Many parents feel anxious about the growing number of negative cultural influences that reduce the possibility that this generation will base their lives in the Christian faith. According to statistics, 45-48% of children today leave church after college and never return. Many disconnect from their faith even earlier.
This poses a significant challenge for parents. While it’s wise to monitor your children’s exposure to music, videos, and social media, they also need to learn discernment. Most situations are a mixture of good and bad. Without discernment, kids may accept lies that masquerade as truth.
How can you guide your children through tough faith questions by giving them the evidence and emotional support they need to commit to Jesus?
To answer that question, I’ve invited Hillary Ferrer, founder of Mama Bear Apologetics to be my guest on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. She’ll help you navigate the cultural questions and lies your kids are exposed to on a daily basis.
We discussed:
- The pitfalls of postmodernism.
- The lies of emotionalism.
- Marxism and the reshaping of society.
- Staying hopeful despite the darkness of culture.
Hillary shares how your children can withstand negative cultural influences by:
- Recognizing the message. Identifying the message and the worldview behind it.
- Employing discernment. Assessing situations accurately: affirming the good while rejecting the bad.
- Thinking through a healthier approach. Providing reasons why some ideas are false and some are true as the basis for a healthy worldview.
- Reinforcing biblical ideas through discussion, discipleship, and prayer. The battles we fight are spiritual, so victory is found in prayer and intimacy with God.
Listen to my full conversation with Hillary Ferrer on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.
Before I close, I’d like to extend an invitation for you to become a special partner with us through our monthly “Friends of Focus on the Family” program. When you do, you’ll receive member-exclusive benefits, and I’ll send you a copy of Hillary’s book Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies. It’s our way of saying thank you for touching others with the love of Christ. To make your pledge, or for more information, click here or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
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Nancy Wilhelm says
-I was very surprised by your answer about racial tension in our newspaper on Sunday, May 4. Teaching children about racial tension would not have the same impact as making sure that they have contact and friendships with children of other races. I live in a small,rural community with no black residents. I took my children to events in the city, to homes of friends of other races, and invited kids from groups like Friendly Town to stay with us during the summer. They now all go to churches with many races, have friends of other races, and are active in promoting diversity in their lives.