Resources to Address Culture

I will never forget when my then 11-year-old son approached me while watching my daughter's basketball game. In his shy way, he looked up at me and said, "Dad, I have a pretty serious question." So, I looked away from the game to give him my full attention, and his face was revealing just how serious he was and how much thought he had been giving whatever was weighing on his mind.  

For the next five minutes in a very loud gym, he shared what was bothering him. We have two people in our life that are a part of the LGBT community. We have enjoyed getting to know them, and Brennan has heard their story and how they got married.  

Knowing they had put their faith in other philosophies and beliefs and not Jesus, Brennan was greatly concerned about what would happen to their marriage if one of them were to give their heart and life to Jesus. "Would they have to get a divorce, and is that right if God doesn't like divorce?" A genuine question that not only we wrestle with, but our children and grandchildren also wrestle with.  

I use this story to illustrate a point. We need to know what is happening in our world, how to engage it with the truth of God's Word and the grace of Jesus. We need to know what our children and grandchildren are hearing daily and equip them to process what they are learning through the truth of God's Word.  

To help understand how the enemy is working through ideas and philosophies, I wanted to share a few resources that I have found very helpful.  

Books:

· One author I have found very helpful is Rebecca McLaughlin. She has written three books that I have or will be using in this series. One is written directly to teenagers. I asked my teenagers to read it over the summer and have found it helpful in conversations around things they experience in school.

· The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims. This is a short read packed with powerful truths that will help you to engage conversations around the claims “Black Lives Matter”, “Love is Love”, “Gay Rights Are Civil Rights, “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights”, and “Transgender Women Are Women”. One thing that I loved was Rebecca’s attention to Matthew 16:24-26 where Jesus tells his disciples that “If anyone wants to come after me they must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”, and how she said this verse was “not safe”.  There is definitely something risky implied in this verse, as it truly requires our faith and trust in the Lord and His design for all people and relationships.    

· 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity.

· Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion.

· Larry Osborne's book, Thriving in Babylon:  He gives very practical steps and helpful ideas on living with humility and wisdom while relying on the hope of God's promises. This book is an easy read that will be a blessing to you.  

· Love thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality by Nancy Pearcey. While I haven't finished this book yet, the part I have read has been a great source of information on why the world is justifying its stance on issues of sexuality and abortion. It is so helpful to understand why someone thinks the way they do to engage them with the love and grace of Jesus. Understanding yields compassion, compassion builds trust, trust gives us a platform to share truth.  

Podcast:

You may be reading this and find yourself saying, "I don't like to or have time to read." If that is the case, I want to recommend This Cultural Moment: Following Jesus in the Secular Progressive Post-Christian World by John Mark Comer and Mark Sayers.    

I am new to this podcast, but I have read books by John Mark Comer and have appreciated his input into the conversation.   

The point is, we can't bury our heads in the sand. Our children and grandchildren are in desperate need of adults doing the work to understand the philosophies of the day and how they connect to or distract from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our goal is not to equip them with information to debate others. Our goal is to help them understand the truth and use it to decipher untruths to live a life like Daniel, who resolved not to defile himself and honor God. When living resolved and connected to the Father, we will all be equipped to love a deceived world with compassion and the love of Christ that is powerful enough to transform.