WEBVTT 00:00:11.339 --> 00:00:14.220 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:17.239 How do you get God's best for your life? You 00:00:17.239 --> 00:00:19.739 know, you see some believers and you sense, boy, 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:21.300 they're in the right relationship. They make 00:00:21.300 --> 00:00:24.079 wise decisions about money. They're getting God's 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:27.059 best. I want that. How does it work? Today, I 00:00:27.059 --> 00:00:29.820 will give you four biblical principles. that 00:00:29.820 --> 00:00:32.799 will help you discover how you can get God's 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:37.340 best for your life. Stay with us. Holiness is 00:00:37.340 --> 00:00:40.640 a word that intimidates most of us. It's an unachievable 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:44.119 virtue, or so it seems. What if everything you've 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:47.140 been told about holiness is wrong? What if God's 00:00:47.140 --> 00:00:49.859 call to holy living isn't about following a list 00:00:49.859 --> 00:00:52.700 of don'ts, but about discovering the pathway 00:00:52.700 --> 00:00:55.780 to extraordinary joy, fulfilling relationships, 00:00:55.979 --> 00:00:59.280 and a life that truly works? On this weekend 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:02.280 edition of Living on the Edge, Chip Ingram dismantles 00:01:02.280 --> 00:01:04.560 our misconceptions about holiness and reveals 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.599 it for what it really is, wholeness, health, 00:01:07.780 --> 00:01:10.640 and the key to experiencing God's absolute best. 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:14.420 Far from being otherworldly or strange, holy 00:01:14.420 --> 00:01:18.260 living makes us winsome, loving, pure, and unmistakably 00:01:18.260 --> 00:01:20.980 Christlike, the kind of person others are drawn 00:01:20.980 --> 00:01:23.739 to. And after Chip's message, we'll explain how 00:01:23.739 --> 00:01:26.180 you can participate in the time -limited match 00:01:26.180 --> 00:01:29.280 that's active a short while longer. Every dollar 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:31.719 you give will be matched and therefore doubled 00:01:31.719 --> 00:01:34.640 through December 31st. But right now, the message 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:37.200 from Chip Ingram about leaving a legacy that 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:41.519 lasts forever. Number one, encourage them to 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:44.939 saturate their mind with truth. The Bible, great 00:01:44.939 --> 00:01:49.459 books, videos. All I want you to get is where 00:01:49.459 --> 00:01:54.200 do you set your mind? where do you set your mind? 00:01:55.620 --> 00:01:58.819 First and foremost, we have to model this and 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:00.939 then you got to pass that on. And it's got to 00:02:00.939 --> 00:02:04.019 be passed on, not as a club, you know? Okay, 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:06.480 kids, get around the table right now. It's breakfast 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:10.060 time or supper time. All right. Nathaniel, open 00:02:10.060 --> 00:02:11.680 Proverbs chapter one. It's the first day of the 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:15.780 month, isn't it? Read it now. Ethel, shut up. 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:17.240 Listen to your brother. He's reading God's word. 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:21.939 I can tell you where these kids are going to 00:02:21.939 --> 00:02:26.280 be at about 18. It will not be in church. Or 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:30.120 much to do with God. And I talk to my kids now. 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:32.080 My one son is a pastor. I said, well, Ryan, what 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:35.719 was it that really clicked for you in terms of 00:02:35.719 --> 00:02:38.020 how did God lead you that way? And I'm thinking, 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:39.800 maybe it's one of my great messages, I'm sure, 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:43.020 you know. But this is my kids. He said, well, 00:02:43.020 --> 00:02:45.449 that is really pretty easy, you know. I don't 00:02:45.449 --> 00:02:46.490 know how many times, you know, when you're a 00:02:46.490 --> 00:02:47.770 little kid and you get up and go to the bathroom 00:02:47.770 --> 00:02:48.870 and you think it's the middle of the night because 00:02:48.870 --> 00:02:50.349 it's like five o 'clock and for you it's the 00:02:50.349 --> 00:02:52.469 middle of the night and there's a light on and 00:02:52.469 --> 00:02:55.030 mom's on her knees praying or she's sitting in 00:02:55.030 --> 00:02:56.490 the chair with a cup of coffee reading God's 00:02:56.490 --> 00:03:02.469 word. I just grew up watching you and mom. That's 00:03:02.469 --> 00:03:06.210 what mattered. And so you have to create when 00:03:06.210 --> 00:03:09.150 they're little and then when they're older, saturate 00:03:09.150 --> 00:03:13.090 their mind with truth. Encourage that. The second 00:03:13.090 --> 00:03:15.030 is encourage them to hang out regularly with 00:03:15.030 --> 00:03:20.430 wise, godly people. Proverbs 13, 20, he who dwells 00:03:20.430 --> 00:03:22.789 with wise men will be wise, but the companion 00:03:22.789 --> 00:03:26.449 of a fool will suffer harm. There's a great line. 00:03:26.569 --> 00:03:29.949 I got this from the vice president of a guy that 00:03:29.949 --> 00:03:31.830 I work with, and his wife was there, and we were 00:03:31.830 --> 00:03:34.229 talking about the influence of kids, and you're 00:03:34.229 --> 00:03:36.169 always worried about who to hang out with, and 00:03:36.169 --> 00:03:37.909 she just turned to all of us and said, well, 00:03:37.930 --> 00:03:40.110 I'll tell you. You show me your friends, I'll 00:03:40.110 --> 00:03:43.300 show you your future. I mean, I don't know where 00:03:43.300 --> 00:03:44.800 she got, I wrote that down. I've been using it 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:46.659 since. And when I can remember to give her credit, 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:52.979 I do. Like now. But I mean, it's true. Think 00:03:52.979 --> 00:03:55.500 of who you're investing in. You need, if you 00:03:55.500 --> 00:03:58.409 have control. You need to be very careful about 00:03:58.409 --> 00:04:00.650 who they hang out with. You know, some guys I've 00:04:00.650 --> 00:04:02.469 had the opportunity to help and disciple. You 00:04:02.469 --> 00:04:03.689 know, I've really talked about, hey, brother, 00:04:03.849 --> 00:04:05.650 you know, I got news for you. I love you. I care 00:04:05.650 --> 00:04:07.310 for you. We're playing hoop. You're a new Christian. 00:04:07.409 --> 00:04:09.889 You're making progress. Now, tell me again about 00:04:09.889 --> 00:04:12.289 what you came out of. It was New Age and cocaine, 00:04:12.590 --> 00:04:14.770 right? Okay. And you used to smoke this stuff 00:04:14.770 --> 00:04:16.930 and sell it. Yeah, okay. And you're telling me 00:04:16.930 --> 00:04:18.589 you're struggling, right? Okay, why are you struggling? 00:04:18.670 --> 00:04:22.189 Now, tell me who you're hanging out with. Two 00:04:22.189 --> 00:04:26.000 other dealers. Now, help me with this. I mean, 00:04:26.019 --> 00:04:27.560 I'm in Santa Cruz, California. I mean, this is 00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:30.759 normal. Help me with this. You think you're not 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:32.839 gonna do that, hanging out with them? Well, they're 00:04:32.839 --> 00:04:34.720 my friends and I wanna lead them to Christ. Hey, 00:04:34.899 --> 00:04:37.779 you lead people to Christ on neutral turf. You 00:04:37.779 --> 00:04:40.120 know what? You don't go over there and they probably 00:04:40.120 --> 00:04:42.139 aren't gonna come to church, but let's find some 00:04:42.139 --> 00:04:44.600 neutral places where let's have them hang out 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:47.079 and you can influence them instead of them influence 00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:50.439 you. More than one time when my kids, I said, 00:04:50.459 --> 00:04:52.689 you can't play with those two kids anymore. But 00:04:52.689 --> 00:04:54.370 dad, dad, no, you can't play with them. They 00:04:54.370 --> 00:04:57.350 can come to our house and hang out, but you're 00:04:57.350 --> 00:04:59.269 not going to their house. No one's home. I know 00:04:59.269 --> 00:05:01.490 what happens. You're just not going to do it. 00:05:02.230 --> 00:05:05.990 Well, you, yeah, of course. Some of us need to 00:05:05.990 --> 00:05:08.149 be, those of you that have smaller children or 00:05:08.149 --> 00:05:11.769 teenagers, it's okay to be the bad person. It's 00:05:11.769 --> 00:05:14.170 okay. They can, I don't love you anymore. Let 00:05:14.170 --> 00:05:16.490 them slam the door, you know. Who are you to 00:05:16.490 --> 00:05:18.269 tell me who I can be friends with? Your parent, 00:05:18.389 --> 00:05:23.660 that's who. I don't love you. Now, here's what 00:05:23.660 --> 00:05:26.000 I hear. And I've got a number of cases. You know, 00:05:26.019 --> 00:05:28.040 it's anecdotal. But here's what I hear. Well, 00:05:28.220 --> 00:05:30.779 if we set those boundaries too tight, then they'll 00:05:30.779 --> 00:05:34.439 rebel. Especially in the area of teenagers dating 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:37.420 unbelievers. And I hear, oh, we can't do that 00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:38.860 because we've got to be real careful. I've got 00:05:38.860 --> 00:05:41.319 news for you. Their heart gets connected to an 00:05:41.319 --> 00:05:43.279 unbeliever that's not walking with God. They're 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:46.560 going to go down the tubes. So draw the line 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:50.930 lovingly and catch it early. And I know there's 00:05:50.930 --> 00:05:53.069 a handful of success stories where that gal or 00:05:53.069 --> 00:05:54.870 that girl finally came to Christ and all the 00:05:54.870 --> 00:05:56.930 rest. Let me tell you, I got a hundred other 00:05:56.930 --> 00:05:58.689 stories for every success story you can give 00:05:58.689 --> 00:06:02.370 me. The number one thing that causes young people 00:06:02.370 --> 00:06:05.129 to fall and fall away from their faith. And when 00:06:05.129 --> 00:06:07.009 they go to college, the reason they change their 00:06:07.009 --> 00:06:09.870 morals is not they really change their theology, 00:06:10.029 --> 00:06:12.069 but they have to change their theology to adapt 00:06:12.069 --> 00:06:15.269 their lifestyle. And when your emotions kick 00:06:15.269 --> 00:06:17.459 in and you fall in love, And you get to have 00:06:17.459 --> 00:06:19.680 sex? I mean, let's see, do I really believe in 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:21.040 God and the Bible and some of this old -fashioned 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:26.660 stuff or this? Hmm, that's a no -brainer. And 00:06:26.660 --> 00:06:28.920 we can't figure out why. I mean, the statistics 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:32.379 are alarming of the percentage of all of our, 00:06:32.379 --> 00:06:34.939 quote, young Christian youth who go away to school, 00:06:35.079 --> 00:06:39.000 about 10 to 12 % keep their faith five years 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:43.620 later. And I've had some deep, deep conflict. 00:06:45.060 --> 00:06:47.699 with my children in that journey. And I was a 00:06:47.699 --> 00:06:50.379 really, really bad guy. And it wasn't always 00:06:50.379 --> 00:06:54.160 pretty. And I didn't always do it right. But 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:58.319 I will tell you, that is a non -negotiable. You're 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:02.740 the parent. With that said, you're having lots 00:07:02.740 --> 00:07:06.399 of fun investing in their life and doing lots 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:08.100 of great things that other parents don't do with 00:07:08.100 --> 00:07:12.879 them. Because the bridge of truth is relationship. 00:07:13.629 --> 00:07:16.509 And the more relationship you have, the more 00:07:16.509 --> 00:07:19.870 love, the more deposits, the more truth that 00:07:19.870 --> 00:07:22.089 they can hold. Because at the end of the day, 00:07:22.129 --> 00:07:25.009 they don't want to disappoint you. They really 00:07:25.009 --> 00:07:28.189 don't, but it's in a tug of war at times. Third, 00:07:28.329 --> 00:07:32.250 model for them how to ask God for discernment 00:07:32.250 --> 00:07:36.259 and wisdom. It's really important for those you're 00:07:36.259 --> 00:07:38.300 trying to help that you don't become like the 00:07:38.300 --> 00:07:40.959 answer man or the answer woman. Well, what should 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:43.139 I do about this? You know more than me. Well, 00:07:43.139 --> 00:07:44.980 can you tell me? And you say, well, da -da -da 00:07:44.980 --> 00:07:47.480 -da, do this or do that. Model form, you know 00:07:47.480 --> 00:07:50.160 what? Here's a passage in James 1, verse 5, okay? 00:07:50.620 --> 00:07:53.899 If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, 00:07:54.060 --> 00:07:57.379 who gives to all men generously and without reproach. 00:07:59.379 --> 00:08:03.079 But let him, when he asks, let him ask in faith. 00:08:03.770 --> 00:08:06.050 For the one who doubts is like a double -minded 00:08:06.050 --> 00:08:09.129 man who's tossed here and there by the waves. 00:08:09.889 --> 00:08:11.790 Don't let that person expect to receive anything 00:08:11.790 --> 00:08:14.769 from the Lord. And then you explain to him. Wisdom 00:08:14.769 --> 00:08:18.189 is doing life God's way according to his design. 00:08:18.730 --> 00:08:21.250 He'll always show you what to do. I mean, the 00:08:21.250 --> 00:08:23.410 Bible doesn't tell you what state to live in. 00:08:23.470 --> 00:08:25.269 The Bible doesn't tell you what vocation. The 00:08:25.269 --> 00:08:27.029 Bible doesn't say you need to go to a Christian 00:08:27.029 --> 00:08:29.110 school or non -Christian school. You need wisdom 00:08:29.110 --> 00:08:31.509 from God. And so what you want to model for them 00:08:31.509 --> 00:08:33.669 is, I don't have the answer to that, but God 00:08:33.669 --> 00:08:36.009 makes a promise. And if we had time to develop 00:08:36.009 --> 00:08:38.149 that whole text, the thesis of that text of not 00:08:38.149 --> 00:08:40.149 ever doubting is not that you ever have doubts 00:08:40.149 --> 00:08:43.549 about God. Everyone has doubts. We get our word 00:08:43.549 --> 00:08:45.529 schizophrenic. It's a double -minded person. 00:08:46.169 --> 00:08:48.769 When you pray, God, will you show me your will 00:08:48.769 --> 00:08:51.090 so I can consider it as one of the options? God 00:08:51.090 --> 00:08:54.830 says no. Did you catch that? Let me just go over 00:08:54.830 --> 00:08:58.039 a little slower. Some of you went. When you pray, 00:08:58.179 --> 00:09:00.759 and you don't do it like this intentionally, 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:02.960 but it's what we do. God, I really want to know 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:06.440 what your will is about this relationship. And 00:09:06.440 --> 00:09:08.120 then when I know your will, I'll decide whether 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:11.639 I'll take it or not. Guess what? God says, you 00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:13.120 know what? I don't answer those kind of prayers. 00:09:13.740 --> 00:09:17.779 But what he says is, God, I don't know about 00:09:17.779 --> 00:09:19.960 what to do about this relationship. I don't know 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:22.220 what to do about this money situation. I don't 00:09:22.220 --> 00:09:24.039 know what to do about this marriage crisis. I 00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:25.679 don't know what to do about this wayward son 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:27.580 or wayward daughter. God, I don't know about 00:09:27.580 --> 00:09:29.620 my calling, whether I should get out of this 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:31.559 work and go to that work. Here's the promise 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:35.440 of James 1 .5. If I will come and say, God, I 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:36.980 want you to know that I've signed my name on 00:09:36.980 --> 00:09:39.580 the bottom of the check and I've turned it like 00:09:39.580 --> 00:09:41.679 this and put it under the throne room of heaven. 00:09:42.790 --> 00:09:45.549 I will do, no matter what it is, whatever you 00:09:45.549 --> 00:09:47.649 tell me, you fill in the top and I'll do it. 00:09:47.669 --> 00:09:49.649 He says 100 % of the time, I'll fill in the top. 00:09:50.929 --> 00:09:54.490 And now, how is he going to show you? It might 00:09:54.490 --> 00:09:56.110 be through a person, through the scripture, as 00:09:56.110 --> 00:09:59.049 you pray, wise counsel, but he promises he will 00:09:59.049 --> 00:10:02.129 show you what to do. 90 % of the will of God 00:10:02.129 --> 00:10:04.769 is being really willing to do whatever God says. 00:10:05.870 --> 00:10:09.629 Most of us, myself completely included, I kind 00:10:09.629 --> 00:10:12.519 of want to get God. It's lined up to get him 00:10:12.519 --> 00:10:14.179 to do what I want because I think I know what's 00:10:14.179 --> 00:10:18.860 best. It's that surrender to be willing to do 00:10:18.860 --> 00:10:22.159 it. And you have to model that. This is where 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.659 when they, you know, don't say stuff like, my 00:10:24.659 --> 00:10:26.299 kids when they were hitting the mid -teens, it'd 00:10:26.299 --> 00:10:29.120 be something like, hey, you know, I want to do 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:30.879 this or that or go to this movie or do that. 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:33.460 And I would think, you know, that's not good. 00:10:33.620 --> 00:10:36.299 But I'm going to keep making every decision and 00:10:36.299 --> 00:10:38.480 we're going to be in trouble. And so I would 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:41.639 often say, well, would you do me a favor? Yeah. 00:10:41.639 --> 00:10:45.340 I said, pray about it for 24 hours. And just 00:10:45.340 --> 00:10:46.980 really think it through. Do you believe God wants 00:10:46.980 --> 00:10:49.899 you to go to that? Well, Dad, you know, I know, 00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:52.120 hey, don't argue with me. If, you know, just 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:54.120 talk to God about it. I'm just asking you. And 00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:57.220 again, you take that responsibility instead of 00:10:57.220 --> 00:11:00.039 the power trip. I said no. What you want to do 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:01.860 is start helping them. You know, I want to buy 00:11:01.860 --> 00:11:04.360 this. I want to go here. I want to do that. And 00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:06.139 if you're not sure, but down deep in your heart, 00:11:06.179 --> 00:11:07.519 you think, you know, it's probably not a very 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:09.580 good thing, but it won't kill them, whatever 00:11:09.580 --> 00:11:12.220 they do. I always wanted to give them a lot more 00:11:12.220 --> 00:11:16.659 rope and say, why don't you pray about it? We'll 00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:18.919 hear more from Chip Ingram's message in just 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:21.200 a moment. First, we're inviting you to multiply 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.279 your year -end donation through an exciting match 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:26.580 that's active right now. Because of the match, 00:11:26.659 --> 00:11:29.080 your donation will be matched dollar for dollar 00:11:29.080 --> 00:11:31.279 in the month of December. And when you support 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:34.100 this match, you're not funding yesterday's methods. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:37.419 You're investing in a discipleship strategy that 00:11:37.419 --> 00:11:40.759 actually reaches the smartphone generation right 00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:44.179 where they are. Will you give to the next generation? 00:11:44.700 --> 00:11:47.940 Double the impact of your gift at livingontheedge 00:11:47.940 --> 00:11:52.000 .org. From a series called Leaving a Legacy That 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:55.580 Lasts Forever. and our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram. 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:59.700 And by the way, this parental thing we have of 00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:03.080 wanting to protect our kids from pain is not 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:05.379 real smart. What you want to do is not protect 00:12:05.379 --> 00:12:07.720 them from small pain so it hurts really badly. 00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:10.919 You know, like, gosh, I just spent $25 on this 00:12:10.919 --> 00:12:13.440 wacky thing and it looks seared dumb and now 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:15.039 I wore it to school and it wasn't even cool and 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:18.419 I blew $25. Good. Or, you know, I decided to 00:12:18.419 --> 00:12:20.139 go on this thing and, man, everyone did this 00:12:20.139 --> 00:12:21.519 terrible stuff and I wish I would have never 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:24.500 there. And good. See, if you always tell them 00:12:24.500 --> 00:12:26.820 what to do and you always keep them inside your 00:12:26.820 --> 00:12:29.019 bounds, then what happens is they can't wait 00:12:29.019 --> 00:12:32.620 to get away to go try some stuff. So you want 00:12:32.620 --> 00:12:37.019 to develop them hearing God's voice. You want 00:12:37.019 --> 00:12:40.080 to model for them how to get wisdom, how to discern. 00:12:40.600 --> 00:12:43.799 Another practical thing with your kids is, you 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:45.919 know that little clicker when you're watching 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:48.860 something? As much as I'll talk a little bit 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:51.840 later about limiting media. My kids, it was like, 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:54.159 I believe every moment is a teachable moment. 00:12:54.299 --> 00:12:56.360 And you don't go overboard. But I mean, okay, 00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:58.440 you're watching the Super Bowl, right? And so 00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:00.940 these commercials come on. And I mean, they've 00:13:00.940 --> 00:13:03.220 spent, what, how many zillion dollars to create? 00:13:03.740 --> 00:13:05.960 This commercial, they're paying $1 .5 million 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:08.899 for 30 seconds. And there's a girl that she's 00:13:08.899 --> 00:13:10.679 got it cut down to here and pushed up to there 00:13:10.679 --> 00:13:12.679 and pulled down to here. And another guy that's 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:15.240 been on steroids and he's got his chorus light 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:17.220 and this, that, this, that. And the music comes 00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:20.000 on, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. And they stop. Okay, 00:13:20.059 --> 00:13:21.519 before we watch the rest of the game, what was 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.399 the message of that? Okay, where are they coming 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:26.200 at us and why? What are they selling to us? What 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:27.940 do you think? Okay, why do you think she's dressed 00:13:27.940 --> 00:13:29.960 that way? Okay, why does he have that? What's 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:32.049 the message? And you, what are you doing? You're 00:13:32.049 --> 00:13:37.139 helping him discern good from evil. And then 00:13:37.139 --> 00:13:40.139 you watch this real soaky movie and it makes 00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:42.100 you cry and it's really good and it's really 00:13:42.100 --> 00:13:43.879 warm and there's no sex in it and there's no 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:46.299 violence in it. The only problem is in this movie, 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:48.740 the person that you identify with is married 00:13:48.740 --> 00:13:50.960 to this not very nice person. And so this person 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:52.860 married to the not very nice person falls in 00:13:52.860 --> 00:13:54.220 love with someone else and they have an affair 00:13:54.220 --> 00:13:57.080 and there's music and they're going out and da 00:13:57.080 --> 00:13:59.419 -da -da -da -da -da -da. And we're all crying 00:13:59.419 --> 00:14:01.059 and thinking, oh, I'm glad she finally found 00:14:01.059 --> 00:14:03.279 love in her life and it was a popular movie and 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:05.779 everyone loves it. And you stop the thing. And 00:14:05.779 --> 00:14:07.779 you say, wait a second. a second. Wait a second. 00:14:08.259 --> 00:14:10.679 I got sucked in just like you, but what did she 00:14:10.679 --> 00:14:13.399 do? I mean, we all love her, and she was the 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:15.059 pretty one, and you know, the music was really 00:14:15.059 --> 00:14:18.460 playing, and all the violins, and you know, her 00:14:18.460 --> 00:14:23.919 life was so hard before, right? You know. Okay, 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:28.440 let's rewind. It's called adultery. So how does 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:31.149 that play out in real life? Let's go through 00:14:31.149 --> 00:14:33.970 some families in the church where someone committed 00:14:33.970 --> 00:14:36.730 adultery. Let's remember what that looked like. 00:14:36.889 --> 00:14:38.870 Let's remember what it did to them. Do you understand 00:14:38.870 --> 00:14:42.470 what I'm saying? That's what you do. So it's 00:14:42.470 --> 00:14:45.450 not a classroom. It's every moment. Now, by the 00:14:45.450 --> 00:14:47.149 way, don't stop at every commercial. Some of 00:14:47.149 --> 00:14:48.450 your kids are going, hey, you know, get out of 00:14:48.450 --> 00:14:51.409 here. But you get it. Finally, teach them to 00:14:51.409 --> 00:14:54.889 monitor their exposure to the media. Teach them 00:14:54.889 --> 00:14:57.769 to monitor. Their exposure to the media. Romans 00:14:57.769 --> 00:15:01.090 12 .2, we touched on it earlier. Do not be conformed 00:15:01.090 --> 00:15:04.070 to this world, this present world system. Not 00:15:04.070 --> 00:15:06.389 the physical world. It's the cosmos. It's the 00:15:06.389 --> 00:15:09.190 world system. And 1 John tells us what it's made 00:15:09.190 --> 00:15:10.809 of. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, 00:15:10.850 --> 00:15:14.129 and the pride of life. The way to help your kids 00:15:14.129 --> 00:15:18.529 is this is like Fortune, Cosmo, and People Magazine. 00:15:18.950 --> 00:15:21.799 Okay, that's the world. If you can have her body 00:15:21.799 --> 00:15:24.740 like that, Cosmo or 17 or what else, then, or, 00:15:24.820 --> 00:15:26.759 you know, Muscle Magazine, Men's Fitness, you 00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:28.960 get tight abs, baby, in six seconds a day, you 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:34.440 know, and with the right drugs. Or people, if 00:15:34.440 --> 00:15:36.039 you can just be famous, right? The whole goal 00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:39.179 is to be an American idol. I'm going to be famous. 00:15:39.720 --> 00:15:41.580 I want people to know me. I will say ridiculous 00:15:41.580 --> 00:15:43.840 things on TV. I will go on reality shows and 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:46.840 make a complete fool of myself doing things with 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:48.860 a camera that I would never do privately, even 00:15:48.860 --> 00:15:50.840 in my own home. But I have to because I'm on 00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:55.179 TV. And isn't that like the epitome of all of 00:15:55.179 --> 00:15:57.960 life? I'm famous now. No, you're an idiot now. 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:03.100 But your kids, your grandkids, the people you're 00:16:03.100 --> 00:16:05.340 discipling are getting boom, boom, boom, boom, 00:16:05.340 --> 00:16:09.289 boom. They're bombarded. And so when they go 00:16:09.289 --> 00:16:11.490 to buy something, what is it? You know, the clothes 00:16:11.490 --> 00:16:13.610 are that way. The media is that way. The magazines 00:16:13.610 --> 00:16:18.649 are that way. You will never be whole and healthy 00:16:18.649 --> 00:16:21.889 instead of being deceived and seduced unless 00:16:21.889 --> 00:16:25.049 you say, stop allowing yourself to be molded 00:16:25.049 --> 00:16:27.909 by this world system. So you gotta put a real 00:16:27.909 --> 00:16:30.529 barrier in media and how much you watch and what 00:16:30.529 --> 00:16:34.070 you watch. My kids heard it a zillion times and 00:16:34.070 --> 00:16:35.889 the people I've had an opportunity to help disciple. 00:16:36.149 --> 00:16:40.029 What you allow to go into your mind is the most 00:16:40.029 --> 00:16:43.190 important decision you make every day. Way more 00:16:43.190 --> 00:16:46.289 than what goes into your mouth. Like my wife 00:16:46.289 --> 00:16:49.190 is really healthy. This is organic and this doesn't 00:16:49.190 --> 00:16:52.090 have any pesticides. I mean, we're really into 00:16:52.090 --> 00:16:57.269 eating good, healthy things. But boy, you gotta 00:16:57.269 --> 00:17:00.500 put healthy stuff in your brain. You are the 00:17:00.500 --> 00:17:01.919 product of your thought life. You understand 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:04.559 that. As a man thinks, as a woman thinks in his 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:09.059 heart, so you become. You watch enough TV, you 00:17:09.059 --> 00:17:11.680 rent enough videos, you glance through enough 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:14.500 magazines, it will create desires that you can 00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:16.880 never fulfill and you'll never be satisfied and 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:19.579 you'll get sucked in and the lure riding and 00:17:19.579 --> 00:17:25.200 bam. And so, and by the way, when you live this 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:26.720 kind of life, this is where people will start 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:31.390 thinking you're weird. Because we're living in 00:17:31.390 --> 00:17:35.029 a day where, according to Barna, I don't know 00:17:35.029 --> 00:17:36.950 how accurate, but according to Barna, about one 00:17:36.950 --> 00:17:40.250 out of every 10 or one out of every 12 people 00:17:40.250 --> 00:17:42.549 who say, I'm a Christian, I'm born again, I pray 00:17:42.549 --> 00:17:44.990 to receive Jesus Christ as my savior, about one 00:17:44.990 --> 00:17:48.869 out of every 10 or 12 are living the life. The 00:17:48.869 --> 00:17:52.069 others have either a mental or, now I'm not saying 00:17:52.069 --> 00:17:53.869 they're not believers, I don't know. I'm just 00:17:53.869 --> 00:17:56.430 saying that they may have the living spirit of 00:17:56.430 --> 00:18:00.140 the living God living in them, but, Their external 00:18:00.140 --> 00:18:03.180 behavior, their values, their honesty, their 00:18:03.180 --> 00:18:05.200 commitment to marriage, their lifestyle, their 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:07.619 speech, their priorities, and their values are 00:18:07.619 --> 00:18:10.440 exactly the same as their non -Christian friends. 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:14.880 Because you are what you eat. And if you don't 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:17.359 believe me, this is a mature group, so I will 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:20.420 go way out on the limb. For you younger ones 00:18:20.420 --> 00:18:22.480 who want a mild challenge, go on a three -day 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:26.039 media fast. Okay, no rent, no TV, don't get on 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:28.579 surf the internet, media fast. Get in the car, 00:18:28.779 --> 00:18:32.220 no talk radio. You know, you can positive music, 00:18:32.380 --> 00:18:35.980 teaching, okay? Three days, no TV, no media. 00:18:37.140 --> 00:18:40.019 You'll get antsy. Some of you will find you have 00:18:40.019 --> 00:18:42.299 an addiction because when you walk in, you turn 00:18:42.299 --> 00:18:44.400 it on. Some of you are like me that when I do 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:47.619 watch TV and as soon as a commercial comes on 00:18:47.619 --> 00:18:49.640 board, so I can watch four shows at one time 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:54.220 to relax, of course. And then I'm exhausted when 00:18:54.220 --> 00:18:56.619 I'm done. I mean, I have to be this game, this 00:18:56.619 --> 00:18:58.140 game, this game. Ohio State's doing this and 00:18:58.140 --> 00:19:03.940 this and part of this movie. You go on a three 00:19:03.940 --> 00:19:09.519 -day media fast. And I will tell you, one, you'll 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:10.900 have all this time you didn't think you had. 00:19:12.460 --> 00:19:15.819 Go on a 10 -day media fast. For some of you, 00:19:15.859 --> 00:19:17.779 you'll try and it'll be scary because you can't 00:19:17.779 --> 00:19:22.039 do it. Go on a 10 -day media fast, then sit down. 00:19:22.539 --> 00:19:27.680 and watch just general primetime TV, you will 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:31.099 be shocked. That's how desensitized we've become. 00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:33.660 You'll be shocked at what comes out of people's 00:19:33.660 --> 00:19:36.559 mouth. You'll be shocked at the sexual innuendo. 00:19:36.779 --> 00:19:39.160 You'll be shocked at, and you'll see stuff that 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:42.700 you've grown accustomed to in terms of how people 00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:45.200 are dressed and different things that will stir 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:50.670 your flesh that doesn't even register now. And 00:19:50.670 --> 00:19:52.569 it's the classic, what's the illustration that 00:19:52.569 --> 00:19:54.650 you put the frog in the water and if you heat 00:19:54.650 --> 00:19:58.230 it up real slowly, it won't jump out. We got 00:19:58.230 --> 00:20:01.109 a whole generation that ain't jumping out. And 00:20:01.109 --> 00:20:04.269 here's the sadness. Then we reap the consequences. 00:20:05.869 --> 00:20:08.470 Even though it's not a willful, volitional, I 00:20:08.470 --> 00:20:11.509 hate God sin, you just reap the consequences 00:20:11.509 --> 00:20:18.200 of a unwhole and unholy life. Because holiness 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:21.079 is the demand of God to keep his universe healthy. 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:24.279 So there's consequences when I put junk in my 00:20:24.279 --> 00:20:28.680 mouth, junk in my head. It creates a set of desires. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:35.200 And so limiting... the video games, the violence, 00:20:35.460 --> 00:20:38.460 the sexuality. I mean, you are just going to 00:20:38.460 --> 00:20:41.859 be a spiritual salmon swimming upstream with 00:20:41.859 --> 00:20:44.420 your fellow friends and other people thinking 00:20:44.420 --> 00:20:46.819 you are wired. Now, is this never watch TV? Of 00:20:46.819 --> 00:20:52.640 course not. This is really asking yourself, is 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:56.720 this good, honorable, right, praiseworthy? Is 00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:00.920 this in a Philippians 4, 8 criteria? Does this 00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:03.950 draw me closer to God? or pull me farther away. 00:21:04.730 --> 00:21:06.910 And by the way, for me, sometimes it's just good 00:21:06.910 --> 00:21:09.569 stuff. I just have a limit. After about two hours 00:21:09.569 --> 00:21:14.150 of TV, even a great game, I love sports, I just 00:21:14.150 --> 00:21:18.470 find I get spiritually desensitized. And I'm 00:21:18.470 --> 00:21:20.289 different than you. I don't know, some of you 00:21:20.289 --> 00:21:24.809 can take a lot more than me. But if you take 00:21:24.809 --> 00:21:29.049 seriously what goes into your mind and then substitute 00:21:29.049 --> 00:21:32.839 it, you will see dramatic life change. Dramatic 00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:39.319 life change. What's the message? Living holy 00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:46.119 lives is how we get God's best. Holy living allows 00:21:46.119 --> 00:21:49.819 you to experience God's best for your life. Let's 00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:53.539 move holiness out of this idea of the otherworldly, 00:21:53.539 --> 00:21:57.259 dark robes, something weird, and let's move it 00:21:57.259 --> 00:22:02.360 into becoming whole, healthy, pure, winsome, 00:22:02.360 --> 00:22:05.519 loving, and receiving that life that God has 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:07.819 in every relationship, in every area of your 00:22:07.819 --> 00:22:12.900 life. This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:15.539 Chip is presenting a practical teaching series 00:22:15.539 --> 00:22:19.220 called Leaving a Legacy That Lasts Forever. Have 00:22:19.220 --> 00:22:21.440 you ever walked into a full restaurant and looked 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:24.460 around only to find every diner staring into 00:22:24.460 --> 00:22:26.900 their cell phone? Maybe you noticed that kids, 00:22:27.059 --> 00:22:29.680 even while gathered in a group, are preoccupied 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:32.410 with their headphones on. It's the way our world 00:22:32.410 --> 00:22:35.269 operates these days. And at Living on the Edge, 00:22:35.369 --> 00:22:38.210 we're adopting every technology available so 00:22:38.210 --> 00:22:40.650 that we can speak into the lives of this next 00:22:40.650 --> 00:22:44.150 generation. Chip? Here's the reality. The next 00:22:44.150 --> 00:22:47.710 generation isn't going to discover faith by accidentally 00:22:47.710 --> 00:22:50.410 walking into a church building. They're going 00:22:50.410 --> 00:22:52.630 to encounter it on a podcast during a morning 00:22:52.630 --> 00:22:55.549 run or on YouTube video at midnight when they 00:22:55.549 --> 00:22:58.150 can't sleep or a Bible study app while they're 00:22:58.150 --> 00:23:00.170 waiting for the barista to make their coffee. 00:23:00.809 --> 00:23:02.849 Living on the Edge meets young people in the 00:23:02.849 --> 00:23:06.049 digital spaces where they actually live. We're 00:23:06.049 --> 00:23:08.710 creating content that's searchable, shareable, 00:23:08.769 --> 00:23:12.490 and here's the key, accessible 24 -7. God has 00:23:12.490 --> 00:23:14.650 sustained Living on the Edge for three decades 00:23:14.650 --> 00:23:18.609 because people like you said yes. Now we're asking 00:23:18.609 --> 00:23:22.009 again, but with a twist. Thanks to this match, 00:23:22.210 --> 00:23:25.730 your gift goes twice as far. Double impact, double 00:23:25.730 --> 00:23:29.289 reach, and here's the most important part, double 00:23:29.289 --> 00:23:32.890 transformation. Our most fruitful years are ahead. 00:23:33.109 --> 00:23:35.950 And when you support this match, you're not funding 00:23:35.950 --> 00:23:39.269 yesterday's methods. You're investing in a discipleship 00:23:39.269 --> 00:23:42.349 strategy that actually reaches the smartphone 00:23:42.349 --> 00:23:46.740 generation right where they are. Thank you, Chip. 00:23:46.859 --> 00:23:49.599 Several friends of Living on the Edge have banded 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:52.299 together with this incredible match opportunity 00:23:52.299 --> 00:23:55.440 in order to inspire people like you to give as 00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:58.200 well. And when you do, your contribution will 00:23:58.200 --> 00:24:01.259 be matched and therefore doubled in size, meaning 00:24:01.259 --> 00:24:03.960 it will have twice the impact because of the 00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:06.680 match. The deadline for receiving your support 00:24:06.680 --> 00:24:10.059 is midnight, December 31st. To give right now, 00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:13.640 go to livingontheedge .org or call us at 888 00:24:13.640 --> 00:24:18.339 -333 -6003. To send a check in the mail, write 00:24:18.339 --> 00:24:22.460 to Living on the Edge, P .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:27.339 Georgia 30024. One more time, that's P .O. Box 00:24:27.339 --> 00:24:34.349 3007, Atlanta, Georgia 30024. You can also call 00:24:34.349 --> 00:24:40.089 888 -333 -6003 or just visit livingontheedge 00:24:40.089 --> 00:24:43.630 .org. Feel like you don't have money to give? 00:24:43.789 --> 00:24:46.869 I'm Dave Drewy. Chip Ingram describes the genius 00:24:46.869 --> 00:24:49.910 of generosity next time on the weekend edition 00:24:49.910 --> 00:24:51.630 of Living on the Edge.