[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back to the courageous parenting podcast.
[SPEAKER_01]: Do your children have hope for the future?
[SPEAKER_01]: Do they struggle with thinking about what they're going to be able to do?
[SPEAKER_01]: Because they hear you having these conversations where the days, the times we're in are changing so much that they're like struggling to figure out what they want to do with their life.
[SPEAKER_01]: or maybe there's a lot of a focus on Jesus coming back and they're thinking, well, what's the point, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: We talk about all of these actual issues that kids could potentially be silently struggling with and what they're perceiving in your home.
[SPEAKER_01]: We have three main mindset changes that we really wanna encourage you as parents to encourage your kids with the brain of the home.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This is such an important topic in a time of accelerated change and you have to be proactive as parents.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can't just be reactive, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because by the time you're reacting to change that's happened, then there's already a cost.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's already something that is hurting your family or hurting
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not a fear-based thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just a different way to look at the world right now, but one of the challenges I think that is getting we think is going to grow
[SPEAKER_00]: is parents are going to talk about the hardships of the times and the discouragements of the times because there's change and times there's change that tends to happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's going to be one sided and a lot of sided in the children's minds.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we have to really be careful about that because we want our children to have hope to have optimism to feel like they have a vibrant future because we respond differently.
[SPEAKER_00]: We make stronger decisions.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we move in a more powerful way.
[SPEAKER_00]: in society when we believe there's hope.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's interesting to ask yourself the question, what is the basic theme of the conversations that I have, even like with your spouse?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, this is something that I think about in regards to when we're talking about things that we get excited about.
[SPEAKER_01]: I know that there are times like when an earthquake will happen, or
[SPEAKER_01]: multiple earthquakes which recently just did occur a few weeks ago there were earthquakes that were happening in different places around the world all within the same few hours and then within a few days of each other it was kind of crazy and and whenever things like that happen Isaac and I go,
[SPEAKER_01]: And we start praying, we start praying for those people, but you know, when you think about what the end days are Described as looking like when things like that or wars or rumors of wars You do start to wonder as a believer.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, it was just come back, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like at what point?
[SPEAKER_01]: Because none of us know when he's going to come, but we know that there are certain things that are going to get harder
[SPEAKER_01]: So here's a deal.
[SPEAKER_01]: What I just shared with you, if that is the typical conversation that you're having with your spouse and your kids are listening to bits and pieces of it, then they might be discouraged.
[SPEAKER_01]: And the reason why I think this is an important topic is even just being in fellowship with other people who...
[SPEAKER_01]: Eschatology is exciting.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's interesting to study, and it's a good thing for us to study, and so good thing for us to teach our kids the apologetics so that they can know when there's wayward teaching, happening, and they should have a hunger for wanting to learn and grow, and know more about it, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what I want for my kids.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what I hope that.
[SPEAKER_01]: continues in my own heart and soul right that you just have this voracious appetite for wanting to read the word but when you're in conversations with other people and you're talking about these things too then what are your kids perceiving right it's like that's the question is what is the theme of what they're hearing in your conversations maybe you and your spouse maybe you and your friends maybe at church um
[SPEAKER_01]: and they're hearing and your kids are probably hearing from other people or they're hearing this like the same theme happening over and over again and then they could start to become like, well, what's the point?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: We have to point and get married if Jesus is coming back so what do you want your legacy to look like?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do they have hope or are they excited to live old with their wife and have lots of kids and have their own legacy of faith that they're building in some day?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do they have a vision for that?
[SPEAKER_00]: Most importantly, the hope for eternal life, because they're believers and they're growing stronger in their faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's most important.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we are on earth and we're supposed to operate on earth right now with hope.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that is one of the differentiating things that non-believers will see in your children to cause them to ask a question for what do you have hope?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why are you so optimistic?
[SPEAKER_00]: Where's your joy coming from?
[SPEAKER_00]: These kinds of things don't happen if they're discouraged as they go through their time here on earth.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they don't have hopefulness or joyfulness about their future here.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's really important.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a really opens up gospel conversations.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, one of the biggest things is it's the time God wanted them alive for His purposes.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's one of the most important things.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can say that in lots of different ways to your children, but this is the most important time for them to be alive because that is what God ordained for their lives.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is also the time that we were called to be their parents.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, it takes more intentionality to be Christian parents today.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, there's more threats via technology in different ways to get to your kids absolutely.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we're to have no fear but operate in wisdom.
[SPEAKER_00]: Be more intentional.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, we're absolutely to be more intentional than ever before.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's where we wrote courageous parenting so people can get.
[SPEAKER_00]: the areas and how to be more intentional in the right areas, specific areas and the marriage team about it, but it is so important and if you've got to remind your kids of their sense of like, no, this is the time you were made to live.
[SPEAKER_01]: a verse that we wanted to share with you guys that might be encouraging to you, but more so encouraging to your kids.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's one thing to just say, God designed the world in the way that he did and he predestined you to be alive during this generation, even quoting the iconic scripture, you were born for such a time as this, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we see that on memes, we see it on t-shirts, hats, all the things, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And you know, it is important that we recognize that is there is an element of scripture that was a specific message to Esther for that time that she was in, but this is also in the New Testament and it's a truth that we all live with at God.
[SPEAKER_01]: has chosen people to be alive in the lot of time that they are in for his glory for his purposes.
[SPEAKER_01]: And as parents, one of our greatest honors, I'm going to say honors, not jurisdiction, not duty.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's an honor.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a privilege.
[SPEAKER_01]: One of our greatest honors is to help our kids.
[SPEAKER_01]: to figure out what their giftings are and to know what that purpose is that God created them for.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that they can be living with the joy that comes in this, there's a deep spiritual fulfillment that your kids can experience in Christ when they are living out what God made them to be and do.
[SPEAKER_01]: Those are two different things to be and do.
[SPEAKER_01]: And there's just that's where there's hope that's where there's joy is when you're doing what you know God 100% has called you to do and I remember when I was even in high school and I would go on Mexican mission strips and I would come back like for myself looking back on the time when I was serving on the mission field.
[SPEAKER_01]: I remember thinking to myself.
[SPEAKER_01]: I am 100% where God wants me to be right now.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like there's no other place that I would rather be.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's no other place.
[SPEAKER_01]: God would rather me be.
[SPEAKER_01]: I know I am within God's will right here right now doing this in this service.
[SPEAKER_01]: And there was a piece that comes over you.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a joy of enjoying every single moment when you're living in that and you're like, no, this is what he has for me to do.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm, and it's,
[SPEAKER_01]: It's literally changing my character to be practicing serving and I know I'm becoming more like Christ in this moment.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so like to be knowing that you're literally what you're doing is helping you to become what who God wants you to be, but you're also doing what God wants you to do.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's like nothing could thwart that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think a lot of people, you just stumbled on something interesting.
[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of people would be wondering, well, how do I help my children know what God's purposes are for them?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's a good question.
[SPEAKER_00]: So while they're in my home, while I'm raising them up, you know, how do I help them experience that?
[SPEAKER_00]: What are your ideas?
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that part of it is allowing them to have more responsibility than most people do.
[SPEAKER_01]: We talk about that a lot.
[SPEAKER_01]: We talk about it in the cradges parenting book.
[SPEAKER_01]: Letting kids have rise to the level of responsibility that you give them, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And so if you're willing to let them have more responsibility, aka trust them with bigger things, you see them rise up and do things.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I even think of Solomon who,
[SPEAKER_01]: he's ten years old and he's been doing audio at the church for a year now, I think, and October we're going to be two years.
[SPEAKER_00]: So serving different places to serve?
[SPEAKER_01]: Different places to serve, but also here's a deal like we didn't push him into it.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was something that was like a natural he had an attrition towards it, he was interested in it and then even though we didn't.
[SPEAKER_01]: We didn't know if he was going to be good at or not, but we let him try something that most people would say, oh, that's way over his head.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's no way he could do that.
[SPEAKER_01]: And now it's like, it's just interesting.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yesterday I was, I was walking from the tent to the church building.
[SPEAKER_01]: I saw Solomon and I said, hey, buddy, you need to go be with other kids and with dad and he was, oh, I'm, I'm helping Gabe.
[SPEAKER_01]: And he, who is doing, um, other,
[SPEAKER_01]: Visual stuff, right, and do an audio visual.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's like, no, no, I'm not playing.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm helping.
[SPEAKER_01]: And like to see him on purpose.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like that's why he loves going to church early in the morning.
[SPEAKER_01]: He would get up at seven, even if he was up late the night before.
[SPEAKER_01]: He just wants to go so bad with that.
[SPEAKER_01]: And he, and I look at that and I go, it's his desire.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like he couldn't sleep in and come with me even at an hour later.
[SPEAKER_01]: But to have a 10 year old that is,
[SPEAKER_01]: No, he did not wake me up and like wanting to be ready and to go to church early because he wants to serve.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's not just sitting around.
[SPEAKER_01]: He wants to do stuff.
[SPEAKER_01]: That is what is it that you could do within the body of Christ to help your kids to have the vision of like being a part of something.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's really actually being a part of the body of Christ that helps him to grow in his identity if who he is and what he's bringing to the table.
[SPEAKER_00]: have your children struck try lots of different things not just in what you think they're gifted area is but all kinds of different directions so it's important that you let your kids try all kinds of different things right so they can navigate not just in the areas they're gifted nests because you have to have them explore and they need to build confidence things one of the things interesting sports can be great at building confidence absolutely
[SPEAKER_00]: But a too often that becomes the centerpiece of their confidence and it's more important, I believe, that they build confidence relationally.
[SPEAKER_00]: They build confidence in biblical truth and talking about biblical things.
[SPEAKER_00]: They build confidence in serving others even when there's not a trophy that's possible.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think, you know, be careful what you anchor in as part of their identity and what they're building confidence in.
[SPEAKER_00]: But this all has to do with this, we have three things for you guys.
[SPEAKER_00]: We wanted to give you three reasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can give positive reasons for having hope in their future.
[SPEAKER_00]: We don't know none of us know exactly what the future is going to look like.
[SPEAKER_00]: I do think in the next five years there's going to be radical change, the most seismic change that's ever existed actually in a short period of time.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's going to be some exciting positive things like technology is going to enable us to do things that have never been done before.
[SPEAKER_00]: But also there's drawbacks to that and there's possibilities of we all know what the Bible says about end ties and so forth So we have to be careful on how we talk about this so they have a hope because we actually don't know how long it's gonna take for different things I don't know exactly what's gonna change in the next five years I know AI is gonna be a big part of that all these data centers.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're building everywhere and the ability for instantaneous Analysis of all data
[SPEAKER_00]: which is beyond human comprehension and that brings all kinds of possible challenges.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we do want to balance what we talk about with our children on the positives.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are positives and here's one of them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Barriers are lowered for creating and entrepreneurship.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is a flat out the greatest time that's ever existed to create, produce and monetize things.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like right now you have a country, you know, I know people listen all over the world,
[SPEAKER_00]: a lot of you are in America, and you can kind of taper it a little bit for wherever you live, but in America there's largely there's a thriving economy.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah prices are high, there's always things you could complain about and things like that, but overall is the greatest economy in the world, and things are actually going pretty solid overall.
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's plenty of people who can buy things from your children as they build businesses.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's plenty of people ways to market something.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's ways now to actually advertise and hit exactly somebody that would be interested in what you're offering is.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's tools that can assist you in how to target those specific people and how to build something for that specific target that matches what you're creative about and what you're excited about.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what I think I said this before, but one of the, I read article about a 15 year old
[SPEAKER_00]: who built a technology company, some tool that did something to help people or service or something, and he hired his first employee that was a 35-year-old.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I thought that was really cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that, you know, young people are the most in tune with technological change.
[SPEAKER_00]: We do have to be careful.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, screen times a big deal when they're younger.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't want to have too much on the screens and things like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: You got to be careful about this, but intelligently as they get older, helping them use things for productive purposes versus just consumerism.
[SPEAKER_01]: Mm-hmm.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is really powerful.
[SPEAKER_01]: It can be, but you do, you just mentioned that you have to be careful because of the brain development is what you're talking about, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that that's one of the things that, as parents, we have to be aware of, there is proven data on it, thinning the frontal cortex and even just the cortex of the brain when children have
[SPEAKER_01]: too much exposure to screen time.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that there was a recent study that was done where it was over seven hours of screen time compared to two hours of screen time and then they did MRIs with these different kids and the literal difference in the thinning of the brain cortex was
[SPEAKER_01]: it was huge.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so there's definite ramifications to having your children exposed to screen time and there's definite benefits to brain health by choosing not to allow your children to be exposed to screen time, especially the younger they are because that development is happening, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that when it comes to screen time, one of the biggest things that we're noticing as a change
[SPEAKER_01]: less of an emotional IQ, less of an ability in these younger generations where they're more used to social media, and they may be able to do things technologically, but when it comes to actual communication and the depth and strength of their commitment and relationships.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's actually not very good the anti social aspect of what we're seeing with the younger generations and and the reason why we can say this is because of Statistics like depression and anxiety going out the roof.
[SPEAKER_01]: They're inability to be able to process their emotions and different things like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's different than when we were children.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's different when our parents were children and our grandparents.
[SPEAKER_01]: There was much more of an emotional steadfastness and
[SPEAKER_01]: Because when they would meet trials, they would figure it out.
[SPEAKER_01]: It wasn't the end of the world, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Whereas today, I mean, kids melt.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's very interesting.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a lot of trattagents that can have, that can have an effect on why they're melting, so to speak.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's not what this podcast episode's about.
[SPEAKER_01]: But my point is, is while there are these negative things, again, I just want to bring up what we talked about at the very beginning.
[SPEAKER_01]: What are the main conversations that you're having?
[SPEAKER_01]: Are you focusing on the things that like, I'm just now talking about?
[SPEAKER_01]: having the conversations that Isaac is talking about in addition with your kids that are going to give them hope like you have the ability now because of technology where you could start a business and pretty much anything.
[SPEAKER_00]: The thing I'm talking about is also a solution for what you're talking about because what used to be is it would cost millions of dollars to develop something that somebody would use on a on a screen and then kids are getting addicted to
[SPEAKER_00]: But now they can be the creators of things and that releases a whole different part of your brain That is actually using your creativity to create and you're not just here's the misnomer I mean, there's there's some of this, but you don't just tell technology.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want you to create a picture of an apple
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, technology today will create a picture of an apple, but there's a lot more descriptive things if you want a certain kind of apple, and if you want the apple and a certain setting, and if you want this and that and the other thing, and so we're really strong.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't let any technology replace your kids' art.
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, you need to overemphasize them, building their art.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're real art that God has given them talents and abilities too.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to do that at a younger age.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've talked about that in the book, so important.
[SPEAKER_00]: But at the same time now, if you can have aid by asking questions in real time to help you do your art better,
[SPEAKER_00]: Not doing it for you, but to do it better, to do it right, to bring a solution to bear that doesn't need to be built, then tested, and then, oh, yeah, it didn't work and then start over, but instead iterating as you're building, because either is expertise, you can drop on, that's accessing all data essentially about this particular thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: and you can start and they can start iterating these things and now there's really very little cost to build these things where used to cost tens of thousands of dollars to build something so we're just in a very I know for some of you this is like fresh in your mind like what are you talking about Isaac in some of you
[SPEAKER_00]: are like yeah this is you're right and some of you're like I don't want you to be right because that sounds scary and I would just say that you know changes happening and this is a positive like barriers are lowered for creating an entrepreneurship it's flat out true.
[SPEAKER_00]: you can now create things using technology smartly not replacing your art but accelerating your art actually and actually doing something for others and providing something for others that has value faster, cheaper and better than ever before and young people can do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if they get, if they start working the muscle a little bit of doing some of that stuff as their older then it can be really powerful and they will be more
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[SPEAKER_00]: Into building then consuming because now they can.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a positive.
[SPEAKER_00]: You see the positive, the shift that could happen.
[SPEAKER_01]: There is an element of that aspect of creating is just as similar as like creating art in a different kind of way, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And it is actually us acting and not acting, but being who God made us to be, because we were made in God's image and he is the creator and our character when we start to choose,
[SPEAKER_01]: to rise above and not be consuming constantly, but instead choose to create maybe utilizing technology, maybe not.
[SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't matter if it's writing poetry or if it's drawing a picture or if it's programming a game or whatever, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: You're using creativity in different ways, but it's still creativity.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's still utilizing that aspect of your brain that's you have to
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I would say, just to caveat on those three categories, I would never allow my children to let technology write poetry for them.
[SPEAKER_00]: They would write their poetry.
[SPEAKER_00]: They should use the technology to help them with their grammar.
[SPEAKER_00]: And by helping them with their grammar, they're learning it more about how to have good grammar.
[SPEAKER_00]: Man, it helps me a lot.
[SPEAKER_00]: When technology fixes my grammar, then I'm like learning at the same time, how to have better grammar.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's helped me tremendously.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so these kinds of things, so it doesn't replace your art and that's where you have to be those boundary keepers, you know, super important.
[SPEAKER_00]: But anyways, that's a positive thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think we should be afraid of using technology to accelerate the art and monetization and possible thriving of young people and young adults and so forth by using technology.
[SPEAKER_01]: or even old people.
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we're talking about our kids, but here's the thing is that if we want our kids to be courageous and to do things that are maybe out of the box, that are not just like going and getting a job and working for someone, that's a little bit more out of the box, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Especially in a lot of families, if they haven't seen their parents to do it, it might be more complicated to get their mind wrapped around being brave and courageous and doing something different than their parents, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Especially if their parents are not necessarily encouraging them towards it.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so,
[SPEAKER_01]: There are elements of you're going to hear us saying this over and over again on the in the book on podcast.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like if you want your kids to be courageous and do something bold, like you have to model that for them as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe not in the exact same area that you're challenging them to do it.
[SPEAKER_01]: But at least somewhere in your life, you have to model being courageous and bold.
[SPEAKER_00]: But you have to read the chapter on parenting in AI because we know I've time to go all into it right now and it's really important things in creating boundaries about it and technology and so forth.
[SPEAKER_00]: But it doesn't mean we shouldn't use technology.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, so I want to read Acts 1726, which is a verse about your kids having a purpose during this time.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's actually verse 26 and 27.
[SPEAKER_01]: It says, and he made, so it's talking about God because before that it was talking about how God made the whole world and everything in it.
[SPEAKER_01]: being the Lord of Heaven and Earth, and then you bounce down to verse 26 and says, and he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the Earth.
[SPEAKER_01]: Having determined a lot of periods in the boundaries of their dwelling place.
[SPEAKER_01]: that they should seek God in the hope that they might feel their way toward Him.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's an interesting thing, that they may feel their way toward Him and find Him.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's interesting, yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being, and it's quoting the Old Testament here.
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is Acts chapter 17 verses 26, 27, and part of 28, and I just, this is encouraging because this is literally speaking to all people, right, that God is the one who created us.
[SPEAKER_01]: God created you as I can hear a lot, and for you to be here in this period of time.
[SPEAKER_01]: and he determined the allotted period and the boundary of your dwelling place.
[SPEAKER_01]: God, actually, he for knew it, and it is in his book of life, so to speak, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And so to give that kind of confidence to your children to remind them of that, in those times when maybe they feel overwhelmed, they feel burdened, they feel
[SPEAKER_01]: anxious, maybe the unknowing, you know, I just even think of like, you know, we just graduated our fifth, which is crazy to me.
[SPEAKER_01]: I told them, you're my tipping point.
[SPEAKER_01]: With nine kids, you're my tipping point.
[SPEAKER_01]: Once you get to the fifth one, graduating, it's like, oh, wow.
[SPEAKER_01]: And you said to me the other day, we only have four kids in the house now, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Because he's 18.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's like, you hit that.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's like, you hit that, and it's
[SPEAKER_01]: for these young people that are graduating, they're getting jobs, they're figuring out their skills, they're trying to figure out their path.
[SPEAKER_01]: What does God have for them to do?
[SPEAKER_01]: What kind of contribution do they have to make in this world?
[SPEAKER_01]: It's an exciting time yet so many of them can actually
[SPEAKER_01]: put them put a pressure on themselves right and and feel like they need to be farther along than they need to be and then there's the other kids that like they don't have the motivation because they're scared right and those would be potentially the kids that are like maybe discouraged and they don't know what their giftings are.
[SPEAKER_01]: They have no idea what they want to do and I just want to speak to that for a second because that can be a big pressure on parents right?
[SPEAKER_00]: I, the resident man podcasts coming back soon, Lord willing, and there's an exercise I've done with some of my boys, it's a calling exercise, and I've done this with coaching clients professionally and things like that in the work world.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I'll teach it to you so how you can do this with your children because I think it's really, I think it's really important for the fathers to do it And I think you get a long time and you do this exercise and it really flushes out, you know, the areas that they may be gifted in and oriented towards and it's pretty cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: The second one though, so the first one was Barry's or lower for creating an entrepreneurship, the second one is they're more paths to success today.
[SPEAKER_00]: Think about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: It used to be that if you didn't go to college, there was like a black mark on you.
[SPEAKER_00]: in terms of ability to earn and to do and you're limited and that's not the case anymore.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, there are certain things where college can be good for and necessary for if they are called to certain directions.
[SPEAKER_00]: But those certain directions are very small.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a very small group of certain directions and most things you don't have to go to college for anymore.
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, a lot of companies are dropping their requirements for for your college to create
[SPEAKER_00]: for all kinds of interesting different directions.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we're seeing the change happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: What this opens up is there's way more paths to success based on raw talent, perseverance, character and ability.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, Christian families that are raising up their children really well, they have even more opportunities today, even in the workspace.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I will say though, even when they go into the workspace no matter which direction it is, they're going to need to understand how to use technology.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's going to be important, even in that.
[SPEAKER_00]: But there's more places.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's cool is you don't have to, a lot of kids in past were pigeon-holded into certain directions.
[SPEAKER_00]: by having to choose a major by the pressure of the cost of college.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so because of that, most people didn't use whatever they went to college for in the first place.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was just like this blue check of you have it so you can interview this company.
[SPEAKER_00]: But then they wouldn't even use it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's a big cost that was kind of wasted for just a blue check.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I know I'm kind of simplifying it and some of you got a little anger at there.
[SPEAKER_00]: I graduated college.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not a completely against college.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just mostly against it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that there are some unique cases where it can be good.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you're the judge of that.
[SPEAKER_00]: But what's beautiful now is kids are free to not be pigeonholed in a direction, but they're going to need guidance because the benefit of a pigeonholed is at least a decision being made.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, and now there's so many resources, even online that you can use to get the same education that would cost normally used to cost thousands upon thousands of dollars in tons of debt and a four-year degree to get that knowledge, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And so really I think employers, entrepreneurs, business owners have become aware of that and they're actually more concerned with hard work ethic and honesty and that they're actually working when they're on their clock.
[SPEAKER_01]: And having a teachable heart and wanting to learn, wanting to get stuff done, I think that those are the things that are more important to employers today versus how much their history do they remember.
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you know what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm not saying that history is not important.
[SPEAKER_01]: I absolutely love history.
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say of all of subjects is probably my favorite actually.
[SPEAKER_01]: However, there's this element of like, okay, so at what point do we start making an idle out of knowledge?
[SPEAKER_01]: And when you make an idle out of something, you're spending all of your time doing it and then less time on the things that are actually
[SPEAKER_01]: going to be character building a more important puffing up the brain with a bunch of knowledge or actually exercising the muscles of self-discipline, character integrity, all these different things, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Courage, challenging things, emotional IQ, you being social, negotiating, all of these really important skills.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I think that there's something that's really powerful in challenging your kids and giving them opportunities to experience that.
[SPEAKER_01]: to fail learn the lesson so that they learn from that and don't make the same mistake later in life.
[SPEAKER_00]: So one thing I wanted to share is that there's a real opportunity right now for your children to rise as leaders in society.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason is is because there's so much uncertainty in society, especially while Christians are certain they should be, or where they're going when they die.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of uncertainty amongst Christians.
[SPEAKER_00]: in the way things are changing and what's going to happen and these kinds of things.
[SPEAKER_00]: So when you, when your children or you are able to bring certainty to a group of people, you will rise up because people are craving for certainty.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the people who have the most certainty are the people who have hope in it for eternity, but also hope while they're living on earth.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when you are able to have a confidence about the future and excitement about the future, you operate in a completely different way of confidence.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's gonna be attractive and people need that and your children need that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So how are they gonna instill that?
[SPEAKER_00]: They're gonna instill that by watching your confidence.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's gonna be instilled by seeing your hope in the future.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's gonna be instilled by,
[SPEAKER_00]: You, yes, giving them the realities of things.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have to deal in reality, but also balance with the positives like we're talking about.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the right mindset for what the future is going to be.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's going to be really important.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think ultimately to only encourage our children that they, that we are all called to do the great commission.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that that's one of the most important aspects.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a third point.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, one of the most important aspects of helping your kids to figure out their purpose in life, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, for them to see that there is a spiritual calling that we all have collectively and this great commission to go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them and name them and the Father's Son and the Holy Spirit.
[SPEAKER_01]: And understanding that that's going to look different for a person to person based upon like,
[SPEAKER_01]: where God has them, what he's called them to, the gifts he's given them, the relationships he's put in their path.
[SPEAKER_01]: It is, it's just different for every single person, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like if someone is a plumber versus someone who is a doctor and maybe dealing with people who are, where he's delivering bad news of death or maybe good news of life, like there's a totally different ministry that's there than there is for someone who is the plumber or someone who is the podcast or the pastor, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like there's just very different
[SPEAKER_01]: aspects of how the Great Commission can look in every different industry and it's super important that that is part of the exciting thing that you're encouraging your kids with in whatever path they are pursuing because there is a way in every path for them to be great commission minded and I think that ultimately like we all need to must should disciple our children and how to disciple someone.
[SPEAKER_01]: They should know how to go through the
[SPEAKER_00]: and experience doing that while they're being raised in your home.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do your children have experience talking to other people that don't know God about God.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's so important that they're gaining that experience and we don't have to always delegate that out where they can experience it while they're being raised in our homes.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and you've been said something that church on Sunday and in your sermon where you were just talking about, well, you were talking about building treasures in heaven as far as eternity goes and not being so focused on the earthly and being focused on the eternal and and like at the end of the day we can't take any of this with us right it's like, okay, yeah, we all want to raise our kids for them to
[SPEAKER_01]: find their path and to be, you know, when you're raising boys, you're like, they need a profession.
[SPEAKER_01]: That is a big concern for parents, I think, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And with all these different changes that are happening in the world with AI, with technology, with different things.
[SPEAKER_01]: There is a, there is a different kind of pressure that's come upon even the parents of generations, I think.
[SPEAKER_01]: And a lot of people are feeling that.
[SPEAKER_01]: They're feeling that like have I equipped my child enough?
[SPEAKER_01]: Are they really ready to launch?
[SPEAKER_01]: Are they gonna be successful when they launch?
[SPEAKER_01]: And I get that.
[SPEAKER_01]: However, remember that at the end of the day, what is God really want us to focus on as far as leaving a legacy?
[SPEAKER_01]: Is it a legacy of money?
[SPEAKER_01]: Or is it a legacy of faith?
[SPEAKER_01]: Is it...
[SPEAKER_01]: that you literally can't take anything with you to heaven, but you said you technically can build treasures in heaven, meaning people, and God's the one who saves people, but he uses you to share his message.
[SPEAKER_01]: He uses you to share your testimony to lead other people to him.
[SPEAKER_01]: to share him with others, to invite them into a personal relationship with God that then can change their eternity.
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is truly what is happening, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: So while we're all looking at it and going, okay, well, maybe Jesus is coming.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's exciting.
[SPEAKER_01]: In Matthew 24 14 it says in this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.
[SPEAKER_01]: That is part of our purpose is to be bringing the testimony to all nations to all neighborhoods.
[SPEAKER_00]: Your neighborhood is part of a nation and that's creating excitement when you have that mindset for the end to happen.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then we get to be a person.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not a dread thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, we're in end times.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, here's another sign of end times.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we keep it at that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's like, these are end times.
[SPEAKER_00]: We got to show the gospel.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have more people.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's our third point.
[SPEAKER_00]: We are closest to closer to Jesus' return.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we don't.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's exciting.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it should be an exciting thing versus like, oh, wow.
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's this happening.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, Jesus is probably coming back soon because this just happened, you know, there's a different vibrancy, different tone to it, and we want our children to launch from our home, excited, exuberant, to make a difference in this world for the gospel, and to, and whatever different areas of creativity and confidence and discipline, they're going to do your work, and we want them to be great commission minded.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, what, this is the greatest mission for mankind, and they get to be part of it.
[SPEAKER_00]: to the end than any other generation.
[SPEAKER_00]: How cool is that?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a wonderful thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then just to close the three points, barriers are lowered for creating an entrepreneurship.
[SPEAKER_00]: What is that also then, if you have a mission-minded mindset about it, is the generation with the most tools to reach the world?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do we not have the most sophisticated tools to reach the lost with the message of the gospel?
[SPEAKER_01]: we totally do.
[SPEAKER_00]: In the least expense to do it, then ever before.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, our point two was there more paths to success today.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, there's freedom from gatekeepers to actually share the gospel, to do work, to build a platform, to build a business that then can share the gospel with employees or whatever it is.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right, so cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's freedom to get here person.
[SPEAKER_00]: The third thing is we're closer to the finish line.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're closer.
[SPEAKER_00]: We don't know where the finish line is.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's so funny when people talk about this coming back.
[SPEAKER_01]: They always are like, oh, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, not, not always.
[SPEAKER_01]: It depends on where your theology is, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: But if we look at the example that the disciples had, there were disciples that wrote the gospel, the four gospels.
[SPEAKER_01]: We were just reading in Matthew.
[SPEAKER_01]: They were clearly asking when is an end going to come and Jesus answers them.
[SPEAKER_01]: And he starts telling them about the signs of the end of age and when the end will come.
[SPEAKER_01]: And they're talking about it as if it's like it's literally right around the corner.
[SPEAKER_01]: And this was thousands of years ago, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And so if they were living that way with the anticipation and it was like the exciting hopeful thing, shouldn't we be following the example of the disciples and of Jesus?
[SPEAKER_01]: we're talking about the end, we're we're anticipating the end with hope and with joy and with madness, not sorrow, but here's the deal, if you have sorrow, maybe that's because you have people that you love in your life that you haven't shared the gospel with and maybe this is your nudge to nope.
[SPEAKER_01]: share the gospel with them because you want you love them that much that you want them to be an eternity also.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I just think that there's this element of like we should be living like the disciples did.
[SPEAKER_01]: They thought it was right around the corner, but also they were talking about legacy.
[SPEAKER_01]: They were talking about
[SPEAKER_01]: Building the kingdom of God and they were thinking down the road and so we're supposed to be living with both in mind And I think that that is really truly where you have joy When you're able to pass that on to your kids not this doomsday.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, you're not gonna get to be married or you're not gonna get to have kids You're not gonna live long enough to see your great grandkids It's not necessarily true.
[SPEAKER_01]: We don't actually know but also we should be living as if we're gonna live six generations While at the same time Jesus could come back any time do we have our
[SPEAKER_01]: Do we have our relationships in order?
[SPEAKER_00]: Amen.
[SPEAKER_00]: I hope this is helpful.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for joining us.