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Why do some young believers walk away from the faith? Is there a healthy way for people to deconstruct their faith? In this episode, Evan Wilkerson joins Mark Renfroe to discuss deconstructionism in the Christian community, especially in the younger generation.
Key Points from the Podcast
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It is natural for kids raised in a Christian home to go through a phase when they need to transition from their parents’ faith to their own faith in Christ, but many of them feel a cultural pressure to reject anything in Christianity that goes against their own personal beliefs or lifestyle choices.
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Mark Renfroe and Evan Wilkerson discuss reasons why the next generation might walk away from the Christian faith, like legalism, politics and church hurt.
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A desire to live a sinful life can lead people away from following Jesus, but if they have truly walked with him, the emptiness of sin will draw them back to Christ.
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Much of the next generation is put off when the church mixes too much with politics or allows political views to supersede Christian beliefs.
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If someone you know has deconstructed and walked away from their faith, don’t give up hope. Keep praying for them. Jesus is the Great Shepherd who goes after the lost sheep.
Bible Verses Referenced in the Podcast
Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 7:15–22; Romans 8:35–39; Romans 8:1; Psalm 51:3; Romans 7:11; Matthew 18:12–14; Luke 15:3–7; Luke 23:34, 47
Resources Mentioned in the Podcast
About Evan Wilkerson
Evan Wilkerson is the son of Gary Wilkerson, President of World Challenge. In 2013, Evan felt the Lord’s call to be a minister and evangelist, preaching and teaching the Word of God. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Colorado Christian University and currently works at World Challenge as Director of NextGen Ministries where he lives out his passion to bring sound doctrine and apologetics to the next generation. Evan and his wife, Carmen, have two children and live in Colorado Springs, CO.
About Mark Renfroe
Mark married his college sweetheart, Amy, with whom he has four adult children—one girl and three boys. The Renfroes have been involved in field missions work for 30 years. They served in the Arab community of San Francisco for four years before becoming foreign missionaries in 1995. Mark was asked to serve as the Area Director for Assemblies of God World Missions in 2007. As part of his role, he led missionaries and interfaced with national church leaders in the 18 countries of the Arab World. In 2017, Mark created Reaching Africa’s Muslims, an initiative to mobilize, equip, and deploy indigenous African missionaries to reach Muslims on the continent. Mark has graduate degrees in Intercultural Studies and Executive Leadership. He currently serves as the Chief Missions Officer for World Challenge in Colorado Springs.
