Always be prepared...

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…

It was these wise words from 1 Peter 3:15 that I read to Year 11 students at Samuel Ryder at the start of our Grill a Christian lessons last week. I made it clear that as Christians we are called to speak to others about our faith, but always in a respectful and peaceful manner. It helped set the tone for the rest of the lesson, and from there myself, Graeme and John asked the students to write down any questions they had about the Christian faith.

The students were brilliant, asking questions that ranged from deeply theological (around the nature of the Trinity) to practical ones about why there are several testimonies about Jesus, to personal ones where we were asked why and how we chose Christianity over other faiths.

Here is a sample of the questions we were asked:

How is God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

Do you believe Jesus will come back to earth one day? If so, do you think it would be for a specific time/reason or come at a random time?

What was the main thing that brought you into Christianity and not any other religions?

Does God give us control or control us?

Do you think life is always a gift or do you think it can be unfair at some points.

It was amazing to see the young people thinking deeply and pushing into topics that are weighty and profound, and it was a privilege to be given a chance to speak to them about what we believe. John, Graeme and I took turns to give answers to specific topics, as well as chipping in when we felt we had more to add to each other’s answers.

My favourite moments were when I was able to share how I encountered the Holy Spirit for the first time, and also a one to one conversation with a student who told me they were a Christian, but they were struggling with accepting themselves. I was able to share Ephesians 2:10 with them and encouraged them to listen to a particular song that has helped me in the past. It was a precious moment within a profound lesson.

Our final encouragement was when the teacher who had been with us during one of the sessions told us afterwards that one of the students in the class told her that last year they had read the entire Bible, and that they were changing and growing in their faith. The teacher said that she felt our lesson with him would hopefully help him on his journey! What a wonderful way to affirm the value of these sessions!

Graeme, John and I left feeling Samuel Ryder feeling encouraged, uplifted and certainly not as though we had been “grilled” by the young people, despite the title of the lesson!

Amy