Why Teen Girls Remain Virgins

Dear Crosswalkers,

 

Admittedly, the title of today's message is a bit provocative.  Yet it is a very real issue, and with Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, I would like to share some fascinating new research on the subject.  The bottom line is this:  Recent studies (from the Journal of Adolescent Health), indicate that teenage girls who are close to their moms are more likely to stay virgins. The key for parents, experts say, is not just talking with their daughters about sex, but being deeply involved in their children's lives.  Perhaps we can pause for the Bible's teaching in this regard:

 

Deuteronomy 6:6-9:
⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.  ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸ Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

In other words, the Bible's focus on parenting is simple:  BE INVOLVED IN THE LIVES OF YOUR KIDS! 

Now back to the study:  The research was based on interviews with mothers and their 14 and 15-year-old girls.  It discovered that when families have meals together, when parents know where their children are, and when they know their kids' friends, it is less likely that a teenager will have sex (not to mention engage in other "at risk" behavior). They found thatmothers whose daughters were still virgins shared several qualities: the mothers strongly disapproved of their daughters having sex; they were satisfied with their relationship with their daughters; and they frequently talked with the parents of their daughters' friends.

According to the study, other factors seemed to make little difference in teen sex, including how religious the mothers were, how often they talked about sex with their daughters, or how uncomfortable they were talking about sex. Talking about birth control also did not appear to have any effect on teens' sexual behavior.  What matters most is involvement in their lives.  How do parents spell love?  I-N-V-O-L-V-E-M-E-N-T.

 

THIS SUNDAY we will continue our MYTHBUSTERS sermon series on Mother's Day with a message entitled:  "Myths About Parenting."  And as always, I promise there will be something for everyone on the special day.  Please invite your moms and daughters and all your family members to worship with you this Lord's Day!

 

HERE ARE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• We are grateful that last Sunday we received over half the sign-ups we need for our next community outreach project:  The Sunnyvale Art and Wine festival.  There will be 150,000 people visiting over the first weekend in June!  As a church family, we want to be there and let our community know that there is a church in town with Good News for families!  Please prayerfully consider volunteering to help at this event.  Also, we are in need of $2 donations to help with water-bottle giveaways at our booth.  Please consider generously supporting this outreach into our community!

• One of our regular attendees at Crosswalk passed away this week.  Tony Nelson's funeral service is tomorrow at noon at the Lima Funeral home on the corner of Fremont and Hollenbeck.  We praise God for Tony's life and the legacy of faith he leaves.

• The Hernandez Family from Paraguay is safely back after 5 years on the mission field!  They are home for a year of furlough and we will welcome them back at our second service this Sunday!  There will be ample time and opportunities in the near future for folks at both services and beyond to bless our missionaries and hear of their adventures.  

 

 May the Lord richly bless you!

 

Faithfully yours,

 

Pastor John Christie