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Identify one or two ways you can help prepare your students for attacks on their Christian faith.
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For me, reading the Bible and understanding the context of the Biblical lessons is the most critical preparation. Secondly, James 1:19-20 says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” Therefore, when I feel that someone is trying to criticize Christianity, I first want to listen and understand exactly what they are saying. Then, I want to reflect on their position, pray for guidance, and allow God to speak to this person through me. Defending Christianity takes practice, so we must not get discouraged when the answers are not immediate or eloquent.
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I teach art and after I have taught a particular lesson and done a demonstration, the students usually talk as they are working on their projects. Lots of times the discussion turns to something like things that are going on at school or how someone has gotten into trouble with another teacher or even world events. I need to do a better job of having an answer to the problems that the students are discussing and steering the conversation to what the Bible says . Sometimes I am quiet if a fellow student is giving an answer to the situation using Scripture.
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In one of our upper level Bible courses we create debates with current philosophical thought that runs contrary to Biblical truth. This allows students to graciously think through their faith and create defense that is loving and caring while still articulating truth. It also informs them of current thinking that helps them deepen their faith because they will have a better defense for it. Lastly, simply helping students develop a doctrinal foundation of their faith with the classroom helps students understand truth as they are faced with new attacks on their faith. This foundation is key to helping the sustain their faith.
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One way we can help prepare students for attacks on their Christian faith is to make sure they know what they believe and why they believe it. So many times my students believe only what their parents have taught them. One thing we do in my course is read “Case for Christ”. It has lots of good questions that an unbeliever might attack with and teaches them how to calmly and peacefully answer. The Bible tells us to always be ready to give an answer, so the best thing we can do for our kids is help them think through their answers before they’re put in that situation.
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You can help them prepare my using daily spiritual disciplines such as the study of scripture and mediation. Secondly, you can share appropriate personal example of things you have dealt with in the past or things you are currently dealing. Keeping in mind that appropriateness will change from age to age or course to course.
