I have a clear memory of sitting in a high school math class and struggling with the topic at hand. Although I will admit this was in part due to a life-long struggle with math, there was something else going on as well. I did not see how the math I was learning would be applicable to my everyday life outside the walls of the classroom. My goal was to understand enough of what we were learning to pass an upcoming test, and then I gave myself permission to forget it.
As youth workers, God calls us to share the good news with our students. Although we may not be traditional teachers in a classroom five days each week, we have a group of students that the Lord has entrusted to us. This looks a little different for each of us—we may meet with students in youth rooms, coffee shops, or parks. We may preach from a pulpit or walk alongside a student that is quietly struggling. No matter where we meet, or how many students we see, we should challenge ourselves to teach to the real-life circumstances students will face.
I do not want my students to replicate what I did in math class, only learning enough of Scripture to pass a test before they walk out the door. I want them to see, as Abraham Kuyper put it, that “there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” Scripture is not just information to learn, it is God’s Word that equips, corrects, guides, and shapes how we actually live.
Scripture Transforms
As we seek to include real life circumstances in our teaching, we are not “cherry picking” verses from Scripture that we think speak to what teenagers are going through. I still want my students to know and understand the Ten Commandments and Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. I want them to have the tools to read Paul’s letters as epistles and Revelation with the specifics of apocalyptic literature in mind. Most importantly, I want them to know that all of Scripture points us to Jesus.
We see in 2 Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (v. 16-17). Teaching to real-life circumstances is not just writing Jeremiah 29:11 on a graduation card for a high school senior in our ministry. Instead, teaching to real life is an understanding that all of Scripture, from beginning to end, transforms us. God’s Word is useful in every area of life. It shows us who God is, how he has rescued us for relationship with him, and how he wants us to live as his children.
So Much More Than Moralism
Applying Scripture to our students’ lives is bigger than giving them a list of do’s and do not’s for daily living. Teaching begins with giving students a foundation of Scripture. We then get to encourage them through Scripture as their real life joys, heartbreaks, and hardships happen. Our students are made to believe they are the very center of the world. Social media algorithms are tailored to each of us, delivering content specifically for our interests and desires. Our instinct may be to teach students in a way that grabs their attention by leading with application, I would recommend that we end with this teaching and not lead with it.
I challenge myself with the following questions as I teach God’s Word:
- Do students understand the original context of the text?
- Where does this passage fit into the larger story of Scripture?
- What do we learn about God’s character here?
- How does this portion of Scripture help us more clearly see the gospel?
As students gain this greater understanding of God’s Word and the gospel story in front of them, we can more easily teach in a way that connects to real-life circumstances. Matthew speaks of worry, and there is no doubt students you are speaking to are dealing with worry, stress, and anxiety. When we read about God’s promise to Joshua, we can remind our students that the same God is with them in the days ahead. The promises of Scripture are unchanging, and still speak to us today. As we teach, we do not need to find ways to force Scripture to speak to our student’s circumstance. God’s Word stands on its own, and it is alive and active (Heb. 4:12), speaking directly to us today.
A Word for Youth Ministers
I have served at my current church for the last fourteen years. Our students have seen many of the highs and lows of my own family—the purchase of our first home, chronic pain from migraines, and the birth of both our children to name a few. I have shared some of these experiences, among others, as examples as I have taught in the past.
As we use our own life experiences to teach, showing that God’s Word is applicable to all of life, may we be reminded to never put the glory or focus on ourselves. May we only use our circumstances in teaching to ultimately point students to Jesus. The psalmist writes, “Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (119:105). May we always remember and teach that Scripture guides our steps and lights the way, not us.
Looking for material to help you teach the Bible to teenagers? Try Rooted’s Bible-based curriculum packages. Our Philippians study is available as a free download!
