LifeTalk Podcast
LifeTalk is the official podcast of LifeHouse Church MOT. Our heart for this podcast is to help our church grow and to go deeper here at LifeHouse. We’ll be interviewing staff members & hearing their testimonies. We’ll be discussing various topics such as parenting, marriage, day-to-day functions of the ministry and so much more from a biblical perspective. Our goal is to help equip our church to glorify JESUS in every area of life.
LifeTalk Podcast
Faith Has No Grandchildren: Building Believers Not Churchgoers
How do we effectively disciple the next generation in today's challenging cultural landscape? This question stands at the heart of our faith communities' future, and our conversation dives deep into practical answers with three ministry leaders who specialize in different age groups.
The journey begins with understanding that faith formation starts remarkably early. Children absorb spiritual truths even as toddlers, creating a foundation that shapes their entire lives. Our children's ministry director explains why we can't afford to view children's ministry as mere childcare – these early years represent prime opportunities for establishing biblical foundations that last a lifetime.
As young people transition through adolescence, their faith journey evolves from accepting what they've been taught to interpreting and owning beliefs for themselves. Our student ministry leader shares insights on helping teens navigate this critical period, developing their testimonies and learning to articulate their faith in an increasingly complex world.
Perhaps most challenging is the young adult phase, where many drift from church involvement entirely. Our young adult ministry leader offers compelling strategies for connecting with this demographic through authentic relationships and practical discipleship that extends beyond church walls into everyday life.
A powerful truth emerges throughout our discussion: "God has no grandchildren." Each person must develop their own relationship with Christ rather than inheriting it from parents or mentors. This principle shapes how we approach discipleship at every stage of development.
The conversation yields practical wisdom for anyone wanting to invest in young lives: be relational before educational, invite them into your daily routines, lead by authentic example, and create safe environments where questions and doubts can be explored. Whether you're a parent, ministry leader, or simply someone who cares about the future of faith, these insights will equip you to make a lasting spiritual impact on the next generation.
New episodes every Monday
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Intro music by Joey Blair
what's up life talk family. Welcome back to the life talk podcast. We are excited to be coming to you today. This is nate hosting because I have three very special guests with me today. We're continuing September with investing, so we want to talk about investing in the next generation, and I have, first and foremost, tish Britton, our children's ministry director. Tish, how are you doing?
Speaker 2:I'm doing great. Second time on the podcast we established right, so you can go back in the archives and find Tish before.
Speaker 1:And Danny Mattis should be no stranger to those. Yes, it is. Thank you for having me. Jarvis is taking guest status today as our.
Speaker 1:LYA director, so filling in the role, and so it's really awesome. We have three different generations represented Batisha's are children's, danny's are students, jarvis is young adults. So we're looking to have a conversation today about investing in the next generation. We've talked Jason kicked us off the importance of investing. We had Jonathan Bush on last week talking about financial investing, but today we want to talk about investing in young people, and that's really what we want to talk about. So I think each of you all have some great perspectives. So, tish, maybe kick us off why investing in kids is so important. I think it's so easy for people to be like, ah, they're so young, they don't get it, just let them play. I know you have a completely different take on that, so help us understand how and the thought that investing in children they're so young and and you know what, what can, how can that be good or whatever.
Speaker 2:But we fight that constantly and we know that ministering to children is not childcare, right that it is so important. It's literally like a battlefield and it's an eternal investment and it needs to start young, because children, I mean, are most open to the gospel at a young age. I think they say that statistically, most people come to know the Lord before the age of 14. And we really want to establish a firm foundation early on in the word Seeds of Faith. Faith formation starts at a young age and you know we don't wait till our children are in middle school right to send them to school. We want them to start learning God's word, experiencing Him in their life, at a very young age.
Speaker 1:So very important to invest when they're young Absolutely and maybe just build on that a little bit. I think especially it's that five, six, seven range where a lot of what we're hearing starts to really become foundational. So maybe you can just build on that a little bit from the understanding there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say that, doctrinally, at those early ages is when we want to start sowing the seeds of faith. Get them in God's Word. You use that throughout the home right, every day in faith practices. Be teaching them the Word in faith practices. Be teaching them the word, teaching them scriptures, helping them to start memorizing it. There is no too young right. Like to start in discipling our children. We need to lead them boldly and get them in God's word daily.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, I think I see that in, like even my kids, right, I have a three-year-old and a almost two-year-old. My two-year-old not so much she, she's crazy, but elliot, my son, um, we've been doing this thing where I'll read they have. They have a children's bible that I got, per the recommendation from, uh, our resources, from team kid, uh, for kind of his age range, kind of the story Bible in that area. Um, I'll be, I'll read him a story from that Bible and then I'll read a passage of scripture from my, my Bible, right, so that you have kind of the kid and the adult Bible.
Speaker 3:But then, after everything that, in my mind, I'm like he's not listening. I mean, even while we're doing it he's playing with toys or he's. I'm like, hey, bud got to keep focusing. But then I ask, hey, what do we, what do we learn about today? And he's like, oh, we learned about Moses. I'm like, well, I was kind of shocked, I was, we did learn about Moses. What did we learn about Moses? Oh, he was put into the. And I think it shows the importance that they're taking stuff in. I mean, they're collecting information in all areas and all facets, whether that's through your TV, through the places you go, the things that you watch, the things that you say. So if they're taking in information that's not godly, or we're not discipling them at that young age or continuing through that, then we're missing prime opportunity for them to have. What you're saying is the foundation on the gospel.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say. If we're not discipling our children, somebody is that's right and it is a race against the world and our culture and we want to start to establish that worldview very early on. And we know where does their worldview come from. God's Word right. So memorizing Scripture at an early age, scripture all throughout the home, having our children listen to it, is very important for them to start to know who God is, how much he loves them. Yeah, never too early.
Speaker 3:Definitely.
Speaker 1:And so Tish goes till fifth grade, right, if I'm correct, and then Danny picks up at sixth grade. So, danny, maybe talk about I mean talk about early formation. What do you kind of see as kids are coming into the student ministry, sixth grade? You know they've got, prayerfully, some of that foundation. Maybe they don't, but what does investing in the student ministry look like for you?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so I have the privilege of being able to minister to sixth grade through 12th grade, so it's a very big range, right. You have people that are getting ready to go into their future, figuring out what they want to do. Some of them are jumping straight into jobs If it they want to do. Some of them are jumping straight into jobs if it's blue collar, some of them are of them are going into college figuring out the rest of their life. And then I also have the guy that just stopped picking his nose for the first time, which is just a crazy perspective. But one of the one of the biggest things is I think we said it earlier um tish was talking about it with um it takes a village to raise a kid and it takes a church to direct them right, and it's, I see, a great understanding of scripture when the kid grows up in church. But one thing that we got to remember is that at this point they're disciples, right, they're getting out into the community. Whether they're homeschooled or not, they're actively in the community.
Speaker 4:You can try to create a bubble as much as possible, but it's going to infiltrate. There's going to be worldly uh, sin desire out there and at this point it's okay. What was the foundation that was laid prior? And then, how are we going to combat it? And that's more where I am is okay. How are we going to fight this and how are we going to, uh, set up disciples and follow that great command of going out and reaching the lost and sharing the gospel with them? So right now, our big focus in LSM is just your testimony, that is your faith story, that is the biggest tool that you have in your tool bag, that you have so easily accessible. And anybody that's saved has one right anybody that's come to the knowing faith. So it's being able to realize okay, what is my story and how am I going to apply that to today's culture?
Speaker 1:I think a big thing for you and jar you can probably tag into this. I think, like, like Tish talked about, we give the foundation, but I know you have the challenge of okay, now that's what your parents have shared and what your parents believe.
Speaker 2:Do you believe this?
Speaker 1:So maybe talk a little bit. When we're investing in that next generation, how do we navigate that so that they understand? I think it was a great. I was at a funeral recently and the pastor said God has no grandchildren. There are no grandchildren. Your faith of your family or your parents will not get you into heaven. It has to be yours. So maybe talk a little bit about that. I'm sure, jarvis, you see some of that kind of as it navigates from high school on, of having to make that decision, having to make that decision.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's getting more into the apologetics of stuff, right, it's? Hey, jesus came, died for your sins. I understand that. Now, how am I going to defend that stance? Noah and the ark happened. I believe that it happened. But what are the promises and what does scripture say about those promises and how can we relate that to culture? Now, we can look at the Grand Canyon and see lots of evidence of the great flood. It just depends on what type of worldview you're looking from, if you're looking from a biblical worldview or a secular worldview. But it's helping them come to the understanding of what they believe, and it's very challenging at times. Sometimes it's you're banging your head against the wall, telling them the same exact thing over and over and over and over again, and it's challenging. Your patients are definitely, um, tested, to say the least. But, yeah, just keep pouring into them and, uh, working through. Okay, this is the importance of the invest, right? Um, if you don't teach them the why now, they'll never be able to explain the why later.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and I I definitely think we see it among the young adults. Um, I think even those who have grown up in church or those who haven't, uh, there's this perceived quote unquote foundation that that they think they have believed, quote unquote foundation that they think they have. But when you actually kind of boil it down to what they actually do have, and it's very eye-opening to see, like man, you really don't have a foundation, Like, yes, you grew up in church and, yes, you might know maybe some of the answers, but if we talk about the realness of your faith, there's not much of that there, for whatever reason. And so one of the things that we're seeking to do is one of our scriptures that we kind of tie into our mission statement is 2 Timothy 2.22. It says so flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. And just that standpoint of listen foundation. Again, there is no grandchildren, right? Your dad was a pastor, Cool, that doesn't matter to us here. We're not worried about what your family legacy is, we're worried about what your status is now for eternity and really challenging them on.
Speaker 3:Okay, so if you truly believe, this belief requires action. Right, Belief flows. It starts in belief, but then it flows into work and just living out and being the example of what Christ has done in your heart. And so just working through those areas and really what young adults are craving right now is a part of it is community, right and like so if we're giving them that community, it is community right and like so if we're giving them that community, investing in them relationally, we see the stickiness of their faith is more consistent, right, Because they're having a greater interaction with God's people, which then causes them to say, okay, man, I can stand firm. Right, why? Because I know that there are people that are carrying me, there are people that are encouraging me compared to we talked about a little bit offline, like they grow up in the church, they have this foundation, they go through youth group and then I would say a young adult group is a very new creation, right, they haven't always been around.
Speaker 3:Saved 10 years, and I graduated high school not too long ago, like long ago at this point now but but um, but when I left youth group it was kind of like all right, you're an adult now, you know you do your thing and I was saved maybe four years when I left, not even not even four years, maybe like two, two and a half years when I left youth group. Um, and so we're seeing that same thing. Is that we don't?
Speaker 2:they don't really know what to do.
Speaker 3:Right and so giving them the true word right, preaching the truth and then challenging them on the truth. Why do you believe what you believe in and how does that affect your daily life? I think are really big. Colossians 128 says him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all. How can we assist you to get you to the next level? So maybe you do have a great foundation? How can we grow you Like? How can we help you grow If you have no foundation? How can we start to build the foundation blocks that would then propel you to have that worldview?
Speaker 1:that is really unshakable propel you to have that worldview. That is really unshakable. So I think you laid a little bit of groundwork there, but kind of, you know, finishing the round table. You know, as we're coming to young adults, you know, especially for, like, parents who maybe have kids, you know, maybe they're not quite there or you know, we know we have a lot of adults who come to faith early. Maybe you have kids who are young adults, maybe kind of share how to pour in, how to invest to kids in that LYA you know, timeframe versus kind of differently.
Speaker 1:There's worship and then we do small groups.
Speaker 3:And often small groups tend to, in the people who are leading the small group's mind take precedent that this is the most important thing that I'll do that day. But I often have heard and often say, the most important thing that happens on a Thursday night is what happens before and after we do anything. So that relational aspect of you're an adult now. So, yeah, I hope to preach a great message, like I hope to lead them in worship in that area and I hope that they have great discussion in small group. But there's something about the relational piece of watching someone who's older than you or even the same age as you, who's farther along in Christ, to say man, I desire that Right. So we see that often we have faithful leaders. Some of our elders serve in our young adult ministry and then just faithful leaders who are more mature and have walked. It is so impactful to our young adults when they see someone who's 30 years old or 35 years old and says man, they're firm in their faith and they get to spend time with that person and just literally do life together and just say man, this is what I'm struggling with, this is what I'm going through. How do I approach this? A lot of them. If they don't obviously go to a Christian school, they're going to secular schools, which are really we're in a weird frame. We're trying to indoctrinate them with the truth and they're trying to indoctrinate them with quote, unquote their truth, right, and so we're trying to just give them relational elements along with the truth that say listen, this is played out, you're seeing this daily life and then take that to people, and so I would say that relational aspect.
Speaker 3:So, whether that's parents, right, if you're a parent, get them around older, mature men or women. Bring them to men's Bible studies, women's Bible studies, encourage them to come to a young adult group, but also just lead by example, right, you are, as a parent, one of the most influential people in their lives, and so if you don't live out the faith that you claim to walk, why would they live out the faith that you desire them to in the same way? And so I think that's one of the biggest things for parents, but then for non-parents, just literally, be an example, and I think it's the same. There are different capacities, but just be faithful. Find a young adult. Any young adult has a stupid amount of time on their hands.
Speaker 3:What was that? Like, I don't even remember Exactly, but they, they, like, they, just they, they. Uh, what was that like, I don't even remember Exactly, but like they just do Right. And a lot of our young adults work, but a lot of them, even in working, they fill their time up with random stuff. And so young adults would be more than willing to sit down and have dinner with you. Young adults would be more than willing to go to coffee or go on your Walmart run, or right they I know that because they do that with me Like, hey, let's go here and they'll go. And so even those small times of just grocery shopping with your kids or things like that, it teaches them the foundations of what does it mean to be a biblical parent? What does it mean to be a biblical husband or wife? What does it mean to be a faithful evangelist to our community, just by living your daily life? And so those are just a few.
Speaker 4:Go ahead, dan. We went down to a church down in Dallas, watermark, and the guy talked about a linchpin leader and what you were saying it just brought me back to those notes and it was talking about our ministry idea is to position students to know love and follow Jesus, right. So how do we do that? And it's through discipleship, it's through those interactions. But one of the things that I wrote down from that conference was mentorship is adding to your calendar, where discipleship is adding someone into your calendar, where discipleship is adding someone into your calendar. And just taking that idea of, hey, I'm going to go to the grocery store or I am going to just run errands here, come with me, right, and walking through life. It's not hey, we're going to sit down and we're going to do a Bible study, which is great, it's amazing to do that, but it's also inviting them into your life and being able to walk alongside them and just do life together.
Speaker 4:The other thing that I saw was in the notes is we often say come, meet with me. Jesus said, come, follow me, and the, the big C church says come and listen to me, right, and it's isn't that the truth Like as a a YA director as student director. So many times we're like, oh man, this sermon is going to be amazing. Come, come listen, come sit, come listen, and it's it's great. Right, we're working with the Holy Spirit, which is amazing to to do and be able to be up there and speak on what God's given us.
Speaker 4:But at the end of the day, it's not a hey, come listen to me, it's a come, listen to God, right, but also just come, follow, right, come follow Jesus and who he is and setting up an environment where it does that, where you can have kids, you can have children. Look at your leaders and just being a good example, they're seeing you from all types of different perspectives. I know my son. He's looking at people not just on 6.30 to 8 o'clock. He's looking at people on Sundays that he only gets to hang out with at 6.30. He's looking at them when oh, we saw him at Walmart. What is he doing, what is he buying? And all that stuff plays a major role in making sure that their walk is in a Christian walk perspective.
Speaker 1:Oh, go ahead. I was going to because I wanted to circle back to Tish. I think you guys are hitting where I kind of wanted to go in terms of the importance of community. I think as we started we circled a lot of good things on parents, you know, and the raising, and I think I heard a good footwell. You know, for Tish's age group, parents are an authority. You're really laying that foundation for Danny. They're an interpreter. You know that. You're starting to interpret beliefs. You're starting to interpret their feelings, how they see the world, and in Jarvis, in your case, they're the guide. Interpret their feelings, how they see the world and in Jarvis, in your case, the guide. Now you're an adult, I got to guide you.
Speaker 1:But what I wanted to say, so Tish talked about investing and we talked about community. So maybe for non-parents, the important how do you invest? We were talking a little bit before we got on. Maybe they're not my kids, but how do I invest in children in my church, in my neighborhood? How do I invest in children in my church, in my neighborhood? Like, what does investing look like, you know, outside of the immediate family, so that we're making an impact for?
Speaker 2:Christ. Yeah, what an opportunity, right, and what a privilege to be able to do that. And I do think, like intergenerational ministry within the church is huge. You know, we think of God's word in Deuteronomy 6, where he gives the command to pass the scriptures on, and our faith on, to our children. But that's not a command just to parents, you know. I think it said, oh, hear Israel, and he was commanding the entire faith community to pass on our faith to the younger generation.
Speaker 2:And practically in ministry there's so many opportunities to serve, whether it be on a Wednesday evening where we love our time in small group with our children, our desire is to teach them how to study the Bible. We can teach them every Bible story there is, but if they don't know how to be in the Word themselves, then we are doing a disservice, right, because they need to be able to go and hear from God on their own as they grow, and we need people from our congregation to help with that right. The more small group leaders we have, then, the better we are able to take them through that and teach them how to study their Bibles, read scripture. It's in the word, which is living, that children truly get to know their God right, know who he is. He reveals Himself to them and we want them to learn how to be able to pick up a Bible, reveals himself to them and we want them to learn how to be able to pick up a Bible, god's word, and study it themselves and hear from the Lord themselves. I would say also Sunday ministry. You know I think sometimes it's intimidating because we feel like, oh, I'm not called to be a teacher.
Speaker 2:But there are so many ways to serve within the children's ministry, whether it be assisting a lead teacher, whether it be just welcoming a child. You know I love how you guys were talking about relationship. Relationship comes first, right Connection over content. Children don't care what you know until they know you care over content. Children don't care what you know until they know you care and just being a part of the body and our church family, knowing our children, knowing their names, that when they walk through the doors of Lifehouse Church they are welcomed into a community where they are safe, they are loved, they see Christ in each of us and God is able to use that in a child's life.
Speaker 2:And there are so many needs in the church. But I like to say that I don't like to think about it as needing, but rather leading. We have an opportunity to pour into the next generation and we are looking at the church of 2050 when you walk into the children's wing. So what are we doing to invest young adults? But we are all working together to disciple children, to bring them in their faith, walk on that continuum and to grow disciples events. We have an amazing church family that, like at Vacation Bible School, it's one of my favorite things to look around and see our adults investing in our children and now even our students and our young adults. We've seen a shift from our older adults now to our younger. It's been an incredible thing to watch.
Speaker 3:And it's interesting, like thinking about even the people who aren't, and we kind of talked about a little bit.
Speaker 3:But the people who aren't parents like.
Speaker 3:The things that I remember the most are not what people said, but what they did Right and like.
Speaker 3:So all of the areas of which I've learned to parent and all the areas in which I've learned to be a faithful follower of Jesus.
Speaker 3:It's not because someone said to me this is how you do it, but again, they modeled that and so someone who's not a parent has the opportunity to model what it looks like to be a faithful husband or a faithful businessman or a faithful X, y and Z in just serving in Team Kid right, just by living out their faith in their daily lives or serving in, you know, even a greeter. But that interaction at the front door where it's like man, what's up, johnny, I'm so glad you're here. Okay, man, look at that example and look at that relational piece that they're connected now to an older partner. An older person in our church had to act as a mentor without being quote unquote a mentor it doesn't have to be formal, it doesn't have to be organized and you know in that area, but just literally all the small interactions that you see kids running in the lobby, getting to know them and getting to support them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and just like showing that they matter and that there's value in them, that it's a value that they're here on a Sunday morning, that we want them to be here, and I think it starts with it starts with the person before. It starts with the kid. Right, often we want kids to come and ask me to disciple them, and but what about the kids that can just ask to be discipled, right like what if? What if I just ask someone to disciple them or ask to grab lunch, or ask to whatever it might be in their students and all the others?
Speaker 1:so and I think that's such a great point, that community matters, like we need and it matters, and I think so tossing it over to danny, like who you're, the kids, the next generation, both with their friends and the parents of their friends, are going to model so much of why. Who we are with you know as as adults, as parents, and maybe you can kind of comment, danny, just on some of the impact you see in that community in that you know kind of both friend group of you know the next generation as well as even the parents, like we've talked about, the models that pour into these kids.
Speaker 4:Yeah. So I mean just looking back at just things that have played a part in my life. I remember being 10 years old I'm probably younger than that, or 9, 10. Something like that, it doesn't matter. But being in church and there was a drummer named Ryan and he wore his hair a certain way and he was awesome. And he came up to me every single Sunday and was like, hey, what's up, man, how are you doing? How are you doing? Like, just made me feel known and loved. Well, I wanted to start playing the drums. Like drums were amazing. I'm going to play drums. And also my hair looked just like his always and I dressed just like him always and it was just like one of those things that I just wanted to model after him. Now I was taking the materialistic route of it all, but when it all came back it was, hey, I see something in him that I don't see necessarily in everybody else. And then, putting that in perspective with nowadays and being the youth director and seeing kids and how they operate with other teens and looking at other parents, it's like, okay, that isn't just for the six, seven, eight, 10 year old, right, it's for everybody.
Speaker 4:You can tell when somebody starts hanging out with a bad group of friends, instantly, like within a week they'll come in one Wednesday and be completely normal. You're like just talking, talking about Jesus reading the Bible. And then two weeks later you're like who is this kid? Like what happened? And I think that's when you start talking to the parents and you're like, have you guys noticed change? Yeah, I don't know what it is. Well, then you guys start talking.
Speaker 4:It's like, oh, soccer season started, all right. He's been hanging out with a bunch. Oh, soccer season started, all right, he's been hanging out with a bunch of his soccer buddies. Or he's been hanging out with a bunch of sports people. Or oh, he's been hanging out with this one kid, billy bob, and he's been going over to their house. I'm not really sure the the deal with that. And it's just like, okay, well, you steward them so well. And hey, we want you to be in church. We want to bring you on Sunday where you can know and love and get to understand who God is in your life. We do want and if you guys disagree, you guys can just be like I'm just going to stir the pot.
Speaker 1:We have to edit this out, yeah.
Speaker 4:But we have them for three hours max, right. Some of us may only have them for an hour and a half right. So we are just a tool. We're a vessel. We're here as support. We want to come alongside parents. We want to come alongside the teens and walk through their life. We want to help out parents with small children, but, at the end of the day, we're not the parent, right? We want to come alongside you, we want you to be able to trust us, but we want to get to know you and we want to, uh, make sure that you're equipped as as much as possible. And we understand that there's going to be stuff that we're not privileged to because you're the parent, um. But at the end of the day, we also see like, hey, your kid is acting a fool, what is going on? And being able to have those rough conversations and hard conversations with parents.
Speaker 4:But ultimately, getting back to your question, yeah, there's a big. It's very noticeable, right, and it plays a huge part. And depending on where they go to school, what kids they're hanging out with, what they're involved in, what TV shows they're watching, what hobbies they have, everything plays a part. Everything is molding your child in a way, and it's just whether or not it's a good mold or a bad mold. Now, I'm not saying build a bubble, keep them hidden, put them in the basement until they're older, because that's not, that's not teaching them anything either. Um, you need to teach them the why, you need to teach them the what, you need to teach them the how, and then you need to give them a way to experience and use those in a safe environment. And, um, I think I'm super excited because I think that's one thing that the student ministry is kind of going um into is okay. Here's a safe environment of evangelism. Here's a safe environment of of explaining the why to other people and being unashamed of your belief system.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think thinking about community too.
Speaker 3:Like I often tell the young adults and it's the cliche, you are who your five closest friends are, right.
Speaker 3:I tell them I feel like every single week, no matter what we're talking about, somehow that comes up because, like Danny said, it's a clear, clear indicator of where they're going to end up in the next couple of weeks, months, years, because it just is right, it's it's easier to be pulled down than to pull someone up, right, and and then that's what we recognize. And so even thinking about kids and students and young adults for, but then even thinking about the adult who's, who's caring for them, like your five closest friends, will have a direct impact on your children, right On your teens, on your influence. And so it doesn't just matter when you get to student ministry or when you get to the young adult ministry, it starts in your home, with who you hang out with, with who you're around as you're leading your children, because, just like they will end up like their five closest friends, you will end up like and it it's not just even five closest friends anymore now, it's like your five most followed instagram followers, you mean like?
Speaker 3:it's turned into a social media. Who do you follow on social media? Who do you allow your kids to follow on social media? Or I don't want to get into like parenting, but like who do you let them watch on youtube when they're when?
Speaker 3:they're kids or what you know, what shows, and, like they, they are being formed, as Danny said, by something, and often, if we're not confining them to a biblical outlet that's giving them, giving them truth, they're being discipled in the wrong direction and we have to fight the tide more so than going upstream. We're fighting now the tide to revert back doctrines that they're being taught that aren't true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I think the world is trying to shape them right Every day, and children are, and young students. Their identity is being shaped and we also know, especially like preteen middle school years, right, raise your hand if you did not have an identity crisis at some point when you were in middle years? Right, raise your hand if you did not have an identity crisis at some point when you were in middle school, right. So the enemy sees that and he is looking to distort, you know, their view of truth, right, and what the truth about who they are is. So I think it is so important that we are positioning them among friends and in environments where they are able to remember that my identity is rooted in who God says I am not.
Speaker 2:The world that's trying to distort the truth and, you know, at times is having success and saying, well, if you don't feel like you fit in here, then you must be this, and which are just lies from the enemy. So I do think they're influencers from those preteen years up through. You know, early middle school and even into late high school is just so important, it is so true. You are who your friends are.
Speaker 3:I mean, and you see it in again my son is three. What we watch on TV matters, because I think of just even him wanting to be a superhero. But he sees the image of the superhero and starts jumping off my couch because he thinks he's Spider-Man.
Speaker 1:You know, what.
Speaker 4:I mean, and I'm like dude, you can't do that one.
Speaker 3:Please stop, you will get hurt and your sister will do the same thing and she'll get even hurt. But it's the thought process of that, right? It's the example of that that they're seeing things and they're following things, and so, just as they'll follow Iron man, spider-man or whoever, they're going to follow the behaviors they see in someone they trust even more than what they see on the screen. And so, yeah, it's, and it often, I think, it can sound like well, how am I? I'm just doing or not doing things. I'm not investing.
Speaker 3:The things we do, the parameters we set, the ways that we lead and guide, like that's investing. It doesn't have to be a sit down Bible study although you should do that at home but like that doesn't have to be the only mode of investment that happens to your kids or to young adults, or to students or to kids, but it's how are we leading them? That, I think, is a huge driver of the success of investment. And so, again, it can sound like do this, don't do this, you should put them in this, you should not put them in this.
Speaker 1:But those are big elements to investment that we can't leave out in it. So, just as we kind of wrap up, man, I know we could talk for hours on this because there is much to be said, but for each of you, maybe in 30, 60 seconds, what are the keys when it comes to investing in the next generation, that you want anybody listening that you would, you know, really tell them to be on mission, whether it's daily, as a parent, non-parent. You know what are the keys. So, tish, I'll let you go first. I know that's a broad question.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I loved what we heard this Sunday, right, like Jesus, was relational and we've been talking about that here today. Just connection at times over content. But also at the younger ages, I do feel so strongly that having them in the Word, it is the Word that transforms the heart. And we want gospel change. We don't want just behavior change, we want them to be obedient because they love Jesus, not just to think they can earn their salvation. We want them to love Him and their obedience flows through that.
Speaker 2:So I do believe you know if I could go back in my own life and know then what I know now, having been able to watch children come up through the ministry and just the importance of having our kids in the word and leading them in that so that the word does start to transform and soften their hearts.
Speaker 2:And yeah, jar, I don't think it has to be anything. We've been putting out family discipleship, nuggets that it doesn't have to be some huge sit down preach sermon. But how can they experience God in their home right, In addition to at church on Sunday? But they, children, experience God through us and their parents when they're young and then ultimately, ultimately, as they kind of get up to Danny. Now they're starting to really own their faith right and live it out and determine. This is what I believe, but now I'm actually owning it and living it out on my own. So I would say that being in the Word, being very relational with our children in the church, allowing them to belong here before we know that belonging leads to believing, leads to becoming right.
Speaker 1:Invest in the heart, I would say, not just behavior, if I could kind of maybe summarize that, danny.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's a big question.
Speaker 1:We like to ask big questions.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we could have spent an hour just on that question. Um, no, I I think it. If I had to summarize, I would, I would say, be authentic, um, as as a leader, right, um, now, authenticity doesn't mean access as well, and we could talk about that for a million years as well but just being around, being available and remembering that every little thing is seen and does matter, like I think about my kids seven, three, one, or well, seven, four, one and just who are we surrounding them with? What friends get more access than other friends, and why, what's the reasoning behind that? And everything has a purpose, right, but, um, yeah, I would say, be authentic, be transparent, um, and when you screw up, say sorry. Right, then kids need to see the sin along with the reconciliation, uh, for it, um, but yeah, just being the why be the exemplifying of the why of what you believe very good.
Speaker 3:I mean mine's, similar, I think, to both but and kind of what we've talked about already. But I think the two things that I would maybe next steps and encouragement say, okay, what can I do now would be to invite them into your life and then lead by example. Right, invite them in and then just lead them by by the way that you live your life and and do all your right. Invite them in and then just lead them by the way that you live your life and do all your actions. I mean so similar, and so that should flow into again how grocery shop, what Bible study looks like. Parents are they seeing, are your kids seeing you read the scriptures? Like, do they know what a Bible is other than just on a Sunday morning? And so I think when you invite them in and when you lead by example, it almost you know, know, ushers in a deeper understanding and a deeper realization of, okay, they believe this. And if they believe this, I think I can too so awesome.
Speaker 1:Well, like I say, we definitely could do a long time, but thank you all for your insight. I think bottom line be investing in relationships, especially in the next generation. That's where we know we can have an impact in Christ anywhere, but especially in our kids, our students, our young adults. They really need us to be investing in them. So, life Talk family, thanks for joining us and we'll see you all next time. Thanks for tuning into the Life Talk podcast. If this episode encouraged you, please be sure to like, comment, subscribe and leave a review so others can find this content as well, and we'll look forward to seeing you next Monday for another great episode.
