the little answer book - Will Help You Be Prepared

 

I am not a theologian, a scientist, a philosopher, or an apologist. I am a mom. I am a grandma.

I am also a friend, and as a friend I have listened as moms and grandmas shared with me their heartbreak when their loved child, grown child, and/or grandchild made the choice to walk away from their faith. These friends shared how they did what they knew to do as the ones they loved grew up – they prayed with them, taught them about God, Jesus, and the Bible, took them to church, encouraged them to be involved in their youth group, and tried to model what it meant to love, know, and walk with God. They never thought the one they loved would turn away from their faith, but disappointment in people, hurt, and/or difficult times came along and the unthinkable happened.

My friends are not unique. This is happening over and over again in families across our country and in every church. Barna's recent study on Generation Z (those born between 1999 and 2015) shows this generation is turning away from faith and to atheism at double the rate of any previous generation - yes, double the rate. If you are not experiencing this with the ones you love, do not think it will never happen, as they are just one hurt, one difficult situation, one significant disappointment, one science class away from becoming part of this growing group of people.

We must be prepared as moms and grandmas, dads and grandpas, to have important conversations with the ones we love about the answers. The best time to have these conversations is before the ones you love turn away from their faith, which is why along with teaching them what we believe, we must teach them “why” we believe it. As Josh McDowell said, “Belief is knowing what you believe. Conviction is knowing why you believe it.” We want the ones we love to have both belief and conviction, so we must equip ourselves with resources to help us teach the “whys”. 

But, if you have someone you love who has turned from their faith, then you need to equip yourself with answers, so you are ready to answer their questions. The truth matters and we need to know the truth.

This does not mean we have to be theologians, scientists, philosophers, or apologists, but we do need to find answers. We do need to know the “whys”, so we are able to teach them as we hand down confident faith and to help us answer important questions if someone we love turns away from their faith. the little answer book will help you do these things. Add it to your library and share it with the ones you know and love.