Already Gone

If you have not read the book, you should.  The book that I am talking about is “Already Gone” by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer.  You may know of Ken Ham, he is the Answers in Genesis guy.  Well he commissioned a study of 20 something's who had stopped going to church and Britt Beemer is the guy who conducted the study, the book details the results. 

There were two results that I found very surprising. 

1.  61% of those no longer attending church regularly attended Sunday School as teens.  these 61% were more likely to not believe the bible, more likely to accept premarital sex and more likely to accept homosexuality as being normal than those who did not attend Sunday School.  The reasons behind this were many but the top two were that the bible had been taught as a story and not as fact, and that the Sunday School teachers were unable to answer questions like how did Noah get all of the animals onto the ark.  The kids were being told what to believe but not why. 

2.  Music has replaced the teaching of the Word of God in church services.  If any teaching was being given at all it was in the form of fluffy feel good, I’m ok you’re ok kind of junk.  People want to know that the Word of God is relevant.  If all that the preacher is giving is a pep talk or every service is another sermon telling the saved how to get saved, then you are just wasting their time, and yours.   

The Word of God contains the wisdom of the wise.  It is alive and powerful sharper than a two edged sword and it will change lives, but this only happens if it is taught.