Here is a really good reminder from youth minister Cameron Cole:
Biblical and theological knowledge have inherent value, but they carry far more weight when students understand their significance in the context of their whole life. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus teaches, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Christ points to his words of truth as necessities for life. When we simply teach kids doctrine with no practical application, we reduce Christianity to an academic exercise rather than the fuel of each day.
Given where students are developmentally, most of them cannot make the connection between biblical concepts and their life without a person explicitly explaining it. Furthermore, kids in this instant gratification culture want to know how matters relate to their life right now. This is not a cry for moralism or “relevance” (in the trendy sense of the word), but it does mean that kids need to know why the sovereignty of God affects their college decision and how the incarnation informs their use of social media.
(From “5 Essential Phrases for Every Talk to Youth,” www.thegospelcoalition.org )
(Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)
