Nigeria: The Deadliest Place on Earth to Be a Christian

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I need to talk about something that should break every Christian's heart and move us to our knees in prayer. But I need to warn you—what I'm about to share is deeply disturbing.

Just days ago, armed attackers stormed a dormitory at the Government Girls' Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, Nigeria. They killed a school official and abducted 25 schoolgirls—most of them Christians. Only one girl managed to escape into the surrounding forests. The others remain missing, their fate unknown.

This kidnapping fits a tragic, long-running pattern. Since the infamous Chibok abduction of 276 girls in 2014—many of whom are still missing today—more than 1,400 Nigerian students have been kidnapped from schools. Many are specifically targeted because they are Christian or from Christian-majority regions. These girls face forced conversion to Islam, forced marriage to their captors, sexual slavery, and unspeakable abuse.

And this is just the latest tragedy in what has become the deadliest place on earth to be a Christian.

Let me give you the numbers, because the scale of what's happening in Nigeria demands that we pay attention. According to multiple monitoring groups—including Open Doors, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and European Parliament researchers—Nigeria leads the world in the number of Christians killed for their faith.

In just the first seven months of 2025, more than 7,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria. Let that sink in—7,000 believers murdered for following Jesus in seven months. That's more than 30 Christians killed every single day.

Since 2010, an estimated 125,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria. One hundred twenty-five thousand martyrs in fifteen years. More than 19,000 churches have been destroyed. Over 1,100 Christian villages have been seized. And as many as 15 million Christians have been displaced from northern and central regions of the country.

This is not random violence. This is systematic persecution that some international observers are calling genocide.

The international community is finally starting to take notice. On November 1st and 2nd, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Nigeria's government during a White House address on global religious freedom. He accused the Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu of complicity in what he called the "genocide" of Christians.

Trump claimed that thousands of Christians are being "slaughtered" with the government failing to act, and he ordered the Pentagon to prepare military options, including potential intervention to "wipe out" the militants. He declared Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern" for religious freedom violations and emphasized America's readiness to "save our Great Christian population around the world."

This echoes similar statements Trump made back in 2018 to then-President Muhammadu Buhari when he asked, "Why are you killing Christians?" But the 2025 rhetoric is far more aggressive, citing the dramatic rise in attacks.

Nigerian officials rejected Trump's claims as "shocking" and inflammatory, arguing that the violence is not religiously targeted but driven by criminals exploiting poverty and climate issues. A spokesperson for President Tinubu warned against "exploiting the situation" for invasion. But the facts on the ground tell a very different story.

Let me give you some specific examples of what's happening right now beyond the recent school abduction. In October 2025, Fulani militants razed 15 Christian villages in Plateau State, killing at least 50 people and destroying homes and crops. Local Christian leaders described it as "systematic persecution." In November, Boko Haram ambushed a Christian convoy in Borno State, executing 20 believers and burning their vehicles.

Although some violence in Nigeria stems from ethnic or land-use conflicts, extremist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) specifically target Christian communities, pastors, schools, and churches with religious motives. The pattern is unmistakable: attacks on churches during worship services, kidnapping of Christian schoolgirls, assassinations of pastors, burning of Christian villages, and forced conversions at gunpoint.

The abduction of these 25 schoolgirls highlights not only the ongoing threat posed by extremist terrorist groups but also the inability—or unwillingness—of local security forces to protect Christian communities from targeted violence. Parents send their daughters to school, and armed militants carry them away into the forest. This is the reality for Christians in Nigeria today.

Reverend Hayab, Chairman of the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria, has called denials of Christian targeting "unjust to victims." He notes that patterns of discrimination existed long before Boko Haram emerged. On social media, Nigerian Christians share heartbreaking testimonies of having to change their names—from Solomon to Suleiman, from Grace to Halima—just to access jobs or safety in the predominantly Muslim north.

This isn't random violence. This is systematic persecution of Christians in a nation that's roughly split 50-50 between Christians and Muslims, with Christians concentrated in the south and Middle Belt, and Muslims dominating the north.

But to understand what's happening today, we need to understand how Christianity came to Nigeria and why it has such deep roots there. Christianity first arrived in Nigeria in the 15th century through Portuguese Catholic missionaries along the coast. But the real expansion came in the 19th century when Protestant missionaries, particularly from Britain, established churches, schools, and hospitals across southern Nigeria.

The missionaries found receptive audiences, especially among the Igbo, Yoruba, and other southern ethnic groups. By the time Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960, Christianity had become deeply embedded in southern Nigerian culture. Millions of Nigerians embraced the Gospel, and the Nigerian church became one of the most vibrant in Africa.

Today, Nigeria has an estimated 95-100 million Christians—making it home to one of the largest Christian populations in the world! Nigerian Christians are known for their passionate worship, strong prayer culture, and commitment to evangelism. The Nigerian church sends missionaries to other African nations and even to Europe and North America. But this vibrant Christian community is now under severe attack.

So when and why did the current persecution start? While tensions between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria have existed for decades, the current crisis really intensified in 2009 with the emergence of Boko Haram. The name "Boko Haram" roughly translates to "Western education is forbidden," and the group's goal is to establish an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria governed by strict Sharia law.

Boko Haram began as a radical Islamic sect but became increasingly violent, launching attacks on churches, Christian villages, and government targets. Their most infamous act was the 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok—most of them Christians—with many still missing today. Boko Haram has pledged allegiance to ISIS and is considered one of the deadliest terrorist organizations in the world.

But Boko Haram isn't the only threat. Starting around 2010, violence by Fulani herdsmen dramatically escalated. The Fulani are predominantly Muslim cattle herders who have clashed with Christian farmers over land and water resources, particularly in Nigeria's Middle Belt. But what started as resource conflicts has evolved into something far more sinister—organized attacks on Christian communities that look less like land disputes and more like ethnic cleansing.

The Fulani attacks follow a pattern: Armed militants raid Christian villages at night, burn homes and churches, kill men, women, and children, and drive survivors from their land. Then Fulani herdsmen move their cattle onto the now-empty land. It's displacement through violence, and it's happening with alarming frequency.

Many Nigerian Christian leaders and international observers believe these attacks are coordinated and have support from powerful interests who want to Islamize the Middle Belt region. The fact that the Nigerian government has done little to stop the violence has led to accusations of complicity or at least gross negligence.

So what's being done about this crisis? Following President Trump's ultimatum, several actions are underway. On November 7th, Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia introduced House Resolution 866, condemning the persecution and pledging U.S. support for Trump's initiatives, including sanctions on those enabling the violence. ADF International and other advocacy groups are backing it, urging global pressure on Nigeria.

Senator Ted Cruz introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act in September 2025, which mandates State Department reports on whether U.S. aid is going to perpetrators of violence. The Pentagon is now planning for "possible action," potentially including drone strikes or special operations against Boko Haram and Fulani militant groups—though no deployment has happened yet.

International Christian Concern and American Aid for the Faithful lobbied Congress in October for genocide recognition and cuts to aid for Nigeria. The Heritage Foundation released a report in November calling for U.S. military aid to protect African Christians. Trump's designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations puts the nation under enhanced scrutiny.

The Nigerian government's response has been defensive. President Tinubu's administration denies targeted persecution of Christians, blaming "armed criminals" and pledging more troops—5,000 were deployed to Plateau State in October. They demand "Nigerian solutions" and reject foreign intervention as neo-colonial interference.

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs echoes the government line, denying any "genocide" and attributing violence to poverty and climate issues affecting everyone. But Nigerian Christian leaders and organizations continue documenting atrocities through social media campaigns like #StopChristianGenocideInNigeria. They're calling for the international community to recognize what's happening and take action.

This situation presents a difficult tension. On one hand, Christians are being slaughtered and the Nigerian government has proven either unable or unwilling to stop it. The church in Nigeria is crying out for help, and the U.S. has both the capability and arguably the moral responsibility to respond.

On the other hand, U.S. military intervention in a sovereign African nation carries enormous risks—potential escalation of violence, damage to diplomatic relations, accusations of neo-colonialism, and the possibility of making things worse rather than better. Nigeria is a major U.S. partner in counterterrorism efforts in West Africa, and souring that relationship could have regional consequences.

But regardless of what the U.S. government does or doesn't do, the global church has clear responsibilities. First and foremost, we must pray. Hebrews 13:3 commands us: "Remember those in prison as if you yourselves were prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."

Right now, Nigerian Christians are suffering unimaginable violence. They're watching their family members murdered. They're fleeing their homes with nothing. They're living in displacement camps. Their daughters are being kidnapped from schools and carried into forests. They're being forced to choose between their faith and their safety. We must remember them in prayer—fervent, consistent, urgent prayer.

Let me give you five specific ways to respond to the Nigerian crisis.

First, pray by name. Go to persecution.com or opendoorsusa.org and get the names of imprisoned Nigerian pastors and details about specific attacks. Pray specifically for the 25 schoolgirls just abducted from Kebbi State. Pray for communities that have been attacked, for displaced families, for traumatized children.

Second, give financially. Organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors, and Barnabas Fund are providing practical support to Nigerian Christians—helping displaced families, supporting widows and orphans, providing Bibles and training for underground church leaders. Your giving can literally save lives and sustain the church under persecution.

Third, raise awareness. Most Americans have no idea what's happening in Nigeria. Share information on social media. Talk about it with your church. Write to your congressional representatives urging them to support legislation like H.Res. 866 and Senator Cruz's accountability act. The silence of the global church emboldens persecutors.

Fourth, support Nigerian Christian refugees. There are Nigerian Christians seeking asylum in the United States and other countries, fleeing persecution. If your church has refugee resettlement programs, consider specifically helping Nigerian Christian families.

And fifth, fast and pray for a breakthrough. This situation requires spiritual warfare. The powers of darkness are working to wipe out Christianity in Nigeria. We need to fast and pray for God to intervene, to protect His people, and to bring about justice.

Because make no mistake—this is spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Yes, there are human perpetrators—Boko Haram terrorists, Fulani militants, corrupt government officials. But behind them are demonic forces that hate Jesus Christ and want to destroy His church. The enemy wants to wipe out the vibrant, growing Nigerian church before it can fulfill its potential to evangelize West Africa and beyond.

But here's what we know: The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's church! Jesus promised it in Matthew 16:18. The blood of the martyrs has always been the seed of the church. Persecution has never stopped the Gospel—it spreads it. And God is sovereign over nations, governments, and terrorists.

Even in the midst of this horror, God is at work in Nigeria. Despite persecution, the Nigerian church continues to grow. Despite violence, Nigerian Christians continue to worship, evangelize, and plant churches. Despite displacement, they continue to gather for prayer and Bible study in refugee camps.

I've read testimonies of Nigerian Christians who've lost everything but say, "Jesus is worth it." I've heard about pastors who refuse to flee even though they're targeted for assassination because they won't abandon their congregations. I've seen videos of Nigerian believers worshiping with joy and passion even in the midst of devastation.

This is the kind of faith that challenges comfortable Western Christianity. These are believers who truly understand what it means to take up your cross and follow Jesus. And their witness is bearing fruit—even some Muslims who witness Christian faithfulness in suffering are coming to faith in Christ!

So here's my challenge: Don't let the suffering of Nigerian Christians be in vain. Don't let their persecution happen in the shadows while we ignore it. Don't let their blood cry out from the ground without anyone hearing.

Pray for Nigeria. Give to Nigeria. Speak up for Nigeria. Fast for Nigeria. And trust that God is sovereign over this situation, even when it looks dark and hopeless.

Let me pray: Lord Jesus, we lift up our Nigerian brothers and sisters to You right now. We cry out for Your protection over them. We pray specifically for those 25 schoolgirls kidnapped from Kebbi State—Lord, protect them, deliver them, bring them home safely! Stop the violence, Lord! Expose the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Give courage to believers who are facing threats. Comfort those who've lost loved ones. Provide for the 15 million who've been displaced from their homes. Give President Tinubu and his government wisdom and the will to protect all Nigerians regardless of faith. Guide President Trump and U.S. leaders in how to respond effectively without making things worse.

Raise up advocates who will speak for the voiceless. And Lord, we pray for a great revival in Nigeria—that persecution would backfire on the enemy and result in millions more coming to Christ! Use the blood of the martyrs as seed for an unprecedented harvest. In Your powerful name, amen.

Thank you for joining me today. This has been a heavy episode, but these are our family members suffering and dying. We can't look away. Visit persecution.com to get involved, and please share this episode with others who need to know what's happening.

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations and never forget our suffering family in Nigeria!

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The Gen Z Awakening: What's Happening on America's College Campuses

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to tell you about something that has me absolutely on fire with hope for this generation. Something that's happening right now on college campuses across America that I believe is nothing short of a genuine move of God.

If you've been paying attention to what's happening in higher education over the last few years, you know that college campuses have been considered some of the most secular, hostile environments for Christians in America. The recent Pro-Palestinian, Anti-Semitic, Anti-American demonstrations really brought this to light. These are places where faith has been mocked, where biblical values have been rejected, where students have been taught that Christianity is outdated and irrelevant.

But something is shifting. Something powerful. Something that few saw coming. Gen Z—the generation that grew up with smartphones, social media, and unprecedented anxiety—is encountering Jesus on college campuses in numbers we haven't seen in decades. And they're not just quietly believing—they're gathering by the thousands to worship, getting baptized in arenas, and boldly declaring that Jesus is Lord.

And friends, just this past week, we saw even more evidence that this movement is accelerating! Let me tell you about what happened at NC State, Clemson, and Utah Valley University.

At North Carolina State University, the UniteUS gathering drew an estimated 6,000 students to J.S. Dorton Arena for a night of worship, preaching, and prayer. According to CBN News, hundreds of students responded to the Gospel and 77 were baptized that night! This marked one of the most significant campus worship events in NC State's history. Six thousand students coming out on a weeknight to worship Jesus at a major secular university!

Then at Clemson University, more than 6,000 students and community members gathered at T. Ed Garrison Arena for another powerful UniteUS event. CBN reports that hundreds "fully surrendered their lives to Jesus," and 78 individuals were baptized on site. Two major universities, two nights, 12,000 students total, hundreds of salvations, and over 150 baptisms!

And Greg Laurie's "Hope for America" outreach at Utah Valley University—the same campus where Charlie Kirk was tragically killed—drew about 7,800 people in person, with an additional 210,000 online viewers via livestream. The event was organized in just six weeks following Charlie's death and was intended as a message of hope, healing, and Gospel clarity. More than 2,100 people made professions of faith, both in person and online! Sixty-seven partnering churches across the region came together to make this happen.

Friends, this is happening right now!

Let me give you the bigger picture of Unite US. This is a student-initiated movement that started at Auburn University in 2024, and it has exploded across America in 2025. These aren't events organized by pastors or parachurch ministries from the outside. These are students—college students—saying, "We want to gather and worship Jesus on our campus."

And here's what's remarkable: According to the latest statistics from Unite US, over the last two years they have reached over 110,000 students on 18 campuses, with more than 16,000 professions of faith! And that's not even counting the events from this past week! When you add NC State and Clemson, we're looking at 18+ campuses, well over 120,000 attendees, and salvations continuing to climb.

These are arena-style gatherings where students worship, hear the Gospel, and participate in baptisms and public commitments to faith. And the fruit is undeniable.

Let me give you some specific examples of what God has been doing throughout 2025. At Purdue University in March, 4,500 students gathered for worship and prayer. Nearly half of them—over 2,000 students—confessed Jesus as Savior that night! Multiple water baptisms followed. Organizers described it as a "revival" with intense spiritual encounters.

At Ohio State University in February, around 7,000 students filled an arena for worship. Nearly 2,000 students made faith commitments in one night! Think about that—2,000 students at one of America's largest secular universities saying yes to Jesus.

At Auburn University in April—the origin campus of this movement—10,000 students gathered in a massive declaration that their campus would be a "house of prayer." Ten thousand! High-energy worship with thousands praising Jesus, declaring His name over their university.

The University of Oklahoma in September saw over 10,000 students fill an empty arena for Gospel preaching and worship. Many stepped forward to follow Jesus that night. At the University of Tennessee in October, 8,000 students prayed and praised Jesus at the Food City Center. Five hundred made decisions for Christ, and hundreds were baptized!

And can we talk about the baptisms for a moment? At the University of South Florida in October, around 7,000 students gathered for a powerful worship night. There were approximately 2,000 salvations and over 300 baptisms! One remarkable story from that night was a former Satan worshiper who was baptized onstage. From darkness to light—right there in front of thousands of students!

At the University of Cincinnati, the arena filled for praise and worship. Hundreds were baptized, and 2,000 students were connected to local churches. The organizers called it "a glimpse of heaven."

And now we add NC State with 77 baptisms and Clemson with 78 baptisms—all in a single week! These aren't just emotional experiences—these students are getting baptized, joining churches, and committing to follow Jesus with their lives!

Here's what sets this movement apart: Unite US emphasizes student ownership. This isn't a visiting evangelist coming in with a big production. This is students saying, "We're taking responsibility for reaching our campus." They're organizing the events, leading worship, sharing testimonies, and inviting their friends.

The NC State and Clemson events perfectly reflect this model—campus ministries and local believers coming together to lead their peers toward Christ. This is exactly what we saw in the Fourth Great Awakening—the Jesus Movement of the 1960s and 70s. That movement wasn't led by established church hierarchies. It was young people reaching young people. And that's what we're seeing again!

Turning Point USA has also played a significant role in this spiritual awakening, particularly through TPUSA Faith, which integrates Christian principles into campus activism. While TPUSA events aren't exclusively worship-focused like Unite US gatherings, they blend political speaking with faith elements—prayers, discussions of biblical values, and bold declarations of Christian conviction.

Following the assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk in September 2025, the organization saw explosive growth. Over 135,000 requests for new chapters came in—many of them faith-focused—and they launched "This Is The Turning Point" 2025 Campus Tour. TPUSA Faith reports what they're calling the "Charlie Kirk Effect"—a 15% boost in church attendance among young people and increased Bible sales among youth, crediting Kirk's legacy of faith-infused campus outreach.

Charlie's death became a catalyzing moment. His memorial service featured unprecedented public Gospel declarations by government leaders like Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Young people watched their leaders be unashamed of Jesus, and it emboldened an entire generation to do the same.

And Greg Laurie's "Hope for America" event at Utah Valley University—organized in just six weeks on the very campus where Charlie was killed—demonstrates how tragedy is being transformed into Gospel opportunity. With 7,800 in person, 210,000 online, and over 2,100 professions of faith, the message is clear: Hope wins. The Gospel advances. What the enemy meant for evil, God is using for good.

My own young adult children were deeply impacted by Charlie's death. Instead of responding with despair, they—along with countless others their age—began engaging people about Jesus Christ. That's the mark of genuine revival—tragedy becomes a platform for the Gospel.

But it's not just Unite US and TPUSA. There are multiple streams converging into this revival. Sean Feucht's Let Us Worship movement has contributed to the broader momentum. Greg Laurie's Harvest events continue reaching tens of thousands, now with massive digital reach—210,000 online viewers for the Utah event alone! Media outlets are noting a "countercultural turn" among Gen Z, with revivals spreading organically across the nation.

And the statistics back this up! Bible sales have surged 41.6% since 2022. Religious app downloads are up 79.5% since 2019. Contemporary Christian music streams have increased 50% since 2019. And here's the big one: Gen Z and Millennials now lead church attendance in America! For the first time in decades, younger generations are attending church at higher rates than older generations.

So what's driving this? Why is Gen Z—the generation raised on TikTok and Instagram, the generation told that truth is relative and religion is oppressive—suddenly filling arenas to worship Jesus?

I believe it's because they've seen through the empty promises of our culture. They've experienced the anxiety, depression, and purposelessness that comes from a life without God. They're the most medicated, most therapy-dependent, most anxious generation in history. And they're discovering that only Jesus satisfies the deepest longings of their hearts.

They've tried everything else. They've tried finding identity in sexuality, politics, social media followers, academic achievement, activism. And none of it has filled the void. But when they encounter Jesus—not religious performance, but genuine relationship with the living God—they respond with wholehearted devotion!

And here's what excites me most: This isn't just about big events. These gatherings are producing lasting fruit. Students are getting baptized and joining local churches. At the University of Cincinnati event, 2,000 students were connected to churches. At the Utah Harvest event, 67 local churches partnered together to follow up with new believers. That's discipleship! That's what genuine awakening looks like—not just decisions, but disciples.

TPUSA Faith is providing resources for chapters to host Bible studies and prayer groups on campus. Students are starting their own prayer movements. Some campuses are seeing ongoing weekly worship gatherings. The revival atmosphere isn't just during the big arena events—it's continuing in dorm rooms, campus ministries, and local churches.

And these students are being countercultural in the best way. They're not conforming to the secular campus culture. They're not hiding their faith. When everyone else is protesting for political causes, they're gathering to worship Jesus. When others are seeking identity in a thousand different places, they're finding it in Christ.

This is what revival looks like—believers who are unashamed, bold, and willing to be different from the culture around them. At UC Berkeley in November, TPUSA held an event with about 900 attendees despite protests outside. Berkeley! One of the most liberal, secular campuses in America. And students showed up to declare their faith despite opposition.

This shouldn't surprise us. Throughout Scripture, God has used young people in powerful ways. David was a youth when he killed Goliath. Jeremiah was young when God called him to be a prophet—and Jeremiah said, "I'm too young!" But God said, "Don't say you're too young. Go where I send you and say what I command you."

Timothy was young when Paul mentored him for ministry. Paul told him, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). That's exactly what we're seeing—young believers setting an example for the rest of us in their bold faith and unashamed worship!

Now here's what's crucial: If this is a genuine awakening, it must produce missionaries! Every great awakening in American history has sent waves of missionaries to the ends of the earth. The question is: Will this Gen Z revival do the same?

With over 7,400 unreached people groups representing 3.3 billion people who have never heard the Gospel, we desperately need this generation to say, "Here I am, send me!" If God is reviving the American church, it's not just so we can have great worship experiences on campus. It's so we can reach the world!

I'm praying that these thousands of students who've given their lives to Jesus—16,000+ through Unite US alone, plus 2,100 at the Utah Harvest event, plus countless others—will include hundreds, maybe thousands, who will become missionaries to unreached peoples. I'm praying that this generation will be the one that finishes the Great Commission.

So what can we do to support and participate in what God is doing? Let me give you five practical ways.

First, pray! Pray for these campus revivals to continue and spread. Pray for the students who've made commitments to Christ—that they'll be discipled and grow strong in their faith. Pray for protection from the enemy who will try to quench this movement.

Second, if you're a college student, get involved! Find out if Unite US or TPUSA Faith has a presence on your campus. If not, consider starting a prayer group or Bible study. Be bold in sharing your faith with your friends.

Third, if you're a parent, encourage your college-age children to participate in these movements. Fan the flames of their passion for Jesus!

Fourth, support campus ministries financially. Organizations like Cru, InterVarsity, YWAM, BCM, Navigators and others need resources to disciple the thousands of new believers.

And fifth, connect this revival to missions! Help students see that God is reviving them not just for their own blessing, but to send them to the nations.

This campus revival is part of something bigger. It's connected to the alternative Super Bowl worship events being planned for 2026. It's connected to the bold faith declarations we saw at Charlie Kirk's memorial service. It's connected to the surge in Bible sales, app downloads, and Christian music streams. It's connected to the fact that young people are leading church attendance for the first time in decades.

All these streams are converging into what could be the Fifth Great Awakening. Fifty years after the Jesus Movement ended, God is moving again among young people. And just like that movement transformed American Christianity and sent missionaries around the world, I believe this one will too!

I have to tell you—as someone who's been watching the decline of Christianity in America for years, who's seen churches close and young people walk away from faith—what's happening right now fills me with incredible hope! God is not done with America. He's not done with this generation. In fact, He might be just getting started!

My own children are part of this generation, and seeing their faith emboldened by what God is doing on campuses, by the example of leaders who aren't ashamed of Jesus, by the worship movements and prayer gatherings—it encourages my heart as a parent. This is what we've been praying for!

So here's my challenge: Don't sit on the sidelines of what God is doing. If you're a student, be part of it! If you're a parent, support it! If you're a church leader, disciple these young believers! If you're a missionary mobilizer, recruit from this revival! And all of us should pray, give, and participate in whatever way God calls us.

Let me pray: Lord, thank You for what You're doing on college campuses across America! Thank You for NC State and Clemson just this week—12,000 students, hundreds saved, over 150 baptized! Thank You for the 2,100 who responded at Utah Valley University. Thank You for raising up a generation of young people who aren't ashamed of Jesus, who worship boldly, who are willing to be countercultural for Your sake.

Pour out Your Spirit even more! Let this revival spread to every campus in America and around the world. Protect these new believers from the enemy's attacks. Disciple them into mature followers of Christ. And raise up missionaries from this movement to take the Gospel to every unreached people group on earth. Use Gen Z to finish what previous generations started—the complete evangelization of the world! In Jesus's name, amen.

Thank you for joining me today. If this episode has stirred your heart, share it with others—especially college students and parents of college students. Let's spread the word about what God is doing!

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations and watch for what God is doing in the next generation!

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Is America on the Verge of Another Great Awakening?

Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to talk about something that has my heart racing with hope and expectation. I want to ask a question that I believe could define this generation: Is America on the verge of another Great Awakening?

There's something stirring. Something shifting. Something that feels different than anything we've seen in decades. Young people are turning to Jesus in unprecedented numbers. College campuses—long considered secular strongholds—are experiencing revival. Bible sales are surging. Worship music is dominating streaming platforms. And believers are boldly pushing back against the darkness in our culture.

Could we be witnessing the begining of the Fifth Great Awakening? To answer that question, we need to look at history—because friends, this has happened before. And remarkably, it happens with stunning regularity.

Here's what's fascinating: Throughout American history, major spiritual awakenings have occurred approximately every 50 years. The First Great Awakening in the 1730s-1740s. The Second Great Awakening from 1790-1850. The Third Great Awakening around 1900-1910. The Fourth Great Awakening—which many call the Jesus Movement—from the 1960s to mid-1970s.

And friends, here we are in 2025—exactly 50 years after the last great awakening ended. Coincidence? I don't think so. I think God moves in patterns, and I think He's moving again right now. Let me take you through each awakening, and then we'll look at the remarkable similarities to what's happening today.

The First Great Awakening swept through the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, led primarily by two men: Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. Jonathan Edwards was a brilliant theologian and pastor in Northampton, Massachusetts, whose sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is still famous today. But friends, Edwards wasn't just about hellfire and brimstone—he preached with such passion about God's holiness and beauty that entire congregations would weep under conviction.

Edwards witnessed extraordinary conversions in his own church, with people crying out for salvation during services. He documented these revivals carefully, noting that the movement wasn't driven by human manipulation but by the clear work of God's Spirit. Then came George Whitefield, a young Anglican preacher from England who became the most famous person in America through his open-air preaching. Whitefield could preach to crowds of 20,000 without amplification, and his powerful messages about being "born again" reached people from all social classes.

This awakening transformed colonial America. Church membership soared. Universities like Princeton and Dartmouth were founded to train ministers. And friends, it creates a shared spiritual foundation that would later unite the colonies during the American Revolution. The awakening lasted about a decade but its effects shaped American Christianity for generations.

The Second Great Awakening began around 1790 and lasted until about 1850, characterized by powerful camp meeting revivals and the preaching of Charles Finney. Finney was a lawyer who converted to Christianity and became one of America's most effective evangelists. He pioneered the "anxious bench"—inviting seekers to come forward during services—and emphasized that revival could be promoted through human effort combined with prayer.

This awakening saw massive outdoor camp meetings on the frontier, where thousands would gather for days of preaching, singing, and prayer. The famous Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky in 1801 drew an estimated 20,000 people—an enormous crowd for that era. But the Second Great Awakening wasn't just emotional experience—it produced fruit! It fueled the abolitionist movement to end slavery, sparked prison reform, inspired missionaries like Adoniram Judson to go overseas, and led to the founding of countless colleges and charitable organizations. Friends, when God moves, society transforms!

The Third Great Awakening occurred roughly from 1890-1910, led largely by evangelist Dwight L. Moody. Moody was a former shoe salesman with limited formal education, but God used him powerfully in urban America during the Industrial Revolution. Unlike the frontier camp meetings of earlier awakenings, Moody brought revival to America's growing cities through massive evangelistic campaigns.

Moody emphasized God's love rather than judgment, reaching working-class people who felt alienated from formal churches. He founded what is now Moody Bible Institute to train Christian workers, and his influence extended to the Sunday School movement and the YMCA. This awakening also saw the rise of the Student Volunteer Movement, which mobilized thousands of young people for foreign missions with the motto "The evangelization of the world in this generation." Friends, notice the pattern—every awakening has a missions component! When God revives His church, we become passionate about reaching the lost!

The Fourth Great Awakening—commonly called the Jesus Movement or Jesus Revolution—swept America from the late 1960s to mid-1970s. This awakening was unique because it started among young people—hippies, surfers, and counterculture youth who were disillusioned with materialism and searching for meaning. Two key figures were Billy Graham, whose crusades continued to draw massive crowds, and Chuck Smith, the pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California.

Chuck Smith opened his church to hippies and young people that traditional churches had rejected. He baptized thousands in the Pacific Ocean. Calvary Chapel became the epicenter of a movement that emphasized contemporary worship music, casual church services, and Bible teaching. This awakening produced the contemporary Christian music industry, with artists like Larry Norman pioneering Jesus music. It also sparked a renewed interest in biblical prophecy and end-times teaching.

The Jesus Movement saw hundreds of thousands of young people converted, thousands entering ministry, and a complete transformation of American church culture toward more contemporary expressions. Friends, and here's what's crucial—that movement ended in the mid-1970s, right around 1975. Which brings us to 2025—exactly 50 years later.

So what's happening today that makes me believe we might be on the verge of another awakening? Friends, the signs are everywhere! Let me share some remarkable statistics that show something significant is stirring.

First, Bible sales have surged 41.6% since 2022! Think about that—in our digital age, when people can access Scripture for free online, physical Bible sales are skyrocketing. People are hungry for God's Word! Religious app downloads are up 79.5% since 2019, with apps like Bible Gateway, YouVersion, and Hallow seeing explosive growth.

Contemporary Christian music streams have increased 50% since 2019. Worship songs are dominating streaming platforms, with artists like Forrest Frank seeing viral success. His song "Good Day" reached millions of young people on TikTok, and he's been leading worship at massive events. But here's what really gets my attention: Gen Z and Millennials now LEAD church attendance in America! For the first time in decades, younger generations are attending church at higher rates than older generations. Churches across America are reporting record attendance, particularly among young adults.

But friends, something happened recently that I believe will be remembered as a pivotal moment in this awakening: the assassination of Charlie Kirk. When Charlie was tragically killed, it sent shockwaves through young conservatives and Christians across America. My own young adult children, along with countless others their age, were deeply impacted. And something remarkable happened—instead of responding with despair or rage, young people began engaging others about Jesus Christ.

Charlie's memorial service was like nothing our nation has ever seen. The worship that went on during that service—friends, you could feel the Holy Spirit moving even while watching on television! But what made it truly unprecedented was the boldness of the speakers. Government leaders—Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio—stood before the nation and openly declared their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

When have we ever seen that? High-ranking government officials using a nationally televised memorial service to proclaim the Gospel? Friends, this wasn't political posturing. This was genuine testimony. And it sparked conversations about Jesus in places where faith had been pushed to the margins for decades. Young people watched their leaders be unashamed of the Gospel, and it emboldened them to be unashamed too.

We're also seeing powerful moves of God on college campuses. Auburn University, the University of Arkansas, and other schools have experienced spontaneous worship gatherings with thousands of students. These aren't organized events—students are simply gathering to worship Jesus!

Turning Point USA has been at the forefront of reaching young people with a message that combines faith and cultural engagement. Their events regularly draw tens of thousands of young adults. And the integration of the Gospel into TPUSA's messaging has created a space where young conservatives feel permission to talk openly about their faith. Young people are responding to bold, unapologetic Christianity that doesn't compromise truth.

Here's something that shows the boldness of this generation: the planned pushback against the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. When the NFL announced a performer known for explicit, dark content, Christians didn't just complain—they organized an alternative! TPUSA, along with worship artists Forrest Frank and Cory Asbury, are both planning massive worship gatherings as a counter-events.

Friends, think about what this represents! Rather than retreating or simply boycotting, believers are offering a better option—worship of the living God instead of worldly entertainment. This kind of bold cultural engagement is exactly what we saw in previous awakenings! Christians aren't hiding—they're declaring truth publicly. Young believers are unashamed of Jesus, and they're willing to stand against the darkness in our culture.

And here's what's so similar to the Fourth Great Awakening: young people are leading the charge! Just as hippies and surfers encountered Jesus in the 1960s-70s, Gen Z is encountering Him today. These are young people who grew up in the most secular, digitally-connected, anxious generation in history—and they're discovering that only Jesus satisfies.

They've seen through the empty promises of social media, cancel culture, and identity politics. They're tired of depression, anxiety, and purposelessness. And when they encounter the reality of Jesus—not religious performance, but genuine relationship with God—they're responding with whole-hearted devotion!

Now friends, before we get too excited, let me say this: Not every uptick in religious interest is a Great Awakening. True awakenings have specific characteristics. They involve widespread conviction of sin and genuine repentance. They produce lasting fruit in changed lives and transformed communities. They emphasize sound biblical teaching, not just emotional experience. They result in increased evangelism and missions activity. And they impact the broader culture, not just church attendance.

So the question is: Are we seeing these elements today? I believe we're seeing the early signs! The emphasis on biblical teaching among young believers, the boldness in evangelism, the hunger for God's Word, the cultural engagement, the public declarations of faith by leaders—these are all marks of genuine spiritual awakening.

But friends, awakenings don't happen automatically. They require certain conditions. Second Chronicles 7:14 tells us, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

We need humble, persistent prayer. We need genuine repentance from sin—not just personal sin, but corporate sins like materialism, pride, and indifference to the lost. We need bold preaching of God's Word without compromise. We need Spirit-empowered evangelism. And we need believers who are willing to be different from the culture, not conformed to it.

And here's what's crucial: If this is a genuine Fifth Great Awakening, it must have a missions component! While the First Great Awakening laid important groundwork through men like David Brainerd's work with Native Americans, the Second Great Awakening sent Adoniram Judson to Burma. The Third Great Awakening produced the Student Volunteer Movement. The Fourth Great Awakening sparked a missions movement to unreached people groups.

If God is stirring America again, it's not just so we can have better church services! It's so we can reach the 3.4 billion people in over 7,000 unreached people groups who have never heard about Jesus! An awakening that doesn't result in missions passion isn't a complete awakening. God revives His church so we can reach the world!

So friends, what do we do with all this? First, pray! Pray for genuine revival in America and around the world. Ask God to pour out His Spirit in conviction and power. Second, repent! Don't wait for everyone else to get right with God—you start! Turn from anything in your life that grieves the Holy Spirit.

Third, boldly share your faith! The young people leading this movement aren't ashamed of Jesus—don't you be either! Fourth, support what God is doing! When you see college revivals, worship movements, or bold Christian engagement—encourage it, pray for it, participate in it! And fifth, look beyond America! If God is reviving the American church, it's so we can bless the nations. Get involved in missions!

Friends, I truly believe we're living in a unique moment in history. The 50-year pattern. The signs all around us. The hunger among young people. The boldness we witnessed at Charlie Kirk's memorial service as our government leaders publicly declared Jesus as Savior. The statistics showing unprecedented engagement with Scripture and worship. God is moving!

But here's my challenge: Don't just observe it—participate in it! Don't be a spectator to what God is doing—be part of it! This could be the moment that defines a generation. This could be the awakening that sends thousands of missionaries to unreached peoples. This could be the revival that transforms America and impacts the world!

Let me pray: Lord, we desperately need You to move again in America! We confess our pride, our materialism, our lukewarmness, our indifference to the lost. Pour out Your Spirit! Bring conviction, repentance, and transformation! Use this generation of young people to spark a movement that reaches every campus, every city, every nation! We thank You for using even tragedy—like Charlie Kirk's death—to awaken hearts. Thank You for leaders bold enough to declare Jesus publicly. Give us all that same boldness! Give us passion for Your Word. Give us hearts for the lost. If this is the beginning of the Fifth Great Awakening, please fan the flames, Holy Spirit! And may this revival send missionaries to every unreached people group on earth! In Jesus's name, amen.

Thank you for joining me today, friends. I'm more hopeful about the future of Christianity in America than I've been in years—not because of politics or programs, but because I see God moving in hearts. Watch for it. Pray for it. Participate in it!

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations and be part of what God is doing in this generation!

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