knowledge that we are sinners, accept
Jesus' payment for our sins, and begin
living our lives to please Him. Won't you
do that today, friend?
in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
(John 3:16)
It has been difficult to hear about some of
the violent acts committed by teens and
even children. The numerous surveys, stud-
ies, academic papers and clinical research
over the years reflect society's concern as
well. There is no single factor that has been
Questions appropriate for printing in the War Cry will be answered through this column.
This is a question of great importance. If
there is no understanding of what sin is,
there is no sense of our desperate spiritu-
al situation and need for help.
Bible, and established moral laws for our
good. When we choose to ignore or dis-
obey those laws, we offend God. We sin.
God. This, of course, was Satan's grave
mistake, which resulted in his ejection
from Heaven and sentence of eventual
destruction.
for one another. God is holy, and expects
us to live lives of holiness and purity. God
cannot be where sin is. Sin separates us
from God, hinders us from having a rela-
tionship with Him.
told them not to eat from a certain tree.
And when given a chance to decide for
themselves, they chose to disobey God
and ate from the tree. The consequence of
that choice has doomed all of their de-
scendants (US !) to be born in a sinful
state. We can be the nicest, most loving
and giving people in the world. But in
God's eyes, we are sinners; our sinful state
separates us from Him. Unless a soul�sav-
ing payment is made for our sins, there is
no hope for us in this life or the next.
His Son, Jesus Christ who came willingly
to make that soul�saving payment with
His very life when He died on the Cross
What is sin?
I read a survey that claimed kids
teen violence.
shows, movies, video games). Video
gaming is an ingrained part of adoles-
cent life today. While many teens view
gaming as a social affair, getting togeth-
er with friends to play, others are loners,
playing the violent games repeatedly.
One has to wonder at the affect on the
still developing mind of repeated expo-
sure to blood and gore, intense violence,
strong sexual content and use of drugs
in some of the most popular games.
abuse situations, repeating behaviors ob-
served in their parents. Some children who
have been traumatized themselves,
through emotional, physical or sexual
abuse, have been known to repeat those
behaviors toward others. Frustration due to
learning disorders, bullying, and in some
cases, not being taught the necessary cop-
ing skills by their parents have been factors.
lence is parents who have a vibrant rela-
tionship with Jesus Christ, and view their
children as gifts from God. That is foun-
dational to supporting their children's
well�rounded development. And each
young person needs a vibrant relation-
ship with Christ as well, examining all
their behaviors to see if they measure
up to their stature in Christ.
about keeping the child in school and in-
volved in extracurricular activities that
can be used in the battle to address teen
violence. But none come close to the pro-
found affect, influence and opportunity of
Christian parents who place a high priori-
ty on the upbringing of their children.