{"id":300033,"date":"2019-01-29T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-29T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/developing-your-childs-spiritual-identity\/"},"modified":"2024-10-07T22:41:14","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T02:41:14","slug":"developing-your-childs-spiritual-identity","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/developing-your-childs-spiritual-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing Your Child&#8217;s Spiritual Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do your children know who they are in Christ? Dennis and Barbara Rainey talk about a parent&#8217;s key assignment: to raise children with a spiritual identity<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2019-01-29.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:27:48","filesize":"25.45M","filesize_raw":"26685635","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2850,2806],"tags":[4076,2209,4074,4075],"podcast_series":[7164],"cwp_profile":[3051],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-300033","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-character-development","category-spiritual-development","tag-biblical-foundation","tag-parenting","tag-spiritual-identity","tag-teaching-your-children-about-christ","podcast_series-the-art-of-parenting-identity","cwp_profile-dennis-and-barbara-rainey","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/300033\/developing-your-childs-spiritual-identity","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/300033\/developing-your-childs-spiritual-identity","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"1COK89r301\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/developing-your-childs-spiritual-identity\/\">Developing Your Child&#8217;s Spiritual Identity<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/developing-your-childs-spiritual-identity\/embed\/#?secret=1COK89r301\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Developing Your Child&#8217;s Spiritual Identity&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"1COK89r301\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Do your children know who they are in Christ? Dennis and Barbara Rainey talk about a parent's key assignment: to raise children with a spiritual identity","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2019-01-29.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Your child is a complete person\u2014body, soul, spirit. As parents, we need to be addressing every dimension of our child\u2019s life including the spiritual dimension. Barbara Rainey says to help shape a child\u2019s spiritual identity, we need to introduce them to the God who created them.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Barbara:<\/strong> Helping them understand that God is good, and that God has great plans and purposes for you, and that He loves you. I mean, what a privilege for a mom and a dad to be able to communicate those wonderful truths about God to your children. Because it helps them see Him as He really is\u2014but it also helps them begin to feel good about who God made them to be\u2014and that\u2019s a part of developing a healthy identity.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Tuesday, January 29<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is Dennis Rainey. I'm Bob Lepine. Helping to shape and mold a child\u2019s spiritual identity is one of the great responsibilities and one of the great privileges we have as parents.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ll explore that today. Stay with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re talking this week about an aspect of parenting that\u2014I think parents recognize as we\u2019re in the process of raising our kids\u2014we recognize that this is something that is important. I just don\u2019t know that we\u2014that I ever put a label on it. That I am helping to shape my child\u2019s identity as they grow\u2014helping them get a sense of self\u2014a good understanding of who they are. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAlthough I have to tell you\u2014and there\u2019s some parents who are just going to be mortified by this\u2014but when our daughter Amy was born\u2014when she was still a little baby before she could speak,\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI would take her up in my lap and I would talk to her. I would bounce her on my lap and I would say \u201cYou\u2019re so cute. You know you\u2019re so cute.\u201d And then I\u2019d say \u201cYou\u2019re also depraved. You are totally depraved.\u201d [Laughter] \u201cYou\u2019re a wicked sinner.\u201d I\u2019d do that as I bounced her, and she\u2019d smile and giggle and laugh while I\u2019d talk about it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>We should call Amy and find out how that\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Barbara:<\/strong> \u2014damaged her.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014scarred her for life? Well there\u2019s\u2014I have to tell you another story real quick. She likes telling the story. We were driving home from summer camp and she was asking a question about her\u2014her virtue\u2014like her good works. I don\u2019t know how the conversation came along but the dialogue was that no matter how good her best works were on any day they would always be tainted with the reality of sin. Well somehow in her 11-12-year-old heart, that was terrible news\u2014 [Laughter] \u2014that she could never have a good work that would be a 100% pure. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Pleasing\u2014Pleasing to God, yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. She shared this story with some of her friends who think I was a terrible parent for telling a 12-year-old that their works would always be tainted by sin. I thought I was just being biblically accurate as I was raising my kids but helping them understand their identity. A big part of that is helping them understand their spiritual identity\u2014who they are apart from Christ, who they are in Christ, and how all of that plays out for them.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I\u2019m tempted to run a straw poll\u2014from our listeners\u2014about how many think Bob\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014think Bob was cruel. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014was cruel by doing that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I don\u2019t want to know.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I don\u2019t really want to know either. Here\u2019s the thing. Our identity\u2014who we are\u2014determines what we become. I\u2019ll give you an illustration of this. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBy the way, we haven\u2019t introduced Barbara\u2014Barbara, my bride for now 46 plus years, joins us again on FamilyLife Today. Welcome back.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Barbara:<\/strong> Thanks. Glad to be here as always. It\u2019s fun.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Great mom of six\u2014Gramma of 24. We\u2019re in the thick of this thing called \u201cnext generation\u201d right here. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnyway, I was going to tell you a story about what happened to me when I was a senior in high school. I was in a magazine subscription contest. We were raising money to go on a senior trip. So, the subscriptions back then for Outdoor Life or Time magazine\u2014all the magazines were only two or three dollars\u2014so it wasn\u2019t exactly a big-time ticket item for somebody to buy them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI started off going to this small town called Ozark, Missouri\u2014where I grew up\u2014a town of 1300 people. I went door to door and I made a couple of sales, but I didn\u2019t do quite well. I thought, \u201cThis is not cutting it so I\u2019m going to the farmers. I\u2019m going out in the sticks where there\u2019s people out there who\u2014maybe they\u2019ve got common sense and they\u2019ll buy these magazines subscriptions from me.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo I started going door to door. The first one\u2014I just happened on it that the lady answered the door and I said \u201cHi, I\u2019m Dennis Rainey. I\u2019m Hook Rainey\u2019s son.\u201d \u201cOh, Hook Rainey\u2019s son. Come on in. Have some cookies and milk. What have you got there? Subscriptions. Oh, we\u2019d like two or three of those subscriptions, of course.\u201d I thought, \u201cWhoa, that was pretty good.\u201d I went to the bank on my dad\u2019s\u2014on my dad\u2019s brand out in the county\u2014this Christian county believe it or not. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI set a school record for most number of stuffed animals that I won\u2014most subscriptions. It was a huge number because of my dad\u2019s identity\u2014Hook Rainey. By the way, they called him Hook because he had a wicked curve ball. It was the only thing wicked about him. Now, Bob, I know you\u2019d say he\u2019s still wicked but [Laughter] \u2014anyway, Hook Rainey had a name that was as good as gold in the community\u2014lived his whole life there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut I went to the bank on his identity because <em>I<\/em> was his son. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow here\u2019s the deal as you raise your children. First of all\u2014if you\u2019ve trusted in Christ\u2014<em>you<\/em> are a child of the King. You have royal blood in your veins\u2014as a listener\u2014if you know Christ. As you introduce your children to Jesus Christ and help them begin their spiritual walk with Him, they too can be a royal. They can be one of the members of the royal family\u2014the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This thing called spiritual identity\u2014I think, Bob, is one of the most important components of helping our children reach maturity and grow into adulthood that we can possibly give them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Barbara, the starting place as we help our kids understand their identity is to help them recognize that they are created in God\u2019s image\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014that they are image bearers\u2014that they\u2019re different than the bugs and the animals\u2014and different than all of the rest of creation. They bear the image of the Almighty.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Barbara:<\/strong> Yes, and I think in addition to teaching them that they are made like Him, is teaching your children that He made them for a purpose. It\u2019s no accident that you were born into this family. It\u2019s no accident that God made you the way that He made you. It\u2019s no mistake that He made you tall, or He made you fast, or whatever\u2014and you can name those characteristics that you\u2019ve already seen in your child. Helping them understand that God is good, and that God has great plans and purposes for you, and that He loves you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI mean, what a privilege for a mom and a dad to be able to communicate those wonderful truths about God to your children because it helps them see Him as He really is\u2014but it also helps them begin to feel good about who God made them to be\u2014and that\u2019s a part of developing a healthy identity.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> This is a key assignment of every parent listening to us right now\u2014by the way\u2014grandparents too. What you need to do is get your Bible out and take a look at Psalm 78, verses 5 through 8. I\u2019ll not read all of them right now, but I will read the beginning because it really anchors this point in what God commands us to do with our kids. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe says, \u201cHe established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded\u201d\u2014now that\u2019s God here\u2014\"which He commanded our fathers to teach their children, that the generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,\u201d\u2014and that\u2019s four generations listed here. It gives a purpose clause that follows, \u201cso that they will not be rebellious.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThey\u2019ll know the truth about God and they\u2019ll know the truth about themselves\u2014and they will learn to trust Him\u2014and obey Him\u2014as they walk with Him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBill Bright taught me a great deal about this. He wrote a book called <em>Discover His Character<\/em>\u2014speaking of discovering the attributes of who God is. I think Bill nails it when he gives a list\u2014and this is included in the book\u2014but it just gives you an idea of understanding who God is can help us know how to behave as his children. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tListen to this list: Because God is a personal Spirit, I will seek fellowship with Him. Because God is all powerful, He can help me with anything. Because God is ever present, He is always with me. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI have to tell you, there were a lot of times in raising our kids, when Barbara and I would just need to get down on our knees next to a son or daughter who\u2019s having a hard day as they\u2019re going to bed and say \u201cGod\u2019s here. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe can comfort you. He can be trusted. You can lean in to Him.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhy is that important? Because your child is made in the image of God. He has a body, a soul, and a spirit. Your assignment as a parent\u2014this hit me afresh as we were writing this book\u2014your assignment as a parent is to take your child\u2019s hand and place it in the hand of God, and introduce your child to who God is, and what He came to do to redeem him from his selfishness.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> When we talk to a child about the fact that they are image bearers, what is it that they need to know from that? What\u2019s at the heart of the fact that I\u2019m different than the animals and I\u2019m different than the rest of creation? What does it mean that I bear the image of God?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Barbara:<\/strong> Well, we are definitely made above the animals. I think that our kids can see that but being made like God means that we have intellect.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe can make decisions. We have a free will. We can choose to go our way, or we can choose to go God\u2019s way. We have emotions. We\u2019ve already talked about that this week on the broadcast\u2014that God has emotions and we are made like Him and have emotions. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne way to think about this is\u2014think about the things that we appreciate as human beings. We can watch sunset after sunset\u2014they\u2019re all different. We\u2019re amazed at the beauty of God\u2019s creation\u2014the ocean is enthralling for people\u2014the mountains, the heavens, the stars. When we see those things, we\u2019re in awe and we worship. But have you ever seen a bird or a dog or a cow in awe about a sunset? They see them too\u2014they experience them too\u2014but they don\u2019t have the ability\u2014because they\u2019re not made in God\u2019s image\u2014to respond to His wonders and to His works like we can as people. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo teaching your children those qualities that make them \u201cmade in the image of God\u201d help us understand that God made us that way because He wants us to <em>choose<\/em> to have a relationship with Him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Some of our listeners are getting tired of hearing me quote this but A. W. Tozer said this, \u201cThe most important thing about you is what you think about God.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe can understand who God is\u2014it\u2019s beyond comprehension\u2014but we can get to know Him. Over our lifetime, we can begin to know God\u2014experience God\u2014which is what I think the psalmist was talking about in Psalm 78. He wants you to pass on your experience of God to your kids. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can teach a lot of truth about God, but one of the most important things\u2014and I\u2019m not saying this is more important than the truth of scripture about God\u2014but one of the most important things you can pass on to your kids, is what He did in your life today at work.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHow He convicted you of a sin. How you dealt with someone and how you asked for forgiveness. How He was there and how you experienced Jesus Christ in the marketplace\u2014at school. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI just think, Bob\u2014I think the whole issue of raising kids today is a great challenge for parents to grow in their own faith and realize that what they\u2019re experiencing of God needs to be real\u2014and they need to be challenged to go deeper so they\u2019ll have something to pass on to their kids.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It\u2019s one thing to talk about kids being created in the image of God, but most Christian parents are hoping and praying for a day of rebirth in the life of their child. A day when that child moves from death to life\u2014acknowledges Christ as Savior, and is converted. As parents, that gets a little tricky because\u2014 I don\u2019t know what it was like for you guys\u2014but we had some kids who expressed their faith in Christ at a very early age.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe had other kids who expressed it at an early age and then didn\u2019t seem to be living it out as they grew older. We as parents can find ourselves wondering, \u201cOkay, that prayer they prayed at three, did that do the deal? Did they mean it?\u201d This is a tricky thing for us to discern as parents. What is the spiritual identity of our children? How did you guys process that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Barbara:<\/strong> We had situations very similar to yours as well. We had some of our kids who asked at four, \u201cI want to know Jesus.\u201d We had been talking about this their whole lives. The kids would ask \u201cWhat happens when we die\u201d\u2014because they would have a pet die or something, so we had those conversations as just a part of normal life. We would tell our children that \u201cwhen we die as people\u2014when your mommy and daddy die, we\u2019re going to go to heaven and be with Jesus,\u201d so the natural conclusion for them, eventually, was \u201cI want to go to heaven with you when I die too.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe had those conversations, and some of our kids prayed and asked Jesus into their heart when they were four or five years old\u2014then didn\u2019t seem as interested for a while too. I think the most important thing is\u2014this is just an ongoing conversation, like Dennis was saying a minute ago\u2014where you\u2019re talking about your relationship with Christ. You\u2019re talking about your experience of hearing from God\u2014of learning about Him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis and I just had dinner\u2014a couple of nights ago\u2014with good friends of ours and we were talking about the friendship of God, and how wonderful it is to know God as friend. I think if talking about God and having a relationship with Him is a way of life that you begin when they\u2019re tiny\u2014like you did with Amy on your lap\u2014and you continue until they leave your home and even beyond\u2014then you can encounter those difficulties along the way. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYes, they may pray when they\u2019re four years old, and they may not be so sure when they\u2019re 13\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014but that\u2019s okay. All of us went through those times of doubting. But, if you are talking about your life and the reality of having a relationship with Christ, your kids are going to want it. They\u2019re going to see it for what it is\u2014which is a real living relationship. If it\u2019s just doctrine that you\u2019re teaching, and you only talk about it on Sunday on the way to church when everybody\u2019s yelling at everybody \u201cBe quiet. We\u2019re going to be late,\u201d then they might not be as interested\u2014but if you\u2019re talking about a real experience with Christ, your kids are going to be interested.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes, and as you were talking, Barbara, I was just thinking about some research that George Barna has done recently that indicated that only 20 percent of parents listed sharing the gospel and doing everything they could to make sure their son or daughter heard about how to go to heaven and how to have a relationship with God with their children. So 80 percent\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It\u2019s not a priority for them\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It\u2019s not on the radar screen.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Wow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So I\u2019m glad we\u2019re talking about this\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Barbara:<\/strong> Me too.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014and I want to underscore what you said Barbara. Presenting the gospel is not a one and done. It\u2019s over, and over, and over again explaining how a person comes into a relationship with God by faith through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He\u2019s alive. He defeated death and because of that you can know Him right now as a young person. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen we get to heaven, we may find out that our children didn\u2019t become Christians when they were five years old. Although Spurgeon did say \u201cA child who knowingly sins can savingly believe.\u201d Your child may come to faith in later life. You just don\u2019t know what circumstances God may put in place to secure that decision with that child.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut I do know this: It is your responsibility as a parent\u2014as a grandparent\u2014to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with every one of your children and grandchildren.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> We talked about this\u2014I remember this was a couple of decades ago, in the early days of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>, we did a series on your child coming to faith.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Barbara:<\/strong> I remember.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> In fact, it may sound odd to listen to now\u201420 plus years later\u2014but this series is online. A listener can go listen to almost three plus hours of conversation around this subject. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJim Elliff\u2014who we were interviewing\u2014we asked him about recognizing signs of spiritual life in a child. He said, \u201cIf my child\u2014at any age\u2014expresses a desire to want to be a Christian, or to give their heart to Jesus, or whatever phrase they would use,\u201d he said \u201cI\u2019m going to encourage that\u2014I\u2019m going to celebrate that. I\u2019m going to cheer that on. I\u2019m going to be so excited about that\u2014but I\u2019m not going to go to bed and then go \u2018Well, that\u2019s done.\u2019\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Exactly!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> He said, \u201cWhat I\u2019m going to be looking for in the life of my child is evidence of transforming grace. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDo I see something that indicates that God\u2019s at work there? Do I see them feeling conviction for sin? Do I see them with a hunger to know God\u2019s word? Do I see the things that accompany salvation happening in that child\u2019s life? If I don\u2019t, I\u2019m not going to go back to the child and say, \u2018Well I don\u2019t think you really became a Christian.\u2019 I\u2019m going to keep evangelizing them. I\u2019m going to keep sharing the gospel with them. And then when they say, \u2018I think I want to pray that prayer again,\u2019 I\u2019m going to rejoice that time.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s the continual cycle you\u2019re talking about of just over and over again encouraging spiritual impulses in the life of a child. Then reminding them when they do sin\u2014when they stumble\u2014of \u201cIs there conviction? Do they understand the work of the Holy Spirit? What\u2019s going on in their lives?\u201d\u2014just evangelism and discipleship over and over again with your kids.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> There\u2019s one additional way that I want to make sure our listeners can take advantage of in securing their children\u2019s spiritual identity.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis was something that Barbara was doing constantly with our children. It was bringing great books about Christian heroes\u2014heroes of the faith who lived out their identity on a mission and on purpose.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Barbara:<\/strong> I remember in those early days of being a brand-new Christian, I could not get enough of reading the Bible, but I also loved reading stories about other believers. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere were two that I read in my college years that were just transformational to me. One of them was <em>The Hiding Place<\/em>. The story of Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsy and their experience in Nazi prison camps. The other one was a story about a man named\u2014who was named at the time Brother Andrew. Brother Andrew used to smuggle Bibles into communist countries. I was just fascinated. I was amazed. I was in awe, and it was all because I saw in these books a real relationship with Jesus. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI saw Him working in these people\u2019s lives and I wanted more of that. So when my kids were old enough, I was reading them those books and I was finding other books like that to read to them because I think our children need more than just the testimony of mom and dad. The testimony of mom and dad and what God\u2019s doing in our lives is number one\u2014it\u2019s most important\u2014but there will always be a season in our children\u2019s lives when they don\u2019t want to hear anymore from mom and dad. But if you\u2019ve been reading them stories of other believers\u2014of other missionaries\u2014other faith heroes through the year\u2014they\u2019ve got those other stories in the back of their minds. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf your introducing them to people for whom Jesus Christ is a real thriving relationship, that gives your children other people to talk to\u2014other people to model\u2014others to emulate in their lives. So using books in the lives of our kids was a really important way for me to help them catch a vision for what God might want to do in their lives and through their lives as they grew up.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s time for families to capture the high ground of the family time at dinner\u2014instead of just having dinner time just happen\u2014put aside the devices. Put aside the TV. Turn everything off and get purposeful. How are you going to celebrate who God is\u2014and help your kids see how He used other people in a broken world when they lived\u2014so that your children will know how to be used by Him in the broken world where they live.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes, and there may be some of our listeners who\u2019d like to go back and listen to that vintage podcast that I mentioned\u2014the series that we did with Jim Elliff on how children come to faith in Christ. You can go to our website at FamilyLifeToday.com and click the link for that podcast, download the episodes and listen to it. Or you can listen online if you\u2019d like. Again our website is FamilyLifeToday.com. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you are interested in a copy of Dennis and Barbara\u2019s book, <em>The Art of Parenting<\/em>, we\u2019re making that available this week to any of you who can help support this ministry with a donation. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGo to FamilyLifeToday.com and click the button that says \u201cDonate\u201d and you can request your copy of <em>The Art of Parenting<\/em>. It\u2019s our thank you gift when you partner with us to extend the reach of FamilyLife\u00ae\u2014to make it possible for your friends\u2014your neighbors\u2014people in your community\u2014people all around the world to be able to connect to practical biblical help and hope for their marriage and their family. As you help make that possible, we want to say \u2018Thank you\u201d by sending you a copy of Dennis and Barbara\u2019s book, <em>The Art of Parenting<\/em>. It comes with our thanks for your support of this ministry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd, if you\u2019re interested in information about the Art of Parenting video series, that\u2019s available on our website as well. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com\u2014or call us if you have any questions or if you\u2019d like to donate by phone. Our number is 1-800-358-6329. That\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word \u201cTODAY.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, tomorrow, we\u2019re going to talk about the third area of identity that moms and dads need to address with their kids and that\u2019s the one that\u2019s most controversial in our day. It\u2019s the area of gender identity\u2014sexual identity. We\u2019ll explore that tomorrow. Hope you can tune in and be with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back tomorrow for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of <em>FamilyLife<\/em> of Little Rock, Arkansas. A Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2019 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/300033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300033"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=300033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=300033"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=300033"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=300033"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=300033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}