We can look at these statistics and come to two pretty apparent conclusions. First, we are obsessed with collecting \u2018stuff,\u2019 and it would be reasonable to say that a lot of it isn’t even used (hence the storage unit). Whether it is emotional support or illegitimate \u2018needs,\u2019 most people collect more items because they hope doing so will fill a void. Secondly, this shows us that we have difficulty letting go of \u2018stuff\u2019 in our lives. For example, I have shirts hanging up in my closet that I should let go of, but every time I look at them, I think, \u201cWhat if I need you tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gen Z<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
But what do storage units have to do with reaching the next generation<\/a> for Christ? <\/p>\n\n\n\n As previous generations have obsessed over material things, Generation Z has been watching. The result is a failed understanding of what the soul truly needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a study conducted in 2023, the American Survey Center found that 39% of Gen Z women and 34% of Gen Z males identify as religiously unaffiliated.3<\/a><\/sup> <\/sup>Statistics also show that the parents of millennials and Gen Z have done less than any previous generation to encourage regular participation in worship services or to model religious behavior in their homes. To compare, 18% of baby boomers, 25% of Gen X, 29% of millennials, and 34% of Gen Z declare themselves uninterested and uninvolved in religious affiliations.4<\/a><\/sup> <\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n What does this mean for the Church today? Look at Paul\u2019s exhortation in Ephesians 3:10, where he talks about who God\u2019s vessel is for bringing light into the dark today: \u201cSo that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known.\u201d If more and more of the younger generations are leaving the faith, how should the Church respond? How are we to display the \u201cmanifold wisdom of God?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like our materialistic possessions, Gen Z has more \u2018stuff\u2019 going on inside their heads than any previous generation. Jonathan Haidt released a study on this \u2018Anxious Generation\u2019 in his book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness<\/em>. In it, he found that anxiety has increased by 139% in American adults from ages 18 to 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With this number rising, I would like to share a few observations I\u2019ve made as a College and Young Singles Pastor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generation Z needs a place that feels secure to them. I say this with zero intention of watering down the Gospel or making the Truth of God\u2019s Word less than it is in order to \u201cfill a room.\u201d If there is one thing I\u2019ve noticed, it\u2019s how good this younger generation is at spotting a fraud. With so much material and emotional clutter happening daily, young people need a consistent and compassionate environment they can rely on. Culture is changing daily and the voices are getting louder and more demanding for young people to meet unrealistic expectations. The Church has a significant opportunity to provide a stable and dependable place for the most anxious generation that\u2019s ever lived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generation Z needs dependable mentorship. It\u2019s more than communicating knowledge or hoping to increase biblical scholarship; both are good things. It hinges on relational depth. I\u2019ve heard it said that the Kingdom of God advances through relationships. Such is true for reaching this young, disengaged generation with the good news of Christ. What I\u2019ve found deeply interesting is how hungry college students and young adults are to connect with someone at a spiritual level. I dare to say it\u2019s become a lot simpler than we, as Christians, have made it. An invite to a coffee shop, a favorite lunch spot, or an early morning breakfast can change a life. Invite them into your home and watch the front door become a threshold for eternity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, and in no way is this list exhaustive, don\u2019t give up on them. Once they recognize that there is a space for them to come just as they are and an established relationship, it is a matter of time before they are willing to hear and listen to the Gospel. Only the love of Christ can reveal and remove all the \u2018stuff\u2019 we\u2019ve put into the storage unit of the soul. The most anxious generation longs to hear and believe the words, \u201cGod loves you.\u201d They don\u2019t need more \u2018stuff\u2019 or events to attend. What they need is more substance and truth that satisfies them. I pray that we will be the generation known for building bridges for the lost to experience the love of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are at war. Regardless of age or income, you are most likely fighting this battle. It\u2019s the war against “stuff,” and in the West, it is statistically worse than anywhere else in the world. Did you know that 90% of worldwide self-storage inventory is in the United States? In the last 40 years, self-storage […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":1533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"\n Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I remember the first time I stood up to teach the Bible to a group of women in my local church. I was terrified. Yes, I studied the passage diligently and spent hours preparing pages of notes, but I wasn\u2019t sure if my preparation was effective. Is my teaching structured well? Will the women be interested or learn anything new? Have I interpreted this passage correctly?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many women who are asked to teach a Sunday School class, speak at a Bible study, or lead a small group experience similar fears. They often have little or no training specific to teaching Scripture and feel unequipped and insecure in their preparation. Even so, the abundance of resources available on the subject of teaching Scripture can be paralyzing for a new Bible teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why we need books like Empowered and Equipped: Bible Exposition for Women Who Teach the Scriptures<\/em><\/a>. Julia Higgins, assistant professor of ministry to women at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, seeks to provide women with the tools they need to faithfully and effectively teach the Word of God to other women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJesus commissioned disciples to teach the nations, and women of the church must take his call seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Men and women alike are given the spiritual gift of teaching, yet few resources are designed specifically for women who exposit the Scriptures. In Empowered and Equipped<\/em>, Julia Higgins steers women through the steps needed to faithfully interpret, apply, and teach a passage of Scripture. By examining both the principles and practices of teaching of Bible exposition, Higgins seeks to prepare women in the local church to make and mold disciples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n B&H Academic. 224 pp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First we must ask, Is a book that encourages and equips women to teach Scripture necessary or even appropriate? There\u2019s much discussion today about whether the Bible permits women to teach at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an effort to submit to Scripture\u2019s teaching, many have unfortunately moved beyond what God\u2019s Word prescribes to impose unbiblical restrictions on women. To argue that women shouldn\u2019t teach Scripture in any formal setting misunderstands God\u2019s design for discipleship. Higgins argues that all followers of Christ, including women, are included in the Great Commission and its call to teach other disciples everything Christ commanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, as Higgins explains, \u201cSome may conflate the spiritual gift of teaching with the office of pastor\/elder and draw a false conclusion that only men are to exercise the gift of teaching. While qualified men are responsible to teach and oversee the local church, that does not negate the fact that both men and women are given the spiritual gift of teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n All followers of Christ, including women, are included in the Great Commission and its call to teach other disciples everything Christ commanded.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Spiritual gifts, including the gift of teaching, are given for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7<\/a>) and for building up the church (1 Cor. 14:12<\/a>). It follows that women are not only permitted to teach in appropriate settings but are needed for the growth and maturity of the body of Christ. This pattern is exemplified in the women in Scripture who are called to teach and commended for their teaching ministries, many of which Higgins references.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In light of the biblical call for women to teach, Higgins writes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n The end of the matter is this: women should be given a context where they can teach the Word in the local church. Why? Because Christ\u2019s church will grow and others will be discipled in the faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her book, therefore, provides \u201ca pathway for women to exercise teaching gifts in the local church,\u201d and specifically focuses on training women to teach women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Higgins provides an accessible yet substantial foundation for teaching Scripture. She incorporates principles and strategies from some of the most highly respected Bible teachers of our day, giving readers a well-rounded introduction to teaching Scripture without information overload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Higgins has a high view of God\u2019s Word and a Christ-centered approach that highlights the overarching storyline of the Bible. Readers will gain essential tools for expository teaching, learning to base the central teaching focus, supporting points, and application on the main point and structure of the text itself. Higgins even encourages this kind of verse-by-verse teaching for topical messages, so that the teacher is always communicating the text\u2019s intended purpose rather than taking passages out of context as proof texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Empowered and Equipped<\/em> walks teachers through the process of creating a Bible exposition, from understanding the nature of Scripture all the way to writing an expositional outline. Higgins covers a wide range of content from theoretical to practical, including information on biblical genres, basic doctrinal issues, and hermeneutics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She spends a large portion of the book giving instruction on studying the Bible inductively, including specific strategies for observation, interpretation, generalization, and application and for how that study translates into instruction. The scope of the book makes it suitable for beginners\u2014although they may want to work through it more slowly\u2014as well as for those who have been studying and teaching Scripture for some time but are looking for a process to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Empowered and Equipped<\/em> covers an impressive amount of ground in a surprisingly manageable page count, readers may leave with unanswered questions. For example, the book includes almost no discussion of incorporating meaningful illustrations or transitions. On other topics, such as the discussion of genre or the overview of theological doctrines, Higgins gives only brief introductions. Anything more, however, would make the book overwhelmingly dense, and readers can continue to explore these topics in more depth as they see fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The church needs gifted women who not only speak on a short list of \u201cfemale-friendly\u201d topics stereotypical of women\u2019s conferences or retreats but who teach the whole counsel of God for the good of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The church needs gifted women who not only speak on a short list of \u2018female-friendly\u2019 topics but who teach the whole counsel of God for the good of the body.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Higgins appeals, \u201cThis call for women to be teachers of the Word arises from a place of care and concern for over half of the body, so that the church might grow in love for God and his Word, passing it along to others, so that they too might go and make disciples of all nations to the end that Christ\u2019s commands are observed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As this book makes its way into the hands of more and more women who treasure the Bible and long to see it elevated and proclaimed, I pray the church will be edified and God\u2019s glory made known. I pray the teachers it equips will grow in their love for Christ even as the women they teach develop new excitement for God\u2019s Word. I pray that instead of feeling insecure and unprepared, women will be empowered and equipped to teach the Scriptures.<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"Alan Bernau Jr., \u201c54 Self-Storage Industry Statistics You Should Know for 2023<\/a>,\u201d Alan\u2019s Factory Outlet, accessed April 14, 2023, https:\/\/alansfactoryoutlet.com\/blog\/self-storage-industry-statistics\/\",\"id\":\"5a51704d-0975-4734-bafe-65a41c35cb93\"},{\"content\":\"Bernau, \u201c54 Self-Storage Industry Statistics You Should Know for 2023<\/a>.\\\"\",\"id\":\"29dbe140-8583-4914-88a5-b8e2850053a0\"},{\"content\":\"Daniel A. Cox & Kelsey Eyre Hammond, \u201cYoung Women Are Leaving Church in Unprecedented Numbers<\/a>,\u201d Survey Center on American Life, accessed April 4, 2024, https:\/\/www.americansurveycenter.org\/newsletter\/young-women-are-leaving-church-in-unprecedented-numbers\/\",\"id\":\"d8d2b1c7-2598-4dfd-8b50-3952a041df4d\"},{\"content\":\"Cox & Hammond, \u201cYoung Women Are Leaving Church in Unprecedented Numbers<\/a>.\\\"\",\"id\":\"135c31f3-718a-40a0-a833-ab641a6b765c\"}]"},"categories":[29,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church-life","category-worldview-culture","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nSafety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dependable Mentorship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don’t Give Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/media.thegospelcoalition.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/12102846\/A1L74YuwgQL.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEmpowered and Equipped: Biblical Exposition for Women Who Teach the Scriptures <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Should Women Teach the Bible?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Helpful Foundation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Empowered and Equipped to Teach God\u2019s Word<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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