In Part One I gave a brief definition of theology and and critiqued the question, “How Important Is Theology?” In the posts to come I want to further demonstrate its importance particularly in student ministry.
Theology and “Student Ministry” Are Not Mutually Exclusive
To make sure we’re still thinking correctly, again, let’s make sure to not make the error discussed in the last post. Many think “theology” and “student ministry” are mutually exclusive. “How in the world is theology relevant to teenagers and student ministry?”, you might ask. But as I mentioned in Part 1, if you have a correct definition of theology it will be the foundation of your ministry and what drives your ministry. It will also be beautiful, better said, God will be beautiful in your ministry.
Rock or Sand?
When thinking about theology in student ministry my thoughts turn to Jesus’ illustration in Matthew 7:24-27. Jesus has just concluded the Sermon on the Mount which clearly taught the people what it means to live as a true follower of God. To summarize Jesus’s illustration, He says hearing His words and obeying them is like building a house on rock. In that area, builders knew that to have a solid foundation they must not build their house directly on the sand but must dig deep to find the solid bedrock that would be a suitable foundation. Builders want to build their houses on the most solid of foundations so their houses can withstand the inclement weather that will come. Jesus says such a builder is “wise.”
To apply the illustration, we all are builders and the “house” we are building is our faith. The person who listens to the words of Jesus and obeys them will have a sturdy foundation for life. Such a foundation will be needed because “inclement weather” will come and threaten the integrity of the “house.” Tragedy, loss, sin, injustice, illness, pain, and other crises will approach and “beat against” our faith. The only faith that can withstand is the faith that rests only on Jesus. And we demonstrate that we have faith in Jesus (built our house on rock) when we listen to Him and obey.
Jesus also says a “foolish” builder is one who builds their house on sand. The house built on sand obviously has a very weak support. Sand shifts easily in wind and water and under weight. Sand is not a good foundation for a house. When the inclement weather came, the house was easily destroyed. The house may have been built well and look nice but without a solid support structure, it will fall. Anyone listening to this illustration would have agreed with Jesus.
To apply the illustration here, someone whose faith rests on anything or anyone other than Jesus is foolish. Any foundation other than Jesus is sand. Why? Because as soon as “inclement weather” comes, their faith will crumble. Jesus is saying that believing in anything or anyone else will not support you in the “storms of life” or even when seeking truth. To build your faith on the unstable foundation of self-righteousness is foolish, Jesus implies. A weak faith shifts with the changing culture, crises, and external, surface-level religion. Jesus is the only wise foundation upon which we should build our lives and He is calling on His audience to determine upon which kind of foundation will they build their faith.
Truth to Build Their Lives On
A pastor I used to serve with often said that one of the primary things teenagers need most is “truth to build their lives on.” Students need truth. They are searching for truth whether they tell you they are or not. They are wrestling with truth all the time. In his book, Gospel-Powered Parenting, William Farley cites Puritan preacher William Gurnall, who said that children’s minds are like spiritual gardens (Farley, 179). They are taking in life and absorbing knowledge and experience. They are making big and small decisions, forming a worldview, and becoming theologians as they walk through the streets in our city and halls of our ministry. What is being planted and growing in the hearts and minds of our students? Right now, teenagers are building their house.
So what does this have to do with theology? Let’s make sure we understand the connection between Jesus, His teaching, truth, and theology. I am arguing that our response to the Bible, Jesus’s life and teaching, is theology. What we say and do based on God’s truth is theology. The conclusions about God that we draw and His purposes for His creation is theology. The truth or foundation we teach our students to build their lives upon is a result of theology.
As their shepherd, what kind of foundation are you helping them lay? Based on your leadership, upon what kind of foundation are the teenagers entrusted to you being taught to build their “faith?” Sound theology is central to the task of guiding teenagers to build their house upon the rock.
Christ Be Magnified 