Tough Questions Teens Ask (1 of 3)
I love the live setting with teenagers during a question and answer session.
So many things come up that students are struggling with. It also gives me an opportunity to go back to school! To learn what teenagers are thinking and what topics are important to them.
This week we are looking at 6 questions that came up recently in Indiana during a Q&A session with junior high and high school students.
Tough Questions Teens Ask
Question 1
Why have we seen such a dramatic drop in the biblical worldview of teenagers?
this question came in reference to the drastic drop in biblical worldview among the last three generations. Barna Research Group reported that the silent/grandparent generation had about a 65% biblical worldview. The silent/grandparent generation gave birth to Gen X who are the adult parents today. The research showed a 33% biblical worldview in Gen X. A drop in half of their older parents.
And then the decline continued.
The first set of children born to Gen X were the millennials. They researched at a 19% biblical worldview showing another drastic drop in spiritual formation. But the stunning finding would be the research of the second set of children born to Gen X called Gen Z - who are teenagers today.
Gen Z researched at a 4% biblical worldview in America. The lowest biblical worldview of any generation set. This reinforced the loss of faith over the last 40 years in America.
I think this is the major problem. The easiest answer to this question is that we have to look at the home and the church - the two institutions that are most responsible for spiritual formation in our society.
At some point we have to stop blaming a government out of control, loss of censorship in media, humanism in our schools, or society. And look at the church.
Question 2
How do we increase our worship of God at home?
Purify our Spotify! That’s the best way. Get godly music into your life and it is a real assist.
Lifestyle is the key. Worship is more than a song or a something we do at church services. Worship is thought patterns, generosity, and service.
If we can get students to turn their bedroom into a prayer room or worship center, look out. I believe it can be as easy as two things:
The Setting
The Knowledge of God
Question 3
How do I show my friends at school the gospel without forcing it upon them?
We have a responsibility of evangelism. We have to use our lifestyle, our story, our words, prayer, and even acts of kindness. There are many ways to share the gospel. The most important is whatever you decide to do.
Here’s some practical help: learn your faith story!
Your story is the before and after, dark and light, lost and found description of your life in Christ.
All of us can relate to this. Write your faith story in 300 words or one page. Then memorize it so that you can talk about it at any time! If we are going to do good apologetics, we must begin with our personal story.
Question 4
How do we hear from God when He is so silent?
Be careful of equating silence or stillness as distance. Just because God is sound does not mean he is distant. Often times we quaint noise as something spiritual happening. But often times God moves in the stillness.
God is in the noise and the silence.
Our relationship with God is not driven by noise. Sometimes the ‘Dark night of the soul’ is just Gods presence without sound. It is when we actually can grow our faith more because we slow down and disconnect from the busyness and distractions.
Look at your close friends and how comfortable you are just being with them. No talking. You and God can become that comfortable also.
Question 5
Does committing suicide automatically send someone to hell?
Simply. No. I do not believe that.
I believe God sees the entirety of our life. And more so, in a season of our life. It’s not like a certain act condemns is to an eternity in hell. God does not judge us from one decision and moment in our life. He looks at the seasons of our life.
And, if in a season of depression, or fear, or mental health crisis, we were to take our life, I think that Hod would look at what’s is happening around us to determine in His grace the condition of our life!
Look at the criminals on the cross. Each of them were judged by their life and the moment of their death. It was recorded in scripture on the cross with Christ. In one moment the good criminal was aishered into heaven. I believe in the same way that in one moment God can do the same for us and wod bypass depression, fear, or a mental health crisis.
Question 6
How can I change my view of myself and my body image?
Remember this, your identity is not about your cut, your clothes, or your car. Your identity is about your character.
What is most important about your identity is that you’re a child of God. You were born a prince or a princess. What are you do with your life turns you into a king or a queen. Or he remain simply a child prince or princess.
Here are multiple ways to control your body image and self identity:
It’s not about popularity
It’s not about the external
Control your social media
Dont worry to much about filters
Be more concerned with your soul image
Finally
These questions and answers will help you understand what teenagers are thinking about. They will also help you answer some of these difficult topics in life. Stay plugged in next week as we look at more questions and answers from our discussions with teenagers.