Train Up A Child
By Joe Chesser
In a book I have been reading (Family Based Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries), I came across an interesting concept. “The crisis (in youth ministry) is that we are not leading teenagers to mature Christian adulthood.”
The following is a “contrast between the kinds of attitudes we hope our youth will grow out of and those we hope they will grow into.”
First will be listed Childish Faith followed by Mature Adult Faith…
1) Childish Faith: Good Christians don’t have pain or disappointments.
Mature Adult Faith: God uses our pain and disappointment to make us better Christians.
2) Childish Faith: God helps those who help themselves.
Mature Adult Faith: God helps those who admit their own helplessness.
3) Childish Faith: God wants to make us happy.
Mature Adult Faith: God wants to make us into the image of Jesus.
4) Childish Faith: Faith will help us always explain what God is doing. (Things will always work out).
Mature Adult Faith: Faith helps us stand under God’s sovereignty even when we have no idea what God is doing,
5) Childish Faith: The closer we get to God the more perfect we become.
Mature Adult Faith: The closer we get to God, the more we become aware of our own sinfulness.
6) Childish Faith: Mature Christians have answers.
Mature Adult Faith: Mature Christians can wrestle honestly with tough questions because we trust that God has the answers.
7) Childish Faith: Good Christians are always strong.
Mature Adult Faith: Our strength is in admitting our weakness.
8) Childish Faith: We go to church because our friends are there, we have great leaders and we get something out of it.
Mature Adult Faith: We go to church because we belong to the body of Christ.
Lord help us all mature in our faith.
Adapted From Bulletin
Windsong church of Christ
Little Rock, AR