Leaving a Legacy of Faith for Your Children

When is building your teen girls belief system and that the main thing.

Actually, that I've gotten the grant magazine think I've gotten is how to stay strong in your faith and how it every day rely on God for everything even if you're having a wonderfully good day or did parable one. Discover how Brio magazine can capture the heart and state of your teen girl@focusonthefamily.com/Brio radio. I really believe the family is the answer for how quick this next generation to be authentic. Devoted followers of Jesus Christ because I'm convinced this next generation has the potential to be the greatest generation that is ever lived for Jesus Christ you're more from Lee Strobel on how to train your children or your grandchildren to stand up for their faith and to Focus on the Family with your host books. President Jim Daly and John felt John we have a great message to assure from which Strobel and I think it will be particularly encouraging for dad to learn how important the role is in shaping the faith of their children. As many of you know Lee is a best-selling author of over 40 books including the case for Christ series.

He was an award-winning journalist before he converted from atheism to Christianity after spending two years investigating the claims of Christ, he is the founding director of the Lee Strobel Center for evangelism and applied apologetics at Colorado Christian University, and that is right up the road here in Denver Colorado and please a great friend of this ministry.

Let's go ahead and here now speaking at an event sponsored by focus on the startup I say how great it is to be here, but I gotta be totally honest with you and say I'm glad to be anywhere after what happened me Little Rock, Arkansas. I went to Little Rock to speak at a charity event this pastor pick me up from the airport.

Please drive me to the event were chat along the way and he says yes I said I I told the young woman in our church. I simply struggles to speak tonight.

She said all the guy wrote the case for Christ. Is he still living anywhere I might be alive after that.

But, by the way I look out. I see the lanyards and I'm thinking when the world be friendlier if we just wore those all the time will be friendlier embarrassing thing happen. We are doing an event and that we print up like this you know nametags with their buddies first name real big so people greet each other. People came in they got their name tag. They went in the conference.

We thought everything worked great until about halfway through the first day and this woman comes up the registration desk and she's all upset reset what's wrong. She said my name is been misspelled and were thinking of things I really know what your name my name is Sylvia and sure enough you been walking around all day with a name tag said saliva sues for Matt. I'll tell you that I anyway, so Leslie is fearless and I just got came in from Houston Texas any Texans here now arrive that we moved down to Texas for years ago to be north are two oldest grandchildren and they assigned us. Our telephone number for home telephone you probably think in year big deal.

It was a big deal. Loss is no kidding.

When we lived in Chicago.

The phone number they gave us was one digit away from the Company seriously.

So Saturday night two in the morning. These drunk guys at bars, would call for a cab. They misdialed our phone would ring was bad enough getting waking up in the middle of the night, but then you had to get up, get dressed, get my car such as, I got a good number. This time, but so anyway my grandkids moved down there couple years ago to Houston and their total Texans is you know Texans are Texas got a special culture and my grand daughter Abigail. She is total.

Texans she's got the cowboy hat she's got the cowboy boots ECG.

Horseback rides but the reason we know she's a total Texan one night at dinner she said Bob what can I pray for dinner. I said sure so this is what she prayed, God is good God is great, thank you for the Lone Star State. That's a true Texan. That's a true Texan right I moved to Texas. I'm from Chicago. I don't know I think about Texas so I bought a book called how to talk Texan.

They have a book by Brad couple things I learned first thing difference between y'all and all y'all all y'all's plural. No, I never thought about it would make sense right but the thing I learned about talking Texan that I like the most in Texas if you want to say thank you to someone you can say thank or you can say I appreciate your and that's what I want to say to you this morning. I appreciate your appreciate you being here today appreciate your prayers for focus. Appreciate your support of focus appreciate you so I was going to talk this morning about the case for the family. But then I thought, I'm preaching to the choir is does anybody here not believe that God is established, the family as the integral unit upon which culture is based know I think we'd all agree to that. So I want to kinda focus on a particular aspect of the family. I want to focus on how the family is the primary way that faith is transmitted through the generations. Colossians 2 verse seven says let your roots grow down into Christ and let your lives be built on him, then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. I mentioned my grand daughter Abigail and her prayer.

She's 14 years old going on 22 and this is this is a picture from last weekend when Abigail was baptized as a new follower of Jesus. Following in the footsteps of her sister who would come to Christ earlier and was baptized in and you know what is better then seeing children and grandchildren come to faith in Christ to be baptized by me.

We all want to leave a legacy knowing and yet the most important legacy. We can leave as a spiritual legacy that we leave through our family. But how can we do that in in our increasingly skeptical length and even hostile culture that we live in. I met a guy recently. He said his granddaughter was in kindergarten and she was taunted and bullied on the playground a kindergarten at a public school because she believes in God and there's no doubt that if your kids and if your grandkids come to faith in Christ that they will be confronted even marginalized because of their faith. But you know the researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara did a landmark multigenerational study over several decades and they concluded that you know what families really to a good job of passing down religious beliefs to their kids and I said I hadn't changed in 35 years that they studied in their study. However, they said one of the most interesting findings was that for passing along spiritual beliefs having a close bond with one's father is much more important than having to close bond with one's mother effect.

That's not just true in Christianity. It's truly in virtually every world religion that the father relationship is more important in terms of adopting the family's faith, except, interestingly, in Judaism.

In Judaism it's the mother's influence, but psychologists have known for a long time that the fathers are so important in passing down faith to their children affect the absence of a father or an abusive father is a well-known factor in people walking down the path toward atheism. Paul Witt sues a psychology professor at New York University us actually studied the lives of famous atheists through history, Kim Bussard, Nietzsche, Freud, Voltaire, Wells, Hume, Russell Feuerbach O'Hare all oval and every single one of them, either had a father who died when they were young, or abandon their mother when they were young or with whom they had a terrible relationship and the implication is, why would you want to know a heavenly father, if your earthly father is abused or let you down or hurt you.

I believe the bad relationship I had with my father was one of the reasons I ended up in atheism. For much of my life.

I was an unwanted pregnancy. In my father's eyes. He looked at me on the eve of my high school graduation and said I don't have enough love for you to fill my little finger and so you know I like to believe it is my intellectual questions that me down the path toward atheism.

I believe the psychological issues were every bit that influence my friend Josh McDowell had a similar experience is dead, though, was a violent alcoholic and she said to me sadly I grew up believing the fathers hurt so people would tell me there's a heavenly father loves you, but that didn't bring me joy it brought me pain because I couldn't discern the difference between a heavenly father and an earthly father and Josh became what he described himself as being an ornery agnostic until his investigation of Christianity told him it was true and same with me. I mean I was an atheist till I investigated the evidence and became convinced that Christianity is true and you know how I dealt with the issue of this painful relationship with my father. I took a cue from CS Lewis who said can you imagine what a perfect father would be like a magic from what would a perfect father be like to be loving to be gracious he be kind to be your biggest cheerleader pulling up in his lap and give you a hug said that is a picture of our heavenly father when I was able to see that it helped heal me of the pain of my relationship with my earthly father.

So dad's obviously are really important for going to leave a spiritual legacy through our family. But here's a fascinating tidbit from that study. What really matters if you want to pass along your faith, your children and grandchildren.

What really matters. According to a study published by Oxford University press. What really matters is the temperature of your relationship with your children. The study said a farming faith cannot compensate for a distant dad set up father who is an exemplar, a pillar of the church but doesn't provide warmth and affirmation to his kid does not have kids who follow him into the faith. Isn't that interesting.

What a reminder for dads and granddad's. The study found that even if you read your Bible every day, even if you prayed every day, even if you went to church every week. Your children will probably not be attracted to your faith unless you have a warm and affirming relationship with them.

That's the key will not only is this father relationship with children important in leaving the spiritual right legacy but grandparents and parents also need to help kids understand that it is okay for them to have questions and even doubts about their faith. Nancy Piercy, professor at Houston Baptist University said this in studies asking why young people left their family, religion, their most frequent response was unanswered doubts and questions. The researchers were surprised. They expected bigger stories of broken relationships and wounded feelings. But the top reason given by young adults was that they did not get answers to their questions. I mean, we need to help our kids and our grandkids understand it is okay to have questions.

It's even okay to have some doubts. Jesus didn't get upset when people brought questions to him even slamdunk. Anybody that came to him with a sincere question think John the Baptist if anybody should've known the identity of Jesus being the unique son of God. It was John the Baptist.

He once pointed to Jesus and said, behold the Lamb of God, it takes away the sin of the world. He baptized Jesus he he saw the heavens open up your the voice of the father say this is my son in whom I am well pleased. John the Baptist once pointed to Jesus and said I have seen and I testify this is the son of God. But then what happens.

He gets arrested he is thrown in prison. Question what happens to a lot of us when tough times come doubts begin to creep in.

Don't think that's what happened to John now is sitting in prison now is not so sure now it's got some hesitations about what is he do, he gets a couple friends together. He says go track down Jesus and ask him once and for all. Point-blank are you the one we been waiting for a way to wait for somebody else so they track down GA Jesus you know John well he got busted and I was freaking out so would you just tell us once and for all.

Are you the one we been waiting for. We to wait for somebody else. Here's a deal.

How does Jesus react to this.

Does Jesus get angry.

Does he see how dear John, of all people have the temerity to express a hesitation about my identity. No, Jesus says those followers of John go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear the debtor raising the good news is preached to the poor go back to John and tell about the evidence you see with your own eyes that convinces you that I am the one I claim to be so they go back and they tell John, but here's a deal as is now poisoned John in the mind of Jesus to the extent that John no longer has a role in the kingdom of God. No, it's after this incident that Jesus gets a workgroup and he says among those born of women there is no one greater than John. John the doubter John guy dared to ask a question friends.

We gotta help our kids understand it's okay to have questions. It's even okay to have doubts. As long as you do what John did in your pursuit answers because guess what they're going to find there are good answers to the toughest questions of life and faith should we need to cultivate honest environments in our homes, in our churches in our student ministries in our Christian schools where young people feel free to express hesitations and doubts and where we can help them wrestle through the difficult areas of faith, Dave Kinnaman, a great researcher with the barn organization interviewed 5000 young people, and this was his conclusion quote this generation wants and needs. Truth not spiritual softserve. This is a generation. He said that is hungry for substantive answers to life's biggest questions I mean we need to help our young kids understand that that when it comes to science that science and faith are not at war, but science when done right, points toward the existence of a creator who matches the description of the God of the Bible and that a series of discoveries over the last 50 years in cosmology, physics, biochemistry and genetics tells us that there is a creator and he does match the description of the Bible.

My friend Dr. James tour of Rice University. One of the greatest scientists in American fact is one of the 50 most influential scientists in the entire world said this to me sadly only a rookie who knows nothing about science would say that science takes away from faith is that if you really study science, it will bring you closer to God and we need to help our kids understand in history that the facts of history point powerfully and persuasively toward Jesus not only claiming to be the son of God, but backing up that claim by returning from the dead. In fact, one of my heroes when I was a student at Yale Law school was the greatest defense attorney in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records's name is Searle I know what to get this if your attorney this will blow your mind Searle.

I know what to as a defense attorney, one, 245 murder trials in a role either before jury or on appeal is in the Guinness Book of World Records. The greatest lawyer who ever lived, knighted twice by Queen Elizabeth became a member of the highest court of his land but he was a skeptic about the resurrection of Jesus until he took two years of his life and investigated the historical evidence and this was his conclusion quote he said I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt this from the greatest defense attorney who ever lived. We we need to help our kids understand that we as Christians have an unfair advantage in the marketplace of ideas we have truth on our side. Now what is that mean does that mean we should go out debating people know not necessarily I'm not a debater, you're probably not a debater, but it does mean that we can dialogue we can have conversations we can have friendship we can have relationships that when we sit down with our kids and with our grandkids that we can do more listening than talking. We can ask more questions than force-feed answers or we don't have to pretend were smarter than we really are or were more loving and understanding. We need to help kids understand at a young age that our faith is not built on fairytales and make-believe and wishful thinking, but I a solid foundation of truth and we need to check one of our Sunday schools teaching our kids what are our Sunday school teacher. I do know what you're churches teaching your kids. Natasha Crane is an expert in this area said the sad truth is that many evangelical Sunday school programs are unintentionally teaching our kids how to become secular humanists. In other words there creating nice kids who don't really need God. That's because many Sunday schools are teaching values. So though will teach the story of David and the talk about the value of courage will teach the story of Moses and will teach the value of leadership. But guess what secular humanists believe in courage.

They believe in leadership so many of our Sunday schools are not teaching kids why Christianity is true and why it makes sense to believe the Bible and how we know that Jesus is the unique son of God there telling kids stories from the Bible but they're not educating kids on why we can trust the Bible as being the word of God, and the result we get nice kids who were not tethered to the truth of Christianity made this stuff is not too complicated for little kids, and that's why we ended up doing children's book. Somehow my casebook case for Christ in faith for faith, it we did it for little kids because they get this stuff. They understand it, it can be communicated in a way that they understand and we need to educate our children, our grandchildren right through Sunday school right through student ministries right through high school and into college so that they have a strong faith in a vibrant faith that we stand the cultural tester which will be put know I really believe that the family is the answer for how were going to equip this next-generation to be authentic. Devoted followers of Jesus Christ because I'm convinced this next-generation has the potential to being the greatest generation that is ever lived for Jesus Christ. Why, because the great generations are tested by adversity, did not write the greatest generations go through tests of adversity member in Eastern Europe when the Iron Curtain was down, and yet the church florist even where was illegal and somebody asked the pastor why is that and he said because the church is like a nail. The harder you hit us. The deeper we go adversity builds strong spiritual generations in our children and our grandchildren are going to have adversity in this culture, you and I haven't had, but I believe with the help of strong, vibrant families and dad to care and spend time with their children and love them. We can create a generation that will go down in history as the greatest one ever to live for Jesus Christ. That is a goal, I think we should all get behind.

For God's glory.

So let me pray father, thank you for this institution. You have given us of the family. Thank you for the way that our faith in percolate through the generations, and we do pray for these upcoming generations. The challenges that they will face. We pray that you will drive their faith deeper and deeper your pray this in Jesus name was Lee Strobel speaking at an event sponsored by Focus on the Family, John Lee really hit it out of the park and his message sums up the essence of our goal here Focus on the Family and I hope your goal to we want to equip and empower your family to have a strong faith in the past that faith along to your children in a way that ensures they'll receive it and live it out and Lee is right. We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to our faith. We see that in the news on a regular basis so helping our children really know what they believe and why is even more critical today and they need to be able to defend their faith at school in the workplace and maybe even in the courtroom.

Someday if you have children or grandchildren between the ages of eight and 12, I'd strongly recommend you get a copy of Lee Strobel's book the case for Christ for kids in the Buckley answers the questions young people ask most about our faith and presents the facts of Jesus's life in an understandable way. It's an excellent resource. And I like to send the book out to you when you make a monthly pledge to Focus on the Family to help us continue working hard each and every day to help your family and others thrive in Christ.

One way were doing that is by offering free faith building resources like the livid challenge we create a new challenge every month with specific activities that will help you and your children develop a more vibrant Christian walk while building lasting biblical habits come check it out at our website look for the livid challenge details and also that book by Lee Strobel. When you follow the links in the episode notes so please join our support team and when you make a monthly pledge of any amount will send you a copy of the case for Christ for kids and if you can't make a monthly commitment. Right now we understand will send this book out to you for a one time gift of any amount will again. Just follow the link in the episode notes to donate to the work of Focus on the Family and request your copy of the case for Christ for kids. The number is 800 K in the word family 800-232-6459 on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team there. Thanks for listening to this Focus on the Family podcast take a moment please and give us a rating and sure about this episode with a friend, I'm John Fuller inviting you back next time. As we once more help you and your family thrive build your child's faith with clubhouse junior and clubhouse magazines from Focus on the Family boys and girls ages 3 to 12 will enjoy all the faith building activities from fun crafts and puzzles to character building fiction and powerful Bible stories investing your child's faith all year long.

Subscribe today@focusonthefamily.com/kids bags clubhouse and clubhouse junior award-winning magazines full of games and stories, and God find that it focusonthefamily.com/kids may