Well, now that I have your attention, I’ll just spill the beans. Unfortunately, there are NO guarantees that your kids will follow Jesus into adulthood. I know that’s not what your momma’s heart wants to hear. But that doesn’t mean we just toss up our hands and give up.
In this week’s episode of Redeeming the Chaos, Catherine Segars and I talk about why many teens walk away from the Lord, and what we as parents can do to help prevent them from doing so while our kids are still young.
This is the first of a two part episode. In next week’s episode, we will talk about parenting the prodigal, and what to do if your child walks away from the Lord.
My Biggest Fear as a Mom
One of our biggest fears as Christian parents is this… what if my son walks away from the Lord? What if he rebels against everything I’ve been teaching him?
Sadly, statistics show that more and more young adults are walking away from the faith of their parents.
And the reality is, our children each have to decide for themselves whether they will follow Christ. As parents, we can do “all the right things”, and our boys may still choose to reject the truth of the gospel.
It’s a scary thought! Is there anything we can do to improve the chances of our boys continuing to walk with the Lord into adulthood? And what can I do if my son is already struggling with his faith?
We have a special guest on the show today who is going to talk to us about how to parent a prodigal son, and what we can do to possibly prevent our boys from wandering from the truth.
Catherine Segars is an award-winning actress and playwright—turned stay-at-home-mom—turned author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and motherhood apologist. She is a homeschooling mama of five, and the host of the podcast CHRISTIAN PARENT /CRAZY WORLD. Catherine is passionate about helping parents navigate through dangerous secular landmines and establish a sound Biblical foundation for their kids.
Here are some of the highlights of my interview with Catherine:
Why are kids are falling away from the faith as they enter adulthood?
- We live in a post-modern, post-Christian society.
- Some kids lack a spiritual foundation at home.
- We can’t just leave it up to the church – parents need to take responsibility for discipling their kids.
- Many churches in our country don’t even have a biblical worldview.
- Church should be supplemental to what we do at home.
- Our culture is relentless and pervasive – our kids encounter antagonistic worldviews on a regular basis.
Articles on the lack of biblical worldview among American pastors:
What are some of the reasons kids in Gen Z are rejecting Christianity?
- They have a hard time believing that God is good.
- They think Christians are hypocrites.
- They believe science refutes too much of the bible.
- They think the bible is just a fairytale.
- They’ve seen the injustices imposed by the church throughout history.
- They’ve had a bad experience with a christian or a church.
What can you do ensure your kids will follow Jesus?
As I mentioned earlier, there are no guarantees that our kids will continue to follow the Lord into adulthood. However, there are many things we can do as parents to help guide our kids and increase the chances that our kids will follow Jesus. Catherine and I talk about four things parents can do.
- Have consistent family devotions and Bible time.
- Teach your kids how to defend their faith (apologetics).
- Memorize Scripture with your kids.
- Pray for your kids.
Below you will find resources for each of these practices:
1). Resources for Family Devotions and Bible Time
Bored with the Bible: How to Make Family Devotions More Engaging for Your Kids (ebook)
How to Encourage Your Husband to Lead Family Devotions (podcast episode)
Family Devotions for Christmas (blog article / podcast episode)
Family Devotions for Easter (Ebook)
My favorite family devotions and discipleship resources (blog post)
The Five Year Bible Plan for Teens (free download)
Rise of the Enemy, A Dragon Slayer Bible Story (devotional book for pre-teen boys)
2). Resources to Teach your kids apologetics
Foundation World View – Elizabeth Urbanowiz (curriculum) Use CPCW10 for a 10% discount!
Catherine’s interview with Elizabeth Urbanowiz (podcast)
3). Resources for Memorizing Scripture with Your Kids
Scripture Memory Songs (included in Catherine’s Prodigal Bundle)
Printable Bible Memory Cards (with pictures)
Warriors of the Word (Book on memorizing Scripture) Amazon affiliate link
4). Resources to Help You Pray for Your Kids
Scriptures to pray over your children (included in Catherine’s free Prodigal Bundle)
Confident Prayers (free ebook)
Be sure to check out next week’s episode of Redeeming the Chaos, where Catherine and I talk about how to parent a prodigal child.
Partnering With God for Your Prodigal Child
Catherine has put together a free resource that includes:
- Catherine’s PODCASTS and ARTICLES on the prodigal journey
- Resources that will instruct you in prayer
- Resources that will help you parent Gen Z
- Encouraging testimonies and messages!
- Scriptures to Pray When a Child Has Walked Away from the Faith
- And more!
DOWNLOAD THE PRODIGAL BUNDLE HERE
Family Devotional For Easter
Are you looking for a family-friendly devotional to read with your kids this Easter? Download your free copy of Come and See! 30 Family Bible Stories for Easter
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