Your Students Are Asking These Questions Too

I've got my work cut out for me.

In Refuge, our Wednesday night youth class, we are in the midst of a series called "idk: answering tough questions about faith." Last night, I asked each person in class (which also included some college students) to submit a question he or she has about faith. I don't want to spend the entire series only answering questions that come from my head; I want to hear the questions my students are grappling with, and try to address those as well. So I asked for them. And boy, did I get what I asked for. I'll share some of them with you, because the odds are that your students are asking these questions too.

My students asked questions about God and the Bible. How do I know that the God that I believe in from the Bible is the true God? How am I to understand that God has always existed? Does recorded history fit with God's version in the Bible? How do we explain contradictions between the Old Testament and the New Testament? If God is love, then why is there so much hate in the world? If God is all-knowing then wouldn't He already know whether we are going to heaven or hell? And if He does, isn't that the same thing as predestination?

My students asked questions about how to know God's will for their lives. How do we choose what moral rules to follow from the Bible? Are we still supposed to follow the Ten Commandments? How do you hear God? How do you know you're feeling the presence of God? How do you know the Holy Spirit is working in your life? How do I figure out God's plan for my life? How do I not question God's decisions about relationships, death, and struggles? How do I know when God answers my prayers? How should we view clapping and hand-raising in worship? Why do some churches use musical instruments in worship while others don't? Why do we take the Lord's Supper every Sunday instead of just occasionally? What is wrong with having an abortion? How do I make it through a tough time?

My students asked questions about salvation, sin, and heaven. How do I have enough faith to know that I'm saved? Does it matter how I was baptized? Are all sins equal? If all sins are considered equal, then why does the church condescend to certain groups, like homosexuals, teen mothers, and people who have multiple sexual partners? Does God still forgive me even after I sin in the same way over and over again? In order to be forgiven of sin, do I need to pray to God and confess it privately or should I go before the congregation? If sin came about because we were given free will, and heaven is a place without sin, does that mean we will not have free will in heaven? Will we know any of our family members in heaven?

At the end of our time together, I told my students that in one way or another, every question that they submitted would be addressed. Like I said, I've got my work cut out for me.