{"id":304184,"date":"2016-09-23T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-23T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/leaving-a-spiritual-heritage\/"},"modified":"2016-09-23T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-09-23T15:00:00","slug":"leaving-a-spiritual-heritage","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/leaving-a-spiritual-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaving a Spiritual Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pastor Josh Mulvihill encourages grandparents to leave behind an inheritance that will last into eternity-a lasting faith.<\/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\/fl2016-09-23.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"24.29M","filesize_raw":"25467575","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[10379],"tags":[6080,4863,6079,4172,6081,5294],"podcast_series":[8164],"cwp_profile":[8843],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-304184","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grandparents","tag-grandchildren","tag-grandparents","tag-passing-down-your-faith","tag-reading-the-bible","tag-teaching-gods-word","tag-testimony","podcast_series-equipping-grandparents","cwp_profile-josh-mulvihill","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\/304184\/leaving-a-spiritual-heritage","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/304184\/leaving-a-spiritual-heritage","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=\"MidR6x70bh\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/leaving-a-spiritual-heritage\/\">Leaving a Spiritual Heritage<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/leaving-a-spiritual-heritage\/embed\/#?secret=MidR6x70bh\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Leaving a Spiritual Heritage&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"MidR6x70bh\" 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":"Pastor Josh Mulvihill encourages grandparents to leave behind an inheritance that will last into eternity-a lasting faith.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2016-09-23.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So what Barbara and I have started doing\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Not two one dollar bills\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Two-dollar\u2014single.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes; a single bill worth two dollars.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Two-dollar bills; yes. I don\u2019t remember if it was tied to my age\u2014I don\u2019t think it was. So Barbara and I\u2014I said, \u201cLet\u2019s go to the bank and get a bundle\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014of two-dollar bills?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014\u201ctwo-dollar bills.\u201d So, you get a hundred\u2014that\u2019s $200 worth.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> We tape them together, length-wise\u2014one for each year of their lives.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So if they\u2019re seven, what happens? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> If they\u2019re seven, they get seven two-dollar bills\u201414 bucks.\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> Alright?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Alright.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So they go spend that, and they also get a Christmas gift, too; but if you start running it out here\u2014[Laughter] \u2014we\u2019re soon to have 23 grandchildren \/ one of them is in heaven;, so we don\u2019t get the privilege of giving her birthday gifts\u2014but it\u2019s really a treat to get pictures. In fact, I just got one back\u2014I\u2019ll pull it up and show it to you, Bob\u2014of my granddaughter, Katie, who pulled out\u2014she\u2019s\u2014I forget; I think she\u2019s eight. She pulled them out, and they unfolded all the way to the floor\u2014it was cool! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, what\u2019s going to happen is\u2014they\u2019re going to listen to the broadcast, and I will have missed the age; and I will have offended my granddaughter. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I\u2019m just thinking that, between Christmas and their birthdays, there are some third-world countries that have a smaller budget than you have for buying gifts for your grandkids.\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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I\u2019m just telling you\u2014it takes some real strategizing to be able to do it and do it well. We have a guy with us, though, who is an <em>expert<\/em> on grandparenting.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> His oldest child is ten years old.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That\u2019s right! [Laughter] This is a paradox! <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>is <em>excellent<\/em> about bringing paradoxes to its listeners. Josh Mulvihill joins us on <em>FamilyLife Today.<\/em> You\u2019ve never been introduced as a paradox; have you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> No; but that\u2019s okay, I guess.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It\u2019s a first.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> There\u2019s always a first.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It is a first. He and his wife Jen have been married since the year 2000. They do have five kids, ages one to ten\u2014two girls [and three boys]. Josh serves as the pastor to children and families at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on the outskirts of Minneapolis. He has written a book\u2014actually, you\u2019ve edited a book\u2014called <em>Equipping Grandparents: Helping Your Church Reach and Disciple the Next Generation<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want you to go back to what you shared earlier, Josh. \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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want you to share: \u201cWhat is the essence of the purpose of a grandparent?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> What I see in Scripture is that they are there to pass faith on to their grandkids. I wanted to get down to one word from the Bible that you could define the role of a grandparent; because I think we can do that with a husband, a wife, and a child, in Scripture. But what is that one word? That was part of my PhD dissertation\u2014was to find that one word. I spent a year studying Scripture, cover to cover \/ 100 pages of text, writing down everything I found.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Okay; okay! Alright!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> You ready for the word?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> We\u2019re waiting, but we need a little drum roll here [drum roll sound]\u2014there you go.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> Yes; the word is \u201cheritage.\u201d We use the word, \u201clegacy\u201d; but this is a word seen in Proverbs 13:22: \u201cA good man passes on an inheritance to his children\u2019s children.\u201d I think that has many applications\u2014financial would be looked at, obviously\u2014but I think spiritual is in there\u2014a good name \/ a good reputation is part of that.\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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\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>Josh:<\/strong> We see \u201cChildren are a heritage from the Lord [Psalm 127:3],\u201d\u2014I think that applies to grandchildren as well. In our Psalm 78 passage that we have\u2014towards the end of that passage\u2014it says, \u201cGod turned His wrath on His heritage.\u201d There\u2019s a piece of heritage building, then, that\u2019s part of the goal. It\u2019s not a grandparent who\u2019s building their own heritage\u2014it\u2019s the Lord\u2019s heritage.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So I think\u2014and correct me here if I\u2019m wrong\u2014but I\u2019ve always seen this as: \u201cWhat we leave is a legacy. What is received is a heritage,\u201d\u2014it\u2019s really just\u2014it\u2019s the <em>same<\/em> thing.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> If you\u2019re giving it, it\u2019s a legacy; if you\u2019re receiving it, it\u2019s a heritage. That\u2019s kind of helped me get my arms around it. Is there a differentiation between a legacy and a heritage?\u2014it\u2019s just the perspective from which it\u2019s passed on.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> Yes; we use the word, \u201clegacy,\u201d much more\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014regularly.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> \u2014regularly than we do the word, \u201cheritage.\u201d \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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, we don\u2019t see that word, \u201clegacy,\u201d in Scripture; so that idea of \u201cheritage\u201d is really what we\u2019re leaving our grandchildren. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s a great question for grandparents to ask themselves: \u201cWhen you\u2019re no longer there, what is it that your grandchildren will have <em>from <\/em>you?\u201d Of course, we want that, first and foremost, to be a strong faith in Jesus Christ that is passed down many generations.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And that reminds me of Psalm 71\u2014I just love this passage, increasingly: \u201cOh, God, from my youth, You have taught me; I still proclaim Your wondrous deeds. Even to old age and gray hairs, oh God, do not forsake me until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come.\u201d That\u2019s really the assignment of a grandparent. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou mentioned earlier that we do that by telling stories\u2014it\u2019s not just telling yarns. \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<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s telling stories of how God intercepted your life, beginning with your testimony of how you came to faith in Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I\u2019m thinking of Joshua, Chapter\u2014I think it is Chapter 4. That\u2019s the chapter where, after crossing through the Jordan River, God tells the heads of the 12 tribes\u2014the priests\u2014to go get the memorial stones and to set those up. There\u2019s a specific reason\u2014it\u2019s so: \u201cYou\u2019ll remember what happened; and so, when your kids ask what happened, you can tell them; and so that all of the nations around you will know that God is God.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe may not have physical stones that we can point to; but when you talk about sharing from your walk with Jesus, you\u2019re talking about the memorial stones of your life; aren\u2019t you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> Grandparents are storytellers. They have an important place in God\u2019s story to pass on the message of Christ. They do that as they focus on their own place in God\u2019s story\u2014centered in God and Who He is\u2014and what He has done in their life.\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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMan, that\u2019s such a high calling and a <em>wonderful<\/em>, wonderful thing when grandparents do that with their grandkids. You see those grandkids gather around\u2014you know, they\u2019re built to listen to those stories. They\u2019ll ask the same ones again and again. I would encourage every single grandparent to capture that\u2014whether you\u2019re living close by your grandkids and you can do that verbally\u2014or you can write that down in some format and give that, even as a keepsake for them, that they can have for many years to look at.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> My mom lived into her early 90s. In the year before she died, my oldest child\u2014my daughter, Amy\u2014brought the video camera and sat down with grandma over at her place\u2014and spent about an hour-and-a-half, I think, just asking grandma questions. That\u2019s an artifact\u2014that\u2019s one of those memorial stones that, if the house was on fire, those are the things you grab first.\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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI have, in my drawer, a book of letters that my dad sent home from World War II, with pieces of the letters cut out from where the censor board wouldn\u2019t let him say, \u201cWe\u2019re here today.\u201d Again, my kids are going to want to know who gets to keep that stuff\u2014the history of the family, whether it\u2019s a spiritual history or not\u2014there\u2019s something that connects us in that history. If it\u2019s a spiritual history, it just takes it a step deeper; doesn\u2019t it?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> Yes; that\u2019s true.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Give us an illustration\u2014one of the best illustrations you\u2019ve heard\u2014of a grandparent passing on the story of God\u2019s work, in his or her soul, to a grandchild.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> I\u2019ll just share one from my experience. When my mom was dying of ALS, I took two weeks and I sat at her feet. She wasn\u2019t able to move a lot at that point. I took\u2014at the time\u2014a digital recorder and recorded her sharing some key God stories and some of her favorite passages. \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<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI even had her read some of our favorite children\u2019s books that she wouldn\u2019t be able to read with her grandkids. We have all of those today. At that point, she only had one grandchild who was living. I knew that, if there were to be anything specifically from grandma to her grandkids, that was something that I needed to do. Man, I treasure that\u2014I look back on that regularly. I love it!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> We\u2019re talking with Josh Mulvihill about grandparenting. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI mentioned that you had shared earlier there are two ways that grandparents can, spiritually, pass on their faith to their grandkids. One is by stories\u2014that\u2019s telling. You also said there\u2019s another way we do this\u2014by teaching. Explain and unpack that and give us an illustration of what that looks like too.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> Deuteronomy 4:9 gives a very explicit command to grandparents\u2014is to teach coming generations\u2014their children and their children\u2019s children. \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<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNot only are we to teach our kids, but our grandkids, as well. Many parents, I think, get to the point, where they say, \u201cI\u2019ve done my job, and now that\u2019s my adult children\u2019s job to pass their faith on to their children.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat we see in Scripture is that grandparents are given a very specific role\u2014it\u2019s a verbal role, very often; but they are expected, by God, to open their mouth \/ open God\u2019s Word and teach\u2014teach the commands of God \/ the things that God wants those children to know\u2014to build their character, to help them mature in Christ, to help them walk in a way that is in agreement with God and His Word. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMy encouragement to you, as a grandparent\u2014this doesn\u2019t need to be anything extensive. It can be simply a single verse or a short passage that\u2019s read\u2014it takes a couple minutes \/ a few questions to discuss it. \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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhether you have five days a year with your grandkids\u2014or they\u2019re over at your house \/ you\u2019re babysitting them every single week\u2014that can be part of the process that they do with you, as a grandparent, at some point during each day. They know, \u201cWhen I\u2019m with grandma and grandpa, we\u2019re going to be reading God\u2019s Word.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tA commitment to that, over a long period of time, makes a big impact on the grandchild. They\u2019ll remember, as they look back\u2014they might not remember specifically some of the subject matter that was talked about, although I trust that God\u2019s Word says it does not return void\u2014I trust that it will do its work. They will remember: \u201cMy grandparent treasured God\u2019s Word. It was important enough that they opened it up and made it a priority in their home.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGod, in Psalm 78, verse 5, says, \u201c\u2026which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children.\u201d That word, \u201cfathers,\u201d is the Bible\u2019s way of saying forefathers or grandfathers. It\u2019s good to point out that God\u2019s Word commands us\u2014it\u2019s not optional. \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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tTherefore, as grandparents, we need to step into that role that God expects of us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Here\u2019s something that I\u2019d like you to comment on; because I think a lot of grandparents, much like an old well, need to be primed\u2014you know\u2014how you pour a cup of water down an old well to begin to take the plunger and get it to bring forth the cool, crisp water that\u2019s down deep in the well? I think grandparents need adult children to ask questions and to maybe set the grandparents up to win with the grandkids. Why not have an evening\u2014the next time the grandparents are over visiting the grandchildren\u2014where you let the grandparents know, in advance\u2014you are going to ask them.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You prime the pump.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You do\u2014you prime the pump, and say, \u201cI\u2019m going to ask you what your favorite top two or three Bible verses\u2014and explain why\u2014and share that with the kids.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> Great idea.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That will give them a win, right there. Then, another thing to set them up to win would be to ask them a couple of questions, where you know that God showed up in their lives. \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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJust toss them\u2014like slow pitch softball\u2014just toss it right over the plate, where the grandparents can hit it and can share the story of how God, maybe miraculously, showed up in their lives\u2014but it was unmistakable that it was the Lord God Almighty\u2014they can share that to the <em>wonder<\/em> of those grandkids.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> It helps to solidify the truth of the gospel and God\u2019s Word\u2014that God is real, and He has been active and moving in a grandparent\u2019s life. I think that helps fortify the faith of a child.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Josh, Romans 12:2 says we\u2019re not to be conformed to this culture\u2014we\u2019re to be transformed through God\u2019s Word. Do you think there are ways in which grandparents are being conformed to a cultural assignment and are forsaking the spiritual assignment God\u2019s given 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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> Part of my study was to interview grandparents \/ evangelical grandparents all over the country and ask them what they perceived their role to be, as a grandparent. From that, I can tell you that there is a lot of role confusion. Many grandparents have absorbed the cultural messages as far as what their role is and what they\u2019re to be doing with their grandchildren. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne scholar summarized this by calling it \u201cthe new social contract\u201d\u2014so this is an unwritten agreement that the generations have with one another regarding what their role is in the home. Really, it\u2019s summarized by a couple of things. There\u2019s to be non-interference from grandparents with adult children and grandchildren. There\u2019s to be emotional independence\u2014so \u201cYou live your life; we live ours.\u201d You raise kids, they grow up, they move out, and they go do their thing. Grandparents, then, are now free to rest, and travel, and play. \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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou interact on a limited basis; and then, there\u2019s to be personal autonomy\u2014we don\u2019t want to burden one another in the generations.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cBe available for holidays and, other than that, kind of leave us alone.\u201d That\u2019s what you\u2019re saying most grandparents are feeling from their kids?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> I\u2019m saying probably 50 percent are that\u2014where they\u2019re distant and pretty passive as far as their interaction with grandkids\u2014if you want to call them \u201choliday grandparents,\u201d where they interact on those big days a couple times of the year. That was largely what culture is saying to our grandparents\u2014they\u2019re saying: \u201cYou\u2019re on the periphery. You\u2019re not really needed in any main kind of way in the life of children.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNothing could be further from the truth regarding what Scripture says.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It\u2019s a good point. It may not be the adult children who are sending that message to the grandparents. The adult children may be thinking, \u201cI wish my mom and dad were a little more active,\u201d but mom and dad are far away, thinking, \u201cThey probably don\u2019t want us to get involved.\u201d \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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo they\u2019re just checking out and trying to do gardening, or play bridge, or do something to busy their time rather than investing in their grandchildren.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> When the relationship for grandparents has centered around emotional support, which is what it primarily has become, grandparents have then moved into this companionship-type of role: \u201cWe\u2019re going to be friendship-focused with our grandkids. We\u2019re going to be in charge of fun. We\u2019re going to spoil our grandkids.\u201d I had one grandparent that said, \u201cLet me show you my vegetable drawer,\u201d\u2014showed me a picture. It was literally a drawer full of candy bars\u2014maybe 100 of them! [Laughter] That\u2019s okay.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That sounds like Dennis!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> More like a treasure chest that\u2019s full of candy bars. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You need to call it \u201cthe vegetable drawer\u201d\u2014that\u2019s a great name for it!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> A great name! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> And those are important\u2014right?\u2014but they\u2019re not the end. They\u2019re means to a greater end.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That\u2019s exactly right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> So have fun with your grandkids\u2014you know, be that companion \/ that friend who invests emotionally; but if that\u2019s where it ends, we fall short of what God wants for grandparents.\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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Josh, I\u2019ve really been encouraged by what you\u2019ve said here today, because I think our country is at a crossroads around its soul. Families are not addressing the spiritual needs of one another, whether it be husband to wife, or dad and mom to children, or, as you\u2019ve pointed out, very, very well this week, grandparents on spiritual assignment from God to address the needs of children\u2019s souls today.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI guess I just wish, at this point, I could commission every grandparent, who\u2019s listening to us, to be sent on a mission by God\u2014to go: \u201cYou know what? I don\u2019t know whether you\u2019ve got one month to live or whether you\u2019ve got 20\/30 years to live, you can make a <em>huge<\/em> difference in the lives of your grandchildren. \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<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cYou can be there, as they become young adults, to help direct them in the way they should go. We can\u2019t be passive!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019d like to ask you, before we\u2019re done here\u2014I\u2019d like to ask you to pray over grandparents to be commissioned. And I\u2019d also like you to pray over parents, who need to be commissioned to engage the grandparents with the grandkids. Parents can be shrewd in reconnecting grandparents and grandkids to one another. Will you do that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> I would love to!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Before you pray, tell us about the event that you\u2019re going to be speaking at in November. It\u2019s at Stonebriar Church in Dallas \/ I guess it\u2019s Frisco, Texas, where Chuck Swindoll is the pastor. This is a national conference on grandparenting?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> God\u2019s timing is interesting. As I was finishing up my dissertation on grandparenting, God was moving, nationally. \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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere were a handful of others thinking about this same subject. In God\u2019s providence, we connected\u2014formed an organization called The Legacy Coalition, which is working to help equip grandparents to pass faith on to their grandkids\u2014intentional, Christ-centered grandparenting. Our first conference is this November\u201415 through 17\u2014at Stonebriar Church in Frisco, Texas. We have a <em>wonderful<\/em> line-up of speakers.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes; you do. You\u2019ve got Chuck Swindoll, Crawford Loritts, Josh McDowell, Gary Chapman, John Trent, Tim and Darcy Kimmel, Michelle Anthony \/ you\u2019re going to be speaking.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFolks can go to our website, FamilyLifeToday.com. There\u2019s a link there for The Legacy Grandparenting Summit\u2014get more information, sign up, and plan to attend. If you\u2019re interested in Josh\u2019s book on grandparenting, we have that. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s in the warehouse yet, because you just finished the book.\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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf it\u2019s not in the warehouse yet, you can get in touch with us and we\u2019ll get a copy to you as soon as it becomes available. Again, get more information when you go to our website at FamilyLifeToday.com or call, if you have any questions, at 1-800-FL-TODAY.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAgain, just before you pray for grandparents, we want to wish a \u201cHappy anniversary!\u201d today to Beto and Yoheydi Parada, who live in Sylmar, California. Today is their tenth wedding anniversary. \u201cCongratulations!\u201d to the Paradas. Thanks for listening to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>;and \u201cHappy tenth anniversary!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf today is your anniversary, \u201cHappy anniversary!\u201d to you as well. Anniversaries are important\u2014they matter a lot! We hope you\u2019re taking time to really celebrate well today and to reflect on God\u2019s goodness through the years of your marriage.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe celebrated our 40<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary, as a ministry, earlier this year and took time to do just that\u2014look back on all that God has accomplished through the ministry of FamilyLife. \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>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe also took time to say, \u201cThank you,\u201d to folks, like you, who have helped support this ministry and made the past 40 years possible. We are a donor-supported ministry. It\u2019s when listeners, like you, make a donation that we\u2019re able to stay on this station and continue to provide practical biblical help and hope for your marriage and your family.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you can help us with a donation, we\u2019d love to have you join the team. You can go to FamilyLifeToday.com to donate, or you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY to make a contribution. You can also mail your donation to <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR; and our zip code is 72223. When you make a donation right now, ask for a copy of the 2017 FamilyLife calendar. It\u2019s all about how you can make your home an embassy for the King of kings. We\u2019ll get that to you as a thank-you for your donation.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLast thing\u2014tonight we kick off the fall season of <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> marriage getaways. \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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve got a getaway that\u2019s starting at seven o\u2019clock tonight in Delray Beach, Florida\u2014hundreds of couples are going to be joining us for what will be a great weekend getaway. We\u2019ve got getaways happening throughout the fall. You can get more information about the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> when you go to our website at FamilyLifeToday.com. \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> We\u2019ve been talking with Josh Mulvihill around the noble assignment of being a grandma and a grandpa. I asked you if you would come back and commission the grandparents\u2014and also throw in a little side commissioning for the adult children, who want the grandparents involved in their kids\u2019 lives but it\u2019s not happening right now\u2014they need to be commissioned too. Will you do that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Josh:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFather, we want to lift up grandfathers and grandmothers. We recognize how important they are in families, and we pray that they would see that same importance. Lord, we pray that grandparents would rise up to tell of who You are and the work that You have done. \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\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe pray that they would teach Your words to their grandchildren\u2014 that their hearts would be turned to their adult children. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe pray that their adult children would open the doors to see that these grandparents can invest heavily. Father, we pray that You would do a mighty movement in families and in churches in America\u2014 30 million grandparents, who know You and walk with You, can make a mighty difference in this country and in the lives of so many young people. We pray that they would get serious about their faith and about what that means in their later years. In Jesus\u2019 name we pray, Amen.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Amen.\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\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\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> 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\/304184","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=304184"}],"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=304184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=304184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=304184"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=304184"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=304184"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=304184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}