Wake Up, Look Up

Hello, everyone, and thanks for listening to Wake Up, Look Up, a podcast where we connect events happening in real time to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I'm Zach Weihrauch, and in today's episode, we're asking the question, is Gen Z accidentally Christian?

This is based on an article I read in the New York Times recently about the wholesomeness of Gen Z.

Let me explain. So Gen Z, the upcoming generation, is leaning into what we might think of as old-fashioned values.

They're taking a newfound interest in things like craftsmanship, working with your hands, chastity, moderation.

And it's not political. It isn't that Gen Z is turning conservative as much as they're embracing a conservative value approach to their moral choices.

For example, this generation is drinking less, using drugs less, and having less sex than almost any generation that we've measured before it.

They are living lives of moderation, practicing more traditional values. They're also looking to work more with their hands. That is probably driven by their understanding that artificial intelligence is going to change a lot of so-called white-collar or intellectual jobs.

So application to art schools are up. People are taking a renewed interest in the trades. So all of a sudden, Gen Z is kind of mapping out a life where they're working with their hands.

They're making moral choices. They're valuing things like privacy, tradition, faith, really is an interesting trend.

And as a parent of some Gen Zers, I'm asking the question, what does this mean spiritually? And as a pastor of a church, I'm asking the question, what does this mean for how we reach Gen Z?

Well, there are some important things to note biblically here. First is that Gen Z is modeling a hunger for meaning. That shouldn't surprise us because the writer of Ecclesiastes in chapter 3 verse 11 says that God has set eternity on the hearts of men.

Gen Z is spiritually inclined. They're tapping into the idea that there's more out there than a screen. There's more out there than the traditional things that their parents have chased, like wealth or career or status.

They're looking for something deeper, something longer lasting. And that's great because there is something for them in the message of Jesus Christ.

Their approach to morality is also encouraging from a missional standpoint. because the writer of Galatians 3 says, a moral compass, kind of God's law written on our hearts, is a guardian that can lead us to Christ.

And what I mean by that is morality, a robust sense of morality can tell us that there must be a God out there.

After all, where does our conscience come from? Where does our sense of right and wrong come from? Also, when we violate that conscience. So the more inclined we are to think that we should make strong moral choices.

The kind of moral compass of Gen Z means that when they violate their own conscience, their own compass, they'll want to find a way to deal with the guilt and shame that comes from that.

They'll be looking, in the words of Psalm 19, for someone who can discern their errors and acquit them of their faults.

And that's where it gets really important to be clear because on the one hand, I'm happy that my kids' generation are drinking less, using drugs less, having less casual sex.

Those are great trends. On the other hand, morality in and of itself doesn't save anyone. You have to be careful that we continue to preach and hold out the message of the gospel to Gen Z, calling them to repentance, telling them they need a savior.

They must be born again. They need the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit because As the Apostle Paul warns in 2 Timothy 3, you can't have a form of godliness without its power.

A Christian morality detached from the King, Jesus Christ, doesn't save anyone and ultimately doesn't change the world or even bring life into an individual's life.

We must surrender to Jesus. He alone is the fount of life. That's why Jesus says in Matthew 11, 28, that all those who are weary can come to him because his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

Our message to Gen Z may be something like this. Hey, the values that you're looking for, the things that you are identifying as meaning and purposeful, those things are from God.

But whether you chase worldliness and pleasure or morality and seeking to feel good about yourself, if you do it on your own, you will be weary.

You will be broken down. In the end, you'll be wondering how you could ever keep going. And the answer to that is to come to Jesus. In other words, Gen Z is hungry for something different than previous generations.

And those of us of previous generations should acknowledge that they're picking up on the things that we got wrong.

But even if they're standing on our shoulders, seeing a little further down the horizon, we must tell them still of their need for Jesus.

It's entirely possible that what Gen Z is preparing for is a spiritual awakening. That's what I'm praying for. But that will only come in so much as they look for the values that come from surrendering to Jesus.

Hey, thanks for watching this episode of Wake Up, Look Up. If you enjoyed it, please help us get the word out by sharing it with someone you think might benefit from it. And while you're here, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get further content or even download the CCC app where you'll find even more resources to help you grow in your faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.

This episode of Wake Up, Look Up was produced by Marcus Cunningham and Holly Andrews. Our topic researcher is Shanna Young. This episode was directed by Rima Saleh.

Our podcast coordinator is Hallie Andrews. Our production manager and audio wizard is Marcus Cunningham with tech and engineering support from Matthew Adel and Landon Hall.

I'm your host, Zach Weihrauch. Join us for the next episode of Wake Up, Look Up.