus is referred to as the True Vine, it is communicated
that Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Without the vine, the branches cannot live.
Just the same, without Jesus, we cannot live. (John 15:1-7)

Jesus, whose name literally means God saves, is the only Son of God. He was born
of the Virgin Mary, He took our sin upon Himself, and He, through His life, Death, and
Resurrection, now gives all people the chance at a new life. Jesus is truly the name above
any other name. (CCC 430-435)

During Jesus ministry, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that I am? To this
question, Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. The same
question is asked to you who do you say that Jesus Is? And, taking it a step further, what
difference does it make in your life? (Matthew 16:13-16)

CONVERSATION STARTERS
1. Do you have a nickname? How did you get this nickname?
2. What is one of Jesus many titles (or names) that you relate to the most right now in your
own faith journey. Google search a list of titles for Jesus if you need some ideas. Why?
3. Is Jesus calling you to get to know Him more completely and not just as His nickname?
How might you follow this call?

FAKE NEWS SERIES / LIFETEEN.COM

 LIFE TEEN PARENT LETTER
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ltparentlife.com for resources on parenting, marriage, family, faith, and more!

LIFE NIGHT: PICS OR IT DIDNT HAPPEN

CONTENT OVERVIEW

Actions speak louder than words. This simple, yet profound, phrase is uttered quite
frequently and speaks directly to the point that if our words are not backed by our actions,
then they loose their credibility. It may be very easy, for example, to tell someone that you
love them. But to reinforce that love by actions, defines that love so much more.

Much of Jesus public ministry included teaching. Jesus was a genius at using words. By
using parables, stories, and analogies, He had a knack of making a very difficult point easy
to understand, allowing His listeners to enter more deeply into the meaning of His point.
But, it was more than His words that certainly proved who Jesus truly is, the Son of God;
it was His actions.

Jesus not only taught about the love of God and revealed Himself as the Son of God, He
demonstrated it in how He lived. Jesus divinity was on display through His actions. And, at the
height of these actions were the miracles that Jesus regularly performed. Simply put, miracles
are signs or wonders which can only be attributed to divine power. The miracles that Jesus
performed were the signs of the presence of God and proof of His very own divinity.

Here are some examples of just a few of the miracles of Jesus:

Changing water into wine - John 2:1-11
Healing of Peters mother-in-law - Matthew 8:14-15
Catching a large number of fish - Luke 5:1-11
Healing of a leper - Luke 5:12-15
Healing of the Centurions Servant - Matthew 8:5-13
Raising of Jairus Daughter - Matthew 8:18-19, 23-25
Feeding of the 5,000 - John 6:1-15
Healing of the man born blind - John 9:1-41
Raising of Lazarus - John 11:1-44
Healing Bartimaeus of blindness - Mark 10:46-52

And that is only just a few...Miracles strengthen faith in the One who does his Fathers
works; they bear witness that he is the Son of God. Jesus miracles were the actions that
reinforced Gods love, revealing the divinity of Jesus, proving that He is who He says He
is, and leading us all on that journey of faith that always points back to God. In addition,
miracles are not just something that happened 2,000 years ago, they continue today, and
as they do, they point back to Christ and the power of God that is alive in our lives.
(CCC 548)

CONVERSATION STARTERS
1. What do you think holds more credibility when proving something, words or actions?
Why?
2. Is it difficult to believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Do the miracles of Jesus make it
easier to believe this?
3. What miracle of Jesus do you relate to or remember the most? Why?

FAKE NEWS SERIES / LIFETEEN.COM

 LIFE TEEN PARENT LETTER
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ltparentlife.com for resources on parenting, marriage, family, faith, and more!

LIFE NIGHT: JESUS IS A FRIEND OF MINE

CONTENT OVERVIEW

If you have ever done any amount of traveling, you know that a good lesson that applies to
any trip of any length is to expect the unexpected. It seems like no matter how much planning
may or may not go into a trip, there is always potential for something unexpected. Arriving at
your destination airport, only to discover that your suitcase accidentally got sent to another
citys airport is something that you may not have expected. Encountering a hurricane, and
being required to take shelter during the week you are supposed to be spending time on a
beach in the Caribbean is also something that you may not have expected.

This lesson, to expect the unexpected, is a lesson that Jesus followers had gotten accustomed
to in regards to His daily teachings. It seemed like every time that Jesus opened His mouth
and taught, He would say something that was not what they expected to hear or wanted to
hear. Not only are many of Jesus teachings unexpected, but some teachings are also very
difficult to embrace and understand. Some of the teachings were so difficult that some of
His followers even left. (John 6:66-68)

As we adapt to the unexpected things in life, we, too, are challenged by Jesus to adapt (or
transform) our lives to the unexpected teachings that are presented to us through Scripture.
Jesus followers, and many of the people in the crowd that accompanied Him, were looking
for the easier answer. This is true for many people today. Sometimes, we do not want to hear
the unexpected or difficult teachings of Jesus. Why? Because they challenge us, they call us
to a deeper conversion, and they are not the easy way out of anything. But, what they do is
draw us closer to Christ, allow us to experience life in its fullness as God has planned for us,
and constantly challenge us to live for greatness and holiness.

The unexpected teachings of Jesus call us all into this life of greatness. Is it what we expect? Not
typically, but it is one in which will lead to us following Christ more closely, aligning ourselves
with His teachings and embracing the ways in which He calls us all to live our daily lives.

CONVERSATION STARTERS
1. What is one example of an unexpected event that has taken place during one of our
family vacations or family outings?
2. What are some of the most difficult teachings of Jesus? Why are they difficult? Are there
any teachings of Jesus that you struggle with?

FAKE NEWS SERIES / LIFETEEN.COM

 LIFE TEEN PARENT LETTER
Want more resources created just for you as parents of teens? Check out our Parent Website at
ltparentlife.com for resources on parenting, marriage, family, faith, and more!

LIFE NIGHT: LIKE, FOLLOW, SHARE

CONTENT OVERVIEW

Our American society has an infatuation with celebrities. These celebrities can be movie
stars, musicians, professional athletes, television personalities, or even politicians. It
becomes a habit for some people to follow, to track, and to stay updated on the current
happenings of their favorite celebrity. Celebrities are followed on Twitter and Facebook,
their lives are examined on evening TV shows, and every public appearance or spotting
of these celebrities is posted and shared for all to see. Not only is much of a celebritys
life in public view, but many people also have come to place a great amount of time in
using that celebrity as a model to living.

But, what if? What if people followed Jesus in the same way that many people follow
celebrities? What would it look like if people would decide to fully embrace Jesus in the
same way that they embrace celebrities? For starters, it would mean allowing oneself
to go deeper in learning who Jesus truly is, what He taught, and how He lived His life.
It would mean developing an active relationship with Jesus, as opposed to merely
viewing Him from a distance, as people do with celebrities. It would mean taking every
opportunity that we can to learn more about Jesus and then truly encountering Him
through a variety of different ways.

There is a huge difference between Jesus and our modern day celebrities. Jesus
continually calls us to something deeper and a life more meaningful than any celebrity, or
any person in history for that matter, can ever imagine. When we have a true encounter
with Jesus, through the Eucharist, through prayer, through Adoration, or through any
other way, we are presented with a decision- a decision to follow Jesus in our lives or to
not follow Jesus in our lives. Following Jesus is something that we commonly refer to as
discipleship.

The Catechism defines the word disciple as those who accepted Jesus message to
follow Him. (CCC 787) Discipleship is a call. It is a call to leave something behind (our
old way of life) only to embrace a greater and fuller way of living (John 10:10). When we
make the decision to follow Jesus, we are lead to have a conversion of heart. And, as we
follow Jesus, we partake in His life, His mission, His joys, and His sufferings. That is truly
more than any celebrity could ever offer any of us.

CONVERSATION STARTERS
1. Who is your favorite celebrity, musician, or sports figure? Why is that person your
favorite?
2. Do you spend time following that person on social media, TV, or on the Internet?
3. Is there anything holding you back from fully following Jesus? What is it? Why?

FAKE NEWS SERIES / LIFETEEN.COM