This Week in Faith 2-13-20

What Narrative Are We Telling Our Children

There are probably a number of things we do as parents in which we have the best intentions but are actually teaching and promoting something unhealthy, and even unBiblical. The way we sometimes talk about sexual purity and future marriage can be one of them. And Valentine’s Day can often be the time we do this the most. God will not call all of our kids to get married so the way we help them understand a Biblical perspective on purity and singleness now will impact their future responses. This is a god article to help us consider the way we talk about the future with our kids and how we can be more intentional with them so they can be satisfied with whatever plan God has for their future.

Click here to read the article by Chap Bettis.

11 Social Media Red Flags Parents Should Know About

I often have parents ask me about different social media apps as they try to decide what to allow their kids to use. I wish I knew more, especially as we navigate this with our own kids. But this article gives some really practical things to look for and ways that you can evaluate the apps your kids are asking for. Many apps have a lot of fun aspects to them, but they all also have the capability of becoming dangerous for kids in one way or another. Hopefully this article will help you get a little better handle on what to look for and how to evaluate them.

Click here to read the article by Christine Elgersma.

How to Raise Children in a “Be Yourself” World

Right now we are studying 1 John with middle and high school students. We just finished talking about 1 John 2:15-17 which begins, “Do not love the world”. There are so many messages our kids receive that tell them the opposite of this. This article is a good summary of some of those messages, and how we can be consistently proactive to help our kids hear the truth. We get to warn them of the dangers of loving the world, but we also get to offer them something more beautiful, satisfying and lasting to love- a savior who has loved them first and given his life for them!

Click here to read the article by Matt Fuller.

What’s One Way Christian Parents Can Engage with the Public School System?

This is an opportunity for ministry I have not thought much about before this article. I’m sure it is not for everyone, but the opportunities to enter the public schools as a substitute teacher as an encouragement to faculty and staff, and to minister to students, could be a great ministry for someone. I have been a mentor on school campuses for the last 10 years, as well as involved in parent advisory boards and a book club with parents and school counselors I’m about to start. I love the opportunity to be on school campuses, especially the ones my kids attend, to experience what it’s like and to love and serve the people that are there. It has helped me appreciate all that happens on campus more.

Click here to read the article by Catherine Parks.

This Week in Faith 2-6-20

The Single Word That Saved Me- and My Teens- From Jealousy and Comparison

The good news the gospel provides us is that we no longer have to live our lives building an identity and determining our value by how we stack up to those around us. If our faith is in Jesus, we have been made children of God. This status gives us a value and significance that can never be taken away because of our own inadequacies or the judgments of others. I know I forget this often and need regular reminders of it. Our kids need it too. It’s not easy growing up and the pressure to measure up is hitting our kids at earlier ages all the time. Hopefully these words, rooted in Ephesians 2, are what you needed to be reminded of today. My guess is they are what our kids are longing to hear so they can find rest for their souls in Jesus.

Click here to read the article by Heather Holleman.

How Do You Feel About Your 170 Hours of TV So Far This Year?

Pastor Nathan has been encouraging us to read through the entire Bible this year. In our student ministry Sunday school class, we have talking about habits we can develop to cultivate a deeper love for God and others. And maybe some of you have made other commitments for the new year [decade] that you would like to stick to. This is a challenging but encouraging reminder that, for many of us, we have more time than we realize. Hopefully it’s helpful for you and maybe it can spark some good discussion with your kids about how to make the most of the time.

Click here to read the article by Tim Challies.

The Rise of Skywalker and Spiritual Adoption

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the newest Star Wars movie Rise of Skywalker.

I know it’s been awhile since this movie came out but hopefully this means that if you are interested in it, and in seeing it with your kids, you have already gone. I appreciate articles like this because it teaches me how to think about what I watch and listen to through the lens of the gospel. I tell our students all the time, “Don’t turn off your brain when you walk into the theater or turn on Netflix.” Hopefully, if you’ve watched the new Star Wars movie with your kids, this article can help you do this well, and train your kids to do the same.

Click here to read the article by Claude Atcho.

VIDEO: Learning from Suffering

All of our families struggle and suffer through different seasons of life. This times don’t mean that God is idle or far from us. In reality, he is walking with us through those times as he teaches us about himself, ourselves, and how to walk with him more closely. This is a three and half minute video by the pastor of Prince Avenue about some of the things he’s learned through the suffering his family has experienced.

Click here to watch the video with Pastor Josh Smith.

This Week in Faith 1-30-20

Party to Watch the Super Bowl for Middle and High School Students- This Sunday night at 6PM, at church. Join us for lots of food, great commercials, a chance to win prizes, and oh, yeah…a football game.

Faith MMO Fun Run, 5K and 10K- Just a reminder that the annual racing event to support MMO and their scholarship program is coming up on February 8 at Oconee Veterans Park. You can register online HERE. I hope you can join us!

The Mix- This event for middle and high school students is coming up February 28-March 1 but registration is open now. It is a great weekend that your student will not want to miss. The price of registration goes up tomorrow so today is a great time to sign up your student or encourage a student they have invited to sign up. You can register online HERE.

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Your Kids Need You to Talk to Them

Mission Accomplished! In fact, I’m pretty sure my kids are tired of hearing me talk to them! :) But this article is a good reminder of some of how we fulfill the call God has given us as parents. We are to pass on Biblical wisdom and truth that points them to the hero of the Bible and their savior, Jesus. There are probably many times when it feels like they aren’t listening or you aren’t getting through. But “take heart” and “don’t grow weary”, God is at work in the hearts of your kids and he’s using you to help grow them up and root them in Jesus.

Click here to read the article by William P. Smith.

The Outsize Influence of Your Middle-School Friends

This is a little bit longer read but a fascinating look into the research of the middle school brain and the power of social relationships. After 20 years of working with middle schoolers, I have given up hope of ever fully understanding them! But this definitely gets to some of the things that most powerfully drive who they are becoming and what they are doing.

The research around peers is interesting. It made me think of an interview I saw one time with a high school girl. They were asking her, as a Christian, how she dealt with the pressure she faced from the students around her. Her answer was impressive, “I am the peer pressure!” 

Click here to read the article by Lydia Denworth.

Why Social Media is Not Smart for Middle School Kids

This article gives some great insight into the development of our kids, especially at the middle school age, and what they might be ready for [or not]. Every family has to make their own decisions about technology use, cell phones, and social media but it is helpful to be informed about the research that is out there. In general, I think some of what she says in this article applies to decisions we make about our kids in areas outside of technology like dating, media consumption [movies, Netflix, music], and more. With kids in 9th, 7th, and 5th grade, I know the constant pressure that comes with those infamous words from our kids “but everybody else…”. We want our families to be different because of our faith in Jesus. Sometimes this means being counter-cultural, not just a little bit different from everybody else. This is why these decisions are important. They are not easy which is why we need to ask God for the wisdom, courage and humility to lead our kids well. And to encourage each other towards that end.

Click here to read the article by Victoria Dunckley.

PODCAST: In the Word, On the Go

I found this podcast recently and it looks really good, especially if you are looking for something to help your family spend time talking about the Scriptures. Each episode is 10 minutes or less and features a guest talking about 1 Bible verse. They end with a question to help your family continue the discussion. This could be great for in the car, around the dinner table, or wherever you have 10 minutes together.

Click here to check out the podcast with Champ Thornton.

This Week in Faith 1-23-20

Faith MMO Fun Run, 5K and 10K- Just a reminder that the annual racing event to support MMO and their scholarship program is coming up on February 8 at Oconee Veterans Park. You can register online HERE. I hope you can join us!

The Mix- This event for middle and high school students is coming up February 28-March 1 but registration is open now. It is a great weekend that your student will not want to miss. The price of registration goes up tomorrow so today is a great time to sign up your student or encourage a student they have invited to sign up. You can register online HERE.

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The Case for Getting Married Young

With all of the research that exists about extended adolescence and the milestones being achieved later in life by the next generations, it could be easy to assume that our kids should just naturally fall into this pattern. I thought this article was an interesting look at the benefits of marrying earlier [not later] and a healthy push-back on the current cultural trends. 

Now, there are some obvious caveats: marriage is not God’s plan for everyone which means we also need to help our kids understand the value of singleness so, if it is what God chooses for them, they don’t see it as his Plan B for their lives; there is a certain level of maturity and readiness required for marriage that not everyone gets to early on; and I’m probably a little biased because I was married at 20 [as Kelly loves to remind me that I wasn’t old enough to drink champagne at our wedding :)]. But, we are in our 21st year of marriage and I really believe much of who I am is because of our marriage, not in spite of it. While I definitely didn’t feel ready for marriage [and maybe I wasn’t] I think this quote from the article is true: 

Marriage actually works best as a formative institution, not an institution you enter once you think you're fully formed. We learn marriage, just as we learn language, and to the teachable, some lessons just come easier earlier in life.

While she is definitely not advocating this for every person, I think there are some good things to consider in this article as we think about what we prioritize and how we help our kids think about marriage.

Click here to read the article by Karen Swallow Prior.

How to Teach Your Teen to Study the Bible

Knowing how to study the Bible with your kids can always be challenging. Especially as they get older, it’s important for us to transition from teaching them what to think about the Bible to teaching them how to think about and study the Bible for themselves. There are some great tips in here for how to do this. Even if you don’t implement all of it, she offers some good places to start.

Click here to read the article by Jen Wilkin.

PODCAST: Restoring the Justice System: Bryan Stevenson

The new movie Just Mercy is based on the book by Bryan Stevenson with the same name. The movie and the book tell stories of clients he has worked with through the Equal Justice Initiative. Many of these clients are on death row, and he works to right decisions for some who have been convicted and/or sentenced unjustly. Just Mercy mainly follows the case of Walter McMillan who was convicted and put on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. It also includes the story of Anthony Ray Hinton, who tells his own story in his book The Sun Does Shine, about his experience on death row for over 20 years for a crime he didn’t commit, before Bryan Stevenson was able to get his case reopened and ultimately prove his innocence. I would highly recommend the books and the movie. This talk gives you an understanding of how Bryan Stevenson’s faith informs his understanding of these issues and motivates him to do the work he does. Even if you don’t agree with everything he says, I think it’s important to give our kids examples of people whose lives and careers are being shaped by the gospel so they can respond to the callings God has given them.

Click here to listen to the talk by Bryan Stevenson.

RESOURCES: Helping Young Kids Understand Gender and Human Dignity  

Gender and human dignity are big issues in our current culture. But they are also important concepts in Scripture. Helping or kids understand what God has to say about these things from a young age can help shape their view of the world for a lifetime. It can help them to appreciate that God has good things to say about the issues we face and the things that matter to us. The two books below are aimed at kids 3-5 years old but can help us begin these conversations with kids at a wide range of ages. I have a  few extra copies of each of them in my office that I’d be happy to give to anyone interested in them. I think they are also available in the church library.

God Made Boys and Girls: Helping Children Understand the Gift of Gender

God Made Me Unique: Helping Children See Value in Every Person

This Week in Faith 1-16-20

Young Adults Reveal Their Goals For the Next Decade

I thought this was an interesting look at some recent research of 18-35 year olds. While your kids may not fall into this specific range, it gives a glimpse into the goals and priorities of younger generations. It shows their aspirations, fears, and gives us a good starting place for the ways we can help our kids, and young people around us, see how the gospel answers the questions they are asking and needs they have.

Click here to read the article from Barna Research.

Help! My Faith Is Being Opposed in the Classroom

While I don’t think this is as common as movies like “God’s Not Dead” make it out to be, having teachers oppose your faith in high school and college can happen in the same way opposition to faith can come from neighbors, friends and coworkers. Because the classroom can feel like a unique situation, I think this article has some good suggestions for how to approach this, written by a college president. I hope this can spark some good conversations between you and your kids about how to advocate for and articulate their faith in the public square with people who disagree with them. It is a skill that is lacking on all sides and that we need to cultivate again for ourselves and in our kids.

Click here to read the article by Gene Fant Jr.

Why Pornography is So Harmful For Children

This article shares a small part of the author’s heartbreaking story of abuse. But she also uses her story to bring to light some important things we need to think about and be proactive about as parents. We want to give our kids a picture of God’s good purposes for sex and help them understand how to recognize and respond to the dangerous distortions of it in our world, especially pornography. She gives some important statistics for us and our kids to know about the dangers of pornography, as well as some helpful places to start the conversation as they get to the appropriate age.

Click here to read the article by Jennifer Michelle Greenberg.

Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age

Every generation has its own layers that complicate the world of relationships. This is an 18-minute talk by Ben Stuart, who is from Atlanta and I believe is one of the speakers this year at The Mix [but I don’t think he will be talking about dating].

Click here to listen to this talk by Ben Stuart.