What About The High School Prom? …

Reasons Often Given For Going  “It is a 1-time event”  Parents want children to be involved with, accepted by their peers  Children want to be with friends  A chance to dress elegantly for a night

What About The High School Prom? A Workable Definition  The prom = “modern dance”  Not waltzing, ballroom, or square dancing  Modern dancing certainly agrees with Biblical lasciviousness (licentiousness)

What About The High School Prom? Thayer, ppg “Unbridled lust; shamelessness; wanton manners, filthy words; indecent bodily movements; the unchaste handling of males & females…”

What About The High School Prom? A Workable Definition  The prom = “modern dance”  Not waltzing, ballroom, or square dancing  Modern dancing certainly agrees with Biblical lasciviousness (licentiousness)  Does this aptly describe the prom?  What about the warning from Gal 5:19-21?

What About The High School Prom? Dealing With The Issue Pressure  Yes…there’s pressure in wanting to “fit in”  Yet, such pressure doesn’t change God’s evaluation of the prom  Justification for going cannot alter God’s expectation nor modify His will Eccl 11:9

What About The High School Prom? Dealing With The Issue Guilt By Association  Prom dresses are mostly immodest  The prom’s reputation isn’t exactly stellar  Drinking & fornication are prevalent  Admission: not everyone who goes drinks or commits fornication

What About The High School Prom? Dealing With The Issue Guilt By Association  The prom’s reputation isn’t exactly stellar  Everyone knows how prevalent drinking and fornication are before & after the prom  Shouldn’t the principles of 1 Thess 5:22 help govern this decision?

What About The High School Prom? Dealing With The Issue Going But Not Dancing  The obvious question…why go?  It is dangerous to willingly put oneself into a situation where he/she can’t participate  Whether just dressing up to go, or going to dance…problems await the “prom goer”

What About The High School Prom? Dealing With The Issue Going But Not Dancing  Re: the non-dancer Mt 5:27-30  Can you control your own thoughts?  Re: the dancer Mt 18:6-9  Can you control the thoughts of others?

What About The High School Prom? Dealing With The Issue Going But Not Dancing  Notice Jesus addresses the “looker” and the “doer” alike Mt 5: :8-9  The ones who will go to the prom, but claim they won’t dance need to seriously answer some fair questions

What About The High School Prom? Ê Will the same sociability that makes me want to go now make me want to dance once I get there? Ë Am I sure I can control my thoughts while watching others? Ì Will going make me like the world, exposing the works of darkness?

What About The High School Prom? Í What do my parents think? Î Am I 100% sure this is right? Ï What if the Lord should come while I’m there? Ð Would Jesus attend? cp. Lk 6:40

What About The High School Prom? Closing Thoughts  To the young people…  The prom is not an honor…it is a dishonor  Not attending is not a huge loss of an important “1-time event”  It is a separation of spiritual from worldly Rom 12:2 1 Pet 2:9 Phil 2:15

What About The High School Prom? Closing Thoughts  To the parents of young people…  You make a grave mistake when you allow your child/children to attend the prom  Of course they want to go  Someone has to be the “adult voice of reason” Ù that’s YOU

What About The High School Prom? Closing Thoughts  I can’t think of 1 sound reason to justify attending the prom  I can think of several sound reasons to oppose attending the prom

What About The High School Prom? …