How to Anchor Preteens in the Truth

A faith foundation begins with understanding the truths about who God is and what the Bible teaches. These truths are especially important for preteens to understand as they launch into a phase of life fraught with questions and doubts.

But new research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University has presented some troubling data about where preteens ages 8-12 stand in their faith. In fact, George Barna responded to this data by saying, “Because of the strong correlation between biblical worldview and genuine Christian discipleship, we are on the precipice of Christian invisibility in this nation unless we get serious about this crisis and invest heavily in fixing what’s broken.”

So how can you anchor preteens in what we know is true? Read on to find out.

Bold Bible Truths

When asked about this statement: “There are absolute truths — things that are right and things that are wrong, that do not depend on feelings, preferences, or circumstances — those truths are unchanging and knowable,” only 21 percent of preteens agreed. And in fact, that low number isn’t greatly improved when you ask the same question of their parents (28 percent agreed) or even children’s pastors (36 percent). If preteens’ faith influences don’t believe in absolute truth, how can they learn to?

BE BOLD preteen curriculum teaches kids nine Bold Bible Truths, repeated over and over across 86 lessons. BE BOLD helps preteens explore what the Bible says about their doubts and questions. And at times, they’ll find the direct answers in Scripture. But sometimes, they’ll find that the Bible doesn’t give a clear-cut answer on their tough faith questions.

What they will always take away is that even when we don’t have clear-cut answers, we can cling to certain absolute truths, or what we call Bold Bible Truths.

Bold Bible Truth #1: Jesus Loves You

In the study, only 36 percent of preteens agreed with this statement: “Jesus Christ is the only way to experience eternal salvation, based on confessing your sins and relying only upon His forgiveness of your sins.” Parents were even lower with 34 percent, but children’s pastors were slightly over half at 54 percent agreement.

BE BOLD supports this statement with the Bold Bible Truth “Jesus loves you.” As preteens hear over and over again that Jesus loves them, they’ll explore his ultimate act of love: dying for our sins so we can be forgiven. They’ll learn the Bold Bible Truth that comes from John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

This foundational truth of Jesus as their one and only Savior is critical for preteens to hold onto in the midst of their doubts and questions.

Bold Bible Truth #2: The Bible Is True

Preteens were also asked to respond to this statement: “The Bible is the true word of God that should be a guide to knowing right from wrong, and living a good life.” Sadly, only one quarter of preteens agreed. Although the parents rated this statement more highly at 44 percent and 62 percent, respectively, the message isn’t getting through to preteens that the Bible is true.

BE BOLD teaches this value quite clearly with this Bold Bible Truth: “The Bible is true.” This truth comes from 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is inspired by God and useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

Bold Bible Truth #3: God Helps You Make Good Choices

When further asked about the Bible, preteens doubted its usefulness. Regarding the statement that they “consistently consult the Bible when trying to determine right from wrong,” only 26 percent of preteens responded affirmatively. Similarly, 21 percent of preteens engaged in this research project “believe turning to the Bible is the best way to distinguish right from wrong.”

That’s why it’s important for preteens to learn this Bold Bible Truth: “God helps you make good choices.” They’ll learn to “trust in the Lord with all [their] heart; [to] not depend on [their] own understanding. Seek his will in all [they] do, and he will show [them] which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6). In a world where right and wrong are often disputed, preteens will learn to rely on God, rather than culture, to make good choices.

More Faith Anchors

And that’s not all! Preteens experiencing BE BOLD curriculum will learn these six additional Bold Bible Truths, all rooted in Scripture.

Imagine being a preteen wondering where you fit in, but holding onto the fact that God is your friend. Or wondering what’s going on in our world and exploring that God is in charge. Our feelings and circumstances can bring up a lot of doubts and questions, but the truth of who God is remains.

So are you ready to anchor your preteens’ faith with Bold Bible Truths? Let’s partner together to raise those low-scoring numbers and help preteens have a faith that sticks because they know what is true. Let’s give them a biblical worldview that’s based on fact, not feeling. And since many of the parents and children’s pastors also demonstrated a lack of biblical worldview, let’s start with affirming the truth for those leading our children.

You can find a free sample BE BOLD lesson here. And for even more preteen tips, check out these posts!

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