Cultural Transformation Through Biblical Discipleship (IFS #490)
At our recent Worldview Conference, Dr. George Barna delivered a powerful and sobering message on what it truly means to raise “spiritual champions.” His central point is one that every Christian—especially parents, pastors, and Christian leaders—needs to hear:
America does not primarily have a political problem… it has a worldview problem.
For decades, many of us have focused on the symptoms of secularization — abortion, crime, family breakdown, failing schools, sexual immorality and drug use. But as Dr. Barna explains, these are not the root issues. They are the fruit of a deeper crisis: a nation that has largely abandoned a biblical worldview.
And the numbers are staggering.
Only a small percentage of Americans—and even professing Christians — consistently think and live according to the truth of God’s Word. Instead, most people have adopted a mix of beliefs shaped more by culture than by Scripture. That should concern all of us.
But perhaps the most urgent part of Dr. Barna’s message is this:
A person’s worldview is largely formed by the age of 13.
Let that sink in.
That means the next generation is not being lost in college. They are being lost in childhood.
And tragically, many Christian parents and churches have either misunderstood or neglected this responsibility. Too often, we outsource discipleship, assuming that a church program or a youth group can undo 150+ hours each week of cultural influence.
Dr. Barna points out that at the time most children enter high school, their core beliefs about truth, morality, God, and purpose are already in place — and he emphatically points out that they rarely change. But change is not impossible.
The responsibility to raise children who know, love, and serve God begins in the home—and must be reinforced by a church that is serious about discipleship, not just attendance.
| David E. Smith | 
August 20, 2026 9:43 AM
