Student Ministry - October
Dear Church Family,
As I have been thinking about the trends of culture and their effect on students, something that the Lord continues to remind me of is the need for Christian parents and grandparents in the lives of the younger generations. I do not mean that kids and students just need Christian parents and grandparents. I mean that kids and students need Christian parents and grandparents that are intentionally investing the gospel into their lives. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:6 to “train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
In today’s society, as soon as students enter into public school and public colleges, they immediately run into opposition to their faith. The older our children get, the more the world will try to distract them from the truth and convince them to walk away from Christianity. It is as important now as ever to train our children and students in the “way they should go.” But what does the mean?
It means that we need to intentionally raise our children in the instruction of a Christian, Biblical Worldview. They also need to be raised knowing what the world thinks and how to interact with the lies of Satan. We do not have to completely shelter them from false worldviews and ideologies, but we do have to teach them the right worldview and faith so they can stand strong in the Lord when opposition comes. So what is the Christian worldview?
Every worldview seeks to answer 4 main questions. The first is, where did we come from? The second is, what went wrong, or what is wrong with the world? The third, how do we fix it? And the fourth is, what will things be like after that?
The Bible gives us clear answers to all of these questions. We come from God. He created us and all of creation out of nothing. The problem is that we sinned and have rebelled against Him, bringing death and destruction to all of creation. The solution is not found is us, but in Him. He sent Jesus the Son to take the penalty of our sins and bring us back into a right relationship with God. Through trusting in Him and what He has done for us, we will be given eternal life to live out the purpose for which we were made. And one day, all of creation will be fully restored under the loving and sovereign rule of Jesus Christ, with whom we also will reign.
This is a very simple overview of the Christian, biblical worldview. These simple but profound truths, however, give us everything we need to find joy and fulfillment in this life. All we need to do is trust what God has said about these things in His Word for our sins to be washed away and our lives to have meaning. These are the truths we must believe and live out. To say we have a Christian worldview but fail to live it out will not cut it. That is like saying that you believe the airplane will fly but never trusting it enough to actually let it take you anywhere. Our Children need to be taught God’s worldview, but they also need to see us live it out. May the Lord give us grace to teach this, believe this, and live this out for the generations to come.