Paperback
-
PICK UP IN STORECheck Availability at Nearby Stores
Available within 2 business hours
Related collections and offers
Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780310278849 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Zondervan/Youth Specialties |
| Publication date: | 08/24/2008 |
| Series: | Middle School Survival Series |
| Pages: | 208 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d) |
| Age Range: | 11 - 14 Years |
About the Author
Scott Rubin has been on staff at Willow Creek Community Church for 18 years, and he's currently the director of Elevate, the junior high ministry at Willow Creek. Scott, along with an entirely-fantastic team of staff and volunteer leaders, has the privilege of helping young adolescents follow Jesus. He also co-authored two books in the Middle School Survival Series with Mark Oestreicher.
Read an Excerpt
My Future
By Mark Oestreicher Scott Rubin
Zondervan
Copyright © 2008
Mark Oestreicher and Scott Rubin
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-27884-9
Chapter One SECTION 1 MY FUTURE
1. WHY WE WROTE THIS BOOK FOR YOU
Do you ever think much about your past? The past includes all of your little-kid years, but it also includes last week. Basically, the past is whatever stuff is in your memory.
Or maybe you're a person who likes to focus on the present-this moment right now when you're reading these words.
But how much thought do you give to the future? Hmm ...?
What's past is already gone. There's no changing that around. But the FUTURE is full of possibilities.
WHAT IF ...? I WONDER ...? COULD I ...?
Some of it seems amazing and exciting. Some of it can feel uncertain and even worrisome. And you get to choose!
When you were younger, you probably didn't think about the future much. You woke up in the morning, played with some toys, cried 'til someone gave you some food, watched some Jimmy Neutron, then played some more-you get the picture. "The future" didn't mean much to you. You didn't really care what day or time it was, and you certainly didn't think about what would happen that day-you just took things as they came.
But now-in your middle school years-the future is taking on a whole new meaning. And even though it can feel scary sometimes-it can also be thrilling, especially if you're ready for it.
We (Marko and Scott) love helping middle school students think about-and get ready for-their futures. Some people look at middle schoolers and think, Those punks have so much growing up to do. Why bother talking to them about the future now? But we know there are lots of things bouncing around in middle schoolers' brains. Some of them are about the "near future"-things you'll experience in the next few years (or even weeks and months). Some are about things in the "way-out-there future"-things you won't have to deal with for many years. But the thoughts you're having now will direct your future.
What you've just read is already in the past, so let's dive right into (drum roll, please) your future!
2. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE FUTURE
Let's start with a handful of Bible verses about the future:
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, you cannot discover anything about your future. (Ecclesiastes 7:14)
Since no one knows the future, who can say what is to come? (Ecclesiastes 8:7)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:27)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
Wow! We can learn some fantastic things in those verses right there, stuff about how we should approach thinking about the future. These Scriptures are pretty much saying, "Don't worry about the future: God has great plans for you, and God will be with you. The future can't separate you from God!"
Seriously, that's some good stuff. Maybe you don't need to read the rest of this book.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from My Future by Mark Oestreicher Scott Rubin
Copyright © 2008 by Mark Oestreicher and Scott Rubin. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents INTRODUCTION....................8SECTION 1: MY FUTURE 1. Why We Wrote This Book for You....................12
2. What the Bible Says about the Future....................14
SECTION 2: DECISIONS 3. Pros and Cons....................18
4. Who Influences My Decisions?....................20
5. Where Does God Fit?....................22
6. Timing: What about When "I Don't Know" Is Really the Only Answer I Have?....................24
7. Bad Decision ... Then What? (Recovering from Mistakes)....................26
8. The Future Seems Kinda Intimidating (I Still Wanna Be a Kid)....................28
SECTION 3: HIGH SCHOOL 9. High School Looms around the Corner ....................34
10. Are the Cliques Still There? Geeks, Jocks, and You....................36
11. Who's at My Lunch Table? Does It Matter as Much as It Does in Middle School?....................38
12. SAT/ACT Tests....................40
13. Are High School Parties as Crazy as I've Heard?....................42
14. Independence: Can I Really Have More of It in High School?....................44
15. Can I "Be Cool" and Still Follow Jesus in High School?....................46
16. My Reputation: What Exactly Is It and Can Someone Wreck It?....................48
17. "I Heard a Rumor"....................50
18. Fear of "Freshman Initiations"....................52
19. Is Every High School Student Really Having Sex?....................54
SECTION 4: DATING RELATIONSHIPS 20. I'm Worried about Dating....................58
21. What If I Never Have a Date?....................60
22. I'm Not Sure I'd Even Know What to Do on aDate....................62
23. How Does My Physical Self Affect My Dating?....................64
SECTION 5: COLLEGE 24. To Go or Not to Go?....................70
25. Picking the "Right" One....................72
26. Worrying about College....................74
27. What Exactly Is a "Major" and How Do I Pick One?....................76
SECTION 6: JOBS/CAREERS 28. How Did God Wire Me?....................80
29. What Should I Be When I Grow Up?....................82
30. School Matters (for Your Future Job)....................84
31. McJobs: Early Jobs You'll Never Forget....................86
32. How Do I Make Enough Money? How Much Is "Enough"?....................88
33. Some People Hate Their Jobs-Can I Find One I Like?....................90
34. My First Boss-Yikes!....................92
SECTION 7: PARENT RELATIONSHIPS 35. A Changing Relationship: Parents Becoming "Coaches"....................96
36. Curfew: What's Fair? (Now and in the Future)....................98
37. How to Argue Better....................100
38. Understanding My Parents' "Problems"....................102
39. Honoring My Parents....................104
40. Leaving Home, Moving Away....................106
SECTION 8: FRIEND RELATIONSHIPS 41. How Friendships "Morph" over Time....................112
42. Leaving Some Old Friendships and Starting Some New Ones....................114
43. Roommates: What'll That Be Like?....................116
SECTION 9: GOD/CHURCH RELATIONSHIP 44. Staying Connected to God....................120
45. Why Do Some Kids "Fade Away" from God and the Church?....................122
46. If You Could "Pick Your Own Church" ....................124
47. Your Involvement: Being the Church Instead of Just Attending....................126
SECTION 10: MONEY 48. Credit Cards: Free Money!....................130
49. Saving....................132
50. What About Tithing?....................134
SECTION 11: MARRIAGE 51. Is There "One Right Person" for Me?....................138
52. Should I Even Be Thinking about This Now?....................140
53. Divorce Is Nasty-I Wonder If It Could Happen to Me....................142
54. Is It Weird If I Think I May Not Get Married?....................144
SECTION 12: RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES (BARELY LEGAL) 55. Driving....................150
56. Voting....................152
57. Smoking and Drinking....................154
58. Sex....................156
59. Taxes (Huh?)....................158
SECTION 13: DEATH 60. What to Do with the Sadness....................162
61. Life Isn't Fair: Pain and Suffering....................164
62. Harps and Clouds-What's Heaven Really Like?....................166
63. I Don't Want to Die....................168
SECTION 14: FOR YOUR GENERATION 64. Global Warming....................172
65. War....................174
66. AIDS....................176
67. Gas Prices, Energy Crises, and an Out-of-Control Planet....................178
68. Robots and Flying Cars? Stuff We Can't Picture Right Now....................180
SECTION 15: IMAGINE 69. Are You a Dreamer? Dreaming Big Dreams....................184
70. Fear: The Enemy of Imagination....................186
71. Paying Attention to Your Passions....................188
72. Church....................190
73. End of Poverty....................192
74. Can My Generation Really Make the World a Better Place?....................194
A FINAL THOUGHT 75. Your Amazing Future....................198