Calling Millennials to Stand Firm in a Demoralized Nation

The morals of a nation do not rest on the shoulders of politicians but on those who call themselves followers of Christ.  When moral corruption takes hold of a nation, perhaps we should get our eyes off of the government and run a spiritual checkup on the church.

But maybe we need to take it a step further and start with asking God to evaluate our own hearts? 

Has the Culture Influenced a Spiritually Ignorant Generation?

In an article entitled "Evangelical Christian Leaders Fear Teen Believers Abandoning their Faith", Laurie Goodstein writes, 

"Despite their packed mega churches, their political clout, and increasing visibility on the national stage, evangelical Christian leaders are warning one another that their teenagers are abandoning the faith in droves.  

"If current trends continue only 4 percent of teenagers will be Bible-believing Christians as adults. While some critics say that the statistics are grossly exaggerated, there is widespread consensus among evangelical leaders that they risk losing their teenagers."

Barna Group Says "The Nature of Churchgoing is Changing"

"While tens of millions of Americans attend church each weekend, the practice has declined in recent years. According to our 2014 tracking data, overall church attendance has dipped from 43% in 2004 to 36% today. But beyond a dip in attendance numbers, the nature of churchgoing is changing" states the Barna Group. 

"Regular attenders used to be people who went to church three or more weekends each month—or even several times a week. Now people who show up once every four to six weeks consider themselves regular churchgoers."

Liena's Prayer: Counting the Cost In Syria

Liena's children counted the cost to follow Jesus

This past week I was struggling with discouragement. I don't believe it is merely coincidental that personal trials become complex when we shift our gaze off of Christ. It's easy to blow things out of proportion and minimize how self-centered our struggles really are.   

I found my wakeup call through the testimony of a woman in Syria. Liena and her family turned down offers of asylum in Western countries after civil war broke out in Syria. They knew the cost that might be required, but they chose to remain as witnesses to their Muslim neighbors and as an encouragement to other Christians.