Why Parents and Kids Should Be Studying Christian Apologetics with Dave Glander [Podcast]

03/05/18 • 28 min

If parents and children knew the answers to the myriad objections to the Christian position on God, the Gospel, and the Bible, the reality of God would prompt parents to be more diligent in raising their kids according to the mandates of Scripture, and our young people might not be so eager to exit the church in droves. Additionally, parents probably would not be dealing with some of the struggles with their kids that that they are currently facing either. That, in and of itself, makes it worth heeding the Scriptural imperative to be prepared to defend our faith. Raising godly kids with the knowledge and the courage to defend their convictions is a recipe for emotionally healthy offspring. Dave Glander was a devout atheist prior to a radical encounter with Jesus Christ. He is now a deeply committed believer in Christ and the Bible. Dave is the founder of the apologetics-based ministry Truth Ministries which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also a co-pastor at The Way in Hoschton, Georgia and co-founder of an apologetics-based youth summer camp called EQUIP retreat. Dave is the author of the Faith Survival Guide apologetics curriculum. He owns and currates the Museum of Truth, an 1800-square-foot traveling biblical museum, and he has hosted his own radio program called What Is Truth. Dave currently lives in the Atlanta area with his wife, Stephanie, and their son, Marc. How Studying Christian Apologetics Can Help Answer Questions About the Faith Shepherds Hill Academy is proof that studying Christian apologetics is important. Quite often, I watch students make their own determinations about God, Scripture, and Christianity as they learn more about the faith. We do not force Shepherds Hill Academy students to trust in the Gospel or profess trust in Jesus, and we never would. Actually, sometimes the very thing that is motivating our students to rebel in the first place is the feeling that they have been forced into Christianity by their parents. At Shepherds Hill Academy, we simply try to respond to our students’ uncertainty about the faith. We answer questions and explain why we believe what we believe. Many of the students at Shepherds Hill Academy come from families that, to some extent, accept Christianity and follow its principles. This doesn’t apply to every student, but it does apply to the majority. A disconnect can occur in teens when they look at our culture and start to believe that the rest of the country has a different worldview and belief system, and, at least at that moment, they like what they see in our culture more than what they see in the faith of their parents. A worldly belief system that values the pursuit of whatever makes you feel happy seems pretty appealing to them. They may begin to think that there is no way their parents are right and this worldly belief system is wrong, and unfortunately, this is exactly what the devil wants them to think. Trace Embry and Dave Glander discuss how to keep kids strong in the faith as they discuss the following topics: Who is Dave Glander? How were Dave’s atheistic beliefs changed? Why facts are not enough. Do you need a degree to pursue apologetics? Do other religions really have the amount of evidence as Christianity? How can parents get their teens involved in apologetics? Who are the upcoming thought leaders of apologetics? Picture provided by: John-Mark Smith

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Why Parents Should Regulate Digital Technology for Their Kids with Dr. Kathy Koch [Podcast]

The digital technology that is so common today is allowing kids—and adults—to practice some healthy and productive habits and some destructive and unhealthy habits. Because of this, parents would be wise to regulate digital technology for their kids and develop guidelines for using it at home and away from home. Dr. Kathy Koch is the founder and president of Celebrate Kids Inc., a ministry based in Fort Worth, Texas. She has reached many educators, parents, kids, and others through numerous speaking engagements and appearances on radio programs. Dr. Koch has written six books. Her bestselling books include 8 Great Smarts: Discover and Nurture Your Child’s Intelligences and Screens and Teens: Connecting With Our Teens in a Wireless World. Before founding Celebrate Kids and becoming an active speaker, Dr. Koch was active in the field of education. At various times, she worked as an elementary school teacher, a coach, a tenured associate professor, and a school board member. How Dangerous Technologies of the Past Should Teach Us to Regulate Digital Technology Consider what it was like at the beginning of the 1900s. Industry and technology were developing quickly, and cars were quickly becoming a normal part of everyday life in America. How long do you think it took for people to realize that rules and regulations were needed to keep people safe on the road? As time went by, people noticed that things like signs, traffic lights, blinkers, seat belts, and many others were necessary to keep people safe. Next, they agreed that young people had to reach a certain age before being allowed to drive a car. Our society even dictated that adults had to take an exam and carry a license in order to get behind the wheel. All of this for a technology that doesn’t create addicts! Now we must consider the world we live in today. Technology is advancing faster than ever before in many areas. But unlike the early 1900s, when the dangers of new industrial technology were physical in nature, new digital technology effects minds, emotions, and attitudes more than physical bodies. Because these risks are harder to quantify, we seem to be taking our time in enacting a system of safety for digital technology. Today Dr. Kathy Koch and I discuss the influence of digital technology as we cover the following topics: Do Christians seem to be overlooking the point of christianity? How do our children’s behaviors connect to their media habits? The importance of relationships. Why your child’s opinions fluctuate so frequently. How do we train our kids not to compartmentalize? Why are parents struggling with improving their homes? How parents can rise above their peers and raise godly kids. Picture provided by: pixnio.com

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How To Raise Godly Kids in a Culture Obsessed with Digital Technology and Social Media with Jonathan McKee [Podcast]

Because digital devices have now become ingrained in our culture to the point of almost being considered a kind of “sustenance” by many people, we will need to prepare our kids to navigate today’s digital age in ways that are safe and God-honoring. Of all the digital devices that bring liability to their users, social media and mobile devices are arguably considered to be the most concerning. Today, we will discuss these concerns as we talk to the author of the new book, The Teen’s Guide to Social Media and Mobile Devices. Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices, 52 Ways to Connect with Your Smartphone Obsessed Kid, More Than Just the Talk, Sex Matters, and The Guy's Guide to God, Girls, and the Phone in Your Pocket. Jonathan has over 20 years of experience in youth ministry and speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for parents on his website TheSource4Parents.com. On this website, parents can follow Jonathan’s blog and get a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help. How Digital Technology and Social Media Presents Kids with Risks and Complications Evidence that parents need to start rethinking the way they allow their children to interact with digital technology can be found in statistics, science, current events, and everyday life. Digital technology like the smartphone brings much unnecessary complication and risk into the lives of parents and kids. I’m all for simple cell phones for safety and communication purposes, but I think smartphones are addictive adult toys that can bring more liability and burden to our family dynamics than we need in our hustle/bustle age. I don’t know that the risk of the smartphone is worth the reward. I also think there is a good case to be made that we inadvertently exasperate our kids, provoke them to anger, and cause them to stumble by giving these devices to them. We know what Jesus said about “causing one of these little ones to stumble.” Is it really worth putting our kids at risk just to be culturally relevant or accepted? In my line of work, I deal with otherwise good and godly kids whose lives and families have been wrecked. Virtually every case can be linked back to a smartphone. Let me ask you this: What would be the worst thing that could happen if we made smartphones “no-kid-zones” at home? Jonathan McKee and I discuss social media and smartphones as we cover the following topics: Why you should read The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices. The difference between tech-enabled and not tech-dependant. Could smartphones be contributing to teen depression? A crucial question you need to ask as your child begins to enter adulthood. How you can empower your child to know the truth about the intentions of the creators of social media sites. How to help your child understand that nothing transferred over the internet is truly deleted. How to educate your child about privacy settings. The importance of understanding Snapchat and the new feature, “Snap Maps.” Picture provided by: maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com