1 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: Welcome to Christian parent Crazy World, the podcast that tackles 2 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: tough topics to help you be a godly parent in 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: an ungodly world. I am your host, Catherine Seekers, and 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: in today's episode, we will tackle this timely question, how 5 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:22,959 Speaker 1: do we prepare our children to stand firm and a 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: culture that's doing everything it can to pull them away 7 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: from God. You know, those early parenting years can be exhausting. 8 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: We are consumed with diapers and dishes, laundryes, leapless nights, 9 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: and simply keeping everyone alive. But before we know it, 10 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: the challenges shift, and our greatest calling is no longer 11 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: just caring for our children. Rather, it's shaping their hearts 12 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: and equipping them to follow Christ in a world that 13 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: often stands in direct opposition to him. That is no 14 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: small task. My guest today is an outstanding pastor who 15 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: has drawn powerful insights from the life of Daniel, one 16 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 1: of Scripture's greatest examples of faithful living and a hostile culture. Together, 17 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: we're going to explore practical biblical principles that can help 18 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 1: us raise children who don't simply survive this crazy world, 19 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 1: but shine for Christ in the middle of it. That's 20 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: the ground we will cover in today's episode of Christian 21 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: Parent Crazy World. Before we jump into today's conversation, I 22 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: wanted to let you know that we are starting a 23 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: very special archive series here on Christian Parent Crazy World 24 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: because we are finally in the home stretch of our 25 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 1: famili's move to Nashville. This has been an entire year. 26 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: In the making, and I cannot wait to tell you 27 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 2: everything He has done on this journey, y'all. And I 28 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: have to say y'all now because I'm moving back to Nashville. 29 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: It has been absolutely awe inspiring to watch the Lord 30 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: move on our behalf after so much prayer. There were 31 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 2: moments when it honestly looked like this move wasn't gonna happen. 32 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 2: At one point, it appeared our journey to Music City 33 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 2: might be delayed another year and could even end up 34 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 2: in a courtroom. But you know, God fought those battles 35 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 2: for us. He slayed those giants with us, and he 36 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 2: opened doors we simply could not have opened ourselves. And 37 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 2: now we stand on the eve of an incredible new 38 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 2: season that only He could have orchestrated. But the Lord 39 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 2: has taught me some profound lessons over this past year, 40 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 2: and once we're settled in, I'm going to devote an 41 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: entire podcast to sharing the faithfulness of God through this 42 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 2: journey with some lessons I know that are going to 43 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 2: bless you as well because they're applicable to any challenging 44 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 2: season that you're in. But in the meantime, brand new 45 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 2: episodes will continue to come your way, just at a 46 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: slightly slower pace until we finally get our family settled 47 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 2: into our new home. Now, today's episode is one I 48 00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 2: knew that I had to bring back. 49 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: This two parts series. Conversation with DJ Harry is simply 50 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: too good not to revisit. And please you guys, don't 51 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: miss next week's conclusion because something happened during that interview 52 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: that has never happened before in the history of CPCW. 53 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: I'll just leave it at that. You'll have to tune in. 54 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: But DJ Harry is a husband, a father, a pastor, speaker, 55 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: and podcaster himself. He serves as the senior pastor of 56 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: Needham's Grove Baptist Church in central North Carolina, and he 57 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: co hosts the Better Together podcast with his beautiful wife Laurie. Today, 58 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: GJ is going to unpack powerful lessons from the life 59 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: of Daniel that will equip us to raise children who 60 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: don't merely survive a lost culture, but they have all 61 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: the tools they need to stand firm for Christ in 62 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: the midst of it. So with that set, let's jump 63 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: right in. DJ. It is so good to have you 64 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: on the show. Welcome to Christian Parent Crazy World. 65 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 3: Thank you so much, Catherine. It really is an honor 66 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 3: to be with you today. We're so excited. 67 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: I'm excited as well. Tell us a little bit about 68 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: your family and what you do your pastor. 69 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 3: Right, I am, yes, my wife, and well I'll start 70 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 3: where I like to start. First of all, I'm a husband. 71 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 3: My wife and I were high school sweethearts and we've 72 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 3: been married for twenty six years. Now. We have four 73 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 3: wonderful kids, and three of our kids are now either 74 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 3: in college or married. And then our youngest, Laura is 75 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 3: still at home. She's a junior in high school, so 76 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 3: we're almost empty nesters. And I'm a pastor and that's 77 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 3: sort of what I do. That's what we do in ministry. 78 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 3: I've been in pastoral ministry for almost twenty years, but 79 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 3: before that, my wife and I were both teachers. I 80 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 3: was a science and math teacher for about eight years, 81 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 3: and she was a elementary and an English teacher, and 82 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 3: so we both have an education background. And then the 83 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 3: Lord sort of directed our steps and we went into 84 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 3: the ministry. 85 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: That's incredible, and you also have I have an amazing 86 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: podcast called the Better Together Podcast. Tell us just a 87 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: little bit about that. 88 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 3: Sure, So you know, my wife and I we didn't 89 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 3: always do things the right way when it came to 90 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 3: marriage and parenting. 91 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 1: Actually we did. My husband and I just nailed it 92 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 1: from the start, but. 93 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 3: We did not nail it from the start. And granted, 94 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 3: my wife and I we had a good marriage, Like 95 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 3: I don't look back and I don't think we were 96 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 3: like on the road to divorce, and our kids weren't 97 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 3: on the road to destruction. But we definitely weren't doing 98 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 3: a lot of things well. We weren't doing it right. 99 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 3: And about fifteen eighteen years ago, the Lord really began. 100 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 3: The Lord brought some people into our life that gave 101 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,919 Speaker 3: us excellent biblical wisdom. We found some resources that pointed 102 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 3: to biblically what biblical parenting looked like, what biblical marriage 103 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 3: looked like. It radically changed our marriage, It changed our 104 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 3: parenting and so lat year, when we hit the twenty 105 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 3: five year mark, I challenged my wife and I said, 106 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 3: you know, Laurie, we've been married for twenty five years. 107 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 3: I would love for us to do a podcast where 108 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 3: we begin sharing some of the things that we've learned 109 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 3: in marriage and parenting, sort of tell our journey. And 110 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 3: it has been such a blessing, you know, my wife. Originally, 111 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 3: I'm going to brag on my wife here for a second. 112 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 3: Please do you know originally the first ten, fifteen, twenty 113 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 3: episodes like were completely scripted, like she had to know 114 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 3: every point, everything that was going to be said, because 115 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 3: she had never I had had a podcast before. She 116 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 3: had not. You know, I preach every Sunday, every Wednesday's. 117 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 3: She doesn't, and so I'm used to speaking in front 118 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 3: of a microphone. She's not. But I tell you what, 119 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 3: this year, this season, season two, we have gotten to 120 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 3: the point where we have our outline, we know the 121 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 3: direction we're going, and it is such a blessing to 122 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 3: see her in front of a microphone talking to people 123 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 3: that we know will be listening. And she's talking to moms, 124 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 3: she's talking to parents, and it's coming from her heart 125 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 3: and so Anyway, it has been a blessing. We are 126 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 3: in our second season. We're about almost fifty episodes in 127 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 3: at this point, and so it has been an awesome 128 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 3: adventure for us, and our podcast is better together, and 129 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:23,679 Speaker 3: it's really been a great journey for us. 130 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: Oh, it's great. I've been listening to some of your 131 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: stuff and it's awesome. We'll talk about that a little 132 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: bit more later, but I do want to dive into 133 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: today's topic because this is awesome. This is a big, 134 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: meaty topic. How can we prepare our kids to stand 135 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: strong in this very lost Babylonian like culture that we 136 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: live in. But not only to stand strong, because we 137 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: want them to stand strong, but we also want them 138 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: to make a difference in the world they were born 139 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: and the time that they were born in. As are 140 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: we not by accident, not by some twist of fate 141 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: or some Dringian kind of evolutionary model. We just ended 142 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: up here when we did. 143 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 3: No. 144 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: God designed us and planned us to live when we do. 145 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: And so our children have a purpose and a plan 146 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: and the time that they live in. And of course 147 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: we're their chief guide and instructors and mentors on that 148 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: journey that they're in and so there are some lessons 149 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: that we can learn from scripture, particularly from the Book 150 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: of Daniel. I think that's one of the most instructive 151 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: books for parents these days. I think we need to 152 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: be camping out there a lot. These lessons could not 153 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: be more on point with what we're facing in our culture. 154 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: So why don't you set the stage for us with 155 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: the Book of Daniel. What's going on here at the 156 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: onset when Daniel and his friends find themselves in a 157 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:41,839 Speaker 1: place they didn't imagine, they'd be sure. 158 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 3: So I'm going to back up just to Tad and say, 159 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:47,319 Speaker 3: ten years ago, I would have never picked Daniel as 160 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 3: a book to give parenting wisdom. Really, And it was 161 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,200 Speaker 3: about five years ago. I think when my wife and I, 162 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 3: well about five years ago, we were preparing for a 163 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 3: Sunday School series. I think we were going going through 164 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:02,719 Speaker 3: the Book of Daniel, and my wife and I were 165 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 3: then working on a parenting series we were going to 166 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 3: be doing for a class in our church. And I 167 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 3: highlighted a few things from Daniel's life, and then I 168 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 3: backed up and it was something that Laurie and I 169 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 3: had a chance to talk a lot about. We began 170 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 3: to see just this incredible depth of truth that comes 171 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 3: from the first really the first chapter of Daniel. You know, 172 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 3: Daniel starts out and I'm going to read and I'm 173 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 3: reading from the King James Daniel. Chapter one. Verse one says, 174 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 3: in the third year of the reign of johoicame king 175 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 3: of Judah, came nebuchand Aser king of Babylon under Jerusalem 176 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 3: and besieged it. And in one verse we have the 177 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 3: fall of Jerusalem that has been prophesied for many years. 178 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 3: We read about it in Isaiah's prophecy, we read about 179 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 3: it in Jeremiah's prophecy. And it was a process that 180 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 3: took oh I had written down here it took multiple 181 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 3: eight eighteen months to thirty months, so one to two years, 182 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 3: a long siege of the land. And it gets one verse. Wow, 183 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 3: one verse. And so we move into this process where 184 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 3: Daniel Shadrakmishak can have been to go and up to 185 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 3: three four hundred other young men, we don't know how 186 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 3: many were captured and were taken to Babylon apart from 187 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 3: their families, into really a godless capital, g godless civilization 188 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 3: that was filled with lots of false gods and false idolatry. 189 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 3: But at the age of fourteen or fifteen, Daniel was 190 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:44,199 Speaker 3: expected to stand in a culture that stood radically against 191 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 3: what his upbringing taught him. And I'm happy to say 192 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 3: that Daniel stood well because over the course of seventy years, 193 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 3: Daniel served in the palace for over four different kings. 194 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 3: God used him to minister through multiple generations, and he 195 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 3: had incredible influence in a foreign country to in fact, sadly, 196 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 3: at the and we just finished this actually because we 197 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 3: went through Daniel again in our Sunday school class. Sadly, 198 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 3: we get to the end of the Book of Daniel, 199 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:22,959 Speaker 3: and Daniel remembers all that God had promised and he's like, Lord, 200 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 3: it's time for you to let us go back to 201 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 3: Jerusalem and go back to the land. But that was 202 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 3: the end of Daniel's life. And so Daniel never was 203 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 3: able to go back to Jerusalem. He never knew Jerusalem 204 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 3: as his home as a boy through adulthood. And yet 205 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 3: something happened in those first fifteen years, Catherine, something happened 206 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 3: that prepared him, that prepared him for a life of 207 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 3: standing against a godless culture and standing for righteousness. So 208 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 3: we began seeing this incredible pasth These little clues in 209 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 3: Daniel chapter one that tell us how we as parents, 210 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 3: and that's a lot of what we focus on in 211 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 3: our ministry and in our podcast is parenting. How we 212 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,679 Speaker 3: as parents can prepare our children to stand up, because 213 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 3: if you look at our culture, truly we are living 214 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 3: in Babylon today, we are and our kids are going 215 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 3: to have to be prepared to stand like Daniel did 216 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:27,680 Speaker 3: in their Babylon right. 217 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,440 Speaker 1: And of course he wasn't alone. We have Shadrag Mishak 218 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: and have been to go. But when we see them, 219 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: what we also see is that everyone else is bowing. 220 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: So presumably can we assume that the other young men 221 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: who were taken along with them we don't hear anything 222 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 1: about them. 223 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 3: Well, I think it's very safe to assume, and actually 224 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 3: we do hear about them, because in Daniel chapter one, 225 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 3: it talks about Daniel and the others and I don't 226 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 3: remember the exact language, uh huh, but It'sdaniel and the 227 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 3: others that were taken, and it's talking about Daniel and 228 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 3: the other young men, so it's referring to could be 229 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 3: three four hundred other young men. But there's something interesting 230 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 3: happens when Daniel takes a stand and purposes in his 231 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 3: heart not to defile himself, and then when Shadrak Meshak 232 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 3: Can abidden to go take their stand and they refuse 233 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 3: to bow. From that point on, the other young men 234 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 3: are never talked about in the book like they became insignificant. 235 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 3: I believe they just integrated into Babylon. Yep, they became 236 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 3: they became good Babylonian young men. But Daniel refused to 237 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 3: do that, Shadreck and Meshack can have Beenego refused to 238 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 3: do that. And so that's why I think they're great 239 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 3: examples for us to look at as parents. How can 240 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:48,839 Speaker 3: we prepare our kids to do the same thing. 241 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: Oh, that is so true. And it's like you said, 242 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: it's funny. You know, ten years ago you might not 243 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: have thought of this book. This book has been on 244 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: my radar for so long because of that. I'm like 245 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: the culture, and there's been this push in the last 246 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: five years, especially especially this post COVID world we live in. 247 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 1: There has been what I would consider to be one 248 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 1: of the birth pays. Jesus talks about one of these contractions. 249 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: It's like a contraction of evil and of secular worldview. 250 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: And what we do see, according to the statistics, is 251 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: that a majority of young people who are raised in church, 252 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: in church and in Christian homes, they are going out 253 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 1: on their own around the age maybe a little bit older. 254 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 1: We're not exactly sure what you know, Shadrack, Meisha can 255 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: have Been to Go and Daniel exactly what their age were, 256 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: but they were definitely teamed. They were grown enough to 257 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: be apart from their parents. We see the majority of 258 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: Christian kids doing the same thing that these these young 259 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: people that you talked about, We don't hear about them 260 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: again because a majority of the Christian. 261 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 3: Kids they're they're lost, They're gone, yeah, are lost. 262 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: They've been influenced by our culture. And we talk about 263 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: a lot on my show what you do when you 264 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: find if you find yourself in that situation, how to 265 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: really influence and parent child who's walking that path, and 266 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: how to pray for that child. But what we're talking 267 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: about today is what are the principles that we can 268 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: learn from Daniel's life and Shadrack Meischek and have Been 269 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: to Go. What did their parents do well? How were 270 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: they able to stand when everyone else around them was godless? 271 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: And even their own compatriots, their own people who had 272 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: been taken into captivity with them. They're they're all bowing. 273 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: They're bowing. They're taking the path of least resistance. Daniel 274 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: and his friends did not. How did they stand strong 275 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: when these others did not? 276 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 3: Sure? So, Catherine, as we went through this path, through 277 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 3: this passage, I think we came up with about four 278 00:15:55,800 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 3: very unique things that I think it's safe. Now, it's 279 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 3: an assumption, but I think it's a safe assumption to 280 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 3: put the responsibility of these on his parents. So we're 281 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 3: not talking today. We're not going to talk about Daniel 282 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 3: purposed in his heart. Okay, We're not going to talk 283 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 3: about shadreck me shack can have been ago refusing to bow. 284 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 3: That's that's what we want to get our kids to, 285 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 3: is that point? 286 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 1: Right? 287 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 3: The question is what happened ahead of time to prepare 288 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 3: them for that? Right? And so I think the four things, 289 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 3: it's pretty safe that this fell on the role of 290 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 3: the parents, because today these four things also fall on 291 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 3: the roles of mom and dad. So if you don't mind, 292 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 3: can I go ahead and just jump into the first one. 293 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: Yes, go right ahead. 294 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 3: Okay, So the first one that I think we that 295 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 3: I think we learn uh. The first principle that we 296 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 3: learned from Daniel chapter one, and it's in in that 297 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 3: concept of verse number one, is that as parents, we 298 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 3: don't get to choose when our children will be tested. 299 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 3: We don't we don't get to set the time or 300 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 3: the date or the age when our children are going 301 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 3: to be pressured. We talked about the siege of Jerusalem 302 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 3: there in Daniel chapter one. It came unexpectedly, although it 303 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 3: had been prophesied. It's not something that anyone was really 304 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 3: expecting or wanting to happen. It lasted at least eighteen 305 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 3: to thirty months. Food was cut off. That was starvation. 306 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 3: It's talked about in Second Kings twenty five and Lamentations 307 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 3: chapter four. Nebuconezer and his men broke through the city walls. 308 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 3: They conquered the city. People that tried to escape were 309 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 3: captured or killed. Children were being dragged away in wagons 310 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 3: made of metal, pulled by horses and mules, and they 311 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 3: were being taken. I mean, this is what's happening, and 312 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 3: we only see one verse. Nebicinezer besieged the city, and 313 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 3: we can't disconnect from the brutality of what happened. But 314 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 3: the point is that we don't get to choose when 315 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 3: the enemy will be knocking at the gates, deciding that 316 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 3: our children that are our opportunity to raise them is 317 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:15,879 Speaker 3: over up. For example, this last year, I had I 318 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 3: had some heart issues, and Praise the Lord, it turned 319 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 3: out to be just an irregular heartbeat. I'm on some medication. 320 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 3: Everything's fine. But if at the point that it was 321 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 3: happening back in May of this last year of twenty 322 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 3: twenty three, when it was happening, it was it was 323 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:36,399 Speaker 3: very frightful, and I was confronted with a reality that, 324 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 3: you know, if I had a blockage, or if I 325 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 3: had heart issues, my time on this You know, I 326 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 3: don't get to decide how long I'm going to be here. 327 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 3: If I were to step away from this earth today, 328 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 3: then I don't get to continue training my children. They 329 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 3: have to be ready today if something happens to me 330 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 3: and my wife, or if my children are confronted with 331 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 3: circumstances at college or Laurel in the workplace. She works 332 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 3: at a local fast food chain, which is a reputable change. 333 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 3: It's been great for her, but she's confronted with issues 334 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,199 Speaker 3: and we don't get to choose when that happens in 335 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 3: the lives of our kids. Sometimes we think that we 336 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 3: can just keep that protective bubble around them and we 337 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 3: get to choose when Satan is going to attack. But 338 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,400 Speaker 3: we don't get to choose that. And sadly, I think, Catherine, 339 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 3: you'll agree with this. In our education system, and this 340 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:37,120 Speaker 3: is whether it's private or public or whatever we're connecting 341 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:41,920 Speaker 3: with the community, our children are being tested earlier and earlier. Yes, 342 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 3: things that we thought, you know, maybe would come up 343 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 3: in high school or in college are now being pushed 344 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 3: down into our younger kids. In the past, these tests 345 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,720 Speaker 3: were sort of proportional to our kids age, but it 346 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 3: seems like now the younger kids are they're just being 347 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 3: tested younger and younger. So I think the first lesson 348 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 3: is this, as parents, we can't assume that I've got 349 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 3: sixteen years to prepare my child. You know, my child's 350 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 3: five years old, Okay, well they'll be when they're twenty. 351 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 3: I have to have them ready by the time they're twenty. 352 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 3: We don't have that luxury. I think our children are 353 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 3: being tested very very at very very early ages, and 354 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:27,919 Speaker 3: we don't get to choose when we think they're ready 355 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,479 Speaker 3: to be tested. So I think that comes up because 356 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 3: this siege of Jerusalem in verse one would have been 357 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 3: a surprise. I don't think his parents were necessarily expecting 358 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 3: today's the last day we'll see our son Daniel. But 359 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 3: that day came and Daniel had to be ready. 360 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,680 Speaker 1: Yes, beautifully stated. I think the one thing I would 361 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 1: add to that too, is that we don't know how 362 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 1: they'll be tested. Either. We don't know the when or 363 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 1: the how. You know that they obviously your child is 364 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 1: going to be tested. Did they imagine that it would 365 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,920 Speaker 1: be that kind of testing, that they're our children would 366 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: literally be taken from them and placed in an alternative culture, 367 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,679 Speaker 1: a godless culture, and they didn't. I'm sure the parents 368 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: didn't expect that. Like you said, it had been prophesied 369 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 1: for many years, so at the coming of the Messiah, 370 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: so has the second coming been prophesied, which we're all 371 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 1: waiting for anxiously. Now. My daughter actually was just sitting 372 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:24,920 Speaker 1: up reading part of our Advent devotional. This is gonna 373 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,239 Speaker 1: air much later next year, so they're probably wondering why 374 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: I'm we're recording this in December, But I was reading 375 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:34,159 Speaker 1: that with my daughter and she asked me, She's like, 376 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: could Jesus come this Christmas? 377 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:36,600 Speaker 3: You know? 378 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: And I'm like, because we were talking about how he's 379 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 1: going to come back to the Mount of Olives and 380 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: that's where he's going to return, And I'm like, gosh, 381 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,119 Speaker 1: I hope, so, honey, I really really hope. So that 382 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: would be nice because I would personally like for that 383 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: wonderful second coming and our glorious reunion with our heavenly 384 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: Father to happen sooner rather than later. But you know, 385 00:21:58,080 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: we don't know. We don't know when they're going to 386 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 1: be tested, we don't know how they're going to be tested. 387 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: So I guess that is definitely where Daniel leads us 388 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:11,640 Speaker 1: to know we've got to be prepared in diligent daily, daily, 389 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 1: every single day and praying for our kids and being 390 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:19,199 Speaker 1: very intentional about their spiritual formation. It's very clear that 391 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,399 Speaker 1: Daniel's parents were in shadrack Miishek and of Bendigo's parents 392 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: were sure because they were tested severely, severely and they 393 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 1: stood the test. So what else do we learn from 394 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: this passage that tells us how what their parents did 395 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: in order to help prepare them. 396 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 3: So the second thing I think comes up in verse 397 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 3: number four, and let me read that. It's continuing to 398 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,720 Speaker 3: speak of those that were taken, the children or the 399 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,159 Speaker 3: young boys that were taken, and it's describing them a 400 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 3: verse sport. It says children and who was no blemish, 401 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 3: but well favored, skillful in all wisdom, cunning and knowledge 402 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 3: and understanding science, and such as had ability in them 403 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,240 Speaker 3: to stand in the King's palace, and whom they might 404 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 3: teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans. So the 405 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:10,880 Speaker 3: second thing we see about Daniel in this passage is Daniel, 406 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,199 Speaker 3: as well as all of the other young men that 407 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 3: were chosen, had a very thorough and well rounded education. Now, 408 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 3: I think sometimes we back away from education being a 409 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 3: spiritual tool. We sort of think, well, our child's education 410 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,880 Speaker 3: is to make them a good person. But if they're 411 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 3: going to be spiritually used, then they just it's we're 412 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 3: talking about, you know, knowing the Bible. But I would 413 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 3: back up, and I would challenge your listeners and for 414 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 3: those that are for those that are watching this that 415 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:50,919 Speaker 3: as Christians, if we are not educating our children in 416 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:56,239 Speaker 3: a well rounded, balanced manner where they are good in uh, 417 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 3: where they are well learned, in the area of science 418 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 3: and English language and history and culture. Then I think 419 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 3: in the long term we're crippling their ability to have 420 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 3: influence in our culture. 421 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: Amen. 422 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:12,959 Speaker 3: Now, clearly every child is going to have their strength 423 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 3: and their weaknesses. Some children are going to excel in 424 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 3: certain areas and and maybe be deficient in others. It's 425 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 3: for God to choose how he uses our abilities to 426 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,120 Speaker 3: have an influence. But I think if we just look 427 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:31,399 Speaker 3: at and let let's look at the passage. Look at 428 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 3: verse number four, and I'm reading this here. It says 429 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 3: these are children that were skillful in wisdom, cunning, and knowledge. 430 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 3: So these were young men who had a who had 431 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 3: a good head on their shoulders. They had a an 432 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:54,160 Speaker 3: ability to understand. It says they understood science. Now science there. 433 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:56,320 Speaker 3: I was a science teacher for eight years, and I 434 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 3: would love to say that this means your kids need 435 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,239 Speaker 3: to know chemistry and physics really well. But that's not 436 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 3: what this is. The science here is talking about general knowledge, 437 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 3: the humanities, the sciences, science, math, history, all of that 438 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 3: is included. Daniel and his friends understood science. They also 439 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:19,360 Speaker 3: had the ability to stand in the King's palace. They 440 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 3: had a healthy self image, they had the ability to 441 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 3: handle pressure, they could carry on a conversation, they could 442 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 3: talk to adults. Does all this sound familiar, Catherine, Like 443 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 3: these are things that we try to teach our children. 444 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 3: But then it also says in whom they might teach 445 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 3: the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. These were 446 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 3: young people who had the ability to learn a foreign language. 447 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 3: So I'm not saying that Daniel and his three friends 448 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 3: had to excel at all of these but there had 449 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:58,919 Speaker 3: to be a baseline of knowledge. So here was the 450 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 3: challenge for us as parents from my wife and I 451 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 3: is that if I want my children to have the 452 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:11,640 Speaker 3: greatest opportunity to have an impact in their Babylon, then 453 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 3: part of that preparation is preparing them to go out 454 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 3: and to lead in the culture. You know, we say often, 455 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 3: and Catherine, I know you've heard this before. You know, 456 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 3: we want to raise up a generation of doctors and lawyers, 457 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 3: Christian doctors and Christian lawyers and Christian politicians that will 458 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 3: stand in their culture and will change our country. And 459 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 3: we hear this all the time, right, that rhetoric. But 460 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:41,680 Speaker 3: are we teaching our children the math and the science 461 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 3: and the history necessary? So that they can become the 462 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,680 Speaker 3: next generation of doctors, and the next generation of lawyers, 463 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:52,439 Speaker 3: and the next generation of teachers. And clearly God's not 464 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 3: called all of our kids to do those things. But 465 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 3: I think we handicap our children when we just think, well, 466 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 3: educate is just for like a personal skill. Now, that's 467 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 3: part of us being able to influence the next culture, 468 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 3: the next generation in our culture. 469 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: Hey friends, it's Catherine here. If you're trying to be 470 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:23,359 Speaker 1: a godly parent in this wild and wacky world, you 471 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,120 Speaker 1: need all the help you can get, and I've got 472 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:29,040 Speaker 1: you covered. When you subscribe to my website, you'll get 473 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: instant access to tons of free resources made just for 474 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 1: Christian parents. You'll get my Prodigal Bundle, which is packed 475 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: with every podcast, article, and scripture list I've created for 476 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: parents walking that tough prodigal road. You'll also get my 477 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,640 Speaker 1: free eat book Beyond the Lies and covering five myths 478 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,480 Speaker 1: the culture spreads to mothers, plus powerful scripture list pray 479 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,239 Speaker 1: over your kids, and even scripture songs to help your 480 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: family hide God's word in your hearts without even trying. 481 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: And of course I'll keep you encouraged with my weekly 482 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: newsletter full of faith filled peptoxin outlines of what we're 483 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 1: tackling each week on the show, So don't miss out. 484 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,439 Speaker 1: Head over to Catherine Secers dot com. That's Catherine Scres 485 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: dot com and subscribe today because Christian parenting may be crazy, 486 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 1: but you don't have to do it alone. That is 487 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,120 Speaker 1: so good, That well roundedness. The version that I had 488 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 1: here said showing an aptitude for every kind of learning excellent. Yes, 489 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 1: And I think one of our greatest challenges as parents 490 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: and sometimes our kids, depending on how they're educated, they 491 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 1: can end up with a teacher that does not inspire 492 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: them but really getting a taste of learning. What we're 493 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: trying to teach our kids to do and hopefully aspire 494 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 1: to do, is to keep learning that we never We 495 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: may leave the high school, we may leave the college, 496 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: we may leave the university, but we should never leave 497 00:28:57,600 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: the place where we're done learning. I don't have to 498 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 1: pick up a book anymore. I don't have to watch 499 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 1: a documentary anymore. And some people I know gravitates towards 500 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: that a little more. For some reason, this keeps popping 501 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: up in my head and I find it. I just 502 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: found it a little sad. I went on a college 503 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: tour with my daughter the other day, and we were 504 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: at this school and it was a pastor's kid who 505 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: was leading us on the tour, and he was talking 506 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 1: about how he had to take this history class and 507 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: how much he absolutely hated it and he hated history. 508 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 1: And I'm like, oh gosh, I just it was a 509 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 1: dagger to my heart because my daughter actually wants to 510 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: be a history major and loves history. And I've always 511 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 1: loved history. I'm so passionate about it, and hopefully maybe 512 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: I did a little something right and the way we 513 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: taught her history, because she's grasped it and she loves it. 514 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: We don't always agree on everything. Now we have really 515 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 1: wonderful discussions about whatever's going on in the world right 516 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,400 Speaker 1: now or historically, because she's got the passion for it. 517 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: I go in her room now. She's got two or 518 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: three books that she's gotten on World War Two and 519 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: she's just devouring them and she's just fascinated by that. 520 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: And it is true, if we don't know history, we 521 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 1: are doomed to repeat it. So we really do need 522 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 1: to be finding ways to help our kids learn and 523 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: to become well rounded. Now, she struggled in science and maths. 524 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 1: She wasn't brilliant there. We're just trying to get by 525 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: there and it just wasn't something she had an aptitude 526 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:20,240 Speaker 1: for or an interest in. But obviously you have to 527 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: shore up those places. But when you see those places 528 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: where your kids excel, I become like the biggest megaphone cheerleader. 529 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: Raw raw, Wow, you're really good at this. You are 530 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: so good at this. And I really encourage my children 531 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: and try to place them in a place where they're 532 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,239 Speaker 1: going to be able to excel at that more and 533 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 1: become well rounded because obviously she does need to know 534 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:47,360 Speaker 1: math and science to a degree. She wants to be 535 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: a journalist and she wants to write on these topics, 536 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: so that well roundedness absolutely is something that's really important. 537 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: And you know, there is a mentality with some people, 538 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: and this is a good debate to have like that. Okay, 539 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: if your child is going on and to vocational learning, 540 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,120 Speaker 1: I think it's important, you know, because we do need 541 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: plumbers in the world. I actually need one right now. 542 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: We've had a problem with our kitchen sink for about 543 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:13,960 Speaker 1: a month, so we were trying to get fixed. So 544 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: it should that person actually go through a liberal arts college. 545 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: Maybe not, but hopefully we've inspired our kids enough that 546 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 1: no matter what vocation they go into, that they're still 547 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: going to be engaged in the world, and they're going 548 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 1: to be engaging with our culture and what's going on, 549 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: and they're gonna want to know not just the what, 550 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: but the why sure and dig it out and become 551 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 1: a lifelong learner. So that's something I'm very passionate about. 552 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: And if you're struggling with your kids, here's something I 553 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 1: would encourage you to do. Pray, pray about it. Say Lord, 554 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: what is going to light the fire in this kid? 555 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: Because I did that about a year ago with one 556 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: of my kids. I was like, God, this kid just 557 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: doesn't seem to be passionate about anything. Somebody invited her 558 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: to Civil Air Patrol. And I've got a new kid 559 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: this year. I can't even tell you. You know, it's 560 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 1: kind of like the Air Force version of ROTC one 561 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:07,960 Speaker 1: on my radar. I'm an artist, I was an actor. 562 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: I love history and all this stuff. And she's doing 563 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: this military she loves it. She absolutely loves it. She's learning, 564 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 1: she's learning how to do search and rescue, rescue and 565 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:19,880 Speaker 1: medical stuff. So I mean, she's becoming well rounded because 566 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: she's passionate about this vocational thing that she's been able 567 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: to do our extracurricular thing. So anyways, I think that's 568 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,960 Speaker 1: a great lesson that we can take away from Daniel 569 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,920 Speaker 1: is to help our children get well rounded in their education. 570 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:34,160 Speaker 3: And I want to add I want to add one 571 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 3: other thing that this passage is not being prescriptive, and 572 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 3: I think we do have to be careful when we 573 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 3: take passages like this that we don't say, Okay, well, 574 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 3: this is what happened in Daniel, so these become the 575 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 3: six things that we have to focus on with our kids. 576 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 3: But I do believe it is descriptive, meaning it gives 577 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 3: us a good overall view that Daniel was prepared academically 578 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 3: to be able to stand whatever that looked like, and 579 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 3: that as parents helping our children to become well rounded 580 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 3: and in the process, they're going to find the one 581 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 3: thing that they're going to be able to lead in. 582 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 3: And you know, eight nine years ago when we moved 583 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,719 Speaker 3: out here to North Carolina, my wife and I were 584 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 3: both from the city. We grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, 585 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 3: and so we moved to central North Carolina out in 586 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 3: this rural community and we absolutely love it. But we 587 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 3: learned to appreciate vocational skills. Yes, we learned to appreciate 588 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 3: the people that finish high school and they go and 589 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 3: they get a two year certificate in electrical work or plumbing, 590 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 3: or they get their their their their engineering license, or 591 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 3: they you know, all these different things. Ladies that go 592 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 3: and they get their two year nursing to plumb their 593 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 3: nursing degree, or I'm trying to think what the term 594 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 3: is for those who clean teeth. My mind just went. 595 00:33:54,920 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 3: My mind just went blame. Yeah, yeah, yeah, And those 596 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 3: are very popular in our area, and I'm thankful for that, 597 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 3: Like those are needed jobs, and those people are salt 598 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 3: and light in their workplace as well. So we're not 599 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:15,959 Speaker 3: talking here about you have to be a senator to lead. 600 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 3: You just lead wherever God places you. And it might 601 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 3: be on a truck with another coworker, you know, as 602 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,520 Speaker 3: you're an electrician or you're a plumber, or you might 603 00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 3: be a teacher or whatever. But we have to prepare 604 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:29,360 Speaker 3: our kids for that. 605 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 1: I totally agree, and I tell you what we're gonna do. 606 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: I think this would be best if you can do this, 607 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,440 Speaker 1: since we're kind of halfway through this, and we're getting 608 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 1: close to the end of time here for this episode. 609 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:43,680 Speaker 1: Why don't we pick this the other two things up 610 00:34:43,680 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 1: in the next episode. So let's pick up this conversation 611 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 1: on the flip side. Absolutely, and we'll keep talking about 612 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 1: the other lessons that we can't the principles that we 613 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:55,120 Speaker 1: can learn from Daniel's life and the Book of Daniel 614 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:59,080 Speaker 1: that will help us to establish the proper and firm 615 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:02,319 Speaker 1: foundation for our kids going forward. But before we do that, 616 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:03,960 Speaker 1: just tell them one more time where they can learn 617 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: more about you, DJ and your podcast. 618 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 3: So our website is Growingbetter Together dot org. If they 619 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:13,280 Speaker 3: want to send us an email, it's info at growing 620 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 3: Better Together dot org. And Better Together is the name 621 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 3: of our podcast, and Better Together with DJ and Louri 622 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 3: you can add that on there. But we'd love to 623 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:23,760 Speaker 3: have y'all come and join us. We just love talking 624 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 3: about Christian parenting and marriage and the Lord's really blessing 625 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,279 Speaker 3: it so far, and look forward to having each of 626 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:30,759 Speaker 3: you come over and listen if you can. 627 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: Absolutely, definitely, and we'll pick this conversation up because it's 628 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:37,080 Speaker 1: so rich and media I don't want to cut it off, 629 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 1: so we'll keep going in the next episode. That is 630 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 1: some good stuff. Moms and dads. The truth is, we 631 00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:47,320 Speaker 1: don't get to choose when or how our children's faith 632 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:50,280 Speaker 1: is going to be tested. And if I've learned anything 633 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:53,959 Speaker 1: over the years, it's the how that will often surprise us. 634 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:57,400 Speaker 1: That's why we must be diligent about giving our kids 635 00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 1: a well rounded biblical foundation. As Christian parents, we are 636 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: called to be intentional about their spiritual formation. We cultivate 637 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 1: the soil of their hearts. But God is responsible for 638 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 1: planting the seeds. As parents, you and I are going 639 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 1: to faithfully nourish that soil and place our children in 640 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:20,839 Speaker 1: environments where those seeds can take root and flourish. But 641 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:25,920 Speaker 1: what happens when those seeds don't flourish? What happens when 642 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,360 Speaker 1: you establish that foundation, you nurture the soil. You do 643 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: your part, Moms and dads, not perfectly, but to the 644 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:36,799 Speaker 1: best of your ability, and your child still doubts, your 645 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:40,800 Speaker 1: child wanders, They may even take up the prodigal path. 646 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: I'll be honest, moms and dads. This was not on 647 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: the agenda for the remainder of my conversation with DJ, 648 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,120 Speaker 1: but it came up because a lot and I do 649 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 1: mean a lot of godly Christian parents I know right 650 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:02,120 Speaker 1: now are walking this path after diligently nurturing the spiritual 651 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:05,719 Speaker 1: soil of their kids' lives. In the next episode, I 652 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:10,960 Speaker 1: speak very poignantly and personally to that reality in a 653 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 1: way that took even me by surprise. This is an 654 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:17,920 Speaker 1: important episode, moms and dads, because so many parents are 655 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:21,000 Speaker 1: experiencing this reality. I hope that you will tune in 656 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 1: because we need to support families and parents who are 657 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:31,160 Speaker 1: walking this road. And as always, remember God gave you your kids, 658 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:35,360 Speaker 1: your specific kids for a reason. That's because you hold 659 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:38,719 Speaker 1: the key to unlocking who God created them to be. 660 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: We'll see you next time. 661 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:51,480 Speaker 4: Christian parent Crazy World is a production of Life Audio 662 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:54,280 Speaker 4: and Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, 663 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:57,360 Speaker 4: please take a second to rate and review this podcast 664 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:00,320 Speaker 4: in your favorite podcast app so that more less steners 665 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:03,400 Speaker 4: like you can find the show. For more faith filled 666 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 4: inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio dot com.