KNOWLEDGE IS UNDERRATED.

According to the April chapter page of my One Minute Bible, Theodore Roosevelt said,

A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.

Last night in my seminary class, my prof claimed that for far too long people have known too much about the Bible, but have not lived it, placing too much value on knowledge of the Bible. He said Christian spiritual maturity is not Bible knowledge, it's defined by 3 things: Character, Servanthood, and Generosity.

Hmmm. Well I think that we have a generation who are growing up largely Biblically Illiterate and that if they don't put two and two together, we're going to only perpetuate the mess and create people who behave differently, but when challenged as to why- will just stand there dumbfounded and give some lame humanistic or legalistic justification.

I agree that a true follower of the Way of Jesus will be of great character, serve others first, and generously give their life away. But I don't believe they will do this aimlessly. Instead I believe that they must do this based on a thorough ownership and their faith that is deeply rooted in the Scriptures. This will produce an ability to answer the "why do you do that question" from a foundation that will stand up as something other than founded in what so-and-so said or what the church taught them.

I think Theodore Roosevelt was at least half right. Knowledge is still worth a hundred grand, and among the teens I'm working with, I'm tired of watching them adhere to standards that lack rooting in the why's of the faith. They will not withstand the storms of life if we don't help them shore up the foundation of their beliefs.