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Dr. Del Tackett is the author, architect and teacher for Focus on the Family's The Truth Project, a nationwide initiative designed to bring the Christian worldview to the body of Christ.

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College-Bound Vulnerabilities

Posted on March 8, 2010
Filed Under Personal, Worldview | 21 Comments

I am once again [2008, 2009] in Pine Mountain, Georgia, teaching the students at Impact 360, a 9-month, gap-year program that takes top-notch Christian high school graduates and prepares them to be impact leaders for Christ in the university and life.

I love being around these young students. They are bright, energetic, love the Lord, and are eager to learn and grow.

But I’m here because I’m concerned about the mine fields that lay ahead and want to be a part in helping them successfully navigate them.

During today’s lesson, I listed seven “vulnerabilities” that I believe characterize our current college-bound students. I asked the class if these were valid from their observations of their peers and they confirmed they were “right on”.

Here they are:
–deeply persuaded by relativism and tolerance
–tilt heavily toward skepticism
–highly sexualized by the media and gender confused (i.e. men don’t know what it means to be a man, etc.)
–a deep hunger for significance and highly swayed by peers
–severe internal doubts about the most basic apologetic issues (i.e. the problem of evil)
–increasingly biblically illiterate
–compartmentalize their Christianity
–unaware of most of the above

I am concerned about these because the university campus is uniquely prepared to exploit each of these vulnerabilities. The classroom often provides a direct or indirect hostility towards biblical truth and campus life offers the means to compromise on one’s ethical values. Slipping in one guarantees a slippage in the other. I have heard over and over again from college students about how this back and forth spiral often ends up in a horrible pit.

But it doesn’t have to be this way and I am so thankful for programs like Impact 360 that are helping to change that. Whenever I come here, I am renewed in my excitement for this next generation.

Tonight, I got pulled into an interesting game called “Murder! Murder!” It’s a little like the board game “Clue” but played with real players.

As a detective, I flopped!

They had me baffled. But it was loads of fun and part of the endearing process that will make me sad to leave.

Comments

21 Responses to “College-Bound Vulnerabilities”

  1. Stephen on March 9th, 2010 12:28 pm

    I like your seven vulnerabilities. Perhaps this also applies: -erosion of spiritual self-discipline and accountability

  2. Thomas on March 9th, 2010 7:24 pm

    In a postmodern world, surrounded by distortions in truth. Our expectations never really do meet with our experience. Truly the way up is down. thank you Jesus

  3. Richard on March 10th, 2010 9:06 pm

    Del,
    With over 40+ years in ministry including several pastorates, I see these same problems realized in the lives of those under 45 years old. It seems as though the distortions of the 60′s have been the soil of the enemy and we are seeing the harvest today. God bless your efforts to inform and challenge those of faith. Faith must be based on objective Biblical truth for us to walk it out in our lives. Thank you. Our group is immersed and enjoying it!

  4. Tina on March 14th, 2010 6:39 pm

    Our oldest son graduated from a small Christian High School in Portland, Oregon, in June of 09. He is now living in Orlando, Florida working on a Bachelors Degree in Recording Arts, which is a concentrated two year program. As a Christian parent, having a child move into the media world was not our first choice for him. Talk about scarey! But as one of his H.S. teachers said “follow your passion,” we decided, ONCE AGAIN, to trust Him. Jesus has NEVER failed us. I have always had a prayer partner that I meet with once a week and I can testify to His faithfulness to complete that which he has started. I beieve parents are failing in their responsibility with their children: We make too many compromises! We get too busy! We don’t know the word! We aren’t committed 24/7! What do we expect our children to do “in the world” if we don’t overcome it ourselves? I am guilty of all the above, yet know that I am weak and turn to God through Jesus Christ to make my way straight, and pray continually for my children!!! After all, they are His! God have mercy on us…I can’t wait for the rapture!

  5. Chris on March 15th, 2010 9:54 pm

    Del,
    Glad to hear that you are in front of students again. You are a great teacher! Your list of vulnerabilities is insightful as is the additional one contributed by Stephen. Unfortunately, as Richard suggests, these aren’t limited to the college set, nor for that matter for the under 45 set.
    I’m teaching adult classes (mostly over 60) in a Baptist Church where the pastors are introducing a postmodern worldview and besides myself and those I’ve lead through the Truth Project, no one even has a clue about what that means. There has been such a famine for the word of God (Amos 8:11) for long enough now, that introducing another gospel sometimes isn’t even noticed, or at least not resisted.
    I’m glad that you are helping to train future Christian leaders. May they prove trustworthy stewards of the faith entrusted to them, and fearless in their stand for Truth.

  6. Brian R. on March 16th, 2010 5:54 pm

    Del,
    2 weeks ago, I spoke along with Stephen Meyer at the Succeed 2010 conference in Seattle. My talk was on the disconnect between HS and college. I believe this is the most critical life-phase (apart from salvation) for young people today. Please continue to spread the word… reaching parents and youth pastors with this message.

    The research says the #1 means of success (keeping their faith in college) is getting connected to a Christian group IMMEDIATELY upon arrival at their campus. Better yet, get connected BEFORE they depart home.

    Thank you! God’s blessings on your work.
    Brian

  7. Audra on March 16th, 2010 6:12 pm

    Because we are a fatherless generation, we truly are starving for significance. We not only let the culture parent us, but bring it to a personal level by letting our friends influence, sway and parent us. We don’t know what to believe so we easily tolerate any and all behavior in ourselves and others.
    This is a great list and it’s so scary that most aren’t aware of these pitfalls.
    We have to know, at any age, that our Father in Heaven has been parenting us all along. He has never left, nor will he ever leave. We must find ourselves in Him.

  8. Marie on March 16th, 2010 6:58 pm

    Thank you for The Truth Project. Having seen the positive results from evangelism using a chronological method (as The Lord Jesus explained the gospel on the Road to Emmaus) I wonder if we maybe need to get back to believing the Bible from verse one. Kids from K. are indoctrinated in ‘millions of years’ so their whole lives are under that cloud of doubting God’s Word. Can we show them that God’s Word is absolutely true from verse one, without adding to it? Even showing them at the stage that you teach them could really open their eyes to a whole new understanding of scripture and the joy of finding that it is, indeed, true!

  9. Ryan on March 16th, 2010 8:03 pm

    I am finding these 7 points to be EXTREMELY helpful Del. Thank you so much! I am planning to take a trip around the world with my wife this year to create a documentary depicting various avenues for students to use their degrees in missions. These 7 facts are going to help me to script my documentary in a way that will appeal to a generation under attack by these unbiblical ideologies. It will be a hard task indeed, but God has been preparing us, so we’re ready as long as He comes with! :P

  10. Margaret on March 16th, 2010 8:58 pm

    So good to read that the Lord is still working and will not abandon today’s youth! But how guilty are we as Christians and as churches for not (in general) having to offer anything more to the world than what they have and know already. Time for us to rise above this secular and damaging environment and culture, and stand firm on what God teaches in His Word – unashamedly!
    I am greatly encouraged by the tours in Truth Project, and wishing we could reach many more with the Truth.

  11. Meg I. on March 16th, 2010 11:00 pm

    Del,
    Wow, just today I spoke with a friend whose family is falling apart after 25 years of lifting Jesus up. Why? Because one member (the husband) is believing lies! Now we have a child whom I never dreamed would believe lies, believing lies about the character of the One for whom we live! This is so painful. We have shown the Truth Project here in Okinawa 4 times to various groups of people. Over our spring break in April we are showing it again to whomever wants to attend! Why? So that our minds, hearts, words and deeds will be grounded in truth and have the ability to discern a lie!
    Thank you for your vision and obedience.

  12. Ken on March 17th, 2010 8:51 am

    In the 60′s when I went to college, the anti-Christian bias was there, but it was more subtle. It isn’t subtle anymore! It is blatant and up front. I thank God for your impact on the younger generation through the Truth Project, and the new initiative through “True-U.” I believe the rise of a more militant strain of “Atheistic Evangelism” is a secular “fear reaction” to challenges to the Darwinist mentality coming from Intelligent Design theorists. Physics and TRUE science will only tend God-ward with new discoveries of the majesty of His Creation. Confident in Him Who invades us from “Outside the Box!” Ken.

  13. Bob on March 17th, 2010 9:05 am

    Del, In the battle against the lies and illusions of the world, the flesh, and the devil, I am convinced that the front line of the battle rages in the educational system. Satan knew where to go, and we need to go to war against him and drive him out of our educational institutions.

  14. Ken on March 17th, 2010 10:22 am

    Del,

    I really appreciate this article. These are good reminders in a day and age where our young people are told the only vulnerability they have is any leaning toward the irrelevant, archaic, beliefs of Christianity where we look to God and a book for how to live. It is a good reminder to me to stay humble as well.

    I believe in my limited experience there is another one that glares at me. It is opening ourselves to be over-stimulated and desensitized to things that break God’s heart to the point where we genuinely “don’t care”, and would rather pull back from society and the issues of life and simply look the other way.

    Praying for you as you continue to serve. God Bless you my brother.

  15. Dan on March 17th, 2010 12:28 pm

    This has been a great undertaking. I was in a meeting with another Truth Project leader from our church this morning and he said something very profound. Jesus implores us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” In our chuch, and most others I’ve attended over the past 43 years, we have done an ok job of teaching to the heart and soul, but we’ve left the “mind” up to the school system. We has believers have turned our children over to a system, with well meaning Christian public school educators, that does NOT belive in The Cosmic Battle. They do not support the parents’ views about faith and the truth of the Bible. It is not surprising to me that our students who are in Sunday School today turn their back on the faith of their parents when they go through high school and college. Barna Research has alarming research that should be screaming out to parents regarding this trend. Could it be that they ARE learning what they have been taught in school and writing it on their heart? As in Genesis 19, are we prostituting our children for the sake of “community harmony and Can’t we all get along?” Dell, in your teaching you have solidified my belief that something that is slightly not true IS a lie.

  16. erin on March 17th, 2010 2:05 pm

    What about students getting connected with a campus group to help them stay on the right path–like InterVarsity?

  17. Gary on March 17th, 2010 2:21 pm

    Del,
    Your observations are packed with truth. As this generation struggles to make sense of a culutre we have created, perhaps we should focus our teaching toward general revelation because very few understand special.

  18. Fiona on March 18th, 2010 6:56 am

    I have three teenage daughters (one in college and 2 in HS) and I am terrified about these vulnerabilities. I see them in the lives of my girls…some are more affected than others. I appreciate identifying them but would also love more suggestions about how to battle them. Believe me, I try but I feel I’m failing based on the life-choices of some of our daughters.

  19. walter on March 18th, 2010 7:04 pm

    To Fiona — indeed I understand your fear. We live in an entertainment centered culture so you must fight fire with fire. Offer some entertainment centered rewards for questions you think would reveal objective truth to your group.
    Do either you or your spouse read from the scriptures out loud to the family. Then ask questions concerning the vulnerabilities. A good book is “Thats a good question” by Sproul

  20. Doc B on March 22nd, 2010 4:11 pm

    I’m a college dean, and I can assure you these vulnerabilities are indeed exploited by the typical college campus. And unfortunately, the exploitation isn’t confined to secular universities…it happens at “Christian” schools as well.

    I think the underlying problem to all of these vulnerabilities is the adoption by the current generation of what has been called “moralistic therapeutic deism”. This belief system leads one into susceptibility to all of the vulnerabilities listed above.

    The solution is both simple and profound- the gospel. We have too many churches focused on ‘your best life now’ issues, trying to be ‘relevant to contemporary peoples’ needs’, and never (or rarely) on the gospel of Christ. As a result, we (both young and old) don’t understand the seriousness of our sin and our real need before a holy God. Instead, we focus on our felt needs. As you can see from the list Dr. Tackett posted, almost all are a response toward meeting a felt need.

    When we get back to the gospel (yes, it’s for the church, not just the lost!), we’ll see many of these vulnerabilities fade away.

  21. Lisa847 on March 31st, 2010 8:22 pm

    It has gotten so confusing! Now, in addition to all that is out there on the college campus…there is the confusion within evangelicalism!
    Started in a study by Vander Laan, and already the red flags are waving. I was so excited to learn of the cultural setting at the time of Christ…

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