Page 8 - Youth Discipleship Student Textbook

You can pretty much see the heart of a youth by looking at his appearance. The bible states this
principle in Proverbs 4:23:

Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it are the outgoings of life.

(Young’s Literal Translation)

Youth culture can also be seen in terms of the type of entertainment that is popular among young
people. Modern youth tend to connect with peers digitally, spending up to 3 hours and 45 minutes per
day interacting with friends via social medica sites. Video games have become important to teens. They
will spend hours playing online games, forming bods with gamers that they know in the virtual world.
Youth tend to follow music groups that speak to the issues with which they relate. Very few youth read
novels. Educational or historical books and are fairly ignorant of the classics in literature.

As teens start to develop their world view, influenced by the media and culture, it’s common for them to
exhibit attitudes and behavioral changes toward things like school, their faith, or family. Peer pressure
has a powerful impact on behavior and ideas. Youth change their behaviors as a way to conform with
other people in their age group.

Defining a youth culture is a bit difficult because it is always a moving target. Each generation will have
its own unique culture the is reflective of the times. Our goal in youth ministry is to disciple the students
to rise above their culture and have different ideas and goals. We want to ask them to be leaders in
developing a godly culture that will influence their friends to go in God’s direction.

The big questions youth ask are, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “Can my life make a difference.” The
servant of Christ can clearly answer these questions from God’s perspective and give youth meaning for
their lives. The youth minister must understand how to fight the battle for the minds of youth and plan
strategically how his youth program can effectively deal with the issues that youth face.

Among the many issues that youth face today, these are some important topics that must be an integral
part of curriculum within a youth ministry.

Questions about the Future

I remember being asked dozens of times when I was a youth, “What do you want to be when you grow
up?” The answer to that question plagued my mind for years. These are the questions that sit on the
mind of our youth:

1. “What do I really enjoy doing?”
2. “What gifts has God given me?”
3. “What are my personal goals in life?”
4. “Will I be able to find a husband or wife that will make me happy?’
5. “What career should I seek and what money can I make?”
6. “Do I want what most people desire: nice home, great car, a family, kids, and a dog?”
7. “They say life is short, so how can mine make a difference?”
8. “Can’t I life my own life and not the one my parents want me to live?”
9. “Seems like the world is falling apart. What will the future hold for me?”

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