Teaching Young People Christian Life Skills

At its core, Christianity is about our hearts. Do they belong to God? Do they worship Him? Are our hearts obedient? Do we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? Christianity is also about our faith and obedience.

So we teach our Bible students to “love like Jesus”. We tell them who Jesus is and what he did. We hopefully also teach our students what Jesus wants them to do in their lives. But have you ever tried to do something about which you had no clue – without clear instructions? If you’ve ever struggled to assemble Ikea furniture, you know exactly what I mean.

For our students to truly “be” like Jesus, they need some practical skill sets. You can have every intention of resolving your conflict in godly ways, but if you have only seen people scream and throw things, do you have the slightest idea how to obey God in that area?

Many of these basic skills you may have been taught by your family, your church or even your school. Today’s world is very different. Children are growing up with very little adult guidance and even less discipling on how to be like Jesus.

They aren’t given the tools to make it easier for them to obey God. They aren’t taught practical tips for how to avoid sinning when tempted. They aren’t taught the basic skills needed to do things like handle conflict in godly ways or budget their money so they can be good stewards.

At Teach One Reach One Ministries, we have become passionate about teaching young people what we call Christian Life Skills. This isn’t an attempt to avoid helping young people develop godly hearts or have deep spiritual roots. It isn’t about making Christianity “works” based. We strongly believe in God’s grace, but our students should not have to suffer unnecessary consequences because no one took the time to give them the skills that will help them be more obedient and do the good works God has prepared for them.

In fact, we have developed an entire teen curriculum around the concept of teaching teens Christian Life Skills within the framework of their Bible lessons. Many of these lessons could easily be adapted for older elementary Bible students as well. We have over 32 lessons online and eventually will have an entire four year curriculum available online.

The lessons are free. We encourage you to adapt them to the needs of your specific students. Some will need to spend several hours on one lesson, while others may be able to confidently master a Christian Life Skill during a regular class period. Our lesson framework and activities give you the basics you will need to begin teaching Bible students Christian Life Skills along with a corresponding Bible lesson.

So go to our website and take a look at our first lessons. Share the link with those who work with teens – especially in urban ministry and on the mission field where funds are often limited. Keep checking back as we continue to add additional lessons. Help your Bible students learn the skills that will make obeying God much easier.

Categories Teens
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