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Build Confident Christians

Posted by Mario Arindaeng on

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How strong do your teenagers stand spiritually? Do they know the one true God and the only way to get to heaven? Do they have a firm grasp on truth—firm enough that they feel confident sharing it with others?

A recent Group magazine poll revealed that many Christian kids are confused about their beliefs. (See some results in “The View.”) In a world that custom-designs views of God based on convenience and personal preference, how can parents keep teenagers on track spiritually? Regular involvement in a church and youth group certainly helps. But parents must interact with teenagers to discover if they know and understand faith essentials. Dare 2 Share Ministries uses this acrostic as a baseline for what kids need to know:

God created us to be with him.

Our sins separate us from God.

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.

Everyone who trusts in Jesus alone has eternal life.

Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

When teenagers are confident in their knowledge of this GOSPEL truth, they’ll not only be prepared to face trials and temptations but also will become confident faith-sharers who tell others about God’s good news.

Tips

Dare 2 Share Ministries president Greg Stier says Christian kids should have these four essential truths down pat—not just in their heads but in their hearts and lives:

  1. God. Theology Proper is the study of the person of God, his attributes, and the Trinity. We challenge kids to be godly, expressing God’s “communicable attributes” (holy, loving, merciful, etc.) through the Holy Spirit’s power.
  2. God’s Son. Christology covers Jesus’ incarnation (100% God and 100% human), his death for our sins, and his physical resurrection. Jesus was tempted yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). His empathy emboldens us to pray with confidence, and his resurrection assures us that we’ll be resurrected someday, too.
  3. God’s Word. Bibliology is the truth that the Bible, inspired by God, is error-free. In a world of confusion, this offers a solid foundation of unshakeable truth. We equip kids to read, meditate on, and live out Scripture.
  4. Gospel. Soteriology, the study of salvation, is summed up in the GOSPEL acrostic above. The gospel gives kids confidence in their standing with God through Christ’s finished work on the cross. Externally, it provides the cause of Christ himself: to seek and save the lost.

 

The View

A poll of 1,400 teens—93% of whom said they’re Christians—yielded these startling results:

    • More than one-third said they aren’t sure if the Bible is accurate in all its teachings or don’t believe it’s accurate.
    • Nearly four out of 10 said Satan is just a symbol of evil, not a real spiritual being.
    • About one in five kids thought Jesus committed sins while he lived on earth.

—Group magazine

Questions to Ask

    • • In what areas do you think your teenagers need a confidence booster?
    • • How would you rate your own confidence in your Christian beliefs, and why?
    • • How comfortable are you with sharing your faith?

Authentic Christians?

Expert Insights for Parents of Teenagers | By Mike Nappa

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For my book The Jesus Survey (Baker Books), I polled more than 800 Christian kids. The results were surprising.

Legendary silent-film actor Charlie Chaplin once entered a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest at a crowded theater. Apparently, the competition was fierce because the real Chaplin didn’t even place among the finalists. His fans—even those trying to imitate him—
didn’t even see him in their midst.

My research shows that if Jesus himself walked through church doors today, most of his young “fans” wouldn’t recognize him either. Nine out of 10 Christian teenagers say they have significant doubt in one or more essentials of their faith. Only 39% express strong confidence that Jesus is the only way to heaven. And barely 5% of youth group members open a Bible daily.

The news isn’t all bleak, however. Confident Christian Teenagers— those who express consistent faith in essential beliefs about Christ—have a markedly different relationship with God. Among Confident Christian Teenagers, 86% are certain that the Holy Spirit is present and active in their lives today. And 94% say they have proof that Jesus has answered their prayers. This suggests an important conclusion: Right belief translates into real experience. And the first step toward right belief is confidence in the Bible’s trustworthiness.

Other good news from my research: 84% of Christian teenagers say it’s their responsibility to “tell others about Jesus with the intent of leading them to be Christian, too.” Best of all, they’re following up on those beliefs. Fifty-six percent of kids report that they’ve shared their faith in Jesus with a non-Christian during the past month. Of course, it’s vital that the information kids are sharing is correct. With eternity in the balance, it’s essential that our teenagers believe and share authentic Christian truths.

Bible Focus | Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Media Reviews

CHRISTIAN MUSIC

Jars of Clay

Jars of Clay

Background

This band has made thoughtful art-rock music since 1995, when their hit “Flood” played on mainstream radio. Many songs from their critically acclaimed albums have been used in movies and TV shows. Singer Dan Haseltine also founded Blood: Water Mission, a charity that provides clean water, sanitation, and health care to African villages.

Albums

Inland (2013), The Long Fall Back to Earth (2009), Redemption Songs (2005)

    What Jars of Clay Says

    Guitarist Matthew Odmark says, “As you move further in life, you begin to deal with real limitations and real disappointments—and we found ourselves writing songs kind of exploring those themes.”

    Explore

    Some of their videos are available for you to check out. 

    Watch Inland Watch After the Fight
    MAINSTREAM MUSIC

    Drake

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    Background

    Drake’s fame began on the TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation, but he’s now a successful rapper and producer. He’s sold more than 5 million albums, won a Grammy, and holds many records from the Billboard charts. Drake often takes a thoughtful approach to lost love, regret, and fame—sometimes unsure if he really wants it, and critical of the society that has created it. But amid the thoughtfulness is a lot of profanity.

    Albums

    Nothing Was the Same (2013), Take Care (2011), Thank Me Later (2010)

    What Drake Says

    “I’m one of the few artists who gets to be himself every day. It doesn’t take me six hours to get ready, and I don’t have to wake up in the morning and remember to act like this or talk like this. I just have to be me. That’s one of the favorite parts of my life—I’ve done this purely by being myself.”

    Research

    You can watch the video for his popular song, “Started From the Bottom.” It's the explicit version but gives you an idea of what to expect from Drake’s music.

    Watch Video

    Disclaimer: This review is not intended to endorse this artist, but rather to keep parents informed.
    HOST A MOVIE NIGHT

    Hookwinked

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    A Movie Night is a golden opportunity for parents and children to have a meaningful, biblically based discussion about one of the better films coming out of Hollywood. It's also the term used for the downloadable curricula PluggedIn Online has created to help you accomplish that.

    "Movie Nights for Teens," encourages parents and adolescents to explore deeper issues with the help of more challenging, mature-minded films. These Movie Nights are more dialogue-oriented and intended for older children (13 and up), but the goals remain the same: Have fun, enrich the parent/child relationship and help children learn to analyze media from a Christian perspective. 

    Download Movie Night PDF
    POPULAR MOVIE

    Gravity

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    Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller 

    Rating: PG-13

    Synopsis: A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.

    Our Take: Gravity is a gripping, often frightening story—as simple and as complex as a well-worn fable. Distilled in this straightforward narrative (two people try to survive the most hostile environs imaginable) we see life distilled to its most essential pieces: adversity, hope, grief, courage, faith. It is a harrowing spaceship-themed roller-coaster ride of a movie, and it's not without its content concerns. (You've hopefully just read about them.) But in the end, we get out of our pods feeling inspired, encouraged.

    Life, Gravity tells us, is a fragile thing. It can be taken from us and from those we love without warning, without care. And one day, it will be taken from us all. But as precious as life is, we can't bottle it up and store it safe in a cupboard. We can't horde it like treasure. Life—like air, like warmth—is. It's meant to float. It's meant to swim. It's meant to soar.

    Life can be brittle, but it begs to be lived. And if we try, we can find the will and wherewithal to live in even the darkest, coldest and emptiest of places. When we're surrounded by nothing, we find something inside us—a warm ember given by God that gives us the courage to turn toward Home.

    Read the Full Review

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