WEBVTT 00:00:01.250 --> 00:00:04.349 Let's face it. Our kids are in a battle. They 00:00:04.349 --> 00:00:07.190 live in a world that's hostile, painful, difficult, 00:00:07.290 --> 00:00:09.509 and they're challenged. And whether it's sex 00:00:09.509 --> 00:00:12.490 or drugs or alcohol or peer pressure, they're 00:00:12.490 --> 00:00:14.650 in a battle that they've got to win. Here's the 00:00:14.650 --> 00:00:18.350 question. How does a mom or dad help your kids 00:00:18.350 --> 00:00:23.629 win? That's today. Welcome to this edition of 00:00:23.629 --> 00:00:26.679 Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are an 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:29.079 international teaching and discipleship ministry 00:00:29.079 --> 00:00:32.020 dedicated to helping Christians worldwide live 00:00:32.020 --> 00:00:34.259 out their faith for the glory of God and the 00:00:34.259 --> 00:00:36.740 good of all. Well, everyone's familiar with the 00:00:36.740 --> 00:00:39.320 story of King David bringing down a giant using 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:42.320 only a sling and a stone. So today, Chip begins 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:45.280 identifying five vital lessons we need to teach 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:47.679 our kids, which will equip them to defeat the 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:50.259 giants they'll face in life. So if you're ready, 00:00:50.340 --> 00:00:52.520 here's Chip with this important message, how 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:55.219 to prepare your child to win life's biggest battles. 00:00:56.619 --> 00:00:58.939 So I talk to kids, parents, and grandparents. 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:03.880 They have one thing in common, fear. I mean, 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:06.019 think about what it's like to grow up today. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:08.900 And just from the mouth of kids saying, you know, 00:01:08.920 --> 00:01:10.959 I'm really afraid I might make some really bad 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:14.120 decisions or get involved in a relationship that's 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:16.920 going to bring destruction later. Or, you know, 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:18.780 I love the one perspective. I'm really afraid 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:21.560 that I'll live in a way that is really not following 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:24.560 Christ at all, and I won't even know it. That's 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:27.700 a pretty perceptive. way to look at life. Your 00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:30.959 kids are in a battle. I think it's the hardest 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:33.180 time that I'm aware of, at least in recent history, 00:01:33.319 --> 00:01:36.200 to raise kids. And what I want to talk about 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:39.359 today is how do you, as a parent or grandparent, 00:01:39.579 --> 00:01:43.959 help your kids win life's biggest battles? I 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:46.420 want you to open your notes, if you will. And 00:01:46.420 --> 00:01:49.959 as you do, this is a message that's not so much, 00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:53.909 here's three or four little practices. I remember 00:01:53.909 --> 00:01:56.750 reading a passage many, many years ago where 00:01:56.750 --> 00:01:59.469 God used a teenager to turn an entire country 00:01:59.469 --> 00:02:01.950 around. I mean, there was a lot of smart people 00:02:01.950 --> 00:02:03.549 and powerful people, but they were paralyzed 00:02:03.549 --> 00:02:06.909 by fear. And there's this huge giant, nine feet 00:02:06.909 --> 00:02:09.610 tall, and there was a teenager named David, and 00:02:09.610 --> 00:02:11.449 he kind of watched all the people that ought 00:02:11.449 --> 00:02:13.430 to be doing something to make it happen, and 00:02:13.430 --> 00:02:15.969 it was like, hey, I don't get this. Because he 00:02:15.969 --> 00:02:17.990 was naive enough to realize, you know what? There 00:02:17.990 --> 00:02:19.849 may be a really big giant, but don't these people 00:02:19.849 --> 00:02:22.629 understand who God is? He's blaspheming the living 00:02:22.629 --> 00:02:25.069 God. And do you remember what he did? Some of 00:02:25.069 --> 00:02:27.270 you know the story. He went down and he got five 00:02:27.270 --> 00:02:29.949 smooth stones and he put it in his sling. And 00:02:29.949 --> 00:02:31.729 he just, he said, man, I'm taking him on. Not 00:02:31.729 --> 00:02:35.009 in my power, but in God's. And God used a teenager 00:02:35.009 --> 00:02:38.469 to slay a giant. And what I want you to know 00:02:38.469 --> 00:02:42.539 is that if you can live your life As a parent 00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:46.360 or grandparent, not so much focused on fear and 00:02:46.360 --> 00:02:49.800 protection, but equipping. How do you equip your 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:52.719 son or daughter to slay the giants in their world? 00:02:52.860 --> 00:02:55.759 God has been doing this for a long time. Daniel 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:59.039 was a teenager when he got into the most counter 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:02.060 -cultural, counter -Christian, anti -God environment, 00:03:02.259 --> 00:03:05.189 and he changed the world. The same was true of 00:03:05.189 --> 00:03:07.550 Mary, a little teenage girl when God wanted to 00:03:07.550 --> 00:03:10.710 change the world. He chooses a 15, maybe 16 -year 00:03:10.710 --> 00:03:13.509 -old girl and believed that there was something 00:03:13.509 --> 00:03:16.289 in them as they trusted him to really make a 00:03:16.289 --> 00:03:19.590 difference. Here's the question. What do they 00:03:19.590 --> 00:03:23.409 need most? I mean, we'd think, oh, well, good 00:03:23.409 --> 00:03:25.710 education, a good home. When they get so old 00:03:25.710 --> 00:03:28.270 that they need this, they need that. I want to... 00:03:28.539 --> 00:03:30.659 I want to share with you that if I could only 00:03:30.659 --> 00:03:34.319 give my kids five things, five smooth stones 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:37.819 to put in the pouch of their life to slay the 00:03:37.819 --> 00:03:40.699 giants I know that they're going to face, these 00:03:40.699 --> 00:03:43.580 would be them. In fact, all my kids are grown. 00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:47.419 And I would say, this is what I want them to 00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:49.740 get. Because if these five things become their 00:03:49.740 --> 00:03:52.039 lens, their worldview, and their core values, 00:03:52.259 --> 00:03:54.039 I will tell you what, I don't care what happens 00:03:54.039 --> 00:03:56.840 in the world. They will do great. Are you ready? 00:03:57.719 --> 00:04:00.919 Stone number one, teach them to suffer well. 00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:05.139 The myth of the world is no one should ever suffer 00:04:05.139 --> 00:04:08.300 at any time. And the myth of parenting is how 00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:11.120 do I protect my little boy or little girl from 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:14.479 ever going through difficult times? You got to 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:16.459 understand, they're going to go through difficult 00:04:16.459 --> 00:04:19.439 times. What you want to do is teach them to suffer 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.800 well. Let me give you a theology of suffering, 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:24.420 biblical overview. Number one, life is hard, 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:27.519 but God is good. They need to learn that early 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:31.139 on. Number two, life is unjust. It's not fair, 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:34.500 but God is sovereign. He's in control. The Old 00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:37.540 Testament roots is the life of Joseph. If you're 00:04:37.540 --> 00:04:39.839 not familiar with it, this is one from the early 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:43.899 storybooks to when they get older to reading. 00:04:44.490 --> 00:04:47.670 to pondering, they need to grow up with old Joseph. 00:04:47.910 --> 00:04:50.790 He was the 17 -year -old that brothers betrayed 00:04:50.790 --> 00:04:53.389 him, and they put him in a pit. Boy, that's not 00:04:53.389 --> 00:04:55.490 fair. Not only they put him in a pit, but then 00:04:55.490 --> 00:04:57.569 he got sold and became a slave. That's not fair. 00:04:57.730 --> 00:05:00.850 Then he got falsely accused of raping this guy's 00:05:00.850 --> 00:05:03.949 wife. That's not fair. Then he got stuck in prison, 00:05:03.990 --> 00:05:06.589 and he helped these two guys, and they promised 00:05:06.589 --> 00:05:08.089 they'd help him, and they didn't, and that's 00:05:08.089 --> 00:05:11.209 not fair. But all through those 13 chapters, 00:05:11.790 --> 00:05:15.050 The Lord was with Joseph. The Lord was with Joseph. 00:05:15.250 --> 00:05:19.430 The Lord was with Joseph. And Joseph had been 00:05:19.430 --> 00:05:21.290 given a dream and a picture of what God wanted 00:05:21.290 --> 00:05:25.649 him to do. And he didn't think that it was unusual 00:05:25.649 --> 00:05:29.449 to go through difficult, painful times. He learned 00:05:29.449 --> 00:05:32.129 something in each one. God's going to take the 00:05:32.129 --> 00:05:36.050 difficulty that your kids go through, the unfairness, 00:05:36.170 --> 00:05:38.990 the pain, the kid that gets to play that's not 00:05:38.990 --> 00:05:41.569 as good. the one who doesn't study and does better 00:05:41.569 --> 00:05:43.990 in grades, the people that get in a school when 00:05:43.990 --> 00:05:46.629 they practice more and did better, the breakup 00:05:46.629 --> 00:05:48.170 that they're going to go through the first time 00:05:48.170 --> 00:05:51.209 a boy or girl says, I don't want to be with you 00:05:51.209 --> 00:05:54.310 anymore. They're going to go through difficult, 00:05:54.389 --> 00:05:58.069 painful times. What you want to do is teach him 00:05:58.069 --> 00:06:00.850 to suffer well. And what you learn from the life 00:06:00.850 --> 00:06:04.689 of Joseph, God is in control and he orchestrates 00:06:04.689 --> 00:06:06.790 things. He works all things together for the 00:06:06.790 --> 00:06:11.170 good to them that love him. And so, yes, there 00:06:11.170 --> 00:06:16.529 was the pit. And yes, there was the prison. But 00:06:16.529 --> 00:06:19.750 God did all that. So Joseph became the second 00:06:19.750 --> 00:06:23.790 most powerful person in the world. And he ended 00:06:23.790 --> 00:06:26.970 up in the palace. He ended up second to Pharaoh. 00:06:27.370 --> 00:06:30.370 And it was that role that saved the entire nation 00:06:30.370 --> 00:06:34.050 of Israel. And so at the end of his life, all 00:06:34.050 --> 00:06:36.290 of his brothers, all of his sisters, everyone 00:06:36.290 --> 00:06:40.089 is saved. They end up there, and then his brothers 00:06:40.089 --> 00:06:43.149 were a little squirrely. That's not a biblical 00:06:43.149 --> 00:06:46.870 term, but they were a little squirrely. And even 00:06:46.870 --> 00:06:48.910 after the father dies, the brothers are thinking, 00:06:48.949 --> 00:06:50.470 well, you know, Joseph has been really nice. 00:06:50.589 --> 00:06:53.110 He said he forgave us, but now that dad's gone, 00:06:53.209 --> 00:06:56.670 he's probably going to put it to us. And Joseph 00:06:56.670 --> 00:06:58.550 turned to his brothers. It's the very end of 00:06:58.550 --> 00:07:01.750 the book. It's one of my favorite verses. Chapter 00:07:01.750 --> 00:07:03.970 50, verse 20, he looks at his brothers, and I 00:07:03.970 --> 00:07:06.089 think his head's going, you guys still don't 00:07:06.089 --> 00:07:08.240 get it, do you? And he says, you meant it for 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:12.439 evil, but God meant it for good to bring about 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:14.699 this present result. I think he looked at all 00:07:14.699 --> 00:07:17.779 those families to preserve many people alive. 00:07:19.019 --> 00:07:23.139 The New Testament talk about an example. Peter 00:07:23.139 --> 00:07:25.500 is writing during a time of intense persecution. 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:28.939 People who love Jesus are getting dragged out 00:07:28.939 --> 00:07:31.939 of their home. They're being taken into stadiums. 00:07:31.939 --> 00:07:34.339 They're being wrapped in animal clothing and 00:07:34.339 --> 00:07:37.319 thrown into coliseums. They're being used as 00:07:37.319 --> 00:07:40.939 human torches and being lit for the emperor for 00:07:40.939 --> 00:07:43.500 his cocktail parties and being burned alive. 00:07:46.060 --> 00:07:49.120 And life's not fair and life is hard. How could 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:52.100 a good God let that happen? Peter would write 00:07:52.100 --> 00:07:53.959 under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in 1 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:57.899 Peter 2, verses 21 to 23, to this you were called 00:07:57.899 --> 00:08:02.079 because Christ suffered for you, leaving you 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:04.100 an example that you should follow in his steps. 00:08:04.910 --> 00:08:08.129 He committed no sin. No deceit was found in his 00:08:08.129 --> 00:08:11.149 mouth. When they hurled insults at him, he didn't 00:08:11.149 --> 00:08:13.930 retaliate. When he suffered, he made no threats. 00:08:14.269 --> 00:08:17.790 Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges 00:08:17.790 --> 00:08:23.170 justly. Your kids are called to suffer. But they're 00:08:23.170 --> 00:08:26.649 called to suffer well, not blaming someone else, 00:08:26.790 --> 00:08:29.569 not getting resentful, not saying life isn't 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:32.149 fair, not getting consumed with themselves, to 00:08:32.149 --> 00:08:34.909 suffer well and to trust God the way Jesus did. 00:08:35.190 --> 00:08:37.870 Because what he'll do, he'll do something in 00:08:37.870 --> 00:08:40.230 their character and he'll use them and he's going 00:08:40.230 --> 00:08:42.769 to prepare them for things beyond their wildest 00:08:42.769 --> 00:08:44.409 dreams if they don't bail out of the process. 00:08:45.110 --> 00:08:49.169 In fact, the application is help your child to 00:08:49.169 --> 00:08:52.379 grow through suffering. Let me give you two or 00:08:52.379 --> 00:08:55.080 three maybe practical ways to do that. One, as 00:08:55.080 --> 00:08:59.659 they're growing up, ask them often, what are 00:08:59.659 --> 00:09:03.340 they concerned about? What's going on? Just make 00:09:03.340 --> 00:09:04.960 little notes for yourself. What are they concerned 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:08.659 about? And don't be quick when they're hurting. 00:09:08.779 --> 00:09:10.419 Say, oh, it's going to be okay. It's going to 00:09:10.419 --> 00:09:12.039 be all right. I'll go talk to the coach or I'll 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:14.139 talk to your teacher. They're bullying you. I'll 00:09:14.139 --> 00:09:18.509 step in. I'll make everything. find out what's 00:09:18.509 --> 00:09:19.850 going on in their heart. And that means you've 00:09:19.850 --> 00:09:21.809 got to take some time. And they usually don't 00:09:21.809 --> 00:09:23.429 share that kind of stuff when you say, okay, 00:09:23.509 --> 00:09:25.529 let's have a parent meaningful conversation. 00:09:26.049 --> 00:09:27.649 They usually do it when you're just kind of hanging 00:09:27.649 --> 00:09:30.669 out. The second is when you find out what's going 00:09:30.669 --> 00:09:32.309 on, what they're really concerned about, what 00:09:32.309 --> 00:09:35.289 bugs them, go ahead and verbalize. And you know, 00:09:35.309 --> 00:09:37.350 rather than solve everything, just say, that 00:09:37.350 --> 00:09:39.629 didn't sound fair, does it? Boy, that must make 00:09:39.629 --> 00:09:42.330 you feel terrible. Just affirm that it's okay 00:09:42.330 --> 00:09:46.429 to be in life and that this is a raw deal. And 00:09:46.429 --> 00:09:49.470 then model something. Say, why don't we, this 00:09:49.470 --> 00:09:54.009 isn't fair. Let's talk to God. And just in your 00:09:54.009 --> 00:09:55.970 own language, in your own heart, just share, 00:09:56.169 --> 00:09:58.429 God, this hurts. This is difficult. Will you 00:09:58.429 --> 00:10:00.750 help my son, help my daughter, and model for 00:10:00.750 --> 00:10:03.730 them? A third thing that you can do, not only 00:10:03.730 --> 00:10:05.289 ask them what's going on and pray with them, 00:10:05.429 --> 00:10:08.090 when you're going through difficult times, I 00:10:08.090 --> 00:10:11.009 think sometimes parents have this like, I'm a 00:10:11.009 --> 00:10:12.549 good Christian parent. I never have problems. 00:10:12.590 --> 00:10:17.450 I have a good attitude all the time. share when 00:10:17.450 --> 00:10:20.370 you get a raw deal, where it's appropriate. I 00:10:20.370 --> 00:10:22.009 mean, sit around the table and say, you know, 00:10:22.070 --> 00:10:24.350 I can't believe it. You know, I got laid off. 00:10:24.490 --> 00:10:27.710 This is so unfair. I was one of the early employees. 00:10:27.929 --> 00:10:31.309 So and so didn't. And process with them. Let 00:10:31.309 --> 00:10:34.490 them see you. And then you go to Joseph's life 00:10:34.490 --> 00:10:36.830 and you open the Bible and say, and let them 00:10:36.830 --> 00:10:38.730 see your emotions. I don't like this. This isn't 00:10:38.730 --> 00:10:42.950 fair. But I'm going to trust you, God. You begin 00:10:42.950 --> 00:10:48.279 to lay a foundation for him. My one son is a 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:50.799 musician. And as he was growing up, there was 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:52.820 a young man in our church in Santa Cruz that 00:10:52.820 --> 00:10:56.559 was a prodigy. He was an amazing drummer, a guitar 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:59.240 player. He said, oh, the piano, it looks like 00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:01.220 just guitar strings, but they're like this. And 00:11:01.220 --> 00:11:03.659 three weeks later, he could play the piano. Someone 00:11:03.659 --> 00:11:05.779 came and did a concert and had a little mandolin. 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:07.259 He goes, that looks kind of cool. Three weeks 00:11:07.259 --> 00:11:08.919 later, he was playing it. It was unbelievable. 00:11:09.259 --> 00:11:11.399 He wrote songs, had like this voice that was 00:11:11.399 --> 00:11:15.500 just like perfect pitch. And he hung out at my 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:17.840 house. Those of you that have had kids with bands, 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:20.580 like, you know, like the drums are in the garage, 00:11:20.820 --> 00:11:23.460 then the pianos, then the wires. And there's 00:11:23.460 --> 00:11:25.200 always people at your house all the time that 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:27.480 eat all your food. And you think, well, you know, 00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:29.059 it's better than them being someplace else, right? 00:11:29.820 --> 00:11:33.460 And John was super skinny, super, super skinny. 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:35.080 And we didn't know why, because I didn't know 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:37.500 why, because he ate so much of my food. And all 00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:40.039 the time. And one day I found out why, because 00:11:40.039 --> 00:11:42.720 his parents called. And he said, we're at Dominican 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:45.799 Hospital. We'd real like you to stop by. John's 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:49.000 got cancer. Two weeks later, we found out it 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:52.320 was a very rapidly growing type of cancer. Two 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:55.500 years later, when he was emaciated and looked 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:57.620 like he'd been through a Nazi concentration camp, 00:11:57.720 --> 00:12:00.679 just skin and bones, they put a hospital bed 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:04.720 in the lower part of his basement. And our worship 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:07.789 pastor with a guitar, his mom and dad. His fiance 00:12:07.789 --> 00:12:10.929 was over here, Jason and I were here, and one 00:12:10.929 --> 00:12:14.090 other friend, and we sang worship songs, and 00:12:14.090 --> 00:12:18.870 we prayed because he had just a day, maybe, to 00:12:18.870 --> 00:12:24.370 live, and he died. And when we walked out of 00:12:24.370 --> 00:12:26.590 there knowing that he had hours or maybe a day, 00:12:26.649 --> 00:12:30.730 and he did die, I sat in the car with my son, 00:12:30.809 --> 00:12:37.629 and it was dead quiet. And he turned to me and 00:12:37.629 --> 00:12:41.710 said, Dad, John's got more musical ability in 00:12:41.710 --> 00:12:43.909 his little finger than I have in my whole body. 00:12:43.970 --> 00:12:49.250 How could God let him die and me live? And I 00:12:49.250 --> 00:12:52.769 will tell you, in those moments, parents, you 00:12:52.769 --> 00:12:55.409 better have done your homework and taught your 00:12:55.409 --> 00:13:00.129 child to suffer well. And I didn't have a little 00:13:00.129 --> 00:13:01.909 verse to say, oh, it's going to be okay, Jason, 00:13:01.950 --> 00:13:03.830 and God's going to work it out somehow, some 00:13:03.830 --> 00:13:08.309 way. Son, it's a fallen world. Life is hard, 00:13:08.370 --> 00:13:11.850 but God is good. I don't understand. And I'm 00:13:11.850 --> 00:13:15.610 angry and I'm hurt too. All I know is that John's 00:13:15.610 --> 00:13:18.210 25 years old and sometimes God's entire agenda 00:13:18.210 --> 00:13:20.490 can be fulfilled in 25 years. Sometimes it's 00:13:20.490 --> 00:13:23.350 58 years. Sometimes it's 95 years. That this 00:13:23.350 --> 00:13:25.490 isn't all there is. This is painful and this 00:13:25.490 --> 00:13:27.509 hurts. And we cried together in the car. And 00:13:27.509 --> 00:13:30.950 I watched my son suffer through it well. And 00:13:30.950 --> 00:13:33.009 he didn't blame God. He didn't turn away from 00:13:33.009 --> 00:13:34.809 God. He didn't get resentful. He didn't blame 00:13:34.809 --> 00:13:37.429 other people. Some of the deepest things that 00:13:37.429 --> 00:13:39.309 will happen in the character of your children 00:13:39.309 --> 00:13:42.210 will be in their suffering. Don't try and fix 00:13:42.210 --> 00:13:45.330 everything. Help them understand it is a fallen 00:13:45.330 --> 00:13:47.669 world. Life is going to be hard. Life is going 00:13:47.669 --> 00:13:50.669 to be unfair. But Jesus is enough in the midst 00:13:50.669 --> 00:13:54.590 of it. Suffering is normal, if you didn't get 00:13:54.590 --> 00:13:58.269 that as the major life message. Suffering is 00:13:58.269 --> 00:14:01.690 normal. The second smooth stone to put into their 00:14:01.690 --> 00:14:05.720 pouch is teach them to work unto the Lord. You 00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:09.539 understand that if you eliminate the time that 00:14:09.539 --> 00:14:11.700 you sleep, the time that you brush your teeth, 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:14.159 the time that you eat a little bit of food, the 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:17.240 time that you do basic necessities, you and your 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:19.919 children will spend somewhere between 60 to 80 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:24.200 of your waking hours working. So, I mean, that's 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:26.500 going to be a lot of their life, right? So don't 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:28.679 you think you ought to teach them so? How do 00:14:28.679 --> 00:14:30.980 you think about work? A theology of work. Work 00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:34.080 is a calling, not a job. The word vocation, we 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.159 used to use, what's your vocation? The Latin. 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:39.039 Meaning of vocation is a calling. He doesn't 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:42.120 call people into just full -time ministry. He 00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:44.539 calls people to be software developers. He calls 00:14:44.539 --> 00:14:46.659 people to be stay -at -home moms. He calls people 00:14:46.659 --> 00:14:48.759 to be construction workers. He calls people to 00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:50.960 be athletes. He calls people to be musicians. 00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:53.720 There is a calling. Your son or your daughter 00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:56.779 has a DNA like no one else's in almost 7 billion 00:14:56.779 --> 00:14:59.639 people. That DNA makes them good at certain things, 00:14:59.740 --> 00:15:02.240 not good at certain things. It gives them passions, 00:15:02.500 --> 00:15:07.299 directions, personality. You need to help them 00:15:07.299 --> 00:15:09.899 discover, so what's God's call on their life? 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.639 He's got a purpose for their life. All work is 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.200 sacred. It's not white collar and blue collar 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:18.980 or manual and head work. All work is sacred to 00:15:18.980 --> 00:15:22.240 God because he's made all people to do all work, 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:25.019 and all work matters. It's holy. Third is our 00:15:25.019 --> 00:15:27.159 work is to flow from God's unique design and 00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:29.720 purpose for our lives. I mean, doesn't it make 00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:33.080 sense that if they're very analytical, and they 00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:36.159 love mathematics and physics comes easy, that 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:37.940 like being an engineer might be a really cool 00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:41.080 thing? Or if they're very relational and they 00:15:41.080 --> 00:15:42.940 love English and they're great with words, that 00:15:42.940 --> 00:15:44.740 maybe it's going to be talking with someone? 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:47.440 And does it make sense that if they happen to 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:49.860 have a personality that might be a little bit 00:15:49.860 --> 00:15:51.740 more reserved and they're a deep thinker and 00:15:51.740 --> 00:15:53.919 they're a little bit artistic, that maybe a sales 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:58.120 job isn't really what they ought to do? See, 00:15:58.179 --> 00:16:01.500 God wants you to understand that The tools that 00:16:01.500 --> 00:16:04.820 he's put in the heart of your child is exactly 00:16:04.820 --> 00:16:07.399 the preparation because he wants to use them. 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:12.139 They're special. Theology of work means that 00:16:12.139 --> 00:16:15.139 you work for an audience of one. This is hard. 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:18.299 You don't work to impress your mom and dad. You 00:16:18.299 --> 00:16:20.620 don't work for the boss. You don't work for the 00:16:20.620 --> 00:16:23.019 manager. You don't work so you can make X amount 00:16:23.019 --> 00:16:25.750 of dollars. You work because you say, my life 00:16:25.750 --> 00:16:28.429 is a living sacrifice. And when I come into a 00:16:28.429 --> 00:16:30.269 room like this, I'm just reminded of who God 00:16:30.269 --> 00:16:32.450 is. When I give the first portion of my time, 00:16:32.509 --> 00:16:34.230 the first portion of my money, the first portion 00:16:34.230 --> 00:16:36.169 of my energy and my dreams, I'm saying, God, 00:16:36.289 --> 00:16:38.590 I want to live my life before you. And then when 00:16:38.590 --> 00:16:40.750 I show up, I'm a full -time Christian worker 00:16:40.750 --> 00:16:44.029 developing software or changing diapers or hitting 00:16:44.029 --> 00:16:46.570 a ball or catching a ball or coaching a team 00:16:46.570 --> 00:16:51.409 or writing blueprints or developing the cure 00:16:51.409 --> 00:16:56.019 for cancer. I live for an audience of one. I'm 00:16:56.019 --> 00:16:59.039 made in the image of God. The old theologians 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:01.840 would say, doing life before the face of God. 00:17:02.279 --> 00:17:04.220 That's how you want your kids to learn to work. 00:17:05.829 --> 00:17:08.529 You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip 00:17:08.529 --> 00:17:11.069 Ingram, and he'll be right back to finish today's 00:17:11.069 --> 00:17:13.769 message. But first, if this new series from Chip 00:17:13.769 --> 00:17:16.650 has inspired you, consider joining the Living 00:17:16.650 --> 00:17:19.670 on the Edge team. In fact, let me encourage you 00:17:19.670 --> 00:17:22.109 to stick around after the teaching to hear about 00:17:22.109 --> 00:17:25.029 a special gift we have for those who become monthly 00:17:25.029 --> 00:17:27.450 partners. You're not going to want to miss out. 00:17:27.750 --> 00:17:31.819 But until then, here again is Chip. The Old Testament 00:17:31.819 --> 00:17:35.440 roots are Genesis 2 .15, and I put that verse 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:38.299 in there because work occurs, and the assignment 00:17:38.299 --> 00:17:41.960 to work is before there's sin. The myth of our 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:44.740 day is that work is a necessary evil to make 00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:47.440 money so you can raise your standard of living. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:50.660 So get through. You got to work. Kind of get 00:17:50.660 --> 00:17:53.880 it done because life is really about Friday because 00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:57.059 Friday starts the weekend, and the weekends are 00:17:57.059 --> 00:18:00.650 about me. and fun and pleasure and just what 00:18:00.650 --> 00:18:03.750 I want to do. So work is like a pain in the rear 00:18:03.750 --> 00:18:06.509 that I guess if you have to do it. So here's 00:18:06.509 --> 00:18:09.950 the deal. We have 70 % of Americans surveyed 00:18:09.950 --> 00:18:15.029 don't like their job. You want your kid, that's 00:18:15.029 --> 00:18:17.990 60 some percent, maybe 70 % of their waking hours, 00:18:18.009 --> 00:18:20.329 you live in a world where I guess I got to do 00:18:20.329 --> 00:18:24.450 this to make money in order to, God says, what 00:18:24.450 --> 00:18:28.579 a silly, silly way to live. I want you to discern, 00:18:28.819 --> 00:18:32.960 this is what I made you to do, and I want you 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:36.680 to love it. I want you to discover not, you aren't 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:39.420 what you do, you should do what you are. And 00:18:39.420 --> 00:18:42.960 there's a world of difference. Berklee had their 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:44.799 graduation, and of all people, they had Jimmy 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:46.539 Page, electric guitar player, supposed to be 00:18:46.539 --> 00:18:48.460 one of the best ever, ever. Some of you have 00:18:48.460 --> 00:18:50.359 never heard from him, others it brings back lots 00:18:50.359 --> 00:18:56.660 of memories. Easy, easy. And here's what he said 00:18:56.660 --> 00:18:58.920 to the graduates. He said, here's what I've learned. 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.500 I learned to do what I really love. And when 00:19:02.500 --> 00:19:04.799 you do what you really love, it's not like working. 00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:07.180 But what really matters in life is doing what 00:19:07.180 --> 00:19:09.240 you really love, but doing it in a way to serve 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:12.119 other people. Now, I'm not sure how some of his 00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:14.140 songs served other people, but you can go from 00:19:14.140 --> 00:19:17.519 there, right? Amazing. That's what you want for 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:22.920 your kids. So application is the New Testament, 00:19:23.079 --> 00:19:29.700 Colossians 3 .23. What's he say? Do your work 00:19:29.700 --> 00:19:35.759 heartily unto the Lord. Do it before God. Do 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:40.160 your work not unto men, but unto God, where your 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:44.640 kids realize, whatever I do, I mean, whether 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:47.559 it's I'm a small kid making my bed, whether my 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:49.920 parents say clean out the garage, where I'm doing 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.700 my homework, or whether I'm at college, whether 00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:55.420 I'm on a construction site, You want to teach 00:19:55.420 --> 00:19:58.539 them a work ethic that they work hard, they work 00:19:58.539 --> 00:20:01.259 well, they do it with a great attitude. And when 00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:03.259 you do, you'll help them be successful in whatever 00:20:03.259 --> 00:20:06.960 they do. But more than that, they'll learn that 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:10.640 work is a gift from God. Help your child discover 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:14.440 God's calling for his or her life so they can 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:18.420 impact their world and beyond. A couple of specific 00:20:18.420 --> 00:20:20.640 ways that might help, especially when they're 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:25.420 young, start early. or begin now and give them 00:20:25.420 --> 00:20:29.740 weekly chores. Give them, I mean, give them things 00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:32.000 to do. And whether that's making their bed, taking 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.960 out the trash, unloading the dishwasher, you 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:38.119 know, doing some stuff in the yard. Just, if 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:40.400 you have to make up chores, but give your kids 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:43.859 work to do and teach them how to do it with a 00:20:43.859 --> 00:20:47.160 good attitude. The second thing is become a student 00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:50.470 of your child. What are they good at? I mean, 00:20:50.490 --> 00:20:52.210 literally, you ought to just study your child. 00:20:52.470 --> 00:20:54.190 You know, what are they good at? How do they 00:20:54.190 --> 00:20:56.269 process information? What's their personality, 00:20:56.529 --> 00:20:59.190 extrovert or introvert? Are they good with their 00:20:59.190 --> 00:21:00.849 hands? Are they mechanically minded? Do they 00:21:00.849 --> 00:21:04.170 have people skills? Do they tend to like sports? 00:21:04.190 --> 00:21:07.490 You want to be a student of your child, and then 00:21:07.490 --> 00:21:09.549 you want to provide opportunities for them to 00:21:09.549 --> 00:21:12.529 develop. And your goal isn't how they reflect 00:21:12.529 --> 00:21:15.769 on you. All your kids don't need to go to college. 00:21:16.250 --> 00:21:18.549 All your kids don't need to have great SAT scores. 00:21:19.180 --> 00:21:22.079 What you want to do is figure out what did God 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:25.099 make them to do and how do I coach and cooperate 00:21:25.099 --> 00:21:28.359 with them to do what God made them to do? Because 00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:31.079 you know what? They'll have a life of joy. They'll 00:21:31.079 --> 00:21:34.759 have a life of impact. And they won't be one 00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:37.200 of those 70 % of the people going. You know, 00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:39.359 I did this, my parents wanted to do this, I felt 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:41.579 all this pressure, and now I make a lot of money 00:21:41.579 --> 00:21:43.359 doing it, and that's really good, I guess, except 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:45.539 now I can't do anything else because I've got 00:21:45.539 --> 00:21:47.480 a lifestyle that requires this much money, so 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:49.779 now I'm sentenced to a life of doing what I'm 00:21:49.779 --> 00:21:51.720 not made to do, and I don't really like to do 00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:53.420 it, and I'm fulfilling everyone's expectations, 00:21:53.799 --> 00:21:55.720 so I'm just going to wait until my midlife crisis, 00:21:55.779 --> 00:22:00.539 then I'm going to blow all this off. Message, 00:22:00.819 --> 00:22:04.569 you were created to work. You want your kids, 00:22:04.609 --> 00:22:06.609 isn't that a different message than it's a necessary 00:22:06.609 --> 00:22:09.089 evil? You were created to work. Stone number 00:22:09.089 --> 00:22:12.269 three, teach them to manage their lives wisely. 00:22:12.569 --> 00:22:15.890 Key word is manage. We're going to talk about 00:22:15.890 --> 00:22:17.890 a theology of stewardship. You know what a steward 00:22:17.890 --> 00:22:21.930 is? A steward is a manager. The myth of our day 00:22:21.930 --> 00:22:26.910 is that it's mine. I made it. I got it. I'll 00:22:26.910 --> 00:22:30.609 decide what to do with it. God says, no, no, 00:22:30.630 --> 00:22:32.869 you don't understand. Here's a theology of stewardship. 00:22:33.130 --> 00:22:36.410 God owns everything. Psalm 50 says, the earth 00:22:36.410 --> 00:22:41.190 is mine, says the Lord, and everything in it. 00:22:41.990 --> 00:22:45.309 God has entrusted things, time, talent, and treasure. 00:22:45.710 --> 00:22:48.069 And then he appointed us and our children to 00:22:48.069 --> 00:22:51.430 manage them for him. I try to help my kids think 00:22:51.430 --> 00:22:53.049 about what are you going to do with the time 00:22:53.049 --> 00:22:54.430 God gave you? What are you going to do with the 00:22:54.430 --> 00:22:56.069 talent God gave you? What are you going to do 00:22:56.069 --> 00:22:57.829 with the money that God gave you? What are you 00:22:57.829 --> 00:22:59.730 going to do with the brains God gave you? What 00:22:59.730 --> 00:23:01.069 are you going to do with the educational opportunity 00:23:01.069 --> 00:23:03.569 that God gave you? It's a stewardship. It's not 00:23:03.569 --> 00:23:05.829 yours to blow off or decide I'm going to do this 00:23:05.829 --> 00:23:09.069 or do that. God, what do you want me to do? God 00:23:09.069 --> 00:23:11.309 expects a positive return on his investments. 00:23:12.470 --> 00:23:16.109 He's placed very special, unique abilities in 00:23:16.109 --> 00:23:19.369 your kids. For some of them, he'd give them A 00:23:19.369 --> 00:23:21.289 lot of leadership. For some, it's brains. Others, 00:23:21.390 --> 00:23:24.069 athletic, artistic. For some, it's money. He 00:23:24.069 --> 00:23:26.809 expects a positive return. And he will hold them 00:23:26.809 --> 00:23:29.349 accountable. And I believe he'll hold us accountable 00:23:29.349 --> 00:23:31.829 as parents. Did you teach him to be managers? 00:23:32.730 --> 00:23:34.930 Or did out of the pressure of wanting them to 00:23:34.930 --> 00:23:37.589 be happy all the time, you gave them everything 00:23:37.589 --> 00:23:40.849 and taught them to be little narcissists? And 00:23:40.849 --> 00:23:42.450 then when the world doesn't go their way, they 00:23:42.450 --> 00:23:45.119 get really mad. And then you can't figure out 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:47.200 why they don't walk with God and don't care much 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:49.099 about you because they think the world revolves 00:23:49.099 --> 00:23:52.319 around them. And the word they get early on, 00:23:52.380 --> 00:23:54.240 right, when they're even small, like two -year 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:58.619 -old, that's mine. That's mine. That's mine. 00:23:58.859 --> 00:24:01.220 And then they get older, it's mine. And then 00:24:01.220 --> 00:24:04.160 they get even older and it's mine. You want to 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:08.380 break that early. It's God's. How are you using 00:24:08.380 --> 00:24:10.599 it? It'll completely change their perspective. 00:24:11.559 --> 00:24:14.420 The Old Testament roots are Genesis chapter 1. 00:24:15.180 --> 00:24:20.279 Before sin enters the world, God says, I created 00:24:20.279 --> 00:24:22.920 all that there is. Good, good, good, good, good, 00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:26.000 good. And then I created you very good. Now, 00:24:26.019 --> 00:24:29.960 are you ready for this? Here's the earth. Be 00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:32.440 co -creator with me. I want you to manage it 00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:35.119 for me. Animals, manage it. Fish of the sea, 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:37.380 management. The future, manage it. The garden, 00:24:37.460 --> 00:24:41.470 management. Use your creativity. Explore, build. 00:24:44.470 --> 00:24:46.730 Christians should be the greatest environmentalists 00:24:46.730 --> 00:24:51.289 on the face of the earth. He said, steward the 00:24:51.289 --> 00:24:54.369 earth. Steward your gifts. Steward your money. 00:24:55.170 --> 00:24:58.549 The application from Matthew chapter 25 is the 00:24:58.549 --> 00:25:01.250 parable of the talents. That's one worth really 00:25:01.250 --> 00:25:03.990 going over with your kids. Jesus is talking about 00:25:03.990 --> 00:25:06.369 how the kingdom works, and he says a king was 00:25:06.369 --> 00:25:08.750 going to go away for a long period of time, and 00:25:08.750 --> 00:25:10.750 he gave to his servants one five talents, one 00:25:10.750 --> 00:25:13.410 two talents, one one talent, according to their 00:25:13.410 --> 00:25:18.329 ability. In other words, if this person had a 00:25:18.329 --> 00:25:19.930 lot of ability, he's going to give them more, 00:25:20.029 --> 00:25:22.730 a little bit less ability, give them a little 00:25:22.730 --> 00:25:25.890 bit less. And the way he evaluated them wasn't 00:25:25.890 --> 00:25:28.549 on the end result. It is, what did you do with 00:25:28.549 --> 00:25:31.470 what I gave you? Two of them doubled them, and 00:25:31.470 --> 00:25:33.859 he said, Well done, good and faithful servants. 00:25:33.980 --> 00:25:37.400 Enter the joy of your master. One of them squandered 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:40.039 theirs because they were afraid. They buried 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:45.400 it. And they get a sharp, sharp rebuke. You want 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:49.039 your son or your daughter to realize God's given 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:51.900 you some talents. He's going to hold you responsible. 00:25:52.259 --> 00:25:55.160 His heart is for you to have great joy with him 00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:59.559 in them, but you need to use them well. Here's 00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:03.160 the application. Help your child become faithful 00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:07.079 in the little things. Faithful in the little 00:26:07.079 --> 00:26:10.240 things. Now, I'm going pretty fast, and you're 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:13.400 writing pretty fast. And Luke 16 .10 says that 00:26:13.400 --> 00:26:15.720 he was faithful in a very little thing, will 00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:19.420 be faithful also in much. And he was unrighteous 00:26:19.420 --> 00:26:22.359 in a very little thing, will be unrighteous also 00:26:22.359 --> 00:26:23.920 in much. And I would encourage you as parents, 00:26:24.140 --> 00:26:26.839 that's a real principle. It's a financial passage 00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:29.700 in terms of the context, but it's not just talking 00:26:29.700 --> 00:26:33.079 about finances. You want your kids to be faithful 00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:34.680 in little things, how they clean their room. 00:26:35.339 --> 00:26:38.240 You want them to be faithful in their words and 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:40.460 their attitudes because if they're not faithful 00:26:40.460 --> 00:26:41.859 in little things, they're not going to be faithful 00:26:41.859 --> 00:26:44.200 in big things. And I'm not talking about over 00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:46.740 -scrutiny and being legalistic, but you really 00:26:46.740 --> 00:26:49.420 want them, help them to be faithful. And the 00:26:49.420 --> 00:26:51.519 little thing in this context, you know what it 00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:56.279 is? It's money. The reason Jesus talks so much 00:26:56.279 --> 00:26:59.559 about money is because it's the cleanest, clearest, 00:26:59.619 --> 00:27:02.440 most visible, tangible thing where you can figure 00:27:02.440 --> 00:27:06.059 out how you're a steward or not. And what he's 00:27:06.059 --> 00:27:09.859 saying is, if you can't learn to manage money 00:27:09.859 --> 00:27:13.119 well, I'm not going to trust true riches. I mean, 00:27:13.140 --> 00:27:15.619 if God gives you X amount of money and you can't 00:27:15.619 --> 00:27:17.859 even handle money, why in the world would I... 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:21.200 Entrust spiritual things or an important relationship 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:23.920 or a job with more responsibilities. I mean, 00:27:23.940 --> 00:27:26.500 the training wheels of stewardship are money. 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:28.619 You can see it. It comes in. It goes out. You're 00:27:28.619 --> 00:27:31.140 giving them out. You're accountable. If you can't 00:27:31.140 --> 00:27:33.940 handle money, what Jesus teaches, there's no 00:27:33.940 --> 00:27:39.240 way you're going to handle your life. This is 00:27:39.240 --> 00:27:41.819 Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and you've 00:27:41.819 --> 00:27:43.640 been listening to part one of Chip's message, 00:27:43.779 --> 00:27:46.119 How to Prepare Your Kids to Win Life's Biggest 00:27:46.119 --> 00:27:49.839 Battles, from our series, Uninvited Guests. Chip 00:27:49.839 --> 00:27:52.059 will be back shortly to share some helpful application 00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:55.119 for us to think about. We've all heard it said 00:27:55.119 --> 00:27:57.380 that raising kids isn't for the faint of heart. 00:27:57.640 --> 00:28:00.299 Every parent can attest that it can be deeply 00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:03.259 encouraging and life -giving one moment and want 00:28:03.259 --> 00:28:06.170 to pull out your hair frustrating the next. And 00:28:06.170 --> 00:28:08.589 those emotional ups and downs don't include the 00:28:08.589 --> 00:28:11.130 external challenges and pressures that kids, 00:28:11.170 --> 00:28:14.309 moms, and dads face every day. So over the next 00:28:14.309 --> 00:28:16.430 handful of messages, Chip will highlight biblical 00:28:16.430 --> 00:28:18.769 principles to help navigate the complexities 00:28:18.769 --> 00:28:21.930 of raising kids in today's world. Don't miss 00:28:21.930 --> 00:28:24.589 the insightful wisdom from God's Word, along 00:28:24.589 --> 00:28:27.450 with practical advice from a seasoned dad to 00:28:27.450 --> 00:28:30.450 guide you along your parenting journey. If you've 00:28:30.450 --> 00:28:33.910 missed any part of this series, catch up at livingontheedge 00:28:33.910 --> 00:28:38.380 .org. or wherever you listen to podcasts. Well, 00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:40.440 Chip's here in studio with me now. And Chip, 00:28:40.519 --> 00:28:42.779 as you sifted through all the research about 00:28:42.779 --> 00:28:45.420 marriage and parenting for this series, there 00:28:45.420 --> 00:28:48.799 was one misbelief that came up a lot. With all 00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:51.039 of this conflict in our marriage, it's better 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:54.200 for our kids if we just get divorced. Dave, that 00:28:54.200 --> 00:28:57.880 is one of the most believed myths about marriage. 00:28:58.079 --> 00:29:00.980 That old school thinking of we're staying together 00:29:00.980 --> 00:29:05.089 just for the kids is actually true. If there's 00:29:05.089 --> 00:29:08.869 challenges, struggle, argument, kids will make 00:29:08.869 --> 00:29:11.529 it through. They're very resilient. Now, here's 00:29:11.529 --> 00:29:14.029 the problem. People don't want to stay together. 00:29:14.230 --> 00:29:16.769 When it gets really hard, how do you resolve 00:29:16.769 --> 00:29:20.109 conflict? How do you learn to communicate? There 00:29:20.109 --> 00:29:23.630 are so many good Christians who are living like 00:29:23.630 --> 00:29:25.970 roommates now. Their marriage isn't fulfilling. 00:29:26.309 --> 00:29:29.410 They want to stay together for their kids, but 00:29:29.410 --> 00:29:32.170 they can't imagine living the way they are forever 00:29:32.170 --> 00:29:34.630 and ever and ever. And so they feel hopeless. 00:29:35.069 --> 00:29:37.930 Here's what I want to say. You can work this 00:29:37.930 --> 00:29:41.200 out, and we have a tool to help you. Marriage 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:44.740 That Works Truth Cards is a beginning step to 00:29:44.740 --> 00:29:48.039 resolve some big pains in your marriage and create 00:29:48.039 --> 00:29:50.980 an environment that your kids can thrive in. 00:29:51.549 --> 00:29:53.869 We really want to help you learn to communicate, 00:29:54.130 --> 00:29:57.289 to resolve conflict. That begins with eliminating 00:29:57.289 --> 00:30:00.109 or addressing lies that you believe. And then 00:30:00.109 --> 00:30:02.490 you have to have some foundational truths. And 00:30:02.490 --> 00:30:04.509 if you'll review a few of these every single 00:30:04.509 --> 00:30:08.230 day for 30 days, 60 days, your thinking will 00:30:08.230 --> 00:30:10.750 change, your words will change, and your marriage 00:30:10.750 --> 00:30:14.470 will change. Don't throw away a good marriage 00:30:14.470 --> 00:30:17.430 or even a problem marriage because of your present 00:30:17.430 --> 00:30:20.589 struggles. If you think that there's an easy 00:30:20.589 --> 00:30:23.329 divorce and it doesn't impact your kids, you're 00:30:23.329 --> 00:30:26.690 completely wrong. The impact goes on for decades. 00:30:27.150 --> 00:30:29.869 Let's stay together. Let's obey God's commands, 00:30:30.130 --> 00:30:32.650 and we want to help you. So, Dave, take a minute 00:30:32.650 --> 00:30:34.490 and share with people how they can get these 00:30:34.490 --> 00:30:37.150 cards. Sure, Chip. It's actually really simple. 00:30:37.549 --> 00:30:39.890 Throughout this entire series, for anyone who 00:30:39.890 --> 00:30:42.170 chooses to become a monthly partner with Living 00:30:42.170 --> 00:30:44.670 on the Edge, we'll send you these new Marriage 00:30:44.670 --> 00:30:47.690 That Works truth cards as our way of saying thanks. 00:30:47.970 --> 00:30:50.809 So please pray about supporting us. Your gifts 00:30:50.809 --> 00:30:53.190 have an eternal impact as we fight for marriages 00:30:53.190 --> 00:30:56.069 and families everywhere. To learn how to become 00:30:56.069 --> 00:30:59.190 a monthly partner, visit livingontheedge .org 00:30:59.190 --> 00:31:05.509 or call us at 888 -333 -6003. That's 888 -333 00:31:05.509 --> 00:31:11.710 -6003 or go to livingontheedge .org. App listeners, 00:31:11.849 --> 00:31:14.690 tap donate. Listen in next time as Chip picks 00:31:14.690 --> 00:31:17.910 up in his series, Uninvited Guests. Until then, 00:31:17.930 --> 00:31:19.990 this is Dave Drewy saying thanks for joining 00:31:19.990 --> 00:31:22.450 us for this edition of Living on the Edge.