Stop Handing Out Water Guns
by Brad Harrub, Ph.D.
I want to say this as respectfully—and as honestly—as I can.
Before anything else, Scripture is clear: parents are commanded to train their children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7; Ephesians 6:4). I know that, I preach that, and I practice that. The responsibility for training up my children does not belong to the church. But with that said…
Congregations, we really must do better.
We are standing at a critical moment in a young person’s life–research indicates that ages 13-24 is the key disengagement window for a young person’s faith. At the exact time that they are about to go to the front line of the culture war and step into a world that will aggressively challenge their faith, in too many cases we are still feeding them the same material they heard in elementary school. There is nothing wrong with lessons like Daniel in the lions’ den… but there is something wrong if that’s still the depth of their spiritual preparation at 16, 17, or 18 years old.
It is time to raise the bar.
These young people are about to face real battles:
*A culture saturated in pornography that is destroying marriages before they even begin
*Relentless claims that the Bible is full of contradictions
*Constant pressure toward sexual immorality
*Confusion about identity, marriage, and the home
*A world that demands answers for what they believe—and why
So why aren’t we preparing them?
Why aren’t we teaching them:
how to actively defend their faith (1 Peter 3:15)
how to build a biblical worldview about money, marriage, and morality
how to recognize and resist temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)
how to speak to their friends about Jesus with confidence
how to respond when their beliefs are challenged—whether in a classroom, on social media, or face-to-face
Church, this is not a small issue. This is the moment where faith is either strengthened—or quietly slips away. It’s a critical period, and too often we just keep doing the same thing.
Too often we are entertaining when we should be equipping. Look back at the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). All of those pieces are defensive except one–the Sword of the Spirit! Too many of our young people don’t know how to wield the sword.
We cannot afford to stay shallow when the world is going deep.
If we keep sending our young people out unprepared, we shouldn’t be surprised when become another lost statistic.
We’re not sending them to a playground. The highest density of atheists in America is found on college campuses.
We’re sending them into a battlefield.
Let’s stop handing them water guns.
ThePreachersWord 