I have a former student who loves to go to Trivia Nights at their local restaurant. They gather a team, compete for an hour or so and the winner gets a trophy. This former students’ team must be really good because I see them post their trophies quite frequently.
Trivia games are a way to put to use those fragments of tv, movie and music knowledge long past.
My guess is, you can probably answer the questions faster if you have a connection to it.
If my former students team has four people. One of them has never heard of Elton John. One of them knows the name but not the music. One has heard a few of His more popular songs on the radio and one has gone to the last 4 Elton John concert
and
the trivia question is: “What is the name of Elton John’s biggest hit in the U.S. that was originally written about Marilyn Monroe?” who, then, has the best chance of answering this question? The one who has been to the last four concerts, the one who is a fan. The one who may be be mildly obsessed with Elton John and not only his music but the backstory to the songs. They know the answer is Candle in the Wind.
Practice, not knowledge, made that answer pop into their head so fast.
Listening to Elton John on the radio, occasionally, doesn’t bring that answer up or if it does, it’s not nearly as quick. The winner is always the practitioner.
This is why teenagers, who become adults, can quote verses, tell a story or relay a fact about the bible, but live like the bible doesn’t matter. They are not practitioners of the faith. They are not doers, but hearers only. Here is a simple equation that reveals the problem,
Knowledge – Practice (Obedience) = Trivia
Trivia is the root of Trivial
The definition of trivial: unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential.
Bible lessons without a practicum leads to bible trivia not transformation .
How can we help students connect knowledge and practice so that scripture does not become mere trivia?
Teaching 15 minutes on prayer and then allowing students to pray for whatever they want to pray for
Teaching 10 minutes on evangelism and then telling students to get out their phone and text a friend that needs to hear about Jesus.
Teaching 8 minutes on the bible study SOAP method, putting a verse on the screen and then handing out a journal and letting students spend 15 mi. practicing it.
Teaching 5 minutes on how and why it’s important to share your testimony and then ask for students who want to share their story.
Knowledge isn’t king, obedience is. If it was the Pharisees would have had the upper hand. The knew a lot but they didn’t practice a lot. The truth of scripture is revealed in practice. Practice builds conviction. Conviction leads to making choices in line with your values and worldview.
Lessons and preaching without practice will produce trivia Christians and ultimately a trivial church.
Find ways to connect your lessons to practice and your students will have a greater chance or recalling spiritual truth when they need it.
If you’re looking for youth ministry resources that emphasize the practice of faith and not just knowledge of the Bible, visit my store and see over 75 resources which encourage students to do and not just listen.
For my most practical take on practical discipleship, check out my book The Disciple Project Outreach Manual: Raising Up The Next Generation of Doers
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