No matter their background, Dean says committed Christian teens share four traits: They have a personal story about God they can share, a deep connection to a faith community, a sense of purpose and a sense of hope about their future.
Otherwise known as a testimony (I John 5:11-12), true Christian fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25), commitment to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31), and hope that comes from a living and faithful Savior (Hebrews 3:6). If you’re a parent, are you working towards helping your children grow up with all four of the above? Whether you have children or not, do you have all of them?
Others practice a “gospel of niceness,” where faith is simply doing good and not ruffling feathers. The Christian call to take risks, witness and sacrifice for others is muted, she says.
Not ruffling feathers? Not peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). The call to step out and be a witness to everyone is central to our faith (Acts 1:8). What are we doing to be that witness to those around us? Are we cowering in fear of their reactions? Is that fear making us “fake” Christians?