“Christianity is just a bunch of fairytales.”
“God and science don’t really mix.”
“Jesus may have existed, but the whole Messiah thing sounds like a hoax.”
Early on, starting in junior high, teenagers begin to hear offhand comments like these in class discussions and even from teachers. This kind of missional skepticism only intensifies in high school and college. During my first week in college, a science professor asked for students who believed in Creation theory to raise their hands. As everyone stared at the two people who did so, the professor dismissed the theory as nothing more than folklore and said it would never be discussed in class.
Faced with the tension between what they’re taught on Sunday mornings and the predominant worldview of their teachers during the week, many students learn to compartmentalize their faith. Jesus is in one compartment, science in another, history in a third. As a result, Jesus becomes less and less real as life goes on.
I read Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ in my 20s, and it opened my eyes to the truth. Through it, I realized that God and science can coexist…quite well, actually. Most of all, the book solidified Jesus’ place in my heart and mind as Lord and Savior.
This week the movie based on Strobel’s book is premiering in theaters across the country. The film is based on the best-selling book. A journalist and atheist, Strobel decided to investigate Jesus’ claims and simply go where the evidence led him. During his investigation, Strobel came face-to-face with overwhelming evidence that Jesus was and is everything he claimed to be.
>> Read youth pastor Tony Miles’ review of the film here.
Strobel’s powerful story is a wonderful opportunity for youth pastors to explore the claims of Christ in the context of an increasingly skeptical world.
Encourage your teenagers to see the film; then use it as a springboard to a deeper examination of the gospel by launching young people into the adventure that is LIVE Apologetics.