by Ken Turner | Ministry Update
Mountain View Juvenile Development Center in Dandridge, TN (east of Knoxville) is one of three state juvenile development centers in the state of Tennessee.
Every Sunday morning I travel over to Mountain View JDC to provide a Sunday morning worship service. I go early enough to teach an All Pro Dad study to boys who are teen fathers and afterward lead a worship service for all who want to attend.
Please pray for these young men who are seeking to know and understand God’s ways in their life!
On Sunday, June 26, 2016 I spoke on “God Is A Father To The Fatherless.”
When you understand that 85-90% of these young men are fatherless… you can expect some interesting responses to a message on God as a father figure.
I was surprised at the number of young men who responded with positiver attributes of God when I asked them to give me a word that describes God. The guys described God with words like loving, faithful, powerful, guide and all knowing.
But after digging deeper into the Bible they began to raise other questions like, “Why is God mean? Why does He punish people? Why did He create Hell?”
Young me who grow up without a loving and nurturing father often struggle with a feeling that God has forgotten them or maybe He knows all about them but just chooses not to care.
Last Sunday almost half the guys in the service requested prayer that they would personally be able to connect with God as a father figure.
Keep these young men in your prayers and I’ll keep you posted!
Ken Turner
kenturner@highimpactteens.org
423-381-0018
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by Ken Turner | Ministry Update
On Saturday mornings around 10:00 AM a group of teen guys are receiving the hope that comes from God’s word through the High Impact Teen youth outreach led by Brian Weiss and Wally Anderson.
Recently I received a text message from Wally saying, “Hey, just wanted to let you know that over the past two weekends 10-12 guys have prayed to receive Christ as Savior! Now we want to get going on good follow up with them.”
Brian Weiss and Wally Anderson are faithfully reaching out to these young men weekly so please pray for them and for the young men they are connecting with regularly.
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by Ken Turner | Faith
In 2014 there were 24,289,000 youth living in single parent homes in the United States. That’s 35% of all kids in America.
Teens growing up fatherless sometimes have big questions about God. Have you ever struggled with questions like…?
“Does God care less about me and is that the reason I don’t have a dad in my life?”
“Did I do something wrong and is it my fault that dad isn’t around?”
“If my dad is struggling with things like being here for his children, keeping a job or even staying out of trouble… does that mean I’m going to turn out just like him?”
The answers to these questions are all no, no and no!
Have you ever wondered how God feels about the fatherless? I’ve met hundreds of youth who are growing up fatherless. Our High Impact Teen youth outreach focuses intently on the unique needs of fatherless youth and these teens have taught me a great deal.
The Bible says a lot about the fatherless and God makes it clear the although He is not a “respecter of persons”, meaning He doesn’t play favorites… He does have a special place in His heart for the fatherless.
- Exodus 22:22-24, “Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child… my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.”
- Job 29:12, “Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.”
- James 1:27, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Here is what I see in scripture about God’s heart for the fatherless.
- God loves the fatherless.
- God watches out for the fatherless and provides them food and shelter.
- God is protective over the fatherless and watches closely for their well being.
- God listens to the fatherless and is sensitive to their needs.
- God call Christians to have a heart of ministry and compassion for the fatherless.
If you are fatherless, know that God understands and loves you deeply. If you have a great father, know that God loves and cares for you deeply also and He desires that you have a heart of compassion for a friend who may be growing up fatherless. One way to encourage your friend is to share your life with them and ask your dad to be open to including your friend to do special things with your family.
And remember, God is a father to the fatherless. He desires you to have a relationship with Himself… and He will never leave you or forsake you!
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
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by Ken Turner | Faith
One of the most frustrating things in all the world is to have to start over! Have you ever spent hours working on a project and realized you messed up and the only answer is to stop and start all over from the beginning?
But guess what? One of the most rewarding things in all the world is to “get to start over.” Sometimes it’s not a burden to start over… it’s actually a blessing. It’s that opportunity to say, “I’ve really blown it and if I could do it all over again, I’d do it differently.” And guess what? You can!
Ephesians 4:22-24 teaches us that we can stop right now and have a new start. A fresh start. A brand new beginning. And that is exciting to think about. Here is the message of Ephesians 4:22-24.
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Here are three important steps in starting over with God.
- Put Off the Old Walk of Life.
Be honest with yourself. This is not the time for excuses but the time for real acceptance of your current reality. What is it that you need to “put off” in order to be closer to God than ever before? Call it what God calls it… sin. Confess it to Him and ask for His forgiveness.
- Be Renewed in Your Mind… A new Attitude.
It’s time to accept His forgiveness! Once you have truly taken sin to the Lord and asked for forgiveness… accept that He has forgiven you and ask Him to take away the guilt and feeling of defeat. Ask Him to help you by giving you a new attitude, a new zeal for Him and His word and a renewed joy in living for Him.
- Put On the New Man… A New Walk of Life.
Make a list if specific action steps that will keep you away from the old temptations and defeat. Be serious about this and make a deep heart felt commitment to God that you will follow through relying on Him to give you the strength. Choose a trusted friend and ask that friend to help by holding you accountable and praying for you.
So it may be true that one of the most frustrating things in life is to “have to start over” but it’s also true that one of the most amazing things about God is that when things are terribly wrong in our life He says we “get to start over.”
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
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by Ken Turner | Faith
What is your “family story?” Do you have a great family with a solid legacy? Does your family last name carry weight in your community? If so you should thank God for that. But what if it doesn’t? Maybe your family name carries some negative vibes with people in the area. If that is your family story… I have good news for you. It is possible to create a generational shift in your family and it could start with you. The truth is that you can create a generational shift in the family tree for good or bad. Why? Because the Bible says that ultimately every one of us must give an answer for ourselves before God.
“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12
Whether you have a great family or are fatherless or motherless and trying to survive, the reality is that God can take your circumstances and do amazing and mighty things with your life. It may be hard to imagine today but one day you will likely have a family of your own and your children… the next generation of the family tree… could do great things for God based on the direction you choose today. So know that you may be facing challenges but if you choose to “own your own faith” and take personal responsibility for your own spiritual growth, you can experience the wonderful opportunity for God to change things in your family for generations.
In the book, “All Pro Dad” the story is told of two men who made decisions that created a family legacy. Read these two stories carefully and commit yourself now before God that you will be the agent of change in your family tree.
The definition of “legacy” is “something handed down from one who has gone before.”
A man named Jonathan Edwards left a legacy. He attended Yale University at age 13 and eventually became the President of Yale University. At age 20 he wrote a list of “personal resolutions” that he would live by. His resolve was strongest in his commitment to be a good father.
Benjamin Warfield, a Princeton professor researched the descendants of Jonathan Edwards years after his death. He found 1394 descendants. Here is what he found…
13 college presidents, 65 college professors, 30 judges, 100 lawyers, 60 authors, 60 physicians, 75 army and navy officers, 100 pastors, 3 United States Senators, 80 public servants in other capacities including governors and ministers to foreign countries and 1 Vice President.
A man named Max Jukes lived about the same time as Jonathan Edwards. He also left a legacy. Jukes had a serious drinking problem which kept him from holding down a job. It also kept him from showing much concern for his wife and children. Of his 540 known descendants here is what is known…
30 died in poverty, 150 were criminals, 7 were murderers, 100+ were alcoholics, and half of the females were prostitutes.
Remember this… the way you choose to parent will affect your children, your grandchildren and beyond. There is a “five-generation rule” that is illustrated in Edwards and Jukes. Everyone leaves a legacy… with God’s help yours can be life-changing for years to come.
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
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