It would be an arrogant error to assume what students “need” and “want” is mutually exclusive. It would be unbiblical to say a student’s “need” and “want” is always synonymous. Our hearts are deceitful according to scripture and we shouldn’t treat Bible study like a fast food drive through. However, what students want does point to an inadequate need that ought to be met through the lens of the gospel. Key phrase: “lens of the gospel” Students certainly know themselves and their wants/needs more than I do.
What students need is the life changing truth of the gospel in order to affect every component of their lives. Period… I assume many students want practical/topical advice such as dating etc. Should we talk about dating? Absolutely! Why? You can’t Christian date without knowing the gospel, therefore, you cant discuss Christian dating without the foundation of the gospel message. Put differently, all topics should be harnessed by the gospel. Paul is quick to say 1 Corinthians 2:2 “I am resolved to say nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”
We live in an environment of Christianity where some communicators provide a 5 step prescriptive plan for every practical life situation while other preachers rehash the roman road in a ritualistic and predictable way. I will refer to these distinctions as the pragmatic vs. dogmatic approaches. Unfortunately, some pragmatic speakers never actually share the Gospel making them no different than any nonreligious life coach. Dogmatic approaches may fail to help parishioners flesh out their faith.
A deeper question may be, who is our audience? Christian or non-Christian? Either way, communicators must first communicate the heart of the gospel. (orthodoxy) Secondly, we communicate what our lives ought to look like in light of the gospel. (orthopraxy)
Everything we teach should be through the paradigm of the gospel and how it affects every component of our lives.
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