Season: 6 Episode: 087
Summary:
Gen Z is on track to be the first non-religious generation in America. Shanda shares information about this generation along with why she began teaching her own children apologetics. You will also hear from all three Fulbright boys as they share how apologetics helped them prepare for the most trying year in public school.
Quotables:
“If we do not consciously equip them with a biblical worldview, they will unconsciously absorb ideas of today’s culture.”
“When they doubt, don’t freak out.”
Recommended Resources:
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Fall Apologetics 101
Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of Her Faith Inspires podcast where we take cultural issues and align them to Biblical truth. I want to remind you to sign up for the Apologetics 101 class that is now on the website. There are two classes and I hope to see you in one of them.
Today, we’re talking about Gen Z.
I have 3 Gen Z boys and have talked about how to teach your kids to defend the faith. Some of you have probably heard me talk about teaching apologetics to my kids and doing that together as a family. So, I asked my boys to come on the podcast and share what they are learning and how it has helped them in their high school classes and experiences in the last year.
I am going to start by giving you specific insight into Gen Z and even Gen Alpha before I bring in the boys. I also want to say our audio is a little skewed because we all shared the same mic capsule and they may sound a little distant from the mics at first but we get closer as we go along.
Here are some facts about Gen Z:
*Gen Z: 2,000-2,015
*Largest demographic in the world at 32% of population
*Least religious of all generations in America (% of those who identify as atheists is double that of the general population)
*50-70% of children walk away from church in their college years.
*Alpha Gen will be first generation where whites are not the majority.
*Both generations are technology natives. They have never been without a cell phone in hand.
Why is Gen Z skeptical about God?
*Secular universities? Data doesn’t support it. Most walk away while they’re still home with their parents.
*Young people site unanswered questions, and intellectual skepticism.
*Hypocrisy and bad behavior on the part of fellow Christians.
*Young people are seeking reasonable explanations and authentic relationships
*They are a “me-focused” generation, where the individual is the highest authority.
(“So The Next Generation Will Know” p.33-37).
Only 4% of Gen Z-ers have a biblical worldview.
A worldview is the lens through which you see the world. It is a view of the world that answers 3 critical questions:
- How did we get here? (origin)
- Why is everything so messed up? (evil in the world or predicament)
- How can we fix it? (resolution)
Christianity provides answers to these questions. Jim Wallace says, “Simply put, a worldview is a fundamental commitment to reality that shapes how we live.” Everyone has a worldview. Every law we have in our country right now is made from the lens of a worldview. Why was there once a law that said abortion is wrong and now those laws no longer exist? Not because laws change on their own but because our culture has gotten further away from a biblical worldview.
*Gen Z spends most of their waking moments on technology.
*85% of Gen Z’s app of choice is YouTube, where the algorithm studies your child’s interests and views.
Sean McDowell, A Christian apologist and co-author of “So the next Generation will know” says, “The primary reason Gen Z disconnects from the church is our failure to equip them with a biblical worldview that empowers them to understand and navigate today’s culture.
If we do not consciously equip them with a biblical worldview, they will unconsciously absorb ideas of today’s culture.
The information age
Your child can and will fact check you in the middle of a conversation. They have information at their fingertips. But oftentimes, more information does not create a greater confidence in truth. It creates greater skepticism.
You will lose your kid’s trust if you do not know what you’re talking about. You have to know your stuff because you are competing with the information age.
The question is how do we do it?
Christianity is an intellectual faith. The bible mentions “knowledge” or a derivate of the word, such as know, more than it mentions the word faith. Now, I’m not saying you don’t need faith to serve and trust in God. But our faith isn’t blind. It’s based on what we know to be true.
You know that you believe in God, but do you know how to explain how you know your beliefs are true? Confidence doesn’t come from knowing truth, it comes from knowing that you know truth.
Doubt and Unbelief
What will you do when your child comes to you with doubts about their faith? Notice I didn’t say IF they come to you. And chances are, you’ve had doubts about your faith too. We all do.
Here’s the motto: “When they doubt, don’t freak out.”
Remember these things:
- Be ready to give them an answer and if you don’t have it, help them find it.
- Doubt accompanies faith. Remember the man who said, “Lord I believe, Help my unbelief!” Our kids will wrestle. Pray they wrestle well and prevail.
- Unbelief is a matter of the will. It’s a stubborn rebellion that says I will not believe despite the evidence. Because there is compelling evidence for the faith.
So without further ado, let’s bring in the Fulbright boys:
Listen to the episode for more!
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