Tag: young adults

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What Questions Are Teens Asking?

Interview With Joe and Tiffany Williamson

What are the most pressing issues facing teens and young adults today? What questions are they asking about life, purpose, and religion? Joe and Tiffany Williamson work in youth ministry at Thousand Hills Church in Hickory Creek, Texas. They joined the Know Why Podcast with firsthand insight into the questions young adults ask, what support they need, and why.

A Lonely Generation

Joe said mental health is a top problem for today’s teens and young adults—particularly loneliness. “There’s a loneliness with this generation right now, and it doesn’t matter who the kid is,” he said, noting that even students who are popular and seem to be doing well on the outside could be struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide.

Despite being “connected” over social media, many of today’s youth lack real connection with other people. Tiffany attributed part of the problem to the changing landscape of social media. Today’s teens and young adults are constantly
“on” with no reprieve.

Alone in Their Faith

That’s why in-person connection, including through local church bodies, is so critical to teens. But it can also be difficult for teens to attain, since many of those who come to church are the only Christians in their families. Without spiritual community and guidance at home, many teens and young adults are left with no where to turn for advice, answers to tough questions, or to express doubts.


“This generation has the heart of Jesus, they just don’t necessarily know him yet.”

Joe Williamson

Joe encourages members of his church to mentor youth and young adults in their lives. He told the story of an 80-year-old church member who volunteered to serve in youth ministry. The result has been “life-changing” for the girls she mentors, he said.

An Unstoppable Generation

Tiffany is hopeful about the next generation, saying that when they “get it” and are committed to God, they are unstoppable. Joe said that many of the concerns and causes of young adults today are aligned with Jesus, but they don’t know much about him. That’s why they’re eager to learn.

“This generation has the heart of Jesus, they just don’t necessarily know him yet,” he said.

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If you would like to help support more conversations on issues relevant to young adults that point them to truth, you can make a donation here.

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Podcasts

Is it Possible to Thrive With Anxiety and Depression?

Interview with Ben Bennett

Ben Bennett is the Director of the Resolution Movement, a speaker, and the co-author of Free to Thrive: How Your Hurt, Struggles, and Deepest Longings Can Lead to a Fulfilling Life. In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Ben talks with Liberty about his personal journey from struggling to thriving—and how both brain science and biblical truth offered breakthroughs.

Millennials and Gen Z: Hurting Like Never Before

  • In 2019, 70% of teens said anxiety and depression are major problems amongst their peers according to Pew Research Center.
  • In the last five years, some research has shown that young adults are 63 times more lonely than those over 75 years old.
  • Only 4% of Gen Z hold to a biblical worldview, and is historically the least religious generation in American history.
  • Suicide is a leading leading cause of death among young people.

Ben also noted that few pastors report feeling very well equipped to help people with their mental and emotional struggles. As someone raised in the Christian church, Ben felt this personally. As he began dealing with multiple mental health issues and addictions, he felt alone and thought he would struggle forever.

“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life.”

Ben Bennett
Resolution Movement

“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life,” Ben told Know Why Podcast. “I was trying everything I was hearing from Christians at the time but it just didn’t seem to work.”

Neuroplasticity: Renewing Your Mind

What Ben details in his book Free to Thrive with co-author Josh McDowell is that often, addictions, “unwanted behaviors,” and mental health struggles are humans’ attempted solutions to fill unmet longings. Everyone has ingrained longings such as acceptance. Not getting those longings fulfilled can trigger unwanted responses.

But those responses can be overcome by creating new pathways in your brain.

“Brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”

Ben Bennett
Resolution Movement

“I just saw anxiety in my life go down by about 90 percent,” Ben said, “And what I realized was happening was, I was being transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2), and neuroplasticity—brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”

Listen to the full episode to hear Ben explain neuroplasticity more and how it helped him overcome food addiction, pornography addiction, and anxiety when the well-meaning advice of others couldn’t. Ben also challenges listeners to think differently about Christianity, even if they have experienced legitimate hurts from Christians.

“It’s not that the bad’s not bad,” he told Know Why Podcast. “It’s that the good is too good to walk away from.”

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