When I was a boy, my parents raised me to be a Christian. Unfortunately, it didn't stick. As a parent myself, I can imagine that my parents must have asked themselves, "Where did I go wrong? I did the best I could. What happened?" Sadly my parents are not alone. The majority of Christian parents find themselves in the same horrible position. In America over 80 percent of Christian children walk away from Christ by the time they graduate from College. I certainly don't claim to know all of the causes for this problem. But I can tell you what the major problem was for me. Unanswered questions.
When I was young I was happy to believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Jesus too. Whatever my parents said was good enough for me. However, as I grew up I started asking some important questions. Who made God? Why cant I see Him? How do you know God wrote the Bible? What makes Jesus better then all the other religious leaders? Why should I believe my parents when other parents teach their kids something else? It's not surprising to me that I was vulnerable to attack. My foundation was as strong as my parents were perfect. It didn't take long for me to figure out, Mom and dad said so was a weak argument. By the time I graduated high school, my faith was gone. I was officially an agnostic (someone who doesn't know who God is).
Thankfully, God knew who I was and He wasn't done with me yet. At Age 25 I dedicated my life to Christ. Imagine my surprise as I began to take the study of God's word seriously and I discovered that the answers to my questions were there all along! Joy and confusion filled my heart and mind. Joy because I now knew there were answers. Good reasons to believe in God, Jesus, and the Bible. Good reasons to follow Him with my life. I had confusion because I couldn't believe I was learning these things for the first time. How could I have been raised in the church, attended a Christian elementary school, with Christian parents and yet never been told the answers to these important questions?
While I still don't have the answer to this question, I say shame on us if we let the same thing happen to the children God has entrusted to us. Let's encourage our kids to ask questions, and let's do the best we can to give them answers they can understand. I tell the 5th grade kids in my Sunday School class and to my children at home, Ask any question you want. The only bad question is the one you won't ask. Please ask me and if I dont know the answer, I'll tell you the truth and I'll try to find it in the Bible.
I certainly don't expect this will shelter any of our kids from attack. But I do believe a faith in Jesus founded on the truths of Scripture is far sturdier than one founded on "My mom and dad said so". A faith founded on the Rock has a foundation that will remain as the wind and the rains come and go. Isn't that the prayer of every Christian parent?
As I seek to answer these questions Biblically, I'll model the way I approach the very questions asked by the kids in my class. I hope you'll read them and discuss the questions and answers with your kids. Then invite your kids to ask even more questions. If you don't know the answers, that's perfectly okay! Tell them that the truth is you don't know the answer and then go looking for it. My bet is this will be a time both you and your kids will cherish. Remember, if we are not willing to answer the questions our kids are asking, there are plenty of non-Christians who are.
(All questions asked by the kids in my 4th and 5th grade Sunday School class.)
Just click on a question to read the answer.
HOW DO YOU KNOW GOD IS REAL?
WHO MADE GOD?
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN BY GOD AND NOT BY SOME GUY TRYING TO FOOL US?
HOW DO YOU KNOW JESUS IS ALIVE?
WHY WOULD GOD SEND HIS SON FOR SINFUL PEOPLE?
WHAT IS THE ARK OF THE COVENANT AND WHERE IS IT?
