There are cultural trends shaping the 21st century youth and discernment is more important than ever. How can we help our kids learn and develop a Biblical worldview and empower them to rise above the culture?

John Stonestreet speaks to the leading trends and cultural shifts that have taken place over the years.

“We’re living in a time of dramatic cultural upheaval, which is something I think many parents, mentors, and teachers feel right now. Things have gone from being unthinkable to unquestionable in record speed. We know that culture was moving, but it seems like for many of us it’s been a tsunami, particularly on the issues of sexuality.”

He shares advice for parents and mentors when it comes to creating boundaries for our kids.

“As we’re trying to help them navigate culture, it’s really tempting to just point to what I call a line approach. We kind of draw a line through the middle of the world and say, ‘Ok, everything that’s on this side of the line is good, and everything on that side of the line is bad.’”

“When I was growing up it was; going to movies was ‘bad,’ playing cards was ‘bad,’ or listening to anything that wasn’t Christian music was ‘bad,’ and some of those things were very bad. The reason that line approach makes a lot of sense is because there are things in the culture that we don’t want our kids to be exposed to.”

“But we weren’t created by God or recreated by Jesus just to stay away from the world. In fact, God created humanity to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.”

We were created to engage with culture and transform it in the process, not to live isolated from it.

“Culture is more than just the bad stuff that happens in the world. As Christians, were called to do something with culture. We’re called to champion what’s good, to fight what’s evil, and to restore what’s broken.”

We can help our kids learn how to live out their faith and stand up for what is good and true, despite cultural turbulence.

“Even in times when we’re trying to protect our kids from the bad stuff in the world, we have to keep in mind our ultimate purpose with culture and not just react to the bad stuff. Now, you’ve got to draw lines when it comes to things like pornography or something like that; draw very clear boundaries and to have very clear geographical boundaries to keep kids safe from that stuff.”

“At the same time, we need to first and foremost understand that God is trying to raise up a new generation to not only stay safe from culture, but to engage culture and make a difference.”

In this ever-changing culture, there is hope for the next generation of believers. We can equip them to approach the culture from a biblical worldview and make a lasting impact in the world.


John Stonestreet is president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and the cohost of Breakpoint, the daily cultural commentary founded by the late Chuck Colson, heard each weekend on Faith Radio. He is co-author of A Practical Guide to Culture.

Developing a Biblical worldview