Fireproof Your Life for Teens

By Michael Catt and Amy Parker

Fireproofing Your Life for Teens is the follow up to the award winning title Courageous Teens f by Michael Catt, senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church and executive producer of the hit film Courageous.

The popularity of the film Fireproof made one thing certain: we as Christians are continually seeking ways to galvanize our faith against the fires of the world around us. And there is arguably no time in our lives when our faith is more under fire than our teenage years. As young people struggle to learn who they are, they can only forge an indestructible identity by remembering whose they are.
 
Using Bible-based teachings and practical applications, Fireproof Your Life for Teens will walk them through the process of building an invincible, impenetrable faith. And this is not a faith that just shows up on Sunday mornings, but one that reaches deep into their hearts and stretches out to encompass every area of their lives. From decision-making to relationships to money, Michael Catt and Amy Parker will show teens how a fireproof faith and biblical principles play an integral part in every aspect of their day-to-day lives, as well as in shaping their future.
 
We make life so complicated. Trials and temptations will come, but the solution is simple. For every single situation we are going to face, for every decision we are going to make, the answer is there. And it begins and ends with God. Like Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego in that famous fiery furnace, when we learn to stand with God, we can all be fireproof.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781433684890

Michael Catt

Michael Catt has served as senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, since 1989 and is executive producer of the popular Facing the Giants and Fireproof films that originated from the congregation. He the author of Prepare for Rain, The Power of Desperation, The Power of Persistence and The Power of Surrender and the founder of the ReFRESH™ revival conference. Michael and his wife, Terri, have two children.

Book preview

Introduction

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Fireproof Your Life

Several years ago, I had the privilege of working together with my church to produce a film called Fireproof. The popularity and success of that film surprised us all. However, it also made one thing certain: we as Christians are continually seeking ways to galvanize our faith against the fires of the world around us.

There is arguably no time in your life when your faith is more under fire than your teenage years. But I’m here to tell you: as you struggle to find your place in this world, to learn who you are, you can only forge an indestructible identity by remembering Whose you are.

Using Bible-based teachings and practical applications, these next ten chapters will walk you through the process of building an invincible, impenetrable faith. This is not a faith that just shows up on Sunday mornings, but one that reaches deep into your heart and stretches out to encompass every area of your life. From decision-making to relationships to money, I pray that I can show you how a fireproof faith and biblical principles play an integral part in every aspect of your day-to-day life, as well as in shaping your future.

We tend to make life so complicated. Trials and temptations will come, but the solution is simple. For every single situation we are going to face, for every decision we are going to make, the answer is there. And it begins and ends with God.

So, whether you’re facing the fires right now or just want to prepare for the inevitable, this book will hand you the tools and protection you need to face the fires of life. But only you can use them.

Don’t give up. Don’t give in. And don’t back down. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in that famous fiery furnace, when we learn to stand with God, we can all be fireproof.

I pray that this book shows you how. And I pray that your life and the lives of those around you grow forever stronger in your faith as you learn to fireproof your life.

Blessings,

Michael Catt

Chapter 1

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Standing in the Fire

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

—Psalm 63:1 nasb

When a forest fire rages across the mountainside of California, the giant sequoias that have been there for centuries are rarely destroyed. They take their stand. While other less hearty trees are consumed by the sweeping fire, the sequoia has, over hundreds of years, developed multiple layers of bark in preparation for the fire drill. ¹

These giant trees, some of which date back to the time of Christ, survive because of several self-protective elements. For one, some of these trees have bark that is two feet thick. Still, after a fire, a tree can smolder for six to twelve months from the trauma of the flames that lashed at the bark.

When fires rage through our lives, we often find ourselves smoldering. We end up asking God, Why this? or Why me? We can even buy into the lie: If God loved me, He wouldn’t have allowed this to happen. But it is wrong to assume that God does not love us, doesn’t care, or doesn’t know what we’re going through. The reality is that—regardless of our standing with God—we all go through fires and times of testing. These trials show what we are made of. They reveal our hearts, our faith, and our level of maturity.

And would you believe that the fires in the sequoia forests even promote new life? When the cone of the sequoia is burned, it dries out, pops open, and disperses its seeds. Each of those little cones—about the size of your pinky finger—contains up to two hundred seeds! The wind carries those seeds and deposits them on the ground as silently as snowflakes. And just as beautifully, new life springs from death; the torment of the flames results in the promise of new life.

A Cultivated Heart

Ironically, however, many of these forests contain no young trees. If fire opens a cone which produces two hundred seeds, and one tree can produce tens of thousands of cones, why isn’t there any new growth? Where are all the young sequoia trees?

Unfortunately, over the years, tourists and onlookers have hardened the ground with trampling feet. So if no one cultivates or breaks up the soil, the seeds cannot take root and multiply. The key to the survival of the seeds is the nitrogen-rich soil, produced by layer upon layer of ash left by fires. But if the soil is so hard that even a tiny seed cannot sink in, the life within that seed simply wastes away on top of the hardened ground.

Do you remember Jesus’ parable that talks about hardened soil? His parable of the sower holds great truths about fireproofing your life. He tells us how we can live a life that withstands the fire and produces new fruit, new life.

Take a look:

Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown. (Matthew 13:3–8)

In this parable the sower represents Jesus, the seed is the Word, and the soil is our hearts. We would all agree that the sower and the seed are both good, right? But the soil—our hearts—determines the fruit that is produced.

Take a moment to consider Jesus’ explanation of the parable:

When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now the one sown among the thorns—this is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the seduction of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times what was sown. (Matthew 13:19–23)

Do any of these sound familiar? Have you seen (or been) the one who starts out following Jesus but eventually falls by the wayside? The one who stops going to church? Resorts to bad habits again? Or simply disengages in general? The Devil finds a way to trip up these people, and they end up feeling so guilty and ashamed that they may never return to the forgiveness of Jesus. One minute they’re praising God; the next minute they’re blaming Him. The seed of the Word never took root, so when the fires come through pain or persecution, these guys blow it.

Others never mature because they get drawn in by the things of the world. Fame, fortune, popularity, and pleasure dominate their thinking. They get caught up in who’s got what. They think only of themselves and protecting the stuff they have and accumulating more stuff they don’t need. Whatever faith they had cultivated, they trade it all for what the world has to offer.

And these aren’t just a few isolated cases. Did you notice that most of the time the seeds in the parable don’t bear fruit? The only seeds that bear fruit are those sown in good soil, tended soil, soil that is conducive to bearing fruit. Jesus Himself knows how rare and how difficult it is to find soil that is ready to produce good fruit. And maybe that’s why He not only tells the parable to His disciples, but also follows it up with a careful explanation just to make sure we all understand. He wanted them—and us, His disciples today—to know how to flourish in our own lives and how to reach out to others too.

Is there a part of the parable that you identify with the most? Do you recognize your friends in any of those descriptions? Regardless of your answers, no matter what condition your soil is in, we are starting—right now—to cultivate better soil, to prepare for the sower, and to yield a better harvest.

When Trouble Strikes

The bark of the sequoia is equipped with a natural fire retardant, a substance called tannin that acts to neutralize the burning embers that embed themselves in the tree. Another advantage of the sequoia is its height. The fire can only attack the base, the foundation of the tree, while the crown of the tree remains above the flames and is only singed by heat and smoke.

But this advantage also invites opposition. Because these trees stand tall, they are prone to lightning strikes, leaving them with hundreds of scars as proof of their battle for survival. Some of these strikes cut deep and cause parts of the tree to become useless, but the tree as a whole continues to live. Even the most powerful strikes on the most vulnerable areas of the tree can rarely destroy it, although it can take years to overcome the assault.

Another enemy well known for its attacks on the sequoias lies in wait for the right moment to attack. Once fire has heated and softened the bark, the California horn-tailed wasp bores into the bark and feeds on