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Teens Need the Foundation for Studying the Bible

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Reaching Teens
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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.

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