David Zahl unpacks the differences in the law and the gospel, especially in student ministry, including several stories of grace you can use to remember God’s grace and encourage your youth group.
There is perhaps no time in life more marked by the interplay between rebellion and conformity than adolescence. Some of us spend those years vying for the approval of parents, teachers, college admissions offices, while others run in the opposite direction, looking to upset whatever apple cart we find burdensome. Ministers of the gospel can find themselves in an awkward position, eager to help their students avoid legalistic burnout but anxious not to dampen their zeal or diminish the very real consequences of sin. In this session we’ll be exploring how the distinction between the Law and the Gospel – one of the primary themes of the Protestant Reformation – might serve as a resource as we negotiate this crucible of teenage life and faith.
More from David Zahl:
Podcast: David Zahl on Where Teenagers Find Their Enoughness, If Not at Church