Our young people—especially teenagers—are looking for answers. As they grow and mature, they increasingly have big questions and big concerns. They are searching for answers that make sense for both the world outside their door and their day-to-day lives. As Christian parents and teachers, we need to carefully direct them to the Bible. But there is a right way and wrong way to go about this. Consider these words by Pastor Eric McKiddie in his post “Stop Trying to Make the Bible Relevant to Teenagers”:
It’s easy to feel pressure to make the Bible seem cool and relevant to teenagers…
In my years in youth ministry, though, I’ve seen unhelpful and even harmful methods of trying to make Scripture relevant. Book publishers make Bibles look like magazines, youth workers preach a hipster Jesus, and parents confuse their child’s involvement in a fun youth group for a growing relationship with God.
Yet in our efforts to make Scripture more entertaining, we actually confirm suspicions that it is in fact boring and irrelevant. And when youth workers aren’t as cool as they think they are, their efforts end up looking cheesy, which is the last thing that will help a teenager see the Bible’s importance.
…If you want teens—whether in your home or youth group—to appreciate the Bible, the first thing you must do is trust its relevance in your own heart. That trust should come across in how you talk about what the Bible says and why it matters. Scripture testifies to its own importance for God’s people, sometimes even pointing to young people in particular (Prov. 2:1–15; Eph. 6:1–3; 2 Tim. 3:16).
Peter’s words are especially helpful: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:3). Notice that Peter writes, “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” That means stress over grades, sexual temptation, loneliness, awkwardness—and how to honor God in each of these areas. But also notice how the power for everything that pertains to life and godliness comes to us—through the knowledge of God. And how do we attain this vital knowledge? Through the Scriptures.
At CDG, we are striving to do just that in the teen years—to present our students with a vital knowledge of Scripture that explores essential doctrines of the Christian faith in a manner that not only informs the mind but also challenges the heart by paying attention to how these doctrines intersect with ALL aspects of everyday life. In other words, showing that the Bible is already, in and of itself, relevant. There are least four ways in particular that our youth curricula does this:- Encouraging teachers to devote an adequate amount of time in spiritual preparation for each lesson so that he or she teaches from a heart that has been personally transformed by the truths of Scripture. It gives the teacher an opportunity to share personal insights and practical application. Students take notice of this.
- A lesson content that provides examples of connections between Scripture texts and real-life scenarios.
- A depth of teaching that does not shy away from difficult doctrines and topics: evil, suffering, gender issues, etc.
- A “Small Group Application” section following each lesson with carefully crafted questions and discussion points to actively engage the students to see how the truths of Scripture apply to each of them in a very personal way.
Teach Me Your Way A Study for Youth on Surrender to Jesus and Submission to His Way
Abiding in Jesus A Study for Youth on Trusting Jesus and Encouraging Others
Your Word Is Truth A Study for Youth on Seeing All of Life Through the Truth of Scripture
Rejoicing in God's Good Design A Study for Youth on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Open My Eyes A Study for Youth on Studying the Bible
(Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)
