Motherhood at home is difficult enough... but guiding our children in this constantly-changing world is next-level complicated! In this episode Betsy, Emily, Jen, and Steph discuss overarching principles for pointing our children to Christ wherever they may be. (This episode corresponds with Entrusted with a Child's Heart: Lesson 3.)

Scriptures Mentioned:

Psalm 119:1-16

Psalm 119:37

1 Corinthians 3:6

Ezekiel 33:5-6

1 Corinthians 15:33

Ephesians 6:10-18

Psalm 127:1

They're the joyful agains our children

shout on the swings, the exhausting

2

agains of cooking and laundry, and

the difficult agains of discipline.

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So much of what we do

as mothers is on repeat.

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So what if we woke up with clarity,

knowing which agains we were called

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to, and went to bed believing we

are faithful in what matters most?

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We believe God's word is

the key to untangle from the

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confusion and overwhelm we feel.

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Let's look up together to embrace a

motherhood full of freedom and joy.

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This episode of again, is brought

to you by interested ministries.

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And I'm your host, Stephanie Hickox today.

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I am joined by our entire

cast of amazing women.

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We've got Betty Corning,

Emily DL and Jen Frackman.

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And we'll be discussing, guiding your

children amidst outside influences.

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In a previous episode, we talked about

common influences for us as mothers.

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And today we'll focus about how to

guide our children towards pursuing

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and loving Christ regardless of

their circumstance and situation.

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We're going to be discussing

the tug of two realms.

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From interested with the

child's heart chapter three.

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We can either be pulled towards

righteousness and Christ-like

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behavior or towards unrighteousness

and worldly influence.

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We're never just standing still.

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And as many of our kids are

settling into new routines at

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school sports or activities.

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We think this is a great time to

evaluate their outside influences.

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So, thanks for joining us for this latest

episode of the untangled series, where

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we're untangling biblical motherhood.

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Let's get to it

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Steph: let's start off with a fun

question aunt Betsy, what was your

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favorite game to play or way to

spend time when you were younger?

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Betsy: Well, I have to

admit, I love to read books

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my sisters and mom.

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We played a lot of solitaire,

which wasn't really solitaire.

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It was playing with two,

three, or four people.

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Or even more sometimes.

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It was really fast fun.

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And we played some Parcheesi

and Rook Monopoly, which we've

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all played and we just had fun.

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We had fun making things,

being creative with things.

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My sister and I, my younger sister

especially, we would make what we called

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Barbie houses with pieces of carpet for

the floors for the rooms and then we would

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make the furniture and we didn't really

even have Barbies or play with the towels.

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We just made the houses and we would keep

them out for a week all over the floor.

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And another thing we did a lot was

we would make cookies and dye the

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cookie dough and then make very

elaborate cookies like bowls of

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fruit and hats with flowers and all

kinds of things, but it was so fun.

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It was, I guess, our play doh

that we ate, kind of, right?

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Jen: that's amazing.

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Betsy: Still use that recipe.

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Steph: How about you, Jen?

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How did you like to spend your time

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Jen: I definitely like to be outside.

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Anything that was Outdoors, playing with

neighbor kids, swinging on our backyard

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tire swing swimming, riding bikes.

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I remember we would ride bikes.

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My dad worked in a factory

and so he would get home at 3.

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30 every day and by 4.

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30 we were done eating dinner

and we would go take a bike ride.

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And it was so fun.

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So anything that was outside

is definitely how I would want

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to spend my time as a kid.

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Steph: That's great.

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I'm going to have some similar

answers to Aunt Betsy because you.

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and my mom like to do the same things,

and so I think she passed those things

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on to me, I liked Play Doh a lot.

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Definitely cards and games.

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That was a big one.

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Bike rides.

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My mom and I would take these walks

in our neighborhood and We would look

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at the houses and we would say, okay,

if you could only change one thing

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about each house, what would you do?

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Jen: okay i it

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Steph: we just

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design and, things like that.

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So those are some fun memories

that were really pretty regular.

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Betsy: My son Lee said to me one time,

you know, you kind of grow up as the

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inside child or an outside child.

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And I think I can see

the, the difference here.

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I mean, we did outside things

of course, but mostly I think

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I was kind of an inside.

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Steph: sure, All right,

Emily, how about you?

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What was your favorite way to

spend time when you were a child?

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Emily: Swing in the backyard.

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We had a huge tree out back and my

dad put a huge rope swing up and we

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spent hours on that swing, my brother

and I that and playing in the creek.

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We had a creek out back and we would

explore the creek and pull treasures

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out and we would hide them in the

hole of a tree and tuck them in.

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And we said it was our time capsule,

but in our childhood that we played

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on the swing and in the creek,

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Steph: I want say ding, ding, ding.

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That is the correct answer on this show.

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Swinging on the swing.

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Jen: that's great.

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Steph: Aw, that's fun.

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Jen, you said something

about swinging too, right?

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I'm sure we all loved it.

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The question is, can you still handle

it as you're aging I get a little bit

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of motion sickness now if I go for long.

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Jen, we've talked about you homeschool

your children and so it looks different

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in your home But we're always releasing

our children in a wise way So what

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does that look like in your home?

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And what are some guidelines

that you've set up?

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Jen: Sure, we I would think the first

thing that we think about whenever we're

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talking with our kids is making sure

that they first and foremost have a solid

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biblical understanding of how the world

works, Even memorizing scripture, things

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into their hearts so that when we do send

them out and they're in the world, that

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they have the firm foundation of Christ's

words and scriptures in their heart and

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in their minds so that they can protect

them and guard them and give them wisdom

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to speak into different relationships

and conversations that they have.

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Just trying to make sure that, We're not

guarding them from every conversation

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of anybody who might not think the same

way as us, you know, not, definitely

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not that, but when they do encounter

somebody that might be speaking falsely

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or against what scripture would say, that

they would realize That, that's error and

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that, that is not what God's word says.

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And so they're equipped by having

the scriptures and, and definitely,

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you know, we've done Awana for years.

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We've done scripture memory, anything

that we can to, whenever we're reading

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the Bible, just trying to apply it

to the everyday of life of how they

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might encounter this in culture or

in friendships or, you know, even at

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the grocery store, because people at

the grocery store even can stop and

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talk and give their opinion on things.

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Steph: Absolutely.

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Yep.

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Especially around Christmas time right?

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Mm hmm.

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Jen: for sure.

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Yeah, the whole,

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what is Santa going to bring you today?

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That type of

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Steph: Yep.

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You have to be prepared

for all those things.

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Betsy: Well, how about the music in

I was in a store the other day and

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I couldn't believe the words of I

thought, do they really know what

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they're projecting out into their store?

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The meanings are And of course people are

bringing their children into these stores

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and they're listening to these words and

they're probably singing these words.

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And they don't even they're saying

It's pretty, it's pretty eye opening

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if you listen to some of the songs.

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Steph: it is.

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And there are, there are those soundtracks

or CDs that they'll take pop hits and

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then have kids sing them, but they'll

edit out inappropriate words, but they

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don't edit inappropriate concepts.

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And it's really shocking me sometimes

the things that they're having children

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sing, and now all of a sudden it's

supposed to be okay because they

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took out the Lord's name in vain.

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It's like, it's, it's not a song children

should be singing, and, and I think

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that's, it's so deceptive, isn't it?

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Betsy: Very much.

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I think Jen's point is a good

one that we want to be proactive.

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we want to set a firm foundation

before we have to be reactive.

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Before kids have thought about

something, gotten involved in

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something, seen something, and then

we're having a reactive situation.

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There will be those.

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Don't mistake that there

will be those situations.

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Just prepare yourself as a mother to know?

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that there will be some situations

that you wouldn't wish for your kids

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to have to deal with, but they will.

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And, but the more that you have set that

foundation of this is how we think, this

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is our worldview as believers in the

Lord, you will set them on a course.

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that guards against that.

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I think you know, Jen, I

heard her say once saying yes.

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is also saying no to something

else, to the opposite thing.

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And in entrusted, about

the tug of two realms.

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What, what are you involved in?

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Is it pulling you more towards

the Lord, or is it pulling

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you more away from the Lord?

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What friends that with and the thing that

you watched and the thing that you heard?

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Does that make you think more about

the Lord, or does it pull you away?

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And I think that's an important thing

for kids to think about because if we are

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watching their progressive sanctification

and they're moving more in the Way.

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of the Lord as they get older, it

really, they're not even interested

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in going that other direction.

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There's the tug two realms that we

really have to help our children with.

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Jen: Totally.

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Emily: Always that tug.

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We, it seems at the beginning of

every school year evaluate kind

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of what talks we need to have.

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Going into whatever grade

it is we're going into.

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And so, you know, our son is

going to be a junior this year.

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And so we were just talking the

other night about what talks

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we need to have before school.

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They know where we stand with

all of the things that we've laid

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out for years, but you always are

adjusting and tweaking these little

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things situationally that come up.

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As they progress in age.

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And so we always kind of evaluate where

they're at each year and sit down and

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have a conversation about the things

that may arise, boyfriends, girlfriends

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parties even getting to know the parents

of our children's friends, we've always

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tried to invest in those relationships.

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So we know the homes that they'll

be going into and, and so we always

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evaluate where, where we're at

and have continuing conversations

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as we enter into the school year.

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And we always, even though our

kids are older, and this may seem

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silly, we establish the routine,

get, you know, a couple weeks

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before school, reestablish bedtimes.

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And all of those kinds of things

because, you know, we're in summer mode.

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And so we reevaluate all

of those things as well.

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It's just a nice time to really gain

perspective of the season you're entering

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into, what you need to do to kind of

nest and make sure it's successful.

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And so it's kind of a

refreshing time of reevaluation

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for families.

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betsy-5duhojdvc_betsy-2023-7-2619-17-56:

That's an excellent idea.

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Jen: I

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love that idea.

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I love that.

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That is like so wise and so practical and

so easy to do, but when maybe you start

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the year without realizing like, Oh,

you're another year older, there's going

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to be new things that you're exposed to

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Betsy: not only that, but, you

know, you're trying to be proactive,

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but then you find out that kids

are learning these things younger

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and younger and younger, and the

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betsy-5duhojdvc_betsy-2023-7-2619-17-56:

danger is that kids

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Betsy: minds aren't necessarily

ready to receive the information

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Jen: That's great.

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I'm actually reading this book

called Your Teenager is Not Crazy.

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It's a really good book

from a Christian worldview.

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But one of The things that they

said was that teenagers learn best

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by given going through real life

scenarios and real life examples.

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And so, you Instead of saying, don't

do this, you kind of can tell a story

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to your teen and be like, you know,

this and this and this happened or

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this and this and this could happen

because imagine what this would

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look like if this and this and this.

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And so you can kind of paint the

picture for them through a story,

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which is exactly what God did.

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He is constantly talking in stories when

Jesus was on this earth, you know, So

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Yeah,

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exactly.

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So I thought that was kind of cool and

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so applicable to the back to school

with being like, okay, you're in a new

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grade, a new year for you, new friends,

new teachers, all of those things.

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And what are some, you know, experiences

or what are some situations that

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you could be in and how do you

think you'll handle it when what if

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this were to happen?

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Steph: I know you said earlier the

tug of two realms, but scripture

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also says all things are permissible,

but not all things are beneficial.

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So saying this might be something

that feels neutral, but is it really?

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And evaluating the pull that it has on us.

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Jen, you said earlier, that focus on

Christ, that we're not just talking

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about sheltering or avoiding, you know,

experiences with temptation or evil.

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We're talking about

filling up with the Lord.

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And I think Psalm 119 is just the most

beautiful chapter to meditate upon.

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And I, the entire chapter is so beautiful

because of the reliance upon God's word.

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You know, this is the way to stay pure.

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And so I'm just going to read

some of those verses from

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the beginning of the chapter.

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Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the Lord.

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Blessed are those who keep his

testimonies, who seek him with

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their whole heart, who also do

no wrong, but walk in his ways.

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You have commanded your

precepts to be kept diligently.

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Oh, that my ways may be steadfast

in keeping your statutes.

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Then I shall not be put to shame, having

my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

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I will praise you with an upright heart

when I learn your righteous rules.

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I will keep your statutes.

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Do not utterly forsake me.

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How can a young man keep his way pure?

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By guarding it according to your word.

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With my whole heart I seek you.

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Let me not wander from your commandments.

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I have stored up thy word in your

heart that I might not sin against you.

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Blessed are you, O Lord,

teach me your statutes.

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With my lips I declare all

the rules of your mouth.

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In the way of your testimonies I

delight as much as in all riches.

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I will meditate on your precepts

and fix my eyes on your ways.

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I will delight in your statutes.

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I will not forget your word.

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And so if our kids are continually

reading words like that, the truths

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of scripture, that it's God's

precepts and meditating on them.

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That keeps us from temptation.

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That's how we can have an upright heart,

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And even the prayers in

that, I love to ask God.

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Fill me with a desire for your word.

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Help me to honor and glorify you.

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Later in the chapter it says,

I will run in the path of your

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commandment when you enlarge my heart.

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And so, teaching them to pray the words of

scripture to help them stay faithful when

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they do enter a challenging situation.

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Emily: I

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love the verse that said, that talked

about how can a young man keep his way?

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I think it was.

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And it said by guarding his heart, I

I found myself recently in a certain

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situation and I thought, Oh Lord,

I just want a bubble for my kids.

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I don't want to guard their heart.

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I just want to like bubble them.

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And so I love that verse about

guarding your children's heart.

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But we can't.

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There is no way we can bubble wrap

them from this world, but we can equip

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them with the Word of God that will

guard their heart and, and ultimately

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give discernment and wisdom if they,

if they choose to dwell in the Word.

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So that was an encouraging word,

even to me, where I'm at right now.

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Betsy: Well, I like what

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Steffi said when she said run.

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So you run from the temptation always.

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If our kids know that we run

this that is going to pull them

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in the way of righteousness.

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At first we, they might be taking

little baby steps, but they're

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going in the right direction.

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And then as we see their faithfulness

to that, living in obedience.

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They learn how to walk in

righteousness with the Lord.

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And I think that really

guards a child's heart.

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It really, really does.

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Of course, you know, we're

talking about all ages here.

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We could even talk about ourselves and our

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betsy-5duhojdvc_betsy-2023-7-2619-17-56:

husbands and

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Betsy: our purity before the Lord.

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And are we accountable in

the things that we're doing?

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Some I used to always say, if, if

our kids can't watch this movie,

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that our teenagers are 15 year old.

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Then we're not going to watch it.

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It's just not, it's

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betsy-5duhojdvc_betsy-2023-7-2619-17-56:

really not going to be edifying

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Steph: hmm,

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Betsy: to us.

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And that's true.

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There's so much, so many things out

there that really aren't edifying.

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I think my kids would have heard

me say that a thousand times.

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Okay, it's popular, but is it edifying?

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Does it build you up in the

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betsy-5duhojdvc_betsy-2023-7-2619-17-56:

Lord?

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Steph: Right.

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And modeling those, having those

conversations of, this is what I

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avoid because I know my heart is

sensitive explaining to them that

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I do the same thing for my faith.

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And it's not, it's not an insult

to their faith that we're putting

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guardrails up saying, this is just

what wisdom does as a believer.

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You avoid certain things so that

you can draw closer to the Lord.

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I have three very justice oriented

little boys in my home and it's been

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really interesting to teach them strong

convictions and then also to teach

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them to be gracious with others and and

not that they Would claim that they're

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following, every standard perfectly,

but it's just really interesting

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sometimes how dogmatic they can be.

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I've had to learn the kind of that balance

of, yes, this is a standard in our home.

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Other families might choose to use

words that we don't use and we don't

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need to hold them to that standard.

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There might be a loving way you can

correct them, but if people haven't

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brought their lives under submission

to Christ, we would not expect

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their lives to look, like ours and.

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And so we've just had some

interesting situations as I'm trying

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to teach my children, what does

it look like to share your faith

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or, or to share your convictions?

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How do we do that in a

gracious and loving way?

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And in almost to the point, sometimes

I'm like, all right, now I just

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want you to love them with actions.

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Your words have been very strong.

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And I love that you

have strong convictions.

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And even in that, I'm excited.

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My little boys, are going to lead

families hopefully someday, right?

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And so when they have strong convictions

to embrace that, but to also teach them

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gentleness in it but just in case there

are any mamas out there who have Peters in

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their home and you feel like, oh man, that

came across a little differently to others

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than I intended, I can certainly relate.

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Jen: Okay.

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One of the things that we've spoken

to our kids is actually in Psalm

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119, I think it's verse 37 that says,

we turn our eyes from evil things.

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out in public, if they're you

know, at school, at a co op or

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anywhere where we are with other

friends, and Our, our family values,

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our family rules still apply.

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If we didn't allow you to have then

you shouldn't be looking at a friend's

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phone while at, out in public.

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And if there is something that we are,

even driving to Michigan, we will often

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see billboards or out on, you know, road

trips, we'll see billboards and I will.

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Be like, Oh guys, look, and I'll point to

the opposite direction of like something

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else to look at, you know, just trying to

turn their eyes from these evil things.

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Betsy: I said to David one particular

state we are never driving through

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again with kids because it was so

inappropriate , and I don't know

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how they thought that was okay.

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Steph: Daniel Huerta, he works for

Focus on the Family and I just had

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the blessing of hearing him speak at a

homeschooling conference and he said he

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needed to walk through a mall with his

young son and he knew we've got to walk

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past that store and it's coming up and

so he said, Honey, I want you to look.

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Do you see the light at

the end of that hallway?

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I want you to.

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Fix your eyes on that light

and we're going to keep

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walking toward the light, okay?

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And so they got past the store

and he saw his son turn and look.

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So when they got a little bit farther,

he stopped and he said, you know, he

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looked at his son and he could tell

his son looked a little ashamed.

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And he said, you know, did you, were you

able to keep your eyes fixed on the light?

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And he's like, no, daddy, I looked.

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He's like, okay, so how did

you feel when you looked?

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And he talked through

the experience with him.

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And I thought, He just spoke of it so

beautifully of, he didn't shame him, you

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know, he recognized that of course the

temptation is there, and he used it as

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a teaching moment, like a silver platter

moment, like you talk about an entrusted,

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but I think making sure that we're

available to talk through the experiences

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that our children are having, wherever it

may be, I think that's really important.

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It could be after a church sleepover,

it could be after they went to your best

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friend's house that you trust implicitly.

387

Just making time to process through the

different experiences they're having

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so that if things are coming up, you're

using it as a teachable moment and that

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you're not taken aback years later at

something, that flew under the radar.

390

Maybe counseling is needed.

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Maybe you need to go deeper with it.

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Betsy: Yeah, and to that end, I would like

to say that if any mother has somebody

393

asked them if their child can come to

this or come to that, and they feel the

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pressure, and maybe their child doesn't

even want to go especially, but they're

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feeling the pressure because maybe

the aunt or the uncle or the cousin.

396

wants them to come, it's a camp out or

whatever it is, and you don't feel right

397

about it, don't make your child go.

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Especially if your child

doesn't want to go.

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Your child has a sense about it, he

doesn't want to, she doesn't want to be

400

put in a particular situation, and if the

mom has that sense and the child doesn't

401

even, but the mom does, then don't do it.

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I can tell you.

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So many heartbreaking instances where

somebody will tell me after the fact, I

404

had a bad feeling about but I let them go.

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And their children are struggling

with something that happened that.

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trip or that overnight or whatever it was.

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Jen: Huh.

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Betsy: You just have to really be careful,

really watch who your children are with

409

when they're, when they're not with you.

410

We don't want to keep

them so, so isolated.

411

But, we also want to be really careful.

412

If we have a feeling don't have them go.

413

And you can just say, said I can't go.

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Emily: That is such a good word.

415

That's such a good word.

416

I think though we've had recent

conversations that what we call, you

417

know, those gut feelings with, with

our kids, with my youngest, especially,

418

I think it's often the Holy Spirit's

prompting Because he's, he's telling

419

us, we ask him for discernment, we ask

him for wisdom, and he tells us in those

420

moments, and we still doubt, oh, is that,

am I, am I, am I just overthinking it?

421

But I do think it's the Holy Spirit

prompting in those kinds of situations

422

and I think it's so important to listen to

423

that.

424

betsy-5duhojdvc_betsy-2023-7-2619-17-56:

Agreed.

425

Jen: There's a quote from a book that I

read called The Duties of Parents by J.

426

C.

427

Ryle, and it says, Do not fear

withholding anything from your child

428

that you think will do him harm,

whatever his own wishes may be.

429

So even if.

430

You know, we all are fighting our

children, I'm sure, at some point

431

about cell phones and what age they

get to get one and what age they don't.

432

But if we feel in our hearts that the

Holy Spirit is saying this is not going to

433

benefit them, this is going to harm them

more at this age, don't fear withholding

434

that because culture doesn't withhold it,

but allow the Lord to be the guide home

435

stephanie-1mxoasmux_stephanie-2023-7-2619-17-56:

Mm hmm.

436

Jen: culture.

437

Betsy: said.

438

can you even read that more?

439

Jen: Do not fear withholding anything

from your child that you think will do

440

him harm, whatever his own wishes may

441

Steph: Yeah, amen.

442

Mm hmm.

443

Betsy: That sums up a lot

444

Jen: Yeah.

445

Betsy: we don't have to worry, I

mean we do, have to worry things

446

but we can certainly trust the Lord

in many things, but it's not just

447

purity that we're talking about.

448

There are other areas of life that are

important to guard a child's heart.

449

in and I think some of those

are just a Christian worldview.

450

A worldview in a child is formed

pretty much by age nine and

451

pretty much solidified by age

13 according to George Barna.

452

And so we really want to Be helping

develop a strong biblical Christian

453

worldview with young children.

454

It's that foundation that

Jen was talking about.

455

We're going to help

them memorize scripture.

456

We're going to help them learn truth.

457

We're going to be there to guide them.

458

And then another one is just their

view of money and possessions.

459

Do they own them or they are

really all belong to God?

460

This is something that we have

to teach our children to guard

461

their hearts and minds about.

462

very important.

463

Another one might be just how

easily do you follow the crowd?

464

How easily are you seduced?

465

How easily are you just

pulled in to be the follower?

466

or can you stand up?

467

Can you stand by conviction?

468

Can you remain alert?

469

Can you stand up for the

person that being bullied?

470

Jen: So

471

Betsy: it has to do guarding their

hearts just with their convictions.

472

Can they be people of convictions?

473

Can they stand up for

the things of the Lord?

474

Another one we talked about

already, morality and purity.

475

And that's a big one.

476

Two other ones.

477

Discretion or overexposure to

technology and electronics.

478

I think we could probably spend

a good amount of time on this.

479

It's not just seeing the wrong things.

480

Sometimes it's just seeing

too much of something.

481

And the last one, the fear of versus

fascination with the mysticism,

482

which is a huge trendy thing right

now in books and movies, mysticism.

483

So anybody want to address any of

these six areas that we address in

484

Emily: I would say, attach being a

follower and having discernment there

485

with also seeking out good friendships

and not just following the crowd,

486

but seeking friendships that are,

that are strong and and edifying.

487

All children are different.

488

Some children are leader, leaders,

some children are followers and parents

489

know, parents know which they have.

490

And so that discussion

might be a little more.

491

important to take it a little further

for some than it is for others.

492

And so especially our young men,

which I'm so burdened for lately,

493

but especially our young men talking

to them about being strong leaders.

494

And of course with, with with wisdom,

but not always just being a follower,

495

but leading and leading well in, in a

strong and God centered masculine way.

496

Jen: That's great.

497

I also think of influence, like how

many good we get in our kids lives?

498

You know, they they talk about

that you're the average of What the

499

six people that you are around the

most and and if you average that

500

out That's about who you will be.

501

And so if that's the case I

want to increase the amount of

502

good influences in their life.

503

And that reminds me in 1st Corinthians

3 Verse 6 it talks about I planted,

504

Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

505

And so Yes, the Lord is the one that's

working in all of their lives, but he also

506

allows other people to have an input, to

be able to water, to be able to plant,

507

to be able to plant those seeds and those

thoughts into their minds and hearts.

508

And so just making sure that us

as parents are planting those

509

wonderful seeds in their hearts

and being good influences ourself.

510

Another J.

511

C.

512

Ryle quote, I just love some of his

books, but it says to give children good

513

instruction and a bad example is but

beckoning them with the head to show them

514

the way to heaven, while we take them by

the hand and lead them in the way to hell.

515

No one of us can live

himself in this world.

516

We are always influencing those

around us, either for God or for sin.

517

Fathers and mothers, do not forget

that children learn more by the

518

eye than they do by the ear.

519

And just knowing everything that we're

doing is influencing our children.

520

When you spend time with them, that's

part of why we went to homeschool.

521

We'd have more time to influence them.

522

And so when we're spending time with them

and are we influencing them for things of

523

the world and, or are we think influencing

them for things of the Lord and the

524

ways of the Lord and the ways that he

would have for them his kingdom someday.

525

Betsy: My husband, when he played

526

football, his coach

527

used to say, you, you're either getting

better, Or you're getting worse.

528

You never stay the same.

529

Any particular day, you are never

staying the same as the day before.

530

You're either going a getting

a little bit better, or you're

531

falling behind a little bit.

532

And I can relate that to our spiritual

lives, and especially as we're

533

talking about this tug of two realms.

534

Because we don't just sit on.

535

one spot.

536

We are either pulling, being subtly pulled

one direction and not even realizing it.

537

So, I think it is an important

concept to discuss with kids

538

and what they're listening to.

539

And I, I agree with Emily.

540

A huge influence is their friends.

541

If they've got great

friends, wow, that is...

542

That's awesome because that will help

them stay away from so much and really

543

be able to get into fun activities

together where they don't feel the

544

pressure to do everything that other

kids are doing, but just almost

545

enjoy childhood a little bit longer.

546

You know, everything is being

thrown at them so young,

547

Jen: Going back to the idea of negative

influences or things that we wouldn't

548

want our children to be exposed to or

to be around, in Ezekiel 33, 5 and 6,

549

it talks about He heard the sound of

the trumpet and did not take warning.

550

His blood shall be upon himself.

551

But if he had taken warning,

he would have saved his life.

552

But if the watchman sees the sword coming

and does not blow the trumpet so that

553

the people are not warned and the sword

comes and takes any one of them, that

554

person is taken away in his iniquity.

555

But his blood I will require

at the watchman's hand.

556

And I just think of us as parents.

557

We're those watchmen.

558

Our job and our duty is to make sure that

we are doing everything we can to tell our

559

kids like, look, this is evil, not this.

560

That, choose this, not that,

or be aware Satan is out there.

561

He's lurking, or the seductive

woman is just around the corner.

562

Be careful.

563

And constantly being that watchman

and allowing them to know that like.

564

It's not an easy walk through life

without any conflict or without any

565

temptation, and to be watchful, to

be mindful, and to take every thought

566

captive, and to take every relationship.

567

Is this a relationship

that I can be pouring into?

568

Actually, as I was reading in my

devotions this morning, it was talking

569

about I think it was in 1 Corinthians

15, it said, 33 talks about bad

570

company corrupts good character.

571

And then it goes on to say, some

of them have no knowledge of

572

God, and that is to your shame.

573

so when we're talking with our kids,

like, Yes, the people that don't have

574

knowledge of the Lord, you can take

that, depending on the age of the child,

575

obviously, and whether that's appropriate,

but you can take that situation where

576

they have no knowledge of the Lord

and you can tell them about the Lord.

577

You can use that as a way to introduce

Jesus to them and, and to not have that

578

be to our shame for not having them

know something about the Lord and all

579

of these situations, you have a choice

to make when you're in a hard situation.

580

Are you going to?

581

Encourage that brother or encourage

that stranger to walk towards the Lord,

582

or are you just going to kind of bow

out and shyly walk away and ignore it?

583

How are you going to handle that,

and what way can you do that it would

584

be the most glorifying to the Lord?

585

Silence.

586

Steph: I love that scripture.

587

It makes me think of, one of the

most common things my dad told us

588

growing up, he was a Marine and

589

he'd say if there were two soldiers

that got into a fight, who gets

590

in the most amount of trouble?

591

Is it the soldier who threw

the punch first or who

592

retaliated?

593

And we'd be like, well, probably

the one first, but he'd say no.

594

It was the one who was watching

and didn't step in and stop it.

595

And he always told us, you

don't stand by and watch.

596

And, just as Emily was talking

about, we have leaders or followers.

597

We are going to have probably one child

or two children that would just be the

598

one who's going to stay on the sideline.

599

Maybe they're not.

600

Being as tempted, but

are they guiding others?

601

Are they being a positive influence?

602

Emily: Yes, and you'll never regret having

all of these talks with your children.

603

I love, I can't remember what a chapter

it is, but in Entrusted Betsy, you broke

604

it down so beautifully into the ages

that progression of maturity and what

605

they, and what it looks like as far as

discipleship goes in those different

606

seasons and really, you know, we just have

this precious amount of time to learning.

607

Pour and pour and pour into them

and it changes with each season.

608

It looks a little different,

but but the Lord entrusted us

609

with them to pour into them.

610

And and we should be taking every

advantage and not be discouraged by the

611

number of talks that we need to have,

but be encouraged because they're placed

612

in our care with purpose and reason.

613

And And these talks will,

they're never in vain.

614

So so that's an encouraging word

as you look through the different

615

seasons and what it may look like.

616

Steph: We're going to have

these daily, constant sources

617

of material to talk about, right?

618

And so keeping that close relationship

with your kids, making sure that

619

you really have their heart.

620

It's not about demanding

a certain behavior.

621

It's about really...

622

Pointing their heart towards the

Lord and that they know that you're

623

for them, that you are trying to set

them up for success in this world and

624

that you want them to run in the path

of the Lord's commandments and, and

625

that that brings you such delight.

626

So rejoicing with them in the successes

and being gracious with them when

627

they do struggle so that they're not

afraid to tell you when they struggle.

628

So I think keeping that open communication

is So key and entrusted and one of the

629

key principles, and obviously that's

so the heart of the Lord, right?

630

he wants us to run to him and be

quick to repent, not to run and hide.

631

And so we can model, his gracious,

forgiving heart to our children

632

when they fall short and, and

share with them, you know, maybe

633

a time that we also fell short.

634

Betsy: Just a couple of principles

to remember sort of as overarching

635

thoughts when we're working and

thinking about guiding we can't

636

guard our children's hearts from

every evil thing we can't isolate and

637

protect them from seeing, hearing.

638

Even sometimes doing, getting

caught up in certain things.

639

But what we have to remember is

that Our hearts are inclined.

640

We're not just talking about controlling

outward behavior in our children.

641

We're talking about winning their hearts

for the Lord that they themselves Would

642

want to live by the, for the Lord by

their own convictions and not mom dad's.

643

There comes a time in life when they

own their own faith, when they're not

644

taking mom and dad's Faith for granted,

but when we think, well, we can just

645

isolate our kids and nothing's going

to happen because I'm going to really,

646

really protect them from the world,

that isolation is not, is really not

647

the answer because you can be isolated.

648

As most major criminals, You

hear their background story

649

and they isolated themselves.

650

It's because have!

651

evil intents in our own hearts, don't we?

652

So, I think really well said today

that we take what happens, like looking

653

at the store instead of the light.

654

We say yes.

655

This happened here, but now what can I do?

656

I can confess it and I have a way back.

657

The gospel is so gracious to say

when you slip, when you fall, this

658

is How you have a remedy that God

will you can be restored to the Lord

659

and that thing can be gone forever.

660

So I think that's a really

important thing to teach our kids.

661

When they do fall, there's a way back.

662

And also, we have remember

that we can't protect them from

663

everything or isolate them.

664

I Think our weapons are, Our Ephesians

6, the armor of God, and we talked about

665

those things already, a sure foundation

of scripture, the word, good friends, good

666

parents, the Holy Spirit to guide us, our

instincts, even the word of God in prayer

667

are really direct hits against the enemy.

668

Another one is we need to be out

in the world, sharing our faith.

669

But we don't need to be overcome by it,

overwhelmed by it, overtaken by it, so

670

that it unduly influences us towards

evil, so that it pulls us that opposite

671

way that we want to be going, but that

we bring God's perspective to people.

672

I know my daughter used to say

when she was in college, she would

673

hear somebody talk about something

and she'd say, you really need to

674

hear God's perspective about this.

675

And really she's saying is, I can counter

that thinking with something Biblical and

676

I would really love to share it with you.

677

And another one is we aren't

slaves to our instincts.

678

In the Lord, we do not have

to follow the instincts.

679

We are free.

680

And that freedom is great.

681

And so often we can get so bogged down

thinking, Oh, the world is horrible.

682

We are free in the Lord.

683

And it's A wonderful thing.

684

It's a wonderful thing.

685

And, and, but it can be a challenging

thing to prepare children to live in

686

that world and not be swallowed up by it.

687

But I believe that the

Lord is with us in it.

688

It's, it's what, what Jen said.

689

We have a dual partnership in this.

690

We're watchmen, but the

Lord is with us in this.

691

And it goes along with our very

first verse, Psalm 127 from

692

Entrusted with a Child's Heart.

693

Yes, it definitely does.

694

Unless the Lord builds the house.

695

They labor in vain who built it.

696

Unless the Lord guards, the city,

the Watchman keeps awake in Maine.

697

So I just wanted to say that for

anyone who hasn't taken the class.

698

It is so encouraging to know

that we are doing this with the

699

Lord and that he is the Watchman.

700

And we just would like to say that

these are some overarching principles

701

or things that the Lord has put on

our hearts through the years, but

702

this is not a comprehensive episode.

703

We will definitely be coming back

to specific strategies to tackle.

704

These increasingly complicated

issues in our society.

705

If you've been blessed by this podcast,

would you consider writing a review?

706

And leaving your comments.

707

We would love to spread the word to more

moms that are looking for biblical wisdom.

708

And the more reviews that we have, the

more this podcast will get recommended.

709

So we really appreciate your help in that.

710

Also if you have questions that

you would like answered you can

711

reach out to us at 1, 2, 4, 0.

712

Two zero.

713

Again, that's 1, 2, 4 0 2 0 2.

714

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715

Or you can head to

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716

And fill out a contact form.

717

Either way.

718

. We would love to hear from you

719

We know you're busy, Mama, so

we are truly grateful you joined

720

us for this episode of Again.

721

If you're looking for more information

about building your home on the

722

foundation of Jesus Christ, head to www.

723

EntrustedMinistries.

724

com to learn more about our study for

moms, Entrusted with a Child's Heart.

725

This scripture saturated study

has blessed families around the

726

world, and we want it for you, too.

727

Before you go, I want to pray

this benediction over you

728

from 2 Thessalonians 1, 11 12.

729

We're rooting for you.

730

To this end, we always pray for you,

that our God may make you worthy of His

731

calling, and may fulfill every resolve

for good, and every work of faith by

732

His power, so that the name of our Lord

Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in

733

Him, according to the grace of our God.

734

And the Lord Jesus Christ.

735

Amen.

736

Until we meet again.