Y-Jesus

by Larry Chapman

Are your high school students prepared for college?

Leading atheist Richard Dawkins warns his daughter, Juliet, to be skeptical of anything that lacks evidence. He writes to her,

Belief that there is a god or gods, belief in Heaven, . . . belief that Jesus never had a human father, belief that prayers are answered . . . not one of these beliefs is backed up by any good evidence.

And, next time somebody tells you that something is true, why not say to them: “What kind of evidence is there for that?” And if they can’t give you a good answer, I hope you’ll think very carefully before you believe a word they say. Your loving Daddy

If Juliet asked any of your high school students one of the following questions, would he or she be able to provide her with evidence?

  • What evidence is there for Jesus’ existence?
  • Did Jesus really claim to be God?
  • Was there a conspiracy like The Da Vinci Code that invented Jesus’ deity?
  • How do we know the New Testament is reliable?
  • Is there real evidence for the resurrection?
  • Why was it essential that Jesus die for our sins?

These are the questions college students are asking about Jesus and Christianity today. As your high school students get ready to meet the skepticism prevalent on the college campus, are they ready with solid answers for such questions?

Sadly, my friend Bret wasn’t.

As a volunteer high school youth leader, Bret’s main interest became helping kids find Christ. He organized an early-morning prayer group. He recruited kids for both his church youth group and Young Life. Because of Bret’s dedication, I found Christ.

We parted ways when high school was finished and went to different schools. When Bret left for Oklahoma University we all assumed he would “turn the campus upside down” for Christ.

Tragically, when I saw Bret that summer after his freshman year, not only had his enthusiasm for Christ waned, but he had core doubts about the truth of Christianity. Bret’s philosophy professor had argued against the existence of God, and his mind became trapped in a maze of existential questions with no clear answers.

Today, many years later, Bret’s mind is still imprisoned by this maze of doubts and questions. He has become a recluse with no career, no relationships and no apparent desire for truth. We live on opposite sides of the country, but I’m still praying that he will rediscover God’s truth and grace.

I wonder if things would have been different for Bret if he had known the powerful evidences for Christianity before he launched from high school to college. 

Hopefully you can help equip your students so they won’t fall away from the faith like Bret. 

There are powerful and compelling evidences for the Christian faith, but sadly, most Christians don’t know what they are. Spend some time with your students, going over the answers to these questions. When they understand that Christianity is based upon solid evidence, they will be much better prepared to defend their faith and share Christ with fellow students.

One way to do that is to visit: www.y-jesus.com with your students and show them how defensible the Christian faith really is. This website deals with the main questions people today are asking about Jesus Christ.

May God help you in this exciting task of equipping the next generation.