{"id":304180,"date":"2016-09-21T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-21T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/looking-ahead\/"},"modified":"2016-09-21T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-09-21T15:00:00","slug":"looking-ahead","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/looking-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Al Mohler shares his thoughts about what the future will be for Christians in a culture that&#8217;s increasingly secular.<\/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\/fl2016-09-21.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"23.71M","filesize_raw":"24864031","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2848,2821],"tags":[6076,6078,6077],"podcast_series":[8163],"cwp_profile":[3441],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-304180","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultural-issues","category-reaching-out","tag-christians-and-culture","tag-raising-children-in-the-faith","tag-teach-your-children","podcast_series-we-cannot-be-silent","cwp_profile-al-mohler","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\/304180\/looking-ahead","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/304180\/looking-ahead","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=\"l34tUT7w7H\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/looking-ahead\/\">Looking Ahead<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/looking-ahead\/embed\/#?secret=l34tUT7w7H\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Looking Ahead&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"l34tUT7w7H\" 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":"Dr. Al Mohler shares his thoughts about what the future will be for Christians in a culture that's increasingly secular.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2016-09-21.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Now more than ever, as parents, we need to be the ones passing on a legacy of spiritual vitality to the next generation. Dr. Al Mohler says we ought not be intimidated by that assignment.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>We don\u2019t need to be an absolute information authority on all these things, because we don\u2019t have to come up with it. What we, as Christian parents, have to do is to say, \u201cOur first question has to be, \u2018What does God say about this?\u2019\u201d If we\u2019re unsure about our convictions, then we have to turn to God\u2019s Word and get those convictions clarified. \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 Wednesday, September 21<sup>st<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. What are you doing, deliberately and intentionally, to make sure your children are hearing the truth of Scripture and are embracing a Christian worldview? That\u2019s the topic we\u2019re talking about today with Dr. Al Mohler. Stay tuned.\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\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019m just curious whether you think we can get our guest today to go on record\u2014because what I\u2019d like to do is\u2014I\u2019d like to listen back to today\u2019s program in 20 years, and I\u2019d like to see what Al Mohler predicted our culture will be like 20 years from now and see how close to right he was. I\u2019m not trying to see if he\u2019s a prophet\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, I was getting ready to say\u2014[Laughter]\u2014you know, if he\u2019s not right\u2014he may not be alive in 20 years\u2014so you wouldn\u2019t have any stones to throw at him. Well, let\u2019s do that!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAl is the author of a brand-new book called <em>We Cannot Be Silent<\/em>. It\u2019s about the LGBTQ, same-sex marriage, all the gender issues that this culture\u2019s facing. He\u2019s, in essence, giving single people, married people, parents, and grandparents courage to stand on the truth of Scripture and know how to answer some of the most difficult questions that are being thrown at us today.\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\tSo here we are\u2014we\u2019re now at the year 2036, Al. What does it look like?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Well, I would quickly acknowledge I\u2019m not a prophet, but I am an observer. I would say one of the things we need to note is that America has been on something like a 20- to 30-year delayed fuse from where Europe has been on so many of these issues. So, look where Europe is <em>now<\/em>. You can, at least, see what is a likelihood of where the United States will be. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat you need to know, more than anything else, is the secularization of that culture, at warm speed, such that Christianity is now just really not a part of the landscape any longer, in terms of the way Europeans think. There\u2019s an intentional effort to try to create distance behind that Christian worldview and what Europeans now think enlightened, modern people ought to think.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Now, there\u2019s a remnant in Europe, just as God has a remnant everywhere.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Exactly.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>You imagine we will be a remnant people 20 years from now?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>You know, Bob, I think we <em>are<\/em> right now. I think it\u2019s just not so apparent to us. \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\tI think we have to recognize that\u2014with the pace of change, morally\/demographically\u2014I mean, look at the people aging. Look at how the pew studies indicate how much more likely it is for younger Americans to have no religious affiliation, just compared with the generation before them. The generation before them was already significantly discounted from the generation before that. That\u2019s what we\u2019re looking at.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I\u2019m kind of smiling about how we\u2019re starting this broadcast, going out 20 years. I want to go back some 40 years to when you were a boy\/young man. What would it have been like to have been Al Mohler\u2019s dad? What did your dad do? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>My dad was a grocery store manager. He was a wonderful, faithful Christian father. He modeled hard work, and he loved his family. He was deeply involved in the local church. So much of my life\u2014I can say almost the entirety of it\u2014I simply wouldn\u2019t know who I am without being Dick Mohler\u2019s son \/ I am Richard Albert Mohler, Jr. \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\tMy dad died suddenly just about three years ago, and I will be eternally thankful to God for him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>So, he made a major mark on your life, as a young man?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Oh, absolutely! I mean, the first time I ever taught the Scripture is because he was the director of Sunday school. He came in one Saturday night when I was 16 years old and said, \u201cI\u2019m a Bible teacher short.\u201d I thought, \u201cBoy, dad, that\u2019s a tragedy.\u201d The next thing I knew, I was teaching first graders in Sunday school. He didn\u2019t <em>ask<\/em> me if I would do it\u2014he simply <em>told<\/em> me I was going to do it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSince then, there have been very few Sundays I haven\u2019t been teaching the Word of God. I go back and say, \u201cI now know why.\u201d People say, \u201cWho called you into ministry?\u201d The Holy Spirit, yes; but my dad did when I was 16 and he said, \u201cYou\u2019re going to go teach the Scripture.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You said some of the most important conversations occurred with you and your dad in the car, not making eye contact.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Yes; absolutely. My dad understood this intuitively. He had three boys and one daughter. I was his first-born son. \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\tI <em>knew<\/em> that, when I was in the car with Dad \/ just the two of us alone, it was <em>possible<\/em> we were going to get into a conversation that I would <em>never<\/em> have willingly asked for. Yet I look back at it and say: \u201cBoy, my life was changed in so many points, because my dad just knew how to get his son in the seat beside him. We were both at the traffic, and the horizon before us, when eye contact was at a minimum and truth was at a maximum. He just laid it on.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, I don\u2019t think he really cared at that moment whether I got out of the car happy, but he knew that I got out of the car having heard what he thought he needed to say.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Were most of those conversations about sex, or were they about a variety of topics?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Oh, I\u2019ll be honest\u2014I was a teenage boy. He was talking to me about sex, he was talking to me about girls, he was talking to me about how I would relate to my mother, he was talking to me about how I would be at work on time, and he knew whether I was or not, because I worked for him. [Laughter] So, I mean\u2014no; it was just all those conversations a dad needs to have with a boy.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And he was intentional.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>You know, at the time, I didn\u2019t see that so much; but now, yes, I fully understand, having been a father myself. Being a father and now a grandfather, I fully understand. \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\tHe understood that he had me in that car, and that I was not going to jump out. He had me for the duration of the ride. I now recognize he just kept driving until he made his point, regardless of whether we were where we wanted to be or not.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Right. He was preparing you for life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>He was.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And frankly, that\u2019s why you\u2019ve written this book, <em>We Cannot Be Silent<\/em>. You\u2019ve written this for adults and young men and women, as well, to know what they believe around these thorny issues of gender identity, of same-sex marriage, homosexuality. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob, that\u2019s also why we created <em>Passport2Identity<\/em><sup>\u2122<\/sup>, to give dads and sons \/ moms and daughters a chance to have some of those conversations, looking at the horizon and talking about meaningful things.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, actually, we created <em>Passport2Purity<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup>so a lot of moms and dads talked to their sons and daughters about the birds and the bees, and dating, and all kinds of subjects through <em>Passport2Purity,<\/em> right before the young man or the young woman entered adolescence. \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\tThen we realized: \u201cWe need to come back and revisit some of these subjects and explore some new subjects with a son or a daughter, when they\u2019re 14 or 15 years old, to help them understand what their identity is, understand what it means to be in Christ, what it means to be a boy and not a girl or a girl and not a boy, what it means to be on mission, what it means to make your faith your own and not just hitchhike off your parents\u2019 faith. Those are the subjects that get unpacked if you and your son, or you and your daughter, go off for a <em>Passport2Identity<\/em> weekend, staring at the horizon; right? [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It\u2019s safe!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>As the car is going along, it\u2019s safe and you\u2019re listening to the audio, and then you can pause it and you can say: \u201cWhat do you want to say about that? Do you have any thoughts about that?\u201d You have a travel journal \/ there are some questions. It really does set up a mom and a dad to interact with a son or a daughter.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>And I recognize, by the way\u2014that can be different for boys and girls\u2014it is. <em>TIME <\/em>Magazine did a cover story about a decade ago now; because <em>TIME<\/em> Magazine, all of a sudden, discovered that boys and girls are different. Evidently that was a new thing for <em>TIME<\/em>. [Laughter]\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\tYou may remember that the experiment they talked about was\u2014I think they had two 12-year-old boys \/ two 12-year-old girls, and two chairs in an empty room\u2014they put the two boys in. They put the seats facing the same direction; and the conversation started out with, \u201cI don\u2019t know\u2014what do you know?\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThey put the two 12-year-old girls in the same room. They arranged the chairs facing each other. They locked on and there was no silence until they took them out of the room.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes\u2014never stopped talking.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>That\u2019s alright. God made us differently\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>\u2014as men and women \/ as boys and girls\u2014and you need to relate differently. That\u2019s why I\u2019m so glad you have two editions of this new program\u2014one for fathers with sons and one for mothers with daughters\u2014that\u2019s really important.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>What I want to talk to you about today\u2014because there are undoubtedly listeners, right now, who are going: \u201cI never had those conversations with my parents. I waffle in my beliefs sometimes. I\u2019m not sure how to handle all these issues that are being thrown at me.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo here\u2019s the question for you, Al. I want you to become a coach. \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\tI want you to coach those, who are listening today, who are uncertain of their convictions on these issues of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, gender identity, transgender. They\u2019re feeling the pressure to conform, and they just\u2014you know, they want to do the right thing, Al. I don\u2019t think they want to be people-pleasers at the core \/ they want to please God. Coach them in what they need to do to move to the right beliefs.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>You know, I so appreciate the way you asked the question, Dennis, because the first thing I want to say is: \u201cParents don\u2019t need to be \u2018sexperts.\u2019\u201d In other words, we don\u2019t need to be an absolute information authority on all these things, because we don\u2019t have to come up with it. What we, as Christian parents, have to do is to say, \u201cOur first question has to be, \u2018What does God say about this?\u2019\u201d If we\u2019re unsure about our convictions, then we have to turn to God\u2019s Word and get those convictions clarified.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tPart of the reason why I wrote the book, <em>We Cannot Be Silent<\/em>, is to tell people what they need to know about what the <em>Scripture<\/em> says about why God made us in His image as male and female\u2014what it means to be a man \/ what it means to be a woman\u2014 \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\t\u2014how we then come to understand what marriage is, and then how we think through the issues of the day, from same-sex marriage to the transgender issues\u2014not informed by making ourselves experts\u2014but informed by knowing that the Word of God is the sole authority by which we are to think and then to live faithfully.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And not be ashamed of representing what the truth of Scripture represents.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Absolutely. You know, here\u2019s one of the things that just gets me\u2014and you see this amongst so many Christians when they\u2019re thinking about the popular culture\u2014when they think about going to the college campus or think about talking to their neighbor\u2014they\u2019re afraid to know anything from the Scripture. Well, where else are you going to know anything? What other authority are you going to cite? You know! Why would we be intimidated against people whose ultimate authority is the latest edition of <em>TIME<\/em> or <em>Vogue<\/em>\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014or <em>BuzzFeed<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Exactly. You know\u2014in other words, we, of all people, ought to feel none insecure in going into that conversation; because we can say: \u201cHere\u2019s the truth of God\u2014eternal and unchanging. \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\t\u201cI don\u2019t know it because I\u2019m so smart but because God loves us enough He spoke to us. Yes, I\u2019m going into this conversation because I actually <em>know<\/em> something.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I have friends who have a young son\u2014he\u2019s 18 years old\u2014he\u2019s in his senior year in high school. About a year ago, they started picking up clues\/signs on his social media or on his text messages. There was interaction with other guys that looked like it was, not just two pals; but there was romantic interest between their son and another boy. He has since come out\u2014declared himself to be gay\u2014and has said: \u201cI just don\u2019t believe what you guys believe about God and the Bible. This is who I am.\u201d These parents, Al\u2014they are brokenhearted\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Sure they are.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014don\u2019t know what to do. They want to love their son \/ they want to point him in the right direction. He\u2019s saying: \u201cI\u2019m just not interested in all these beliefs. I reject that.\u201d What do they do?!\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\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Well, I think, first of all, we need to recognize that something new has been entered into here in terms of our experience, as parents, or even dealing with young people; and that is, that the society tells them that they are who they think they are right <em>now<\/em>. Let\u2019s just remember the German words, <em>Sturm und Drang<\/em>, about adolescence. In other words, we should expect 16-, 17-, 15-, 18-, 19-year-olds to be confused about who they are at any given moment. That\u2019s a normal adolescent experience. And yet, what\u2019s happening now is that society\u2019s saying, \u201cWhatever you think you might be right now, you need to be that to the fullest; and this is what it is.\u201d There is no judgment upon that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne of the things we have to recognize is that, when we talk to an 18-year-old son that way, every other authority in society is telling him: \u201cIf you think this is who you are, then celebrate it. Be it! Go for it!\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And they\u2019re also making that young man a heroic figure: \u201cYou\u2019re so courageous. You\u2019re so bold, and we\u2019re so proud of you.\u201d It\u2019s affirming\u2014who wouldn\u2019t want to come out?\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\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>You know, Paul McHugh, who was at Johns Hopkins University\u2014a <em>leading<\/em> doctor and psychiatrist\u2014he said, \u201cYou know, most young people who were in early adolescence, struggling with transgender identity\u2014they move out of it on their own.\u201d And yet we have society now saying that, if you\u2019re 12, and you think you might be\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014a girl.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>\u2014a girl or a boy, regardless of your biology\u2014then that\u2019s who you are; and if your parents are telling you otherwise\u2014that they\u2019re just oppressing you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to go back to that parent and simply say: \u201cLook. Understand what you\u2019re up against, but also know that God gave you this son for His glory and because you are there for him in a way no one else can be there.\u201d We cannot be silent\u2014you can\u2019t not say what you believe\u2014not just because you know it to be true\u2014but because truth is <em>redemptive<\/em>. You can\u2019t possibly love someone and not tell them the truth when you know what the Bible makes clear is at stake.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYet truth\u2014First Corinthians 13 tells us that love never fails; that it\u2019s patient and it\u2019s kind. \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\tTruth-telling, in the Christian understanding, has to be patient and kind\u2014always truthful. Genuine love means we\u2019re there to have the same conversation again and again; because at the end of the day, no one is going to love our children as we must\u2014no one\u2014no bureaucratic agency, no psychotherapist, no friend in college or in high school, no teacher. No other influence is going to love children as <em>we<\/em> are called to love them. You know, that\u2019s tough stuff.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I\u2019m just curious\u2014if you had a moment to speak directly to moms\u2014and then turn to the dads and speak to dads\u2014what would you exhort moms to do today, as you look at what\u2019s taking place in the culture? You\u2019re a seminary president; you\u2019re also the president of a major university. You see kids coming from Christian homes all over the country. You\u2019re making some observations, frankly, that we need to glean the best from. What would you say to them?\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\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>You know, I will simply tell that I think I can now greatly predict within the first few minutes of a conversation whether a young man, coming in at 18 as a college freshman, has had a decisive, healthy relationship with his own father. I can pick that up very quickly. I don\u2019t want moms to \u201cmom\u201d any less. I just want moms to understand that they have to honor the fact that their husband needs time with their son, alone, to have the kind of conversations that will only take place if they are <em>alone<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat means, by the way, that certainly there are times when dad needs to take son off in order to have the kinds of conversations you have over a weekend in a cabin, or something like that; but that also means that times, when dad\u2019s going to run an errand, son needs to be in the car with him. Mom and sister need to have the understanding, \u201cWe just need to let them have their time.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBecause I think, by the way\u2014that in retrospect\u2014I know that my father knew some of the most important conversations were unscripted and unplanned, but we were in the car together. That\u2019s all that was required.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>You said you can tell the difference with an 18-year-old?\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<strong>Al: <\/strong>Yes; yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>What can you tell?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>I don\u2019t want to be absolutist in this\u2014but if a young man comes up to me, sticks out his hand, knows how to look me in the eye and talk to me, has at least the understanding of how to begin a conversation, has something interesting to say, looks like he\u2019s not scared to be there, and looks secure in himself and can relate to others in that way, I\u2019m pretty sure that there was a dad in this picture; because he\u2019s been watching dad\u2014how a man speaks \/ how a man relates. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNot only that\u2014but he\u2019s had dad looking over his shoulder, and he wants dad pleased with him. Dad\u2019s told him: \u201cThat\u2019s not how you shake a hand; this is how you shake a hand. When you shake a man\u2019s hand, look him in the eye. When you look him in the eye, smile, not goofily; but look like you\u2019re not scared to be there.\u201d You know, \u201cBe ready to enter into conversation. When he asks you, \u2018What are you up to?\u2019 have something to tell him!\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So, in a culture where 40 percent of the kids are growing up without a dad there to help raise them, we\u2019re headed for a crisis in manhood.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>We\u2019re not headed for a crisis\u2014we are in a crisis. \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\tI mean, just look at the fact that the <em>New York<\/em> <em>Times<\/em> ran a major article on the fact that all the social pathologies are now beyond debate. This is not to heap guilt upon moms trying to raise boys on their own\u2014God bless you! We want you to have more [blessing], not less. But it is to say that we have <em>allowed<\/em> this to take place. We\u2019ve\u2014in terms of social policy in this country\u2014encouraged it to take place.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, this is where the church has to come back and say: \u201cWe understand the importance of a dad and mom \/ a husband and a wife in the family. Where a dad or a husband is absent, somebody in this church needs to be the father to the fatherless for that boy.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u201cThere\u2019s a covenant community here\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014\u201cand we can step in where there are absences and deficits and say, \u2018We\u2019re here to help fill in those gaps.\u2019\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Yes. So I should qualify what I said to you by saying, \u201cI know that someone has been either the dad in that boy\u2019s life or someone has been <em>like <\/em>a dad to him.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You\u2019re not a parent today, raising teenagers \/ raising elementary age kids. \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\tYou\u2019re a new grandfather, and you have adult children who have left the home. But if you were\u2014if you and your wife were in the thick of elementary age, junior high, high school age children\u2014how would you use the dinner table?\u00a0 I just want to go back to a fundamental \/ to a basic, Al, because I think sometimes we need to be reminded we do have a captive audience around food.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>We can deliver a whole lot more food for the soul in the midst of feeding them nutrients for their bodies.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>You know, that requires slowing down the meal. It requires everybody sitting down together. It requires parents leading a conversation. It requires parents understanding: \u201cLook; here\u2019s a rare opportunity. Everybody\u2019s sitting around the table.\u201d Big brother, little brother, big sister, little sister\u2014they\u2019re all sitting around. Some of them are going to understand parts of this conversation; some of them are going to overhear parts and they\u2019re not going to get it. But this is where we have the conversation. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis is where parents need to say, \u201cWhat happened to you today?\u201d Not just in terms of, \u201cDid you get a double or a triple or did you strike out?\u201d but: \u201cWhat happened to you? What are you thinking today?\u201d \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\t\u201cLook; this is what\u2019s going on in the culture\u2014here are the headlines\u201d\u2014without saying that, you just simply say, \u201cYou know, what are we supposed to think about this?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAlso, let mom and dad talk at the table and let the kids hear and observe the way that is supposed to take place. Jesus gave us a memorial meal as one of the two ordinances, because something happens around a meal that doesn\u2019t happen in any other context. So use it to the fullest.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And there\u2019s nothing wrong, saying: \u201cI don\u2019t know the answer to your question, but you know what? I\u2019ll go find out.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Yes. It\u2019s so important you finish that the way you did. There\u2019s something wrong with saying, \u201cI don\u2019t know the answer to that question; so that\u2019s where we leave it.\u201d No! Humility is saying: \u201cOkay. I don\u2019t know the answer to that question, but we\u2019re not going to bed tonight til we find out.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I asked you earlier about where you think we\u2019ll be in 20 years. You said: \u201cLook at Europe\u2014it\u2019s increasingly secular; the church is minimized, Christianity in that culture is essentially marginalized.\u201d \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\tIf that\u2019s where we\u2019re headed, I guess the first question is, \u201cHow do we prepare for that?\u201d and the second question is, \u201cIs there any hope that that\u2019s not where we end up?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Well, I have very little hope that that\u2019s not where we end up, in terms of the sociology of it; because there\u2019s no reason to believe that\u2019s not going to happen here in more or less the same way. We can, as Christians\u2014in other words, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much we can do about the culture at large, at least, in terms of these big, seismic changes in the landscape.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You\u2019re speaking, at that point, about a revival \/ a spiritual awakening of a nation.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>Yes. It\u2019s going to take a fundamental reshaping of the entire society\u2014that only God is going to be able to do. We will know if it happens and God has done it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>But what I want to say\u2014we can learn\u2014is how we can look at the Christian church in so much of Europe and recognize missed opportunities that we ought not to miss\u2014especially that is in the generational transfer\u2014that\u2019s the most important thing. \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\tWhat\u2019s most important is whether or not our children are actually standing in the faith when we are no longer, operationally, their parents\u2014when they make their way into the adult world and when we pass from the scene. If the Christian faith, in terms of a living faith, passes with us, then it\u2019s going to look like Europe.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Your dad did a great job of passing on his faith to you. You talked about that earlier in the broadcast. I want to ask you to do something.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I know where this is going. Let me, before you ask him\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Tell them how to get a copy of Al\u2019s book. [Laughter] I want to tell Al what I\u2019m going to do\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Okay. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014so he can think about this while you\u2019re telling our listeners how to get a copy of <em>We Cannot Be Silent<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAl, what I\u2019m going to do is\u2014I\u2019m going to seat your father across the table from you. Now, I know he\u2019s been gone three years; but I\u2019m going to ask you, to the best of your ability\u2014you are a tender man and an eloquent man\u2014I want to ask you to look him in the eye and to honor him. \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\tSpeak to him about what he meant to you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, and while you\u2019re thinking about what you want to say, let me point our listeners to our website, FamilyLifeToday.com, where they can get more information about your book, <em>We Cannot Be Silent<\/em>. There\u2019s also a link to the message that you shared with our staff recently, which is an outstanding message. I\u2019d encourage every listener to either download the audio and listen to it or watch the video\u2014great message. You\u2019ll find it at FamilyLifeToday.com. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere\u2019s also information about <em>Passport2Purity<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> and <em>Passport2Identity<\/em><sup>\u2122<\/sup>\u2014the resources we\u2019ve talked about here today. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com for more information about these resources, or call us at 1-800-FL-TODAY if you have any questions. We\u2019ll be happy to get the information for you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAlso, \u201cHappy anniversary!\u201d today to our friends, Scott and Sherry Jennings, who celebrate their 25<sup>th<\/sup> wedding anniversary today\u2014Scott and Sherry live in North Carolina. \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\tThey have hosted more than three dozen <em>Art of Marriage<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> events; they\u2019ve been to <em>I Still Do<\/em>; and they\u2019ve shared, here on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Great couple \/ great story of God\u2019s work in their lives; and we want to say, \u201cHappy anniversary!\u201d to them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we want to say, \u201cThank you,\u201d to our listeners; because you guys make anniversaries like this possible. God used <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> in Scott and Sherry\u2019s lives \/ He used the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> getaway in their lives\u2014you guys made that possible through your support of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. We appreciate each one of you who support this ministry. Thanks for your partnership with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It\u2019s been a great privilege to have a good friend back on the broadcast. Al, you\u2019re our good friend. You may not be now, after I put you on the spot with this assignment here; but I think those who are listening\u2014are still in the process of being a mom, a dad, a grandparent\u2014have forgotten the centrality, the power, the nobility, the impact they can have on a child\u2019s life. \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\tSpeak to your dad in first person\u2014that he\u2019s seated across the table\u2014tell him what he meant to you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Al: <\/strong>This is going to be very hard to do, emotionally; but I would simply say: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDad, I had an understanding of how secure I was in your love, and how God graced me with your love, and with your guidance, discipline, teaching\u2014just the relationship\u2014your love for me, your love for my mom, and your love for my brothers and sisters. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut I want to tell you that just in recent days I\u2019ve come to understand how much I love you for being so well thought of by others, especially in the local church. When at your funeral, so many teenagers and young men came up to me and said, \u201cYour father was the most important influence in my life.\u201d It\u2019s not just my life, Dad\u2014but many others. I thank God for you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t______________________________________________________________________________\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\"><u>donating today<\/u><\/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> 2016 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\/304180","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=304180"}],"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=304180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=304180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=304180"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=304180"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=304180"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=304180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}