Jesus’ Heart for Children

Randall good game has never gotten over the fact that Jesus has a special place in his heart for children no matter what age they are one of the verses that I can go back to all the time when thinking about what I'm doing is the best season three of the four Gospels where Jesus if you don't come to me like a child you can't come to the kingdom of heaven.

It reminds me of how much of a child, I am from the Lord and that verses imitation to remember that we want to hide anything from the Lord.

We get to be his kids in the same way that our kids all covered in peanut butter and jelly. One run up and grab us in the pants. You know the Lord wants that all that mess from us in the same Mrs. family life today. Our hosts are David and Wilson.

I'm Bob Payne can find us online@familylifetoday.com Randall good game joins us today to talk about kids and music and the power of the gospel. Stay with us and welcome to family life to. Thanks for joining us. I wish our listers could been here five minutes ago.you I don't know.

It was joyful in getting warmed up to be here with Randall good game again. The family after they read.

Welcome back to family life that I thank you box a great what warming up.

We decided to revisit some of the hits of the 60s which you are doing around in the 60s. How do you know the song I think it was still in the Monkees of my very first concert ever was the reunion.

My feeling you only because of track every single letter.

It is a little scary although it ties it it you know, this ties in with what were talking about. First of all for listers who who don't know Randall good game is the creative force the energy behind the slugs and bugs, audio CDs, the books, the new TV series 13 episodes that are now available on DVD he's been doing kids music for more than a decade now and it it's one of the things we want our listers to know about but that the way this ties in is when you were trying to help your kids memorize Scripture. We talked about this this week when when all you're doing is teaching words. It kind of is semi-sticky when you have a melody to it. How many Bible verses do all of us know today because there's a melody that we learn to sing the chorus somewhere or whatever you put music to lyric and it sticks at a deeper level doesn't. There is something just undeniable about the power of music to help us remember things. Things may be similar to what the Bible is full of things will remember so yet early on with my kids were home, school, and I am stumbled onto it as a way to help them remember Scripture and it's just been for me the most powerful tool for Scripture memory personally that I found Randall and Lenny, have you had a time, especially you Betty because you grew out memorizing Scripture through song been a time in your life that you can recall that you are in a circumstance and that Scripture came to mind through that song that you memorized. Yes, a lot of the time it would be when I was in Sunday school or even at school.

We had chapel every week and things like that when a Bible verse would come up and I would find myself not be able to say it without singing it because I was like I know this because it's this song and sometimes I couldn't even help myself.

I would start to say and if I had to read it out loud or something and I would have to very forcibly just talk it and not think we need parents to recognize if you've got kids who are at home 434-5789 it in those pre-elementary and elementary years.

These kids are amazing sponges who when you when you go out. I was think about the parable of the sower as I was thinking the good soil is where you get 3060 hundredfold while kids at age 4 and five and six. That's good soil.

I mean, that may be the best soil for planting gospel seeds in the lives of acute don't you think. Sure one of the verses that I can go back to all the time when I'm thinking about what I'm doing is the passage next season three of the four Gospels where Jesus if you don't come to me like a child you can't come to the kingdom of heaven, and people reference that verse a lot because it's with the children come to me. Do not hinder them right. That happens first as if to say, let the kids come, but that next part where it says if you don't come to me like this, then you can't come. It reminds me of how much of a child, I am in front of the Lord completely dependent all the ways that we try to correct our children all the there's misbehavior all the things that we see plainly and are trying to correct the Lord is saying no I don't. I need you to be that we fully in front of me and that verses imitation to remember that we want to hide anything from the Lord. We get to be his kids in the same way that our kids all covered in peanut butter and jelly. One run up and grab us in the pants. You know the Lord wants that all that mess from us in the same way if you always have a heart for a love for kids are you somebody who volunteered to teach the four-year-old church no no I am not Bob and I've actually always been afraid of this question because the truth is I tried to avoid children's ministry work. When I was when a young parent I'm changed I was at home I did not want to be around other people's kids. It really wasn't until watching growing my own kids have much in the Lord grow them in becoming softhearted towards children that I started to turn before I had kids, I was never one to be around them couldn't understand people that would volunteer on purpose to go be around children. So I get when I'm around people like that, I get it. I have lots of compassion for that. The just, you know all the stickiness in the loudness wasn't for me.

But, of course, Lord is totally turn my heart and now I see myself in kids. Their constant reminder of how the Lord sees me, so I'm just always grateful you're standing on stage is now right then you get a whole bunch of kids singing your socks right. What's the experience. Even little kids literally singing your songs which are Scripture but yourself in a day. It's it's just I can hardly keep it together yet. But there's is one song from Isaiah 40 that do not know. Have you not heard the I have to sing something a little better just a cappella here. Do you not know have you not heard the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary. His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and as I'm singing that and watching the kids and their parents all sing that back to me.

I have to just remember okay you're doing your job, you can't lose it on here on stage watching them sing this suite reminder of the truth of who God is forth for them and for me it sometimes is all too much. You know, is the recording artists are up there watching people sing their lyric but you're watching people sing God's lyric yeah you know powerful personally. It's incredible for me because I grew up as a musician and national really is a lyricist. That's how I I want to make a living for a bunch years as a songwriter for other people. I got a lot of glory out of that and a lot of joy out of it. To me it's a gift that God gave me was Christian songs I was using it for his glory. But I was for sure. Always a bit double minded at looking back I know that I had pride in it and they were aspects of songwriting that weren't pure for me. I was always striving to do my best and be the best but there was a pride attached to it that the Lord has freed me from with him calling into writing a script or songs that is just a sweet gift to me on a personal level. Even just from the opportunity to play for children and how different it feels for children to be fans than for adults to be fans. It's just like the Lord knew that yeah this is something that year, you are gonna be great at so I'm just gonna put you in front of kids so that you have to worry about that anymore living at one of the things I am.

I remember hearing about Mr. Rogers. We talked little bit about Mr. Rogers earlier people said he was the same when the camera was on.

As he was when the camera was off, and when the camera was off. There was a group of kids he wanted to go talk to the kids he was. He was drawn to them. He gravitated to them. Your dad like that. Does he go where the kids are in want to sit on top of them. Well, it's more that the kids are trying to him he can escape them never dismisses that he's always happy to talk to kids and never talking down to them.

Always talking to them like their whole person just like him and talking to them in the way that they relate which I think it's really cool.

What system like for you living because he stood on the stage with your dad which is something that a lot of kids don't get to experience sharing God's word, hearing these kids thing. What is that like has it helped you grow up singing God's word. I never thought about it that way, at least when I was younger, but it's as I'm older now and don't have as much of a childish mindset it's made me not be so apprehensive of God's word.

I think it's it's more approachable transitioning from songwriting to creating a 13 episode TV series you're telling stories. In each episode of the TV series. What's the starting place for these stories. How do you begin to sit down and imagine the stories your motel for me. This show is it's about discipleship, even though that's got a big word for kids. The show is built to help model what it looks like for people to walk around actually trusting Jesus with their lives and what's wonderful for us as most people walk around their lives, not at church so since were not at church we have this opportunity to were in workshop on the show and so on. The host, and I present as the guide in the you know the stage is a suppose which is so hard when yours got puppets around on the smartest guy in the but that with the two raccoons. The slug and the bug they get into conflicts and we go on adventures and things happen between them with the guests where the job is to always figure out how we navigate this loving one another thinking of each other more than we think of ourselves dealing with injustice over someone's heartbreak.

I think about that episode we did on adoption where the story line. We created was the two raccoons were are adopted into this other raccoon home and they get to talk about some of the difficulties that there are with being adopted. She the raccoon girl wonders out loud about her biological parents with a fast like me. Is it okay that sometimes I am sad when I think about them is that mean to my new parents and because we know the gospel we get to frame everything that all of our answers all the ways that we help kids navigate through this route. The puppets navigate through it. We had to frame it with understanding of Jesus at the center of it.

So of course it's not mean to think of your biological parents because were free in Christ.

Your parents love you. It's not conditional reason have to be afraid of the would be to be working hurt their feelings and their feelings are secure because Jesus loves them so every relational issue we come across in the Sultan book show finds its roots.

It's solid foundation in Jesus's love for us. I think most Christian parents know that they need to bring their children up here you go.

Fusion six forefathers don't exasperate your children to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. So think a lot of Christian parents may be missing church and they hear that that's my job. I'm supposed to do that.

It is just the school or church as I was a mom and dad. Dad is my call, and yet that's where we get stuck. It's like, okay, how I would do that and there's a there's a fear, sometimes even paralysis is I don't know how to do it. I'm not good at. It's all send him to school.

Our son is Christian school son of the church, they'll take care that. And yet, as a parent.

I know this my job so I'm looking how can I do this and what can help me you've offered a tool you have a tool because you want to something to help you as a parent, but also he wanted fund the more singing to his parents make God arranged in a Jesus born I got the worst thing our Dragon years is joyful, fun, memorable right what what a gift. You are to that is, as a Christian parent seriously you really are that we may not be out of write a song or Scripture song you've already done well. Thank you. It makes me think that I just relate so much to what you just said that paralysis of being a parent going on.

Why, how do I raise my kids that I mean I still asked the question all the time and with the Lord always brings you back to his that there's three things I think about with my kids what I always want to be the chief apologize or I want him to model repentance. You know that I got. Never be afraid. And sometimes I mean I would doing is what 19 years I still am. Sometimes I still don't want to apologize. I think what they did was worse wife apologize, but so much about what we think about God begins with what our relationship was like with my parents so I want to be as good of a doorway into what God is like what it's like to trust God to my kids as I possibly can.

So I'll be the chief apologize or hand in glove with that is I want to claim and own the authority that the Lord is given me even though I get to apologize whenever I've done wrong to model that show this is what it means I'm sorry, with no strings attached on the center any Jesus, but also you are grounded because this I this is also my authority given to me by the Lord to be your dad right now so those two things go together where I where I run afoul of that is where either.

I don't apologize because it is my product and let me or I don't. Maybe sometimes discipline weighs that I should because I don't want to rock the boat or one you get massive another argument so nobody does it perfectly. Lord knows I don't.

But for me what's so powerful about getting to make these materials that all reflect how we trust God is how we trust God in the midst of relationships is the central question of my that my experience of my life like I always, every day, going to trust God in this thing and I feel all the time but I need as many resources around me as I possibly can. And it's just a joy and privilege to get to try to make some to what I do love to. I think his parents. It is easy to think all the Sunday school teachers know a lot more than I do the teachers know a lot more than I do. And so the kind of pond their kids off, hoping that will happen, but that's our responsibility as parents, God's given us that role. I think his parents if we don't know what to do or we feel like we don't have enough training or Bible knowledge they can sit down and listen or watch the things and learn with their kids and to save to your kids to be honest I don't know this, but let's learn together. That's a first step of being honest and open yet is so great.

And that's what we want. I want to feel it free enough in God's call me to be and who he hasn't called me to bill years ago me to be perfect, but I want to feel free enough to be able to just invite my children into the journey with me as a verb, or a yellow at the beginning I got a little bit heavyset start so is something that I know that you don't but everything all of it. I need reminding all the time I got a guitar and you've got a background you hear a little music, okay, help our parents understand what what they can be doing with their kids.

I'm excited you guys together. So what's on your to listen to. This is called I am the way, this couple verses from John's. I recognize that you John 14 Ryan okay 223KORKO Wada K Beaumont that day. The way we do not know where you go and how can we know how can we know the way Thomas said to him, we do not know where you go. How can we know how can we know the way Jesus said to him, and I am no one may, I am way I am the father me and he's my gift to you not as the were not as though it is I you were.

I know the main way to hurt a little bit of the background was less than on our tabletop so and again just the amazing thing of music is now you've got God's word right there accessible in the crevices of your heart and God brings his word back in those moments when we need it and just applies it in our lives just to remind parents when you're in the car. You have a captive audience and so when you're driving. I remember not kids turned 16, I was so disappointed because I never had that captive honey anymore because they want to listen to great things and ceiling area. These are great songs lyrics.

It's God's word to remember and then the Holy Spirit can bring that up and remind those kids in certain situations of the power and application of God's word, and here's what I just thought of a worse thing in it's hard to sing that song without a smile. It's just full of joy the way you wrote it is joyful. That's where the drums had to come in, but think about this. If you're singing that with your kids you're taking well most powerful statements ever made in the history of the universe by the son of God.

I am the way, the truth is about the gospel.

Your children are learning the gospel with a smile on their face, and that truth that Jesus is the way is most important truth that will ever have to remember their whole life and you stuck it in their brain in a way that's probably never going away when they're in a dark valley and are struggling at 30 or 35 or 18 God to bring that to say I am your way out.

I am the truth always says I am it when it be great to have a conversation of what that Scripture means what is it mean when Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life and what he think is the world agree with what would the world think and great conversations to be had. As we look at Scripture, together with our kids yes and that's some of the fun feedback I get from families all the time. First of all, he said, people listen in the car they send us videos all the time of their kids singing songs of often getting it wrong you nothing and some cute little conversion but also get notes, emails from families about amazing conversations that they've had in the car about what is that mean what where they've been singing these words from the Bible for weeks and weeks and never really knew what they meant and then suddenly the kid asks answers having to engage with what they believe with their kid in front of them.

Sometimes of a parents jokingly said hey thanks a lot had to have is really hard conversation but really grateful for what came out of it and that song one the reasons why I paired that John 1427 verse with it is because you know just a few verses later he says I give to you not as the world gives. This is a whole different message like you're saying you guys are kind to come here and let us spend a little time with you and sing a song for us and were grateful for for you being here with us today.

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Working to introduce you to a wife and a mother with her young daughter Rachel Gilson who experienced same-sex attraction when she was in high school and in college until she stole a book that changed her life. She shares her story with us tomorrow. I hope you can tune in for that think our engineer today.

Keith Lynch along with our entire broadcast production team on behalf of our hosts Dave and Ann Wilson. I'm Bob Lapine will see you back next time for another edition of family life, family life, to a is a production of family life of Little Rock, Arkansas. Accrue ministry help for today hope for tomorrow