Course Content
Finding My Faith
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faith beginning
Finding My Faith
Introduction
In a recent survey by Lifeway Research, it was found that 70% of teenagers who grow up in homes and churches who believe in Christ, will leave the faith aft er they graduate from high school.1 That number is staggering. That means seven out of ten young people who grew up learning Christi an morals and fundamentals will ditch everything they’ve been taught once they leave the home. How could this be? Weren’t they taught the stories of the Bible? Should their parents have done a better job teaching and training them? Unfortunately, we have come to accept the fact that most young people will choose to go experience life and indulge in the temptati ons of the world. We compile lists of excuses for why Christi an teens are deciding to leave their faith. We hope that one day they will decide to come back to the Lord, but unti l that happens, we are convinced that young people just “need to be young” and experience life for a while. I just can’t accept that. I was bothered when I heard the stati sti c that 70% of teens abandoned their faith in Jesus once they graduated high school. What shocked me even more is that this is not unique to teens. In a nati onal directory put out by 21st Century Christi an called “The Churches of Christ in the United States” we can see that the number of congregations who identi fy themselves as churches of Christ has decreased by 10% since the year 2000 and overall att endance has decreased by over 12%.2 This isn’t just a young people problem; it’s a problem for any who put their faith in Jesus Christ . Why does it have to be that way? I sat down and started to brainstorm why so many people decided to abandon their faith. We typically blame these kinds of things on outside infl uences. We blame friends, schools, politics, and our society for brainwashing and influencing Christi ans away from the Lord, especially the young ones. For some reason, we excuse our young people when influenced by outside sources, but if I, as a grown adult, decide to murder someone and blame it on the influences of society; I would still find myself in jail. At some point, we have to take responsibility for our own actions and decisions. Daniel was in his young teens when he was taken away from his parents and carried away to a foreign country. In Babylon, he was forced to learn a new language, live a new lifestyle, and practice a new religion. However, Daniel “purposed in his heart” to serve God (Dan. 1:8). David was a young shepherd boy who was able to fight off a bear and lion, not to mention the giant he defeated. Jesus was only twelve when He was teaching in the synagogue and the people marveled at what He was teaching. It’s time we stop making excuses for our young people leaving the faith. I strongly believe that if properly taught and motivated, teens can make strong, Biblical decisions once they leave the care of mom and dad. . . and even before. As I brainstormed how to make this happen, I talked with several parents of young teens and even interviewed people from all over the country. I found that in a typical church environment, kids are taught basic Bible stories from the time they are babies until their middle school years. Once they reach middle school, they are now thrust into the “do’s and don’ts” of their faith. No sex, no drugs, no alcohol, etc. We start giving them the list of sins to avoid. I have found that teens rarely get the Biblical stories they used to get in their elementary school days and instead get more topical studies. I don’t want to take anything away from the studies the teens typically get; I think they are much needed and appropriate. However, I believe we have failed our teens in one area: We have not shown them the importance of making their faith their own. We teach them the Biblical stories and never show them the connection to their own spiritual lives. We teach the cute stories and then transition them to the “do’s and don’ts” of Christianity, but never show them the reason we do or don’t do certain things. We never bridge the gap between the stories and their real life applications. In short, we teach them the what of Christianity, but never teach them the why. Many teens and newer Christians have never been taught the fundamental principles of their faith. Why do they believe in God? Why should they believe in God? What do the Old Testament stories have to do with their faith? What’s the point of staying faithful to God? We all want our young Christians to make wise decisions, but are we giving them the tools to do so? Are we showing them the connection between what they’ve learned as young children and how to apply it as young adults? It’s no wonder 70% of teens are falling away from their faith; they have never been motivated enough to understand their faith and make it their own. It has always been mom and dad’s faith. It was the Bible class teacher or the preacher’s faith. So, as soon as they are confronted with life’s challenges and mom, dad, the Bible class teacher, or the preacher aren’t there: they have no idea how to handle the situation on their own. Or what about when they are asked a question about their faith, but don’t have mom and dad to answer for them? What if someone offers what appears to be sound advice or doctrine, but is actually far from truth? If our young people have not been properly taught, they can be carried away in a heartbeat. Or, if on their own for the first time in college, what if mom and dad aren’t there to wake them up for Bible class or services? Is it important enough to them to set their own alarm and attend services? If their faith was never their own and only belonged to mom and dad, then the answer is, “No. It’s not important to them. It was important to mom and dad.” It’s time we teach our young people not only to have faith, but to make it their own. Sadly, even older Christians are not immune to the same problems. I recently taught the following chapters at the congregation where I minister and I can’t begin to tell you how many people in their 50’s, 60’s, and even 70’s told me, “I wish this was taught to me when I was in my teens and twenties.” For years, congregations have dropped the ball in transitioning their young Christians into maturity. It’s no wonder even adults are leaving the faith. They were never given the tools to succeed. They were given the facts of their parent’s faith, but never told to make it their own. Likewise, new converts often fall along the wayside because we assume they should know what we know. We throw them to the wolves in our adult classes and tell them to fend for themselves. Christians and congregations all over this country are hurting and dying because we have not done an adequate job in building and strengthening our faith. That is the point of this book. I want all people, younger and older Christians alike, to have an appreciation for the faith that they have. I want us all to understand why we believe in an awesome and all-powerful God. To do that, we first have to understand His word. I have found that many people don’t fully understand God’s word and its purpose. How can we have a strong faith in God if we don’t fully understand the Bible and what it offers us? I want to make one thing abundantly clear: this book will not hold all the answers. In fact, my goal is to only scratch the surface of the wealth of knowledge we can find in the Bible in hopes to motivate you to continue reading and studying to deepen your faith and understanding in the Bible. Not everything that can be said, will be said. There are men and women who are far more educated than me, who have written far better books on several of the topics this book will address. This book has been broken down into two parts. Part one is “Understanding Your Faith.” It will look at several important topics and questions about understanding your Bible, understanding the Old Testament in light of the New Testament, and understanding our relationship with God. Part two is “Using Your Faith.” This is the more ractical application behind our faith. Now that we understand God’s word and the important role it plays in our lives, how do I use it? What does it mean to be a Christian? How do I make wise decisions? And most importantly, how do I use God’s word to help others? My hope is that you will use this book as a guide and a resource to strengthen and deepen your faith in God and your understanding of His word. I hope that you will share this book with younger Christians who are at a pivotal time in their lives as they figure out their faith. My prayer is that in some small way, this book will help encourage Christians not only to understand their faith but to use it to further the borders of God’s Kingdom. I believe if properly equipped with the love and understanding of God’s word, we can all learn to fight the temptations of the world around us. Don’t be the statistic. It’s time to find your faith and make it your own.
Lesson Contents
Part 1: Understanding My Faith 1. The Journey Begins 2. What Is “My Faith?” 3. Building a Castle 4. Understanding Your Bible 5. Two Testaments, One Message 6. Why Do We Need a New Testament? 7. Why Keep the Old Testament in Our Bibles? Part 2: Using My Faith 8. Using the Bible in My Life 9. Building My Spiritual Life 10. Are All “Christians” Created Equal? 11. Using the Bible in My Congregation 12. Don’t Be Persuaded 13. Is My Faith Strong Enough? Conclusion
Faith

Author: Kevin Harrington

Publication: Truth Publication

I remember offering my very first devotional talk when I was a sophomore at Florida College. Until that point, I had done very little in regard to public worship. I had never taught a Bible class, never offered a public prayer, and especially never given a talk in front of a large group of people. At this point in my spiritual journey, I was young and dumb. I knew my Scriptures from years of attending Bible studies, but I had never
been asked to talk about those Scriptures. I remember being surrounded by about a hundred or more students and all eyes were on me. I spent the next several minutes nervously talking about my topic for the night (“Blessed are those who mourn,” Matt. 5:4), but what happened after is what truly catapulted me on an amazing spiritual journey. Several students and friends came up to me after the devotional was over and told me, “Good job!” Only one came up to me and said, “Thank you. I needed to hear those words tonight.” How did the words of a young, inexperienced Christian help someone? A little twenty-minute talk touched someone so deeply, it moved the person to come to me with tear-filled eyes to say, “Thank you.” Then I realized it wasn’t my words that moved that soul, it was God’s words. His words filled this person’s heart and made him feel inspired and encouraged. That’s when I made the decision to become a preacher and teacher of God’s word. My faith was new and weak, but I was determined to grow into a diligent student of the Bible.
  There is power in what God says. There is healing in the pages of the Bible. Salvation is found only in Jesus and Jesus is found in Scripture. I wanted to help people find the power of God to heal them of their sins through Jesus Christ. I didn’t want to preach lessons that make people say, “Good job,” I wanted to help people find their purpose in life through their faith.

  My hope for this course is that you too will find a way to strengthen your faith. All of us are at different crossroads in our spiritual journey. Some people have followed Christ’s footsteps for their entire lives and have a firm understanding of their Bibles and their faith. Others are struggling to find meaning and hope in God’s words. While others have never picked up a Bible and know nothing about it. My prayer is that this book will be a blessing to all who are seeking to grow in their faith. Those new to the Bible will find beneficial information as you begin to understand what the pages of Scripture mean. If you have questions about certain abbreviations or how to look up the Scriptures you read in this book, please see the page of abbreviations after this Preface to help you as you study. Those who are struggling can deepen their understanding of God’s plan for love and salvation. If you are strong in the faith, you
too can read these pages and have a better appreciation for what you were taught so long ago (and maybe you can also learn something new).
  This course is designed with study questions at the end of each chapter
to help you dig deeper in your spiritual journey. Some may choose to read
this book alone, while others may choose to use it in a small group Bible
study or even in a congregational setting. Either way, these questions will
help you ask thought provoking questions to deepen your faith in God.

  My hope is that this book will aid you on your journey to find and
strengthen your faith. The Devil is real and powerful. Our one hope of de-
feating him is through our faith in Jesus Christ. I pray no matter where you
find yourself on your spiritual path, you can consider yourself stronger in
your faith by the end of these pages. God bless you on your journey.

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