2026-09-18: Dare to Be Different (HSG Sunday School)

When I look around at my peers at school, it seems like everyone has Instagram and TikTok, everyone has a boyfriend, everyone is going to homecoming and prom, everyone is watching the latest movie or TV Show, everyone dresses a certain way, everyone curses, everyone uses AI to do their assignments. And then I hear from my strict parents that we don't do those things. And I hear from my Sunday School servants that we don't do those things. And I hear from Abouna in the sermon (or now in the class) that we don't do these things.

And maybe I obey. I don't keep social media. I don't have a boyfriend. I don't curse. I'm responsible with my use of AI. I don't go to events that aren't fitting for me.

But it's uncomfortable. Why is being different so uncomfortable? Why am I different? Why are my parents different? Why is my Church different?

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2)

St. Rebekah and Her Five Children

The Three Holy Youth

Little Foxes

Small Yeses

The Beginning of Discernment

The beginning of discernment is to assess right from wrong. St. Paul, in 1 Corinthians, gives us four principals:

1. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.
2. All things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 
3. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
4. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.

Is it lawful for me? Is it good for me? Does it build me up (or build others up)? Is it controlling? Could it cause someone else to stumble?

Resources

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a37oU4ARQJA 

Question

What is the line for how “Christian” we should be?

For example we always hear stories about the saints and how they were so humble and accepted insults and accusations with defending themselves, even the Lord did this as well, yet are we supposed to do this as well? Even in large-scale situations?

Another example would even be the monks and nuns today, we see how they live, and we praise them for living this way, are we then supposed to strive to be like them? If we are why don’t we?

What is that line of “no, they are special cases and we are only supposed to act the regular way.” What is that regular way? Where is that line drawn of how we should be?

We say to always try to take the saints and these saintly monastics as examples for us yet we’ve also heard that we can’t “put our expectations that high.” Does that mean there’s a certain line?

For example the shows and movies we should and shouldn’t be watching. We know having a boyfriend/girlfriend is not right, yet almost every film has some sort of romantic reference, even if it’s not necessarily “impure” just the general concept of having a romantic interest. But this is wrong just as watching something impure or lustful, or things including LGBT, does that mean we should cut off secular shows completely, or at something least something we should strive for?

Social media too. We’ve heard “good job” as a response to not having social media yet those same people have it. If we say it’s not good to have social media why do we have it? Even though social media can be beneficial and not used for bad things.

But so then where is that line of “this is okay, this is not” if there even is a line, for how could there be a line?

Are there certain things that are just “out of our league (spiritual level)” almost, as regular people?

Discern My Level