Category Archives: Teens (Youth)

Teenagers seek independence. They don’t tend to respond well to “Because I said so” or even “Because the Bible says so”. Consequently, if they are going to take time to get into the Word on their own, they need a higher motivation than duty or mere obedience. They will tend to reject what they would perceive as a hypocritical approach to the Word. Bible teachers need to promote a motivation to study the Bible that taps into their need for relationship and relevance.

Emphasizing These Reasons for Studying the Bible will Tend to be Motivational for Teens:

1) God’s Word is about a God who loves them and wants to be in a relationship with them.

Bible teachers, help teens see the Bible as a tool to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). God’s Word not only helps them develop a relationship with God but also provides the basis for spurring one another on in their walk with Him (Heb. 10:23-25).

2) God’s Word is about everyday life and how to live it to the fullest.

Bible teachers, show, by the way you teach, that Bible study is more than an academic pursuit. Help them get beyond the facts to seeing the implications for their daily lives. God’s Word is not an ancient, lifeless book. Rather, His Word is living and relevant for even today because the God who breathes life into these Words is just as powerful and wise for anything they may encounter on their journey through life. The Bible is quite practical and useful for them today (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Ps. 119).

When teens develop motivations based on these reasons for studying the Bible, they will want more of the Word than what they get at Church. As they experience the realities that come with such motivation, their desire for Scripture will grow more and more. May God use us to help students realize that God’s words in the Bible are “more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:9-10).

Until a good foundation is laid for teens to study the Bible, they either will not take the time to even read it or they will struggle doing so regularly.

Bible teachers need to lay the foundation for personal study of God’s Word which addresses two factors young people both want and need — realness and relationship.

To Lay the Foundation for Teens to Personally Study of the Bible, Teachers Must Answer Two Key Questions:

1) Is the Bible real?

Young people long for realness in their lives. So much in life seems so phony, hypocritical, or shallow which includes people, government, other institutions (including the Church), and even God and the Word He proclaims.

If teens don’t get beyond seeing the Bible as just another religious book or simply a bunch of fictional stories, they probably won’t invest much time into reading or studying it. For more on this topic check out the series of posts beginning at: Young People’s Perception of the Bible

Bible teachers, do you know what your students believe about the Bible? How are you addressing their misconceptions?

2) Is the Bible about more than just a bunch of rules and regulations?

Many teens don’t want to take the time to read and study the Bible because of this perception but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to know the God of the Bible. They just haven’t made the connection between Bible study and knowing God in a real and personal way. Yet, Scripture clearly promotes the relational aspect of God’s Word.

“have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:15)

“faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Rom. 10:17)

Bible teachers, are you taking students beyond mere knowledge of the Bible to connecting them with the God of the Bible? Are you helping them understand that the purpose of reading or studying God’s Word is to grow in their relationship with Him, not to merely fulfill a Christian duty? Are you helping them approach the Bible relationally as God’s way of speaking to them and encouraging them to discuss what they read with Him? Also read: Why Engage in Spiritual Disciplines?

God’s Word fulfills their need for realness and relationship. Let’s help them find it by patiently and adequately taking the time to answer these questions even if they aren’t verbalizing them.

Some might be skeptical about the potential of getting teenagers to study the Bible on their own. It’s difficult enough getting them to not only come to class but to pay attention while they are there and to meaningfully engage in the study.

Other than perhaps the exceptional student or two, is it a realistic expectation? Let’s remember that we have a powerful God who makes even the seemingly impossible, possible. When we grasp that reality, then it becomes a matter of looking to Him and matching God’s working with students’ needs.

How Studying God’s Word on Their Own Fits in with Teens’ Needs:

1) If teens are going to study the Bible on their own, they need the right perception of the Bible.

Young people are looking for that which is real. Is the Bible legit? Even if they buy into the realness of God’s Word, it will have minimal significance if they don’t have a relationship with God, it’s Author. That’s the real foundation on which Bible study even make sense.

2) If teenagers are going to read and study the Bible on their own, they need to not only have the right motivation but also a good reason to persist in it.

Since young people are looking for relationship, what higher motivation can we provide than to help them understand how the Word not only brings them into a relationship with God but also establishes the basis for fellowship with other believers. If that isn’t enough to motivate them to keep at it, experiencing the relevance of truth to their everyday lives should help cement it.

3) If young people are going to study the Bible on their own, they need to see what’s in it for them.

When teens realize how studying the Bible fulfills their need for relationship, provides the renewal they need, and gives them reasons they seek, they will have a much greater potential for getting into the Word on their own.

In the next three posts we will look at each of the above factors. (You can subscribe to receive e-mail notice of updates.) For now, however, notice how their need for relationship appears in each of the three points. Without that focus, you probably won’t get very far with them. To Read: The Focus of Youth Ministry

What youth Bible teacher doesn’t want their teens to come because their Sunday School class, youth group, or other Bible study group is a place teens WANT to be? You can be an excellent teacher who brings lots of creativity and relevance into the classroom but still miss the mark with today’s youth if they perceive the class to be the following:

1) a place that is cliquish

2) a place that treats them like children

3) a place that feels cultish to them

This article is included as a handout in the Reaching All Age Levels Resource with a brief explanation of each of the above points. The resource also includes similar articles for the other age groups. It provides you with a teacher training group session in which you gather teachers of all age groups for a PowerPoint presentation followed by breakout sessions to personalize it according to age levels.

More Resources on Teaching Youth