I’ll never forget teenagers coming back from outreach discouraged during one of our very first Dare 2 Share training events. I asked some of the teenagers (there were only 75 in the room) why they were discouraged. They answered: “Because we got rejected.”
I shot back with Matthew 5:11-12 and introduced them to the concept of graduating from “PU” or “Persecution University.” I reminded them of how Jesus said we should respond to rejection: He told us to “rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven….”
To this day, teenagers at Dare 2 Share events get fired up at the thought of experiencing rejection for the sake of Christ. I always remind them to make sure that if they’re getting rejected, it’s not because they were obnoxious or antagonistic as they shared their faith, but because they gently and lovingly shared the Gospel.
I’ve seen graduation from PU strengthen the resolve of my own kids as well.
6. Matures Their Choices on a Behavioral Level
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the Gospel. (Philippians 1:27)
When teenagers share their faith, they are, in a sense, asking their friends to hold them accountable. They’re essentially saying: “This is what I believe; now make sure I live up to it.”
My son went through a time of rebellion, during which his faith-sharing weakened. During several months when he was secretly vaping and drinking, I noticed a drop in his evangelistic fervor. While I didn’t know about his drinking (until he confessed later on in a dramatic way), I did notice that his personal evangelism had fizzled out.
It wasn’t until after his dramatic repentance and restoration (read about that here) that his enthusiasm for evangelism was fully restored. I’m guessing that because he wasn’t living the Gospel, he didn’t want to feel like a hypocrite by giving the Gospel.
Today he wants to launch a movement in California that mobilizes teenagers to live and give the Gospel!
Evangelism can have massive impact on teenagers on many levels: socially, cognitively, emotionally and, especially, personally.
Get your teenagers sharing the Gospel right away. If you struggle with where to start, we, at Dare 2 Share, can help.
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
