Young Men Are Turning Toward Faith—Now the Church Must Disciple Them

For years, we have seen young men drifting—adrift from the Church, adrift from Biblical Truth, adrift from any serious sense of moral or spiritual responsibility. That is why Gallup’s recent findings deserve more than a passing glance. They deserve our prayerful attention.

In just two years, the number of young men who say religion is “very important” in their lives has surged from 28 percent to 42 percent—a dramatic reversal after years of steady decline. It also found that 40 percent of these young men attend a house of worship at least monthly, and 63 percent claim a religious affiliation. At the same time, Gallup notes that religiosity in America overall remains near long-term lows, making young men an “emerging exception to the rule.”

My friends, we should thank God for every sign of spiritual hunger. But let us not confuse hunger with conversion. Let us not confuse interest in religion with surrender to Jesus Christ. Let us not confuse a cultural turn with a spiritual awakening.

Why Young Men Are Returning to Religion

Gallup itself cautions that political dynamics may be playing a role in this renewed religiosity among young adults. That may be true. Politics can awaken concern. Politics can sharpen moral unease. Politics can even send people searching for order in a chaotic age. But politics cannot forgive sin. Politics cannot redeem a guilty conscience. Politics cannot raise a dead soul to life. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can do that.

Still, we must not dismiss what may be happening. A generation of young men appears weary of aimlessness. They have been told that manhood is toxic, that conviction is oppressive, that truth is whatever the crowd says it is this week, and that pleasure is the highest good. And what has that produced? Confusion. Isolation. Passivity. Despair.

One recent study on churchgoing and “deaths of despair” suggested that religious participation offers identity, meaning, and social connection that are not easily replaced. That should not surprise any believer. God made us for Himself. We will never be whole until we return to Him.

Young Men Do Not Need Flattery. They Need Biblical Manhood.

So what kind of word must the Church now speak to these young men?

• Not flattery.
• Not sentimentality.
• Not a baptized version of self-help.

We must give them Biblical manhood. 

For decades, I have warned that true manhood is not domination, swagger, or noise. Nor is it passivity, drift, or retreat. It is self-control. It is purity. It is courage under the authority of Christ. Young men must be exhorted to set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity, and they must be reminded that their strength comes from the Spirit of God. God made Adam to lead, not to follow. That means rejecting the counterfeit masculinities of dictatorship on one side and abdication on the other.

That is exactly the word this moment requires.

Interest in Religion Is Not Enough

Young men do not need merely to become more “religious.” They need to repent, believe the Gospel, and become men under the authority of Christ. They need to hear that a man of God does not hide—in the bottle, in the office, in distraction, in endless entertainment, or in cultivated irresponsibility. He accepts responsibility before God. He speaks the Truth. He repents quickly. He stands firm. He does not lead by theatrical bluster, but by being the first to serve.

They also need to hear that Biblical leadership is sacrificial. A Godly husband is called to love as Christ loved the Church—nourishing, cherishing, sustaining, and protecting. He does not belittle a woman, neglect her, take her for granted, or abuse her. He is considerate, affectionate, empathetic, and sensitive. In other words, Biblical manhood is not harsh. It is not selfish. It is not performative. It is cruciform. It looks like Christ.

And there is more.

These truths make plain that a young man must begin now to become the kind of man who can one day build a God-honoring home. He must learn that what is spiritually important comes before what feels urgent. He must reject the lie that financial success alone is enough. Presence matters. Integrity matters. Repentance matters. The Word of God must become the playbook of his life, not a weekend accessory. He must become the kind of man who can teach Truth clearly, correct in love, and model repentance without hypocrisy.

This is where I must move from observation to exhortation.
Hear my message to young men below:

What the Church Must Preach to Young Men Now

Church leaders: If young men are coming through the doors, do not greet them with motivational speeches. Give them the unvarnished Gospel. Tell them the Truth about sin. Tell them the Truth about the Cross. Tell them the Truth about the resurrection. Tell them that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Then disciple them patiently, seriously, and lovingly.

Fathers and grandfathers, do not waste this moment. Open the Scriptures with your sons and grandsons. Let them see you pray. Let them hear you repent. Let them watch you honor your wife. Let them see that your Christianity is not public theater, but private reality. The hardest place to set an example is in the home, because there our children see whether we are the same in private as in public.

And young men, hear me. Do not stop at curiosity. Do not stop at attendance. Do not stop at saying religion matters. Come all the way to Christ. Submit your life to Him, moment by moment.

• Join a Bible-believing church.
• Seek out an older Godly man who will disciple you.
• Fill your mind with the Word of God.
• Flee sexual sin.
• Reject passivity.
• Reject domination.
• Reject every counterfeit of manhood that promotes compromise.
• Ask God to make you a man of courage, purity, tenderness, conviction, and Truth.

This also speaks directly to the mission of Leading The Way. We do not exist to admire trends. We exist to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to prepare people to meet Jesus. We exist to take the message of Christ to those who have yet to hear it through every means God places in our hands. So if God is opening the hearts of young men in this hour, then Leading The Way must meet them there—with uncompromising Biblical Truth, Christ-centered teaching, and discipleship resources that call them beyond vague spirituality into obedient faith.

This is the action before us.

• Pray for young men.
• Welcome young men.
• Disciple young men.
• Call young men to repentance and holiness.
• Support ministries that preach the Gospel without apology.

The poll numbers may rise, or they may fall. Trends come and go. Christ does not. But when the Lord opens even a small door, His people must walk through it boldly.

Friends, this is not the time to wring our hands. This is the time to lift up our eyes.

A generation of young men is signaling they are willing to listen.

Church of Jesus Christ—let us give them something worthy to hear.