The following post was written by John Paul Basham, Student Ministry Specialist
One of the constant challenges in the intentional discipleship of students is taking the time to teach them how to navigate the world around them. As pastors and mentors of students, there is a great responsibility to teach and unfold the Scriptures in a way that students can understand and eventually run with on their own. This, however, is rarely accomplished simply by preaching and teaching during weekend and mid-week programming. To truly lead a student into what it means to live a life genuinely devoted to Christ, there must be intentional time spent helping students interact with the world around them, many times in arenas that they are oblivious to. Here are a couple of articles that you can use to challenge both yourself and your students.
–Theological Extremism in a Secular Age
In this article, Dr. Albert Mohler illustrates the disparity between the secular western cultural atmosphere and the theological worldview of a Muslim extremist. If we as Christians are to understand our place in God’s kingdom and the role to which we have been called, then we must not turn a blind eye to the events of the day. Instead, use articles like this one to spur conversation among your students about not only how we are to live in light of current events, but also how we as Christians can step out and affect change in the public square.
–Which Churchgoers Would Skip Sunday Service to Watch Football
On a lighter note, here is an article from Christianity Today discussing a recent poll given by Lifeway Research. Nearly 1,000 people were surveyed and asked whether or not they would skip church for a football game. What would your students say if you were to give them a series of scenarios in which they have to prioritize and choose whether one activity or another should come before weekly church attendance? The discussion here isn’t necessarily about when and when not to attend church, as much as it is about commitment to our faith in all areas of life.
