Interview with Dr Megan Brown

CNG radio for today's culture and time was Drew's come together is reasoned, relevant content, apologetics, worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know need to know from Alex McFarlane ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane, the Bible says train up a child in the way that they should go and when they are old and will not depart from it. Hi Alex McFarlane your your listing to treat for new generation radio. Many people are very turned we get this type of an email or correspondence really every day though so you know Alex arch went to youth group. We raised our kids in church and now they have fallen away they gone away to the University and they've become an agnostic or something like that.

And so today's program were going to talk with Dr. Megan Brown. She's a professor at Cedarville and I have to smile Megan when I say a professor Cedarville because when I first got here where we are and I'll explain this. I thought you were one of the youth and the Lord has blessed you with with a very young looking appearance which when you're my age will be grateful for what you are PhD and we want to hear about that. You earned your degree at Ohio State.

I wanted to have you on the talk a little bit about some of the ways that academia is more of a challenge to the Christian faith and some moms and dads might realize what to talk about making sure your child doesn't lose their faith in the pursuit of the degree the first of all, Dr. Megan Brown welcome to TNG radio. Thank you so much Alex. I'm excited to be with you today and tell me about what led you to go to grad school, ultimately earning your your doctorate and and what you did to Dan and what you're doing now so actually certified as an elementary special education teacher. I did that for my main education. Originally I went in the classroom and Mary God brought me through a whole lot of life experience when I realized she had bigger plan than I even thought and very clearly one of my advisors from the Christian college I went to undergrad told me.

And I believe we really need to go be a professor. Need to get your doctorate and that night I signed up I found the one program that really fit in my wheelhouse and when I thought that my media deal. Ended up at Ohio State University getting my PhD in education, not where you exceptionally good student in high school, reviewed the valedictorian.

I was fourth in my class. I threw my undergrad had a few people who mentioned Megan, you really should get your PhD and I thought that Sicilians must teach first-graders, I didn't believe them and I do now speak to us because there are no doubt their people listening that some could be used by God in terms of academics and really talk to us little bit about the stewardship of the mind and really, if God is given a person.

The intellectual ability.

As he did. You if you're PhD material and professor material just settling for second best is not enough in terms of our stewardship to the Lord is simply not that God has given us this was done that is physically shepherding use that I'm not everyone called to get their PhD but he called me to that role and that it was hard. It's hard to be in academia, and desolate ways something. I felt like I need to be pushing my brain a little further. I need to be challenge myself. I knew there was more to education what I could see even in the great school classroom and so I felt like I needed to push further with what I even knew how to use my mind for what he wanted me to do well. It is a challenge, no doubt intellectually, but let's talk about even socially and spiritually.

This is a rhetorical question and that's one folks were the answer is obvious, but Megan, let me ask you going to Ohio State and all as a believer is your follower of Jesus socially and spiritually. Was it a challenge. Absolutely if I hadn't been through that growth that I had up until that point I really would've struggled. I just mentally, emotionally, spiritually, I was being attacked.

Throughout my whole time there. I just constantly but it just seemed like a very dark place to be coming in, and someone who was a pretty strong Christian, I was able to notice. There is so many things that I was just coming up against constantly in my coursework and made my other people in my program and my professors who didn't really many of them believe that I believe I am still having those classroom spaces where I'm trying to use the mind God has given me in a way that what I believe is right in a classroom where people don't eat, don't think that that is right I was really challenging and really on.

It took a lot of me reflecting on what was God doing and why. I knew he had taken me to that place for a specific reason for such a time as this.

When you were lit so when you were finishing high school to do your undergrad and then ultimately grad and postgraduate. Did you realize that college could be a little bit hostile to God, so I looked at were all Christian and that's how my where my family went. My father had gone actually to a public state school because that's in proximity.

A good place for him to be, but that just wasn't something we ever talked very much about.

However, for my PhD and minus this program I looked at these private institutions in China. We read through what he then talked about it and what are they actually believe in, can I really give them my money and learn from them was almost more work then when I was looking for undergrad places really know the difference when I was an undergrad course of the things in your Masters or PhD program that made you so okay, I'm really going to have to stand strong for what I believe so. Thinking about issues of sexuality a lot of professors who were homosexual on an openly homosexual and some conversations about sexuality in our class came up frequently and we were just serve sometimes expected to think that it was okay I guess, led from my perspective yes I love them is as humans on this earth by thinking through how do I interact and what I say and it was hard balance what truth is this really complicated. Truth is very relative and a lot of my Masters and PhD classes where you want to believe it was true. You're welcome to do so unless your question listening to truth generation review Alex from Dr. Megan Brown stated back after spring break and talk more about non-faith in college from watchmen ministries use today's I am a watchman minute about 3000 years ago. Young David stepped out on the battlefield to face the mighty giant Goliath.

The epic battle has become well-known inside and outside the church. What's amazing to me about the story is not David's name but his faith. It was precisely because his faith was greater than his fear that David had the victory know when your problem is great and it seems like a giant is in your path what you see a giant that's a problem that's too big to overcome or are you like David and see a giant that's a target that's too big to miss how face strive to see things through eyes of faith and remember the I'm a watchman ministry is here to help you grow and be the overcome or that God wants you to be people be faithful watchman I am a watchman.com first Peter 315 tells us to be ready always to give an answer for the hope we have were instructed to be prepared to defend our faith. This is Alex McFarlane for the life he answers teams students we train at North Greenville University, a leading Christian college in South Carolina. The life answers. Teams are made up of students who will inspire your congregation. These apologetics teams, we train speak in churches youth groups and train Christians of all ages to address key issues of our times. From a biblical perspective. Is there a God is the Bible true about gender and moral issues. Call me at 864977 2008 and we will arrange for the life interesting your church and give a presentation that will benefit your people for years to come. 864-977-2000 eight and always be ready. You know, Romans 116 says for. I'm not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God to bring salvation to everyone who believes. That's what your kids need before they go to college. That's the theme for the 2019 TMG Christian apologetics youth July 29 through August 2 that Killed North Carolina speakers include of course Alex McFarlane along with Daniel Ritchie, Andy Lawrenson and Vicki Addison exciting worship. Every night is rock solid teaching every day. And yes, it's a summer camp with all the summer camp activities. Your kids would expect the TMG Christian apologetics youth camp July 29 through August 2 at Camp Cahill to learn more and to register, call 800.

Yes, God, one 800 yes God in the number one or email info truth for a new generation.com in the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism. Alex McFarlane is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to truth for a few generations radio welcome back to TMG radio Alex McFarlane here were going to resume our conversation with Dr. Megan Brown but I do want to remind you hey coming up right away is our apologetics camp and I'm so excited because students coming from several states and were going to be talking about truth and how do we know God exist and can you trust the Bible and also stand strong in college and I want to remind everybody we created book based on my seminar.

What you'll hear your freshman year preparing for the ways of college will challenge your faith.

The book stand strong in college contains interviews with over 100 college students. Over 50 college professors and we talk about the areas in which college life can challenge your faith. Also, we have the top 20 questions of all the students that I interviewed in about 30 states.

What are the top questions that you need help with. If you're going to stand strong for Christ on the campus what you can do for your support gift of at least $25 in your supporting events, broadcasting, publishing your enabling TMG ministries to see over 3000 people a year come to Christ mostly young people write to us the info is at the end of the program, but a gift of at least $25 will send you a copy of stand strong in college.

Great time of the year as summer is going to wind down school will resume you can give this to young person and I would encourage you to pass on a resource that could be an encouragement and really equip them to defend their faith and not be a part of the statistic of those that fall away after high school. While I'm so honored to have with me Dr. Megan Brown. We met at a camp where we were doing super summer camp in upstate New York. George sweat family life radio, this is my second visit to this particular seminar and its as far as I can see probably the most well-run Christian camp in the country and Megan and her husband are hear us as leaders and adopt what was your major. What did you write on and and what are you doing with a PhD in teaching and learning focus in children's literature and disability studies and my dissertation really focused on judging books by their covers.

So I worked with fifth graders really in education and in thinking about having them look at covers of books about disability and how this ability is represented and how we talk about identity of disability with children in school so that we can maybe change the conversation using books with what were doing in the classrooms in grade school and professor of literacy at Cedarville University and I teach that early childhood teachers basically teach teachers how to teach reading eyes kind of my role your training the trainers and in teaching the teachers to talk about literature for young people speak to us for a moment. If you would about the parents responsibility at making God honoring entertainment choices for their children. Absolutely the hardest thing about literature is there so much and it's so accessible which is amazing. However, there's so much to weed through, I think part of it is just having quality conversation with your child. So if your child's reading about maybe try picking it up and reading some of that or sitting down and asking them what the reading start a conversation and talk about what they know about the Bible that affects how their reading this book thinking is connections to Scripture is so powerful as you talk about literature for young people.

I've read that if a child is a strong reader.

Chances are they can do well in almost any subject is so much of what we read right now sunscreens under the research you've done is probably more current and more recent than any I've done, but I was reading a couple of different articles about how we read so much on screens nowadays. But when we read out of the book. I'm in a book book that I recall is better.

Our assimilation is better speak to the parent whose child if they even do read 99% is off of the screen and maybe give us a challenge to to keep books real books as part of our home as well.

I think start with bringing the books onto the screen so there's so many free e-books out there and available use research catalogs first and get what their huts show them that there's a whole bigger world of these books that they can hold in their hands and just sort of blends are blending them together.

Maybe take some time as a family to read a paper book to get there as a family into just a flip through the pages and see what's going on but your children will follow your model as well on take him to the library and see help them make choices and that sort of thing. If you as a parent make a choice they will follow thing to read on a screen I we are careful. But be careful about highs and amount of time, but having a Bible on your phone for your child is better than not having a Bible at all, but showing them that they can. There's different options and that they don't have to have technology in order to access the world of books is important and I was asking how can a parent into search all the Bible and and really cultivate the habit of of Bible reading. First, make sure you do it yourself, your children are watching you. Also talking through what they're reading, so the child will remember what they're studying more if they know someone asked him about it. So what's the price than simple questions on what surprise you what was confusing and when he learned the simple questions will help your child sort of focusing on what would I even get out of this thing that I'm reading it so massive knowing that they can have a conversation will really make it work when you were reader growing up and and if so, who were some of your favorite authors absolutely am. As a reader. Growing up I read everything I actually remember more of the books that I read now as as an adult because truly I find that a lot of on children's literature is deeper for me been any adult book that's out there on I see more parallels to Scripture I love them on mysterious Benedict Society is a really large book that can be read by children who are advanced at younger ages because the material is is appropriate for younger ages, but they're pretty thick books in their series and I love opportunity as a child he read every book in the library that we had to move to a different library. I love the idea of having resource available for anyone at any age. Unit one of the authors we've had on the show is mirror in hearing of the imagination station series over million books sold are all historical, but from a Christian perspective, but I got through and I met her before we took Britt Beverly Cleary, Henry and visa syndrome.

Are they still around the yard there a lot. I think more their love because parents love then and now they're just sharing them with their children and I think that's an amazing thing. I think it's good to branch out so start there and then moved to what your children love as well but absolutely easy to read and understand great quality lecture to resume a conversation with Dr. Megan Brown. She did her PhD at Ohio State give some tips for children 14 session so young adults not walking away from Christ. During this post high school college used a two teams you really are stuck at liberty University.

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You of course want to instill a biblical view of life and to your children, your pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church. This is Alex McFarland encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum. The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask about Christianity.

I interviewed hundreds of children ages 5 to 12 and we address actual questions from actual children. The spiritual issues that are on the minds of your kids Jesus everything the book and video lessons are great for groups of any size and was produced with the goal of equipping kids to stand strong for Christ in any situation. The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask the book study guide and video series. You'll find it@afastore.net that AFA store.net soundbite culture generation.

Welcome back to truth for a new generation, and we appreciate all of you that pray for this ministry support this ministry. Most of all, we commend you all of you that you walk with the Lord. You represent the Lord, you pray for this country and you're raising your kids and the young people that you have on trend of their life. You're raising them to love God and country, because this really is a joint effort. I mean we need a great move of God and the church and every body is significant. I think about Esther 414, when Mordecai said to Esther that you have come to the kingdom for just such a time as this. My dear friend if you know the Lord than your privileges to help make him known in your life matters not only in terms of salvation. All that you do for your family and your church but every one of you listening your life matters in terms of the gospel in our culture a spiritual awakening, and one person that I know that God is using to make a difference for the gospel and for the kingdom is Megan and her husband Jeremy.

Both of you are dynamic, inspirational Christian people in the few minutes we've got left. Megan, I want to talk about your experiences in college because they probably are not terribly different from the experiences of other kids that go to state schools and secular schools. If you could say one thing to the high school seniors that are there Christian young people that I'm not disputing that. But they are about to enter a completely new universe. What advice you have for the Christian person that only weeks from now may be a freshman in college.

Absolutely I would say first thing get involved in the Christian grip find your inner varsity's you are any of those types of programs that are really on your campus by campus Crusade and that sort of thing I I know is so beneficial to just surround yourselves with other Christians are going to the same life as you are at the net potentially the same university or ones in the area. You also then get some mentorship from those that are maybe seniors in that same position or adults that have been trained in how to do college ministry they can sort of help guide you and mentor you. I also then would say read that Bible every day. Pray every single day that God continues to move through you if you do choose to go to a state school, or somewhere that's not a Christian university know that you're now entering a mission field you are in the amazing opportunity to be in a space that is primarily not Christian doesn't mean that you're not in classes with other Christians or professors are, however, very, primarily hard space to be a Christian. Right now in our country because of the views of a lot of people.

I would say make sure you maintain some mentorship, you study your Bible and you continue to do what you have done in high school continue to grow as a Christian and get involved in a local church is that one day person, but involved in ministry try to serve, get to know some older, wiser people in your area who can just pour into you as a Christian, otherwise I will tell you it will be hard in its that's why there's a lot of kids that are losing their faith in college.

They're not connected to the local body.

They were there as kids there with their parents but you need to be connected as a person pass the class without compromising their Christian convictions.

Be honest with yourself and who God has made you start there and I don't be hard. I know even the stories in the past of my mother being in college in her Masters program professor asked all the Christians to stand up and her and her friends stood up and they fought for the grades they got in that class and worked really hard and it was a struggle all semester long. The professor knew I and IV and they had been a witness in this class to this professor that you can be a Christian and work hard and stand for your beliefs and you know sometimes people won't understand and it will be hard and honestly is a great opportunity for growth. If you're willing to allow God to help you grow in that amendment not to give stand your ground.

I you will be rewarded in the end it's not to be easy, but standing your ground and standing and being openly professors about why you're standing your ground and being honest and having quality conversations about instead of just being aggressive about it. What you think so many American professors and not all. On the other.

There are many Christian valiantly standing really at risk of their job, but why have so many of the professors, turned over and believed in relativism in the rejection of truth. Why wise the classroom to a large degree fallen to unbelief and apostasy. I would see some pieces easier. It's easier to follow Simpson neo-sinful beliefs say no leave you alone and following the culture is easier than going against debt I and we have people who are trying to get tenure who are trying to maintain jobs in a profession that is actually really complicated. Right now there's people are losing jobs left and right in academia and so also there's some fear that goes along with that if you don't say these things then you are ostracized or you are not on the professor, people choose and so your classes and is popular and it might get dropped and then you don't have a job. Becomes this terrible snowball but I think there's a lot of fear that uses around that in academia right now where it's just easier to follow. Societies waive of relativism and honestly people believe that some people call to the ministry. Some people go into business or law or medicine. All wonderful pursuits.

Some people just build a great family and a home. Praise the Lord speak as we are just about out of top to that person of any age who may be called to serve the Lord via education Megan Dr. Brown, what would your message be to them. Pray make sure it's right. Make sure you're not just doing it for you actually doing it for the Lord because it is not easy. It's not about making kids happy it's not about having kids like you. It's about teaching which you believe is right and furthering the knowledge and the wisdom that God has placed in this world in the minds of students and the children you have with you while I want to thank you for being on teams you ready or not. Think about John 14 sutra Jesus Christ. He said that he is the way the truth there really can't be knowledge and truth, wisdom without Jesus, whose that the foundation of truth and really the foundation of reality, our creator, our Savior are soon coming King, challenge everybody to take these words to heart, build your life on truth which begins with a relationship to the one who is truth. Jesus, thank you for listing.

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