 |
It's easy for one to say that he is a Christian when he does not bother to follow the principles of God's Word. We see a lot of this type of "Christianity" today. In a recent high-profile example, TV personality Heidi Montag, who calls herself a Christian (and was baptized on a recent NBC reality show) is reportedly going to appear in Playboy magazine.
I'm not writing this column to judge Ms. Montag or anyone else, but I am terribly concerned about this type of behavior within the Christian community. It is part of what I see as a larger dilemma in that many modern Christians, who have very little understanding of biblical instruction, employ worldly standards to sanction their personal behavior. Tragically, their worldview becomes completely skewed.
With this contemporary quandary in mind, on June 21, Liberty University and Liberty University School of Law will be welcoming Summit Ministries to campus for a two-week worldview conference. According to Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of the law school,
"During the conference, high school students will be challenged to examine their worldviews, evaluate those views as they pertain to the current post-Christian culture and take action based upon those views."The conference will feature many excellent speakers, including: Mr. Staver; Dr. Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School; and Dr. Gary Habermas, chairman of the department of philosophy and theology at Liberty University.
Summit Ministries endeavors to educate Christian youth about today's post-Christian culture and to equip them with the practical knowledge and tools to stand firm in their faith in this era of extreme secularism. Students attending the conference will learn how to articulate a reasoned and biblically sound response to issues such as: abortion, postmodernism, Christianity in culture, the inerrancy of Scripture and biblical creationism. Summit states that it has a dual goal of instilling in students a steadfast Christian worldview and a meaningful understanding of why Christians love and adhere to these truths.
Mat Staver said of the conference:
"With proponents of moral relativism and postmodernism taking our educational system hostage, it is encouraging to know that organizations like Summit Ministries are making a positive difference by equipping a new generation to think biblically. We are pleased to partner with Summit Ministries to prepare this generation of young people to apply a Christian worldview to achieve desperately needed cultural reform."I spend a lot of time in this column encouraging Christians to be compassionate and outspoken apologists of the faith. In order to be effective representatives of Christ, we must be well-versed in Scripture, as well as cultural and political issues. That's why I am so pleased about this conference at Liberty. It is critical that we are working diligently to train a new generation of young defenders of the faith to be confident witnesses for Christ to the MTV culture.
As a father of four, I am very much aware of the numerous temptations that can wrench kids away from their core beliefs. We can't just pat our kids on the shoulder and say, "Go live for Jesus," my friends. There's just too much pressure and temptation out there for them to survive without proper training from home and church.
I want to close by encouraging pastors everywhere to consider hosting a similar conference that is specifically designed to teach and train young people how to become diligent and fruitful ambassadors of Jesus Christ. It is imperative that we find creative and innovative ways to ensure that our kids are prepared to thrive as Christians within a culture that largely abhors the absolute truths of God's Word.
Related Links
SOURCE: Arming Christian kids for battle - WorldNetDaily The Christian Worldview radio program - Summit Ministries Worldview Chart - Summit Ministries
