The Power of Sexual Temptation

Hope that title got your attention. Today, as I was getting ready my talk for the Jr. Highers on Sunday, I stumbled across this verse:

2 Samuel 23:39 "Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all."

You may be thinking: "yea, so...what's this have to do with sexual temptation?" I answer: EVERYTHING!

Here's the big deal. Uriah in this verse is listed among David's Mighty Men. He was one of the guys who stood by David during the time where Saul hunted David down like a dog to be put down. These men risked their lives to hide David, protect David and one day see him King over all Israel. Uriah was one of those men. He was there when David cut a piece of Saul's robes when Saul was pooping (1 Samuel 24:3-7). Uriah saw David's heart BREAK for doing that little act. Uriah saw David spare Saul's life, saw David repent of his sins. Uriah followed after David who was a man after God's own heart.

Uriah was there alongside David in many battles. Uriah was there protecting the life of his King from evil after evil that sought to destroy him.

Uriah was also the husband to a gorgeous woman. That woman's name was Bathsheba. If Uriah had a vice it was that his wife was pleasing to the eye. David, when he should have been at war, looking at the battlefield was instead reclining at home, looking at one of his Mighty Men's wives.

Here's the whole scene: 2 Samuel 11:1-5

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”

I think David knew who she was, when he asked. It was Uriah's house David! He would've known where his Mighty Men lived! We can see this in the response of the one who said: "Is not this Bathsheba...". A Modern day translation would be: "you seriously don't know David, isn't it Bathsheba?" David allowed sexual temptation to conquer him.

The power of this temptation was so great for David, that he would not only take another mans wife...but a man who was LOYAL to him. A Man who risked his LIFE for him and a man who was considered one of his Mighty Men!

Knowing that Uriah was one of David's Mighty Men has now changed this story for me forever! We as men must always be on our toes for this foe that is sexual temptation. David was in a place he shouldn't have been that opened the doors for this gross sin.

I hope this revelation has shocked you as much as it has me.

Teens and Sexting

Teens and sexuality has been a topic for decades. The latest fad of teen sexual expression has been a fad that has been around for at least 2 years. SEXTING. I've been talking about this issue with my youth leaders for well over a year, and the problem has only grown. With the ease of text messaging, we've seen teens flocking to texting. You can text in school and not get caught, texting plans can be cheaper than regular plans and teens seem to do all of their communication in 140 characters or less. Sexting is the sending nude or semi-nude photos of oneself via text messaging. A way of having "safe sex" via texting if you will. This lie of it being safe has been one of the many reasons why teens have been sucked into it.

Being a Youth Pastor, I'm not naive enough to think my students are doing it...in fact I would guess that at least 10% have done it or have seen it done (that is a MODEST estimation).

With the inception of text-plans, sexting has increased dramatically and sadly it is a fad that has only increased in appeal and use.

You may have heard of Vanessa Hudgens sending nude photos of herself to her boyfriend via e-mail...that event in my mind served as a huge catalyst that only PERPETUATED this problem. In fact I would argue that her decision to do that opened the doors of young teen girls everywhere to thinking it's OK. Here a young TV/movie star, sending out nude photos of herself, getting publicity for it and boys across America googling her nude photo could in fact seem attractive to young teen girls who are uncomfortable in their skin, seeking the approval of boys.

The affect on teen boys and the way they relate to their girlfriends after this event is also a big issue. I can only too well hear teen boys saying: "Hey Vanessa send nude photos to her boyfriend. We've been dating a month now...if you loved me, you'd text me some too!"

I'm NOT being over-dramatic either, I'm being serious! The things that celebrities do, shapes the way teens live their lives.

I'm sad to see that teen girls are giving in and teen guys are putting pressure to sext. This will have HUGE implications on our teens in the coming future. The porn industry is probably cheering this on, because soon these boys and girls who weren't meant to see a nude body yet, will soon desire more. They will want to see girls/guys masturbating, having live sex and it will skyrocket the use of pornography in our country 10-fold. More infidelity will slowly creep into the picture, more sex, more babies and more STD's.

This is the problem we face. How can we answer these issues? What can we do to fight this battle as parents/youth leaders/ youth pastors? I think it starts with trust. Can we cultivate with these teens an atmosphere of trust where they will willingly discuss these issues with us? I think we need to dialogue with CLEAR heads about these issues. I think the worse thing to do is to sneak in and find the pictures, the ground the teen from here till eternity. It's hard to not snap and go crazy. If a teen would've said to me: "I sexted my boyfriend/girlfriend. He/she saw all of me and it was fun!" I would have the definite urge to flip-out, tell the parents, call the cops and break his/her cell phone right there! Punishment will be a NECESSARY piece to this puzzle, but dialogue is just as important if not more important. Teens need to know the dangers, implications and the future results of such behavior.

How do we do that? I want this blog to be an open forum of discussion on this. It is HUGE. How can we punish, yet dialogue about sexting and other teen sexuality problems? How can we share with teens the importance of chastity, both in the act of and in this fad of texting?

Here are some GREAT articles about sexting. Please read them so you can further your nowledge on this issue facing teens today:

http://cpyu.org/Page.aspx?id=366143

http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2008/11/25/sexting/


PS: You can Google "sexting" and tons more articles will appear. LET'S DISCUSS!