{"id":305206,"date":"2019-07-18T06:00:04","date_gmt":"2019-07-18T10:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/grow-in-relationship-with-god\/"},"modified":"2019-07-18T06:00:04","modified_gmt":"2019-07-18T10:00:04","slug":"grow-in-relationship-with-god","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/grow-in-relationship-with-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Grow in Relationship with God"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What does it take to have a thriving family? Bryan Carter talks about seven habits healthy families have, and it starts with having priorities in line.<\/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\/fl2019-07-18.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:26:36","filesize":"24.35M","filesize_raw":"25537642","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2809,2822,2891,2806],"tags":[6674,5389],"podcast_series":[8290],"cwp_profile":[9545],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-305206","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commitment","category-growing-in-your-faith","category-making-memories","category-spiritual-development","tag-7-healthy-habits-for-families","tag-priorities","podcast_series-7-habits-of-healthy-marriage-and-family","cwp_profile-bryan-carter","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\/305206\/grow-in-relationship-with-god","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/305206\/grow-in-relationship-with-god","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=\"lRxapRDOA4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/grow-in-relationship-with-god\/\">Grow in Relationship with God<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/grow-in-relationship-with-god\/embed\/#?secret=lRxapRDOA4\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Grow in Relationship with God&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"lRxapRDOA4\" 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":"What does it take to have a thriving family? Bryan Carter talks about seven habits healthy families have, and it starts with having priorities in line.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2019-07-18.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Thursday, July 18<sup>th<\/sup>. Our hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson; I\u2019m Bob Lepine. Learning how to handle technology is just one of the habits\/one of the practices that are helping families be successful\/helping them grow. We\u2019ll hear more from Bryan Carter about 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. As a former football guy\u2014I was going to call you an old-football guy, but I decided for former. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014former? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That was nice that you said that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> That\u2019s better. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> As a former football player, you\u2019re familiar with the legendary story\u2014I don\u2019t know if this is true or not\u2014but apparently, Coach Lombardi\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Here we go. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014the coach of the Green Bays\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014the Green Bay Packers, who beat the Detroit Lions every\u2014[Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014every time. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014time I was there. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014when he would come in and start training camp\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014you\u2019ve heard this story; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I have. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cGentlemen, this is a football\u201d; right? He always started with the basics. It was back to the fundamentals\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014the blocking and tackling. Is that <em>true<\/em> for athletes?\u2014that they need to go back and remember that kind of basic stuff? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; I mean, I coached high school football for 12 years. You find that you get distracted and lost in all kinds of little details. There are those days and weeks you have to come back into a locker room and go: \u201cGuys, let\u2019s go back to the basics. You\u2019ve got to block. You\u2019ve got to tackle,\u201d\u2014like Vince Lombardi went all the way back to: \u201cThis is a football.\u201d Yes; it\u2019s very important. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> So, are we going to get back to the basics today? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, that\u2019s the whole idea. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t read we\u2019re going to talk about football today. That sounds like fun! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Not about football. If it\u2019s true in football, it\u2019s true in marriage and family\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014because there are those things that we just need to hear again and again to realign and recalibrate. I mean, I\u2019ve thought of this\u2014if I have a car, and I get it in alignment, and I don\u2019t hit a curb, my car should stay in alignment\u2014I shouldn\u2019t need to get those tires realigned\u2014but just driving the car, it gets out of alignment. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, just driving your marriage and family, it gets out of alignment. You\u2019ve, periodically, got to bring it back in and realign. That\u2019s the message we\u2019re going to hear today from our friend, Bryan Carter\u2014is a message that\u2019s a realignment message for marriages and families. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBryan is the pastor at Concord Church in South Dallas. He is a <em>great<\/em> pastor with a thriving congregation. The three of us were at an event recently, where Bryan spoke on the \u201cSeven Habits for Healthy Marriages and Families.\u201d I think your point is right; we\u2019re going to hear the first few of those habits today and get a chance to see: \u201cHow is our family doing on some of these basic issues?\u201d Here is Pastor Bryan Carter. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[Recorded Message] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bryan:<\/strong> Families are <em>so<\/em> incredibly important to all of us. It\u2019s in our families that we build\/we find incredible happiness; but we also, sometimes, find incredible hurt. It\u2019s in our families that we learn how to relate to one another. It\u2019s there, in the context of families, that we learn from our mothers and from our fathers\/from our brothers and from our sisters\u2014that family is, basically, this foundation. It\u2019s our family of origin that gives us a context for how to relate to one another well. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne of the reasons that families are so important is because God designed us and wired us for relationships. It doesn\u2019t take long\u2014but a casual reading there of Genesis, Chapter 1\u2014you begin to see this framework that you and I are <em>wired<\/em> for relationship\u2014that God did not design us just to live in isolation and just to pursue our own personal happiness. Instead, God wired us for relationship. You see that in the relationship of Adam and Eve and their children\u2014you see this context that we are created for relationship. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFamilies are incredible important. Marriage is incredibly important; but it can also be somewhat messy at times as we find two sinners, saved by the grace of God, trying to love one another in a healthy way. The good news about relationships and family is this\u2014we don\u2019t have to figure it all out on our own. We don\u2019t have to just watch what we see in the media or watch what we see in the culture. The Scriptures actually give us direction on what it requires and what it means to have a <em>healthy<\/em> family. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFor a few moments, I want to lift up these seven principles that I hope can help you and help me as we seek to build strong, and vibrant, and healthy families. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere is the first one: \u201cFaith: Healthy families are committed to God first.\u201d Healthy families are committed to God first. You find this taught in Joshua, Chapter 24, \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tverse 15, where it read this way: \u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, therefore fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River in Egypt, and serve the LORD. For if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. \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\tHealthy families have the commitment to faith; they have a commitment to God first. This is modeled through the life of Joshua. As the people of Israel are now settled in this new land, they become torn around all the temptation that\u2019s around them. Their loyalties and their focus gets pulled away to worshipping idol gods; but here Joshua calls them back and says: \u201cNo, no. We cannot give into this temptation of worshipping someone else or idol gods. We must make sure that God is the focus of our lives.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe, too, face this same dilemma\u2014all of us\u2014whether it is to worship our kids and to make sure they are successful in every way, or whether it is to worship our jobs and our careers, or whether it\u2019s we\u2019re tempted to worship our own personal happiness and personal ambitions. We must always remind ourselves that the most important thing in our personal lives and in our family <em>must<\/em> be God. We <em>must<\/em> keep God first. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJesus was asked, in Matthew, Chapter 22, \u201cWhat\u2019s the greatest commandment?\u201d He replied in these words: \u201cYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.\u201d Every family must make God the priority. We must make sure that God is not a list on our options; but instead, He is the priority for all of our lives. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe question is: \u201cHow do we live this out?\u201d Three simple ways we can live this out. The first one is prayer. There is a great book in the back of the room called <em>Two Hearts Praying as One<\/em>. It\u2019s a book written by Dennis and Barbara, where they begin by telling the story of, early on in their marriage, asking a couple that had been married \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t25 years: \u201cWhat\u2019s the secret to a healthy marriage?\u201d They simply replied this way: \u201cWe pray together every single day.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne of the ways we keep God as the priority is to bring prayer into our marriages and to bring prayer into our homes\u2014to make sure that prayer is not just something that we do in case of emergency. It\u2019s a weekly time\u2014we gather and say, \u201cHow can I pray for you?\u201d A husband and wife gather, and catch a hand before the night goes away, and saying, \u201cHow can I pray for you?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNot only prayer, but also Scripture\u2014Scripture, Scripture, Scripture\u2014we ought to bring Scripture into our homes. It\u2019s Scripture and the Word of God that gives us direction about life, that gives us direction about our problems, that gives us instruction about what God expects from us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, lastly, worship. There is something about our church involvement. There is something about worshipping together, as a family, that allows us to be able to get closer with God and to become closer, as a family. You know the studies that say: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201c94 percent of Christians make a decision for Christ before the age of 18.\u201d Worshipping together, as a family, helps the keep God first\/helps to get God as the priority. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNot only faith, but then, secondly: \u201cHealthy families are committed to each other.\u201d You find that in Genesis, Chapter 2, verses 24 and 25, where God presides over the first marriage\/the first wedding. He says these words: \u201cTherefore a man will leave his father and his mother; hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. The man and wife were both naked and they felt no shame.\u201d It is here where God establishes family\/establishes marriage. It is no coincidence that He establishes it by establishing a covenant relationship\u2014a covenant between the man and a woman and God. Marriage was never designed to be a contract. Marriage was never designed to be just an agreement or a piece of paper; but marriage was designed to be a covenant between a man and a woman and God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt is this covenant that represents commitment\u2014that healthy families\/healthy marriages\u2014they have a commitment to one another. When people are committed to one another, it allows that relationship to have confidence and stability; it changes the context. You remember in the book\u2014in the Old Testament, there is a book of the Bible called Ruth. In that book of the Bible, it tells a story of this woman\/this woman by the name of Naomi. Naomi is married to her husband; has two sons. Unfortunately, they move out of Bethlehem; and there, in this new territory, her husband dies; and her two sons die. In that context, it put her in an incredibly difficult position.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, she, then, goes to her daughter-in-law Ruth\u2014she says: \u201cRuth, go back home. You can start your life again.\u201d In there\u2014in Ruth, Chapter 1, verse 16, here is what Ruth\u2019s response is to her mother-in-law Naomi\u2014she says: \u201cDo not urge me to leave you or return from following you. For where you go, I\u2019ll go. Where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tRuth could leave, but Ruth displays an unusual degree of commitment. She basically says these words: \u201cI am with you no matter what happens in your life.\u201d That\u2019s what every family needs; that\u2019s what every marriage needs\u2014someone that loves you and is committed to you, no matter what happens in your life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCommitment simply means this\u2014it means to choose God\u2019s best for another person. It\u2019s the husband choosing God\u2019s best for his wife or a wife choosing God\u2019s best for her husband. It is a parent choosing God\u2019s best for their children and children choosing it for one another. It is this idea that: \u201cI am committed to you,\u201d\u2014that I\u2019m not just committed to you, in the good or the bad; but I am committed to you because you are a part of my family. <br><br>There is something about commitment that provides an unusual sense of stability to a home. It often starts with a man that\u2019s committed to the relationship; and when the husband is then committed, and the wife is then committed, it creates a home where that commitment begins to build a network and a friendship and a depth to that home. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShaunti Feldhahn in her book, <em>For Women Only<\/em>, says this\u2014and her research reveals\u2014that the number one need for most women is security. Security that she is talking about is not defined by finances alone. It\u2019s really this emotional connection or a committed relationship. She wants to know: \u201cCan she trust him?\u201d When she knows that he is committed to her, it gives her and it gives her family such an unusual sense of love and accomplishment. This is what our kids cry out for when they long for us to be at their events, and at their games, and be involved in their lives. It\u2019s that commitment that gives them confidence. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNot only does it require faith and commitment, but next: \u201cTime together\u201d\u2014time together. Healthy families prioritize time together. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn Mark, Chapter 3, verse 14, Jesus\u2014the words are written this way: \u201cHe appointed twelve\u201d\u2014designating them apostles\u2014\u201cthat they might be with Him; that He might send them out to preach\u2026.\u201d It is in this text, Mark 3, that Jesus is beginning His earthly ministry. As He begins His earthly ministry, He selects these twelve disciples. These twelve disciples\u2014as you know, they probably weren\u2019t the most-likely to succeed in their graduating class\u2014but He picks these fishermen; He picks these tax collectors; and then the text says, \u201cHe appoints that they might be with Him.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThose three words are significant because it means that Jesus says, \u201cThese guys are going to, one day, lead the church; but in order to prepare them, they need time with Me,\u201d\u2014because Jesus understood that time together impacts our relationships. He could have chosen any way, but they spent time\u2014they were together. When that boat got caught up in the storm, they were together. When He began to teach that Sermon on the Mount, they were together. They were together when He did that marvelous miracle of feeding 5,000 with a few fish and a few loaves of bread. They were together when Lazarus was brought back to life. They were together when there was that conflict of who would sit on the right side and the left side of Him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut do you know what happened as they spent all that time together?\u2014it bonded their relationship; it connected their hearts with Jesus Christ; it connected their hearts with one another; and it prepared them for the future that [lay] ahead. See, healthy relationships prioritize time together. There is a direct link between the time together that we spend and the quality of our relationship. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><em>The Washington Post<\/em> did an article that stated that the quality of time a person\/a parent spends with their adolescent children has an enormous affect. There is something significant about the time that we need together, as a couple\/together, as a family, that helps us build strong and healthy relationships. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat does this look like in the context of our own relationships? Some have suggested that we ought to all have some tech-free time. We all understand our phones and this world of technology\u2014one of the greatest challenges to many of our relationships\u2014whether it\u2019s a husband and a wife or us with our kids\u2014is technology. We are grateful for the access that it provides, but it also can disrupt families. One writer\/one study said that 60 percent of people can\u2019t go an hour without checking their phones. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe all need tech-free time. We all need to exam our relationships and say: \u201cOkay; what\u2019s a timeframe? What are the rules?\u201d One couple has a little box at home, and everybody puts their phone or device there at a certain time; or when they have dinner, they all put them away. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOur kids need boundaries with technology because, without it, they will struggle even connecting with others because of the impact of screen time and tech-time. Not only tech-free time, but also mealtime\u2014there is something valuable about a date night. There is something valuable about a family meal together that allows us to talk, and share, and connect together. There is something valuable about being able to have time, where you can just spend uninterrupted time sharing and connecting with someone else. We need this; it builds our relationships. We need one-on-one time, where fathers are dating their sons or their daughters, where we\u2019re taking it\u2014it\u2019s this one-on-one time that\u2019s incredibly significant. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>One of the things I think we\u2019ve all discovered in life\u2014that sometimes, when you\u2019re trying to build relationships\u2014whether it\u2019s with your husband or your wife or your kids\u2014sometimes, it\u2019s in those random moments, while you\u2019re riding in the car, that you find significant connection points when you least expect it; but it all requires that we have time together. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere is the last one: \u201cSome fun time together.\u201d There is something about fun that bonds us together. There is something about laughing together, and sharing together, and escaping together that allows us to build stronger and stronger relationships. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen my wife and I first got married, she said to me, \u201cI want to take a family vacation every year.\u201d I said: \u201cOh, man; I did that as a kid. We went to visit Grandma every single summer.\u201d [Laughter] She said: \u201cNo; that doesn\u2019t count. That is <em>not<\/em> family vacation.\u201d She said: \u201cFamily vacation means you go and you do something <em>fun<\/em>; alright? It\u2019s not just visiting relatives; it\u2019s not just being at Grandma\u2019s house.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI am so thankful that every year we\u2019ve been together, we\u2019ve been able to do a family vacation. It has brought so much joy to our home. It\u2019s made so many memories, and it\u2019s allowed us to bond because time together makes a tremendous difference in our relationships. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[Studio] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, we\u2019ve been listening to Part One of a message from our friend, Bryan Carter, talking about the basics\u2014the seven habits that are in healthy marriages and families: \u201cThey are committed to God,\u201d \u201cThey are committed to one another,\u201d and \u201cThey prioritize time together.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI saw a tweet recently from Pastor Ray Ortlund in Nashville. He just was exhorting families\u2014he said, \u201cWhatever else you have going on, get a few days and have a family vacation.\u201d If you can\u2019t afford much, get a tent and go sleep in a tent. Do <em>something<\/em> because\u2014here\u2019s the truth\u201420 years from now, when your kids look back on growing up, vacations are a part of the indelible memories that are made together; aren\u2019t they? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> We asked our kids, who are all grown and married and grandkids now: \u201cFavorite memory, growing up in our home.\u201d What did they say? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Always the vacations that we took, and they were all different. Sometimes, we couldn\u2019t afford much; but I\u2019ll never forget\u2014we\u2019d been married about five years. We were pregnant with our first son, and we were listening to Gary Smalley at a conference. He said, \u201cI\u2019m going to tell you the number-one secret to having a close-knit family.\u201d We were sitting on the edge of seats, like, \u201cOh, what is the secret?\u201d He says, \u201cCamping.\u201d We were like, \u201cNo; this is terrible!\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; I remember we started doing that because what he said happens in camping. I remember his point was: \u201cCrises bring close-knit\u201d\u2014[Laughter]\u2014\u201cthe tent is going to break; it\u2019s going to rain. You\u2019re going to have things, and things are going to go wrong. You\u2019re going to remember those memories\u201d; because it\u2019s not going to be exactly\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> We didn\u2019t really camp, though. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; we did the RV. That was our camping. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That was much better. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> But it was awesome. The transmission went out; and I\u2019ve got to be honest, Bob. I did not want to do it. I was the tight-wad, who said, \u201cI don\u2019t want to spend money.\u201d My wife said, \u201cWe\u2019re going on vacations every year.\u201d We did it, and they are some of our greatest memories. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So, our kids\u2014if we had them together today, if I said to them, \u201cMacon, Georgia\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> That\u2019s all you\u2019ve got to say? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That\u2019s all I\u2019ve got to say. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> What happened? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> They would say, \u201cThere\u2019s no sympathy left for you.\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Oh no! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That is because Mary Ann was driving the kids. I was in Orlando; I had been speaking at a <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup>. She was driving the kids from Little Rock to Orlando. We were going to spend a couple of days there after my speaking assignment, and she got caught in Atlanta traffic. She said, \u201cIt was dead-still for an hour.\u201d [Groaning] She was <em>so<\/em> frustrated, and the kids\u2014this is after they\u2019ve been in the car for eight or nine hours; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Oh boy! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I don\u2019t remember what happened. Somebody spilled something and they went like, \u201cI spilled my jellybeans,\u201d\u2014or something. Mary Ann just said, \u201cThere is no sympathy left for you.\u201d [Laughter] Our kids were like: \u201cWhat?! Mom has finally snapped.\u201d That\u2019s kind of become a catch phrase; today, we laugh about that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It\u2019s a great memory. Of course, at the time,\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014it wasn\u2019t funny.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014in Atlanta traffic, it was not funny. It is those times of family closeness\u2014intentional time together\u2014that you may not be laughing in the moment; but by God\u2019s grace, you\u2019ll be laughing, years later. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re going to hear Part Two of Bryan\u2019s message tomorrow, but I want to remind you\u2014Bryan is one of the featured contributors in FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u2019s <em>Art of Marriage<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> video series. It\u2019s available as a small-group study. It\u2019s also available as a video event. In fact, it has been cool to see churches that do their own marriage retreat or their own marriage event\u2014a Friday night\/Saturday event. They take the<em> Art of Marriage<\/em> video content and use it for a marriage enrichment retreat or a marriage enrichment event at their church. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHowever, it works best for you\u2014as an event or for small group content\u2014go to FamilyLifeToday.com and find out more about the <em>Art of Marriage<\/em>. In addition to Bryan Carter, there are folks like Paul David Tripp, Dave Harvey; Dave and Ann\u2014you guys are in it; of course, Dennis Rainey is a part of it as well. Again, get more information about the<em> Art of Marriage<\/em> small group kit or the event kit when you go to FamilyLifeToday.com. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSpeaking of strong, healthy marriages, our team has put together, for this summer, a marriage fitness plan. There are no trips to the gym required here. These are relational exercises you can do, as couples, to help strengthen your marriage. We\u2019re calling it the \u201cStronger Forever Marriage Plan.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen you sign up and receive the download\/the content so you can start doing some of these marriage activities together, you are automatically entered in a contest. One couple is going to be selected from all the people, who sign up, to be our guests on the 2020 <em>Love Like You Mean It<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> marriage cruise\u2014our tenth anniversary cruise. The cruise is sold out at this point, but we saved one cabin. We will cover your round-trip airfare, your night in the hotel, and your week on the cruise next February. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAll you have to do to enter and be eligible to win is sign up for the \u201cStronger Forever Marriage Workout Plan\u201d at FamilyLife.com\/StrongerForever. There is no purchase necessary to enter. Contest began back on July 1, 2019; it ends on August 30, 2019. Official rules can be found at FamilyLife.com\/StrongerForever. Work on your marriage this summer; and who knows, maybe, you and your spouse will be our guests on the 2020 <em>Love Like You Mean It<\/em> marriage cruise next February. I hope so. I look forward to meeting our contest winners next year on the cruise. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI hope you can be back with us, again, tomorrow. We\u2019re going to hear, again, from Bryan Carter about some of the practices\/the habits that are common in healthy marriages and families. I hope you can tune in for that. \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 hosts, Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time 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 FamilyLife 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\/305206","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=305206"}],"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=305206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=305206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=305206"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=305206"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=305206"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=305206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}