Backseat Bible Nuggets

Our family loves to play Monopoly, especially my 9 year old. And if you've ever played this game you know that there are times where you have to go to a spot on the gameboard that is the jail. And when you're in jail, in the game, you lose your turn until you're free from jail. In order to get out of jail, you need to draw a card that says “Get Out of Jail Free.” This is the best card because it gets you back in the game and moving along with the other players.   This game of monopoly shows us something spiritually. We can think of our sin, that all humans are born with, as a type of jail. Our sin can keep us trapped, in a sense. We can't get out on our own. And it ultimately keeps us separated from God.   If we were playing monopoly we would keep hoping and hoping we would draw one of those cards to get us out! And guess what? When Jesus came, He came to get us out of that sin jail. He came as the Son of God. He came to live the perfect human life. And He came to die for our sins – to offer us forgiveness from our sins. THEN He came BACK to life, winning over sin and death and showing that He will forever and always be the winner of LIFE – both today and for always.   Jesus did all of this so that we could have forgiveness from our sins, which is like our “Get Out of Jail Free” card. It's through the forgiveness of our sins that we can have a relationship with Jesus both today and then forever in heaven with Him. But instead of waiting and just trying to get lucky by drawing the right card, in a sense, Jesus offers this forgiveness to everyone who accepts it. Isn't that amazing? It's a free gift that gets you out of that sin jail! Have you ever heard better news!?   Psalm 86:5 says, “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you.”    Let's talk about some questions today. Remember, don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing. 1.     How do you respond when you think about Jesus' forgiving your sins? 2.     If Jesus is willing to forgive your sins, how do you think He wants you to treat others?   Let's practice our verse one last time before we go. You can repeat after me. “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, - abounding in love - to all who call on you.” Psalm 86:5   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Episode 1: Christmas Story Jesus being born is a special story for everyone. For me and for you! The story of Jesus being born, the life he lived, and then eventually the death that he died on the cross was all for you. He came to this world for you! This was such great news for every single person that even a big group of angels shows up praising God saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” in Luke 2:14. I pray that when you hear the Christmas story, even if you've heard it before, that your heart explodes with worship for what God has done for each of us through Jesus. So here are some questions to get us talking about this famous story. You can pause to discuss and as always, there's no wrong answer! 1.     If you had to be one character in the Christmas story, like if you could be Mary or Joseph or Jesus or an angel or a shepherd or a sheep or a wise man or anyone else in the story, who would you want to be? 2.     What's your favorite part of the Christmas story? Do you have a favorite detail? One last time before we sign off, let's practice this awesome verse together. You can repeat after me. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14  Backseat Bible Nuggets was created by me, Laura, a mom of 2 that wanted an easy tool to help refocus our hectic days. Our hope is that this helps every adult easily start Christ centered conversations with the kids in their life. We are so honored you listen and would love for you to leave us a review or better yet, spread the word. Let your friends know about this podcast! And as always, I'm praying that your backseaters grow deep roots as you go along the way.  Episode 2: Emmanuel Emmanuel. It's another name for Jesus. In fact, it was a name given to Jesus like 700 years before Jesus was born! Did your parents name you 700 years before you were born?! Mine didn't! You see, this time of year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus we have to remember something very very important. This birth had been planned since the beginning of time! That's pretty crazy. Most ladies are pregnant with a baby for 9 months, but Jesus being born had been in the works for thousands of YEARS! We know this because 700 years before Jesus was born a guy in the Bible named Isaiah said that a virgin would have a baby boy and they would name him Emmanuel. Here's the super cool part. Guess what Emmanuel means? If you know what the name Emmanuel means go ahead and tell me… Emmanuel means God with us. And that's just what happened when Jesus was born. God was with us through this little bitty baby who needed his mommy and daddy to feed him and bathe him and change his diaper. But then he grew and grew and became a man who told everyone about God and His ways and eventually died on the cross for our sins so that we can have eternal life with Him. Whew. What a life this miracle baby had! He changed the world! Emmanuel…God with us. What a cool name. What a cool God that He would want to come and be WITH US. He left heaven to come to us. And if you're anything like me you might think….why? Why would God want to come and be with ME? I can think of a lot better things He could be doing or cooler people He could be hanging out with. I mean, I make bad choices sometimes and mess up and I don't always have the best attitude. Why would He want to be with me and not someone else? Well, it's all because He loves us no matter what…even the worst part of us. He loves you and He loves me so much that He wanted to be WITH US. Emmanuel. Matthew chapter 1 tells us of the details about the birth of Jesus and says in Matthew 1:22 and 23 “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet: (who was Isaiah 700 years earlier) “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel.”   Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing: Emmanuel is another name for Jesus, but what does it mean? Why is it important that God wanted to be with us? How can you thank God for the gift of Jesus in coming to be with us? Let's try and learn our verse together. You can repeat after me. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel.” Matthew 1:23 Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org www.BackseatBibleNuggets.com  

John 5:17 says, “Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”   Did you know that God never takes a day off? He doesn't stop working on the weekends or certain days. He is always with us every minute of every day. He never has a day where He gets sick and has to cancel plans. Did you know that God never stops working?   Psalm 121:4b says that the Lord will neither slumber or sleep. He never gets too tired and has to take a nap or go to bed early. He never even has to sleep which means no matter what time it is, He is there and He is doing something. He never stops working. His powerful plan for your life and for the world is always right on track since God doesn't look away or close His eyes for a second.   He is always working.   What does that mean for us? Well, it means we can take comfort knowing that our Lord is open for business whenever we need Him. It also means that we can trust that He never changes. He won't forget us. He won't get tired of working and quit. Jesus said in John 5:17 that “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”   Who is Jesus' father He's talking about there? Can you yell it out?   It's GOD! That's right! Jesus, when He was walking on earth in his human body, certainly had to sleep and stop working because He was too tired. But remember that Jesus and God and united in something called the Trinity, which we have another episode about that you can check out. But that means that even if Jesus took a nap, God was always still working forever and ever. He never stops working. He has energy forever and ever and ever and never runs out.   Let's talk about 2 questions today. Remember, there's no wrong answer, so don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing:   1.     First question: Is there anyone you know, besides God, who never has to sleep? 2.     Why is it important to know that the Lord never stops working?   Let's practice our verse one last time before we go. You can repeat after me. “Jesus said to them, - “My Father is always at his work - to this very day, - and I, too, am working.”- John 5:17   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org www.backseatbiblenuggets.com  

Raise your hand if you've signed up for a sport before? Or your parents signed you up? I bet we have some baseball players and some soccer players and some football players maybe even some ballerinas or cheerleaders or softball players!   Well, tell me. Just because you sign up for a sport and get the uniform, does that make you a professional player of that sport? Like are you the best player ever just for signing up? No!   You sign up so you can go to the practices and play in the games so that you can get better and better over time. By going to the practices and games you improve your skills and HOPEFULLY you are a better player at the end of the season than you were at the beginning, right?   In the same way, just because someone says they are a Christian or just because you pray and ask Jesus to come in to your heart doesn't make you a perfect Christian immediately, does it? No! We have to think of reading our Bible and praying and talking about Jesus with other believers like our sports practices and games. These things are there in order to improve our skills of what it means to LIVE as a Christian! As we read God's words and learn about Him, we will start to live a different way. The point of all of that is not just to fill our heads with fact but it's to start doing things Jesus would do in our own life. Or maybe it's to STOP doing things that Jesus wouldn't do.   I mean this so literally! If you're a Christian and growing in the Lord then you should find yourself being more kind and loving to others. Seeing them as Jesus sees them. Maybe that's you seeing someone who needs a friend on the playground and you being willing to go over and be that friend. Or maybe it's that you start becoming more obedient, more quickly when your parents tell you to do something. Or maybe it's NOT doing something you know you're not supposed to. The options are endless for how you will start to live it out day to day as you walk with Jesus.   But I just want you to understand the importance of taking the things we learn about the Lord and letting it change your behavior and attitudes and actions – just like we let our practices and lessons and games in our favorite sport improve our skills. The Bible says in Philippians 4:9a, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice.” Will you try and do that with me? Let's look for something this week, some way we can put our love for Jesus and the way He wants us to act in to action this week!   Here are some questions to talk about. Remember, there's no wrong answer, so don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing: 1.     Can you tell me of a time where you acted like Jesus? Maybe you did something or didn't do something and you know that it would have pleased the Lord for you to act that way. Tell me about it. 2.     Why do our actions matter when we are a Christian? 3.     How do we make our actions more like Jesus' actions?   Let's practice our verse one last time before we go. You can repeat after me. “Whatever you have learned - or received - or heard from me - or seen in me – put it into practice.” Philippians 4:9a   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

The Advent book is out this year from Christian Parenting! I'm so excited because we loved ours last year. This year the book is called ‘Jesus, Light of the World' and every day includes scripture, a short devotional, engaging activities that encourages kids to take ownership of their faith and yall know we love all those things here at Backseat Bible Nuggets.  You can get your copy at cpgive.org. That's cpgive.org.   I have some friends who are going to be real life missionaries! I have always heard about missionaries, but I've never actually known a missionary that I called my friend. Do you know what a missionary is? A missionary is someone who is so excited about telling others about Jesus that they make it their job.   Your parents probably have a job where they might leave the house to go to work or maybe they work from home, but a missionary is willing to go anywhere where people need to hear about Jesus. To be more specific, a foreign missionary usually means they go to another country or a different part of the world to live and to tell others about Jesus and the Bible.   My friends are going to northern Africa to tell the people there about Jesus. How cool is that?   I think missionaries are like super heroes. And you should read some stories about missionaries, just like you read books about super heroes. Hudson, my 9 year old and I read a book on Hudson Taylor this summer. I chose it because they had the same name, but the life story of this early missionary made a huge impact on me! A missionary's literal job is to introduce people to Jesus, which changes people's lives forever. Is there a more important job? No!   But while my friends are packing up everything and moving to Africa and agreeing to learn a new language and live in a new culture, it reminded me that being a missionary doesn't only mean those people willing to move to a different country. It's important for all of us to be missionaries right where we live now.   Did you know that Jesus told all people who believe in Him to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded” in Matthew 28:19 and 20?   That verse I just read is called the Great Commission. Can you say Great Commission?   And it is the job description of a missionary, or really every person who believes in Jesus – to go and make disciples, which is just a fancy word for people who know and follow Jesus. And it says to do this everywhere…where you live, where you go to school, where you practice sports, where you dance, where your parents work, and even for some foreign missionaries it means wherever the Lord calls them in the world.   Okay, let's talk about some things. You can pause after each question to discuss. And don't overthink it…the point is to get conversation flowing.   1.     Did you know that you're supposed to be telling others about Jesus? 2.     Is there anywhere that you can think of where you SHOULDN'T talk about Jesus? 3.     Who in your life might not know Jesus and you could tell them what YOU know about Jesus?   One last time before we sign off, let's practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19 and 20. Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org www.BackseatBibleNuggets.com  

One of the coolest things about our world is that it's made up of billions of people who are different from us. Not one single person is the same! We have different countries, languages, beliefs, habits, and preferences. This is one of the coolest things about our world! How diverse it is!  You can meet different people or even travel to different countries and experience the way they do life. Every country has different foods they eat, music they listen to, clothes they wear, even how they like to do things. I mean even toilets look different in different countries! Really, look it up! Toilets around the world. It's fun to learn about these differences! And while our different countries, languages, and cultures are God's plan and something to be celebrated, it's not always easy. No, sometimes countries, or nations as they can be called, argue and fight. Sometimes they even go to war for their differences. Sometimes people even end up hating other people for their differences.   And this has been happening for a LONG time. Nations have been fighting and disagreeing over their differences basically ever since sin came in to the world. And wars continue even today. Lots and lots of kids grown up in countries that are at war with other countries. It's almost like it's a part of their everyday life to hear and see signs of war all around them.   And while it breaks God's heart to see nations fight, I want you too remember something really important today. It won't always be this way! How do I know that? Because of what it says in the Bible.   Psalms 86:9 says, “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.”  Did you hear that? ALL the nations. All countries, as different as they are, will one day ALL come before the Lord and worship Him. They will all agree together over the fact that Jesus is Lord and bring glory to His name.   YES! That gives us hope today to know that even as different as we are and even tough we will fight and disagree with other countries, we will all be united and AGREE one day… in the name of Jesus. Knowing this and remembering this makes me realize that God's kingdom is so much bigger than any country here on Earth. His kingdom will last forever and will have billions of people in it since the beginning of time and from every country that ever existed.   Revelation 7:9 and 10 is another great description of this. It's were John is having this sneak-peak in to heaven and he describes what he sees. He says, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Raise your hand if you're ready to see that one day! I am! Okay, let's talk about some things. You can pause after each question to discuss. And don't overthink it…the point is to get conversation flowing.   1.       What are some differences that you know of between where you live and another country? 2.       Why do countries or nations fight or go to war? 3.       What did those verses tell us about how it will be one day in heaven?   One last time before we sign off, let's practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “All the nations you have made - will come and worship before you, Lord; - they will bring glory to your name.” - Psalms 86:9 Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org *There is an additional Backseat Bible Nuggets episode on this topic: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/backseat-bible-nuggets/id1573752728?i=1000552685169

Y'all, Christian Parenting has been hitting it out of the park lately with their products. This month they are rolling out a devotional made just for kids called My Time with God. It's geared for ages 6-12. And it's a colorful and fun devotional to read scripture, engage in creative activities, deepen their prayer life, and learn the benefits of spending time with God every day! Go get today at CPGive.org   Today we talk about questions with Hudson (9) and Avery (6): What's special about the Bible? When do you usually read your Bible? Why do you like reading your Bible? What is your favorite Bible story and why? How does the Bible help us live the way God wants us to live?   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

If yall follow me on social media, you saw me post about the Noteworthy Prayer Cards last week. These little cards made my kids whole week when they found them in their lunch box at school!   Each card has an uplifting message, a Bible verse, a prayer, and a space for you to write your own note to your child! Simply tear off a page and place it in or on their backpack, lunch box, bathroom mirror, or pillow! Wherever they will find it!   Get creative! Remember, your kids are never too young or too old to hear how much you adore them.   For more information and to get your cards, head over to cpgive.org. That's cpgive.org     Who loves a tongue twister? I know we do in our house. Have you ever tried the one that says…how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Here it is slowly….how much wood…could a woodchuck chuck…if a woodchuck…could chuck wood. One more time as fast as you can, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?   So fun! If you didn't get it this first time, I'm sure you will with practice.   Well, we are talking about tongue twisters today because I've been reading in the Bible, in the book of John lately, and I've realized that the very first verse or sentence of that book is like a tongue twister. Or better yet, a brain twister.   It says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.”   It's a brain twister because it's a bit confusing on what's being said here. It almost sounds like the disciple John who wrote this book is repeating Himself a few times. But he's not. Let's take each phrase and look at what he's saying. First of all, he's talking about Jesus who we can think of as “the word.” So when John says “in the beginning was the word,” what do you think that means? I'm going to give you a minute to pause here and talk about that together. When John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the word,” what does that mean? PAUSE If you said that it means that Jesus existed since the beginning of time, you're right! Remember that “in the beginning” is the phrase that is used in Genesis which explains the whole creation of the world? John is letting us know that Jesus was there at that time! Jesus' life didn't just start when He was born on earth!   Okay, let's add the next part of that verse: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God…remember we can think of “the word” as another name for Jesus here so we've already said that Jesus existed before the world was created, but it also says “the word was with God.” This shows us that Jesus is in perfect fellowship with God. And this is a fancy way of saying that they were hanging out together and best friends. It shows us that they are 2 unique people! Which is sorta mindblowing given the next phrase. Let's add it in…   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The last phrase says “the Word was God.” So we shouldn't think of Jesus and God as 2 separate people with different things they like and don't like, but we should think of them as the same beucase this tells us that Jesus IS God. I told you this was a brain twister, right?! This is a concept called the Trinity, which we have a whole episode about if you want to learn more here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/backseat-bible-nuggets/id1573752728?i=1000531698203   But for now, let's say the whole verse together. But this time I'll pause so you can repeat after me: In the beginning was the Word….and the Word was with God…and the Word was God…John 1:1   Awesome job everyone! I encourage you to keep practicing this verse and keep thinking about each phrase because it's a pretty cool verse that really gets you thinking!   For now though, we have some questions for you to talk about. Remember, the point is to get conversation flowing, so don't over think it! 1.     Who was with God when all things were created? 2.     Why is it important to know that Jesus existed at the creation of the world and not just when Mary had him as a baby? 3.     What does it mean that Jesus is God?   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Do you ever need help with something? I mean, is there ever something that you can't do on your own and you need someone to help you do it? Let's talk about some examples. When have you needed help today? Go ahead and tell me about a time recently where you needed help. Okay, now I want you to tell me exactly just HOW you asked for help when you needed it. Alright, so maybe you asked for help by simply saying “I need help.” Or “can you help me, please?” or maybe you just cried and the adult you were with knew you needed help. It's a totally normal part of a kid's day to need and ask for help. It happens A LOT, I bet, doesn't it? Well, that need for help doesn't stop when you grow up. It might look a little different. Like as you grow up, you'll learn how to tie your shoes or cut you your food or things like that or other things you might need help with at this age, but even grown-ups still need help in all sorts of ways. Good news is that we know someone who always hear when we ask for His help. It's Jesus! Did you know that the Lord really really really wants US – me and you -  to ask Him for His help? He wants us to go to Him when we need help because He can help us! John 14:13 and 14 is where Jesus said, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Philippians 4:6 tells us to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”   There is certainly a right way and a wrong way to go about asking for help from God. For example, if you demand that God gives you an ice cream cone right now!! ….He might not. But, if you go to Him, thanking Him that He listens to you and your need for help. And if you ask Him to help you through a situation or if you ask Him to help you with a hard situation so that His name would be glorified, John 14:14 tells us that He will do it!   So, here's what I want you to remember today, because this is a big deal. We can ask God for help. Repeat John 14:14 after me…..”You may ask me for anything…..in my name….and I will do it…. John 14:14”   Jesus said those words. He wasn't joking or making it up. He really really wants us to go to Him when we need help and ask Him for help. Don't you think that God Almighty who created the heavens and the earth just might be the perfect person to ask for help? I do. And it's a good reminder that we can go to Him first for help when we are in need.   I want to leave you with 2 questions to talk about with whoever you're listening with…. 1.     Where do you need God's help in your life right now? 2.     How do we ask God for help? Talk it out and maybe even pray together as we put it in to practice of asking God for help in our life!   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Have you ever seen one of those big inflatable balls that people can get inside and fit their whole body in? It's almost like a giant hamster ball, but for humans? Apparently, it's called a zorb. You can look it up! https://www.zorbs.us/ Well, my friends, this is sometimes how I visualize God's protection of His children.   Hah! That might sound sorta strange, and I should start by saying there is no Bible verse that talks about giant human hamster balls, but scripture is full of stories that show God's full and complete protection from all sides. And it's the Lord's protection that encompasses those who follow Him as they live their life.   In fact, God's plan of sending Jesus to die for our sins PROTECTS us from death for all of eternity. Talk about ultimate protection! And so those who have surrendered their heart to Jesus and received His gift of salvation can know that they know that they know that the Lord will always protect and that He will never leave them or forsake them. That's a promise in the Bible that we can depend on. And part of Him never leaving us means that we can count on His protection all around us. A protection that cannot be broken. A protection that cannot be penetrated.   In fact, Psalms 18:2-3 says, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”   So, these verses talk about the Lord being a fortress. Hmm, what is a fortress? We don't typically have those around town anymore, but they used to be very common and very important to protecting people! A fortress was almost like a castle or a giant structure that was meant to protect people inside from an outside enemy attack. It usually had thick walls made from stone and its whole purpose was to protect the people and keep them safe.   So Psalm 18:2 is telling us that the LORD is OUR fortress. The Lord is like this huge structure made from the biggest stones that cannot be broken. His protection is a like a fortress that we can stay in and know that we will be safe. And a fortress sounds like much better protection than a giant hamster ball, doesn't it?   Now, I want to say one thing. God is our protector. He does offer us protection. And He won't ever fail. But, does that mean that nothing bad or hard will ever happen in our life, right? No, sometimes people choose to walk away from God's protection, like they walk out of the fortress and think they can protect themselves on their own. Or sometimes God allows things to happen in our life to give Him glory as we grow through it. But either way, God as just as He is described in Psalm 18:2. Y'all can repeat after me on this one. It says, “The Lord is my rock…my fortress….and my deliverer…My God is my rock…in whom I take refuge….” Psalm 18:2…   So, let's talk about some things that we learn from this. You can pause to discuss. And remember, don't overthink it. Just give your best answer and get the conversation going!   1.     What does it mean that God is our protector? 2.     How have you seen God as protector in your life?   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org  

Have you ordered your prayer journal from Christian Parenting for this school year? This simple yet powerful tool will be your most valuable school supply you get! So, make sure you're staying rooted in prayer for your kids this year by going to CPGive.org to get yours today!   You know the feeling of being extremely thirsty? Just dying of thirst? Maybe you've been playing outside in the hot sunshine and suddenly it hits you how thirsty you are. It's like the only thing you can think about is getting some ice-cold water.   When we are thirsty, most of us are able to just run inside and get water. OR we've brought a water bottle along with us that's right by our side for when we get thirsty. Our bodies need water constantly to stay hydrated and feeling good. We don't just drink because it tastes good, we drink because we need it for our body to stay alive! And while my kids sure do love milk and juice and all the special drinks, nothing can satisfy our thirst quite like water can. Is this making anyone else thirsty? Like then need some water right now with all this talking about it?   Well, just as we get thirsty every day, so did Jesus. Actually, there is a story in the Bible, in John chapter 4, where Jesus goes to a well to get some water to drink. A well is like a big tunnel or hole in the ground where they used to get water from. Anyway, he sits down at the well probably super thirsty because he's been walking a long way. And he starts talking to a lady that the Bible calls the Samaritan woman.   This conversation that Jesus has with this Samaritan woman is so unusual because back in Bible times, the Samaritan people and the Jews, which is what Jesus was, did NOT get along. There was this long history of them not being friendly with each other. So, they usually wouldn't even talk. But Jesus doesn't care about those types of things and he starts talking to this lady at the well.   And Jesus ends up telling her in John 4:13 that “everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”   Wow! What if you had been the one talking with Jesus and he told you that He had water that would make you never thirst again? What would you have said in response?   PAUSE   I think I would've said, yes please! Give me some of that special water. In fact, let's put some in my water bottle for later too! But, Jesus wasn't talking about water like we drink every day. What do you think He was talking about?   PAUSE   Jesus was using this example of water and the fact that we get thirsty and keep having to drink water to explain the fact that Jesus offers us something better. He offers us a type of spiritual water that can satisfy our heart and mind a soul in a way that only Jesus can. In a way that won't keep going away like regular water does in our bodies. In fact, our verse said that the water Jesus gives will become a spring in us! So, we will have a constant source of water! Amazing, right!?   Jesus called this water “living water” in John 4:10. What do you think “living water” means?   PAUSE   The Lord can satisfy us in ways that regular ole water could never do. Don't get me wrong, water hits the spot on those hot days after I've been running around. But, Jesus also hits the spot when my heart is worried or my mind wonders about certain things or even when I'm scared or disappointed. There's nothing that can satisfy me like Jesus' presence. And His presence, the Holy Spirit, is that living water that is living IN me as a child of God.   So, after all this talk about water, maybe we should go get a big glass of ice water! Sound good? Let's do it.   Water sound. Drink sound. Ahhhh.   So good! Let's pray together. Lord Jesus, you are living water. And I thank you for this conversation that you had with the Samaritan woman. We can learn how you can relate to the feeling of being thirsty. And we learn that you offer us something way better than simple water. You offer us satisfaction for our deepest needs. You are a special God who loves us deeply. May we drink your living water today. Amen.   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Miss Patty Cake “Little Me” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI_pDN-edw8   I've been walking with Jesus for 30 years now and its crazy that I've just recently realized that the longer I know Him, the more I understand how much I don't know and don't understand about Him. I mean, most people, the more you spend time with them, the more you know them, right?! That's true with Jesus too in some ways. The more time I spend reading the Bible which teaches me about Him, the more I know Him. The more time I spend in prayer talking to Him, the more I know Him. The more time I spend singing songs about Him, the more I know Him. But since God is unlike any other person I know because, well, He's God…I've realized that the more I know Him it's like the less I know. The more I realize how huge and great and holy and mighty in power and just massive His presence is. My understanding grows to see how nothing can stop Him and how He can speak a word and whatever He said happens and how even tiny details all throughout history are orchestrated and directed by Him. He is just on this massive huge scale that I can't even wrap my brain around. But yet. Here's the amazing part. He loves me. Little me. But why? Why would He love me? There's plenty of other people for Him to love. Plenty of cooler people who are better at all sorts of things than I am. Yet…..little me. He loves and cares for so deeply. And He doesn't just love me big picture or if I'm acting really good. He loves me even when I make the wrong decision. He loves even the details of my life. Like He knows what hurts my feelings and what foods I like or don't like. He knows me. He knows my thoughts. He knows me better than I even know myself because He made me. Makes me think of this song my daughter learned in preschool that's by Miss Patty Cake. I'll put the link to the song in the show notes. Listen to this song… AVERY SING Jesus loves little me. The God who is bigger than we can ever understand….He loves little me. How amazing is that? And that my friends, is what I've been learning recently. Even after walking with the Lord for 30 years. It's the basic gospel, the good news about what Jesus did for us while we were yet sinners, that still floors me and brings me to my knees in worship. My little knees, if you will. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Here are some questions to get you and whoever you're listening with talking about how amazing the Lord is to us. 1.     How can God create the heavens and the earth yet still know your thoughts? 2.     How does that make you feel to say that Jesus loves little me? 3.     What can we do in response to such an amazing love? Like should we just say thank you and walk away? Or what can we do because of His love for us? Let's practice our verse together one last time. You can repeat after me. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org    

Hey Backseaters! I have noticed that there are a LOT of new listeners here on Backseat Bible Nuggets which means you're telling all your friends about this podcast and that makes me super happy. Thank you! But, I thought it might be time to reintroduce myself again for some of our new Nuggetters! So, Hey! I'm Laura Young. And I'm the most normal mom of two kids you'll ever meet. Hah! What I mean by that is that I'm not a fancy podcaster with a big studio and slick production skills. Nope! I'm actually a mom who wanted a podcast devotional for her kids to listen to one morning as we were running out the door and it was stressful, crazy and everyone was frustrated. We needed something to reset our hearts and minds for the day ahead since the morning hadn't been our best. Anyway, I couldn't find anything. All I wanted was for someone to basically read a devotional to us since I was driving and definitely not in the right state of mind to wing it as we headed out the door.   Since I couldn't find anything, I decided to make it! Well, actually, I prayed about it, tried to get other people to do it and really felt like the Lord kept saying, “why not you? Why not you?” So, 2 years ago I decided to go for it and kicked off this whole Backseat Bible Nugget project.   That's how I got here! And I've done it with the help of lots of kiddos like you. My favorite episodes are when I hear your voices instead of my own! Speaking of kid voices, my kids are Hudson and Avery and you'll hear their voices on here helping out pretty often.   Right now though, they are enjoying summer activities like invention camp, water parks, dance camp, reading challenges, family trips and swimming. Lots and lots of swimming since it's so so hot.   Anyway, since I want you to know who we are, here are 5 random things about us…. 1.     My kids prefer to be barefoot all day every day no matter the terrain. 2.     We think that Papa Johns pizza is the best pizza that exists. 3.      We had a black bear walk across our front porch last year! 4.     We live near an air force base that has tons of fighter jets constantly flying. It's super fun to see an airshow every day, but not always best when it comes to recording a podcast since those planes are LOUD. 5.     Our family has 2 kittens who are brother and sister. They look just alike and we have a hard time telling them apart!   What about you? What are some cool things about you? I'd love to meet you and get to know you better! You can always email me at backseatbiblenuggets@gmail.com or even find me on Instagram or facebook. I'd love to hear your thoughts and even any ideas you might have for some podcast episodes!   But, you know what? Even if we don't ever meet, I know something about you. I know the Lord created you and has big plans for your life! The Bible says that the Lord knit us together so He's made YOU in a special way. And I know that He can use YOUR life to do awesome and wonderful thing for God's glory if you follow Him and His ways all the days of your life. And that's my prayer for every ear listening. That this podcast would be used to add a little fuel to your fire in walking in relationship with the Lord. That it would be a supplement to help you remember and talk about Jesus and all He's done for us every day.   Okay, yall, well it's been great to meet you. I'll be back next Wednesday with a regular episode. See you then!

Our family recently went on a trip where we were able to soak in God's beautiful creation. We stared up at majestic mountains. We played in creeks. We hiked to waterfalls. We hunted for cool rocks at the edge of the water. We even tried skipping rocks, which is harder than you might think!   Anyway, I think it brings God great joy when His children play in and enjoy His creation. The things He made for us! And I think it brings Him even greater joy when we recognize Him and thank Him while we are enjoying the works of His hands.   While our family spent a few days in these mountains with rivers and lots of rocks, we kept talking about 2 Bible verses and 2 concepts that come from these verses.   First, is that do you know Jesus talked about rocks crying out in praise if humans don't praise Him? Luke 19:40 Jesus says, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” In this verse, Jesus is being asked to make the people who are praising Him be quiet. And this is how Jesus responds! If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Well, that just gets me to thinking…. what do YOU think a rock would sound like if it cried out in praise to God? I guess it depends on the rock. Maybe just like people, rocks have different singing voices. I have no idea. But it shows us how serious God is about us praising Him! All of His creation, even rocks and stones, points to just how awesome He is.   Speaking of creation praising God, the other verse we talked about on our trip a lot was Psalm 98:8, “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.” What a band we are getting together here in creation, right!? Rivers clapping their hands is such a cool description because as we stood next to rivers and waterfalls, if you closed your eyes, it DID sound like a huge crowd just applauding and clapping their hands as hard as they could in praise to God. Amazing!   All creation points us back to the Lord, the one who created it all and the one who deserves all the glory and praise from it. I'm so thankful He made His creation in such a way that we can play and explore it and praise Him while we do!   Here are some questions to talk about. Remember, there's no wrong answer, so don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing: 1.     Let me hear what you think it would sound like if a rock sang praises to God. 2.     Why is it important for us to praise God as we enjoy His creation? 3.     What are some ways that you can praise God for His creation that you see around you right now?   Let's practice our verse together one last time. You can repeat after me. Since we talked about 2 verses, I chose just one, but would love for you to look both of them up! Okay, here we go. “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.” Psalm 98:8   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Do you know what obedience is? It is when you do something that's been asked of you. It's when you obey! But, I'd like to add that it's doing what's been asked of you right away and with a happy heart. I'm sure you and your parents talk about obeying pretty often. I know we do around our house! And there's a reason for us talking about it so much. It's because learning to obey your mom and dad or any other adult that's in charge is SO important.   Why? Well, because God told us it was important! Ephesians 6:1 says, “children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.” That verse makes it clear that obeying your parents is what the Lord WANTS us to do. The Bible tells us that obeying our parents is the RIGHT thing to do. It's not asking us whether or not we FEEL like obeying or if we agree with what's being asked of us. Ephesians 6:1 says, “obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.”   But, second of all, obeying your parents is helping you learn how to obey the Lord, which is also super important. Think about this for a second….take your favorite Bible story. What is your favorite Bible story right now? Or maybe just a story that pops in to your head. I bet there is someone in that story that obeyed or disobeyed the Lord. Obedience….or disobedience….is in every story of the Bible! Think about it. Adam and Eve disobeyed and were kicked out of the garden. Noah obeyed and built the ark. Abraham obeyed and was blessed with a huge family. Moses obeyed even though others around him didn't. The story of the Israelite people is a rollercoaster of obedience and disobedience. King David himself mostly obeyed the Lord but definitely had his moments of disobeying. Even Jesus obeyed the Lord. Yeah! Philippians 2:8 tells us that he was obedient to death – even death on a cross. Meaning, that's what God had asked him to do and he did it! He obeyed. What about people in the Bible like John the Baptist or the disciples or Paul? They all have stories of obedience to the Lord. I could keep going, but I think you see the point. Obedience is SO SO important the Lord! So let's practice and get really good at obeying our parents because that means that we will be able to better obey the Lord!   Here are some questions to talk about. Remember, there's no wrong answer, so don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing:   1.     What does it mean to obey? 2.     Why is it sometimes hard or difficult to obey what we've been told? 3.     Tell me about someone in the Bible who either obeyed or disobeyed.   Let's practice our verse together one last time. You can repeat after me. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Happy 2nd Birthday Backseat Bible Nuggets! In this special episode, we celebrate the last two years and the way that God has grown the BBN podcast family! You can't have a birthday party without some fun and games, so we brought in a special guest, JJ Campbell from Along for the Ride Podcast. She's a blast! We hope you have fun with this episode and don't forget to grab your party favor of your chance to win one of 4 giftcards to Chick-fil-A (2) or McDonalds (2) BY CLICKING HERE! THANK YOU for listening and being part of the Backseat Bible Nugget family!

In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus heals 10 men that all had a skin disease. But guess what? There's more going on in this this miracle than meets the eye. We explore the importance of the 1 man who returned to thank Jesus for his healing. We talk about how we need Jesus' help in order to have thankfulness be our frist reponse. While there are deeper meanings to this story in the fact that it was a Samaratin who was the one thankful man, we focus on the fact that he was simply thankful to Jesus. How often are we forgetful to be thankful for what God has given to us? ... Here are some questions to talk about. Remember, there's no wrong answer, the point is to get conversation flowing: 1.     How many men were healed and how many men said, “thank you”? 2.     Tell me about a time where you forgot to say thank you. 3.     Why is it important to thank God? Let's practice our verse together one last time. You can repeat after me. “He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him.” Luke 17:17a

Everyone knows that kids ask really great questions. And sometimes the questions are tough to answer! Here are a few questions I've heard recently: “If God created everything, then who created God?” or “Why would God create hell?” or “When is Jesus coming back to earth?”   These are all awesome questions! And the thing I love most about these questions is that it means you're thinking about the Lord. But, these questions don't have easy and clear answers.   In fact, there are a lot of things about God that are somewhat of a…..mystery. A mystery is just something that's hard to explain or difficult to understand. And certain things about God will always be a mystery us. Why? Because we are humans that can't understand EVERY. SINGLE. THING. about God. Sure, we can understand a lot about Him, especially as we read the Bible which teaches us about who He is. But, the Bible doesn't give clear answers to every detailed question we might think of.   And I want to tell you something…..that's okay! It's okay for God to be a God of mystery. It's okay that all of my questions don't have perfect clear answers. This is important! If I were able to figure out every little thing about the Lord and how He works and thinks, then I might start thinking I could do His job for Him, which wouldn't be good.   We should see God's mystery as reassuring to us that He's way bigger than we are and able to do much more than we can ever imagine. So, let's be okay with the mystery, deal?!   Romans 11:33-34 talks about this when it says, “how very rich are God's wisdom and knowledge! How He judges is more than we can understand! The way He deals with people is more than we can know! Who can ever know what the Lord is thinking? Or who can ever give Him advice?”   That verse says God's ways are more than we can understand, more than we can know. So, if anyone ever tells you that they know everything and they have all the answers, just know that's not possible because this verse tells us that we won't ever figure out all the things about the Lord. Kinda mindblowing, if you ask me.   One last thing as we're talking about this. Yes, God is a God who has some mystery. But, He's also told us A LOT about who He is in the Bible. So, don't get discouraged that God will always be a mystery about everything. There's a LOT to know and learn about Him for your entire life! There will just come a point, on some questions or topics, where we have to be okay with NOT knowing every detail. That's where we trust what we DO know about Him and go back to the main truths in the Bible.   So, let's talk about a few things… You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get us talking:   1.     What hard questions do you have about God? 2.     Now ask the adult you're listening with what questions they have about God? What is a mystery to them about the Lord? Remember how our verse said that God's ways are more than we can understand and more than we can know? That's for everyone, kids AND adults! So, ask your adult what is a mystery to them about the Lord. 3.     Do you think it's cool or not cool that God has some things about Him that we can't figure out? How do you feel about His mystery?   I hope you had great discussion! And I want to tell you on the last question, if you don't love that you can't figure everything out about God, then we can pray and ask Him to help you have more trust or faith in Him. He can help us with that! It doesn't mean He will tell us all the answers for our questions, but He will help us to better trust who He is and trust His goodness even in the mystery.   One last time, let's practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “How very rich are God's wisdom and knowledge! How He judges is more than we can understand! The way He deals with people is more than we can know!” Romans 11:33   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Alright Backseaters, as we start this episode, I want you to show me your best dance move. GO ahead and let me see it! I'll be dancing right along with you. Wow! Incredible moves! Where did you learn to dance like that? Did you know that dancing is not only fun but it can be used to worship God? That's right! The Bible talks about dancing a lot. If you want to read some verses you can check out Ecclesiastes 3:4 or Psalm 30:11 or Psalm 149:3. But today we are going to talk about King David dancing. You have probably heard of King David but have you heard of his dance moves? King David loved to dance and he wasn't afraid to show it! Now, he didn't just dance to show off his dance moves, but he danced to worship God, to give God glory and he did it in response to how awesome he thought God was. 2 Samuel chapter 6 tells us the story of when King David brought the ark to Jerusalem. Now, this ark is called the ark of the covenant. NOT Noah's ark. NOT A BOAT! The ark of the covenant was a special box that God told the people exactly how to make and it represented God himself being with the people. It seems a little strange to us today because we live in a different time where God's Spirit can be with us anywhere, anytime. But it wasn't always like this! God's presence, or just God being with His people centered around this box called the ark of the covenant. Okay, so the ark of the covenant was coming into Jerusalem and King David…oh man….he was SO excited. You know why? Because it meant God would be with them, close to them! And guess what? David showed His excitement and praise and worship to God by busting out his BEST dance moves! 2 Samuel 6:14b tells us that David, “danced in front of the Lord with all his might.” Show me how you can dance with all your might like David. NICE! And David wasn't the only one worshipping. EVERYONE was excited and worshipping God, it says! The next verse says that “the whole community of Israel helped him bring it up. They shouted. They blew trumpets.” They all worshipped God in different ways, but King David is known for his dance moves in this story. So, let's talk about a few things… You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get us talking: 1.     What's your favorite way to worship the Lord? 2.     Why do you think it's important for you to worship God? 3.     What do you think is God's favorite dance move? Let's try and learn our verse together. You can repeat after me. “David danced in front of the Lord with all his might.” 2 Samuel 6:14b Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Last week our family visited Washington DC and had so much fun exploring all the sites and being in the city. We noticed that there are a lot of differences between Washington DC and where we live in Florida. One major difference that was easy to see was how many different TYPES of people we saw. We saw people from all different countries from all over the world. It was easy to tell they were from a different country because they either looked different from us, dressed in different clothing styles or even spoke a different language. The different languages was fun to hear as you're walking past someone and they are speaking something they can understand but yet makes no sense to me! Anyway, the differences were fun to see and something to be celebrated. But, it also makes me think how we are all the same in a lot of ways. I kept thinking about how Jesus loves each of us – no matter what we look like or where we are from or what language we speak. Makes me think of the song, Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. It also makes me think of one of our favorite songs right now by Ellie Holcomb called “God of all nations.” We love her whole Sing album, but the song God of all nations reminds us that every language, every color…you and I are sisters and brothers. Those songs help us remember the truth we hear from the Bible. “For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His only Son, so whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Did you catch that? For God so loved the WORLD. Not just one country or type of person. So even though certain people might seem different from me, to God they are all loved the same! AND guess what? One day, when all believers are in heaven, it'll be people from all over the world from all through time and we will all be united in God's kingdom. How awesome will that day be?!   Okay friends, here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get us talking: 1.     Do you know someone from a different country? Or maybe just someone who is different from you? Tell me their name. 2.     Okay, now let's talk about how you and that person are the same. What are your similarities? 3.     Why do you think it's important to know that God loves people from all over the world in every country?   Let's try and learn our verse together. You can repeat after me. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

This episode is a follow-up to the 'How do I become a Christian?' episode. If we don't understand the WHY behind the HOW then we're missing the whole point. We talk about how because we are all sinners then we need Jesus! That's WHY we should ask Jesus to be Lord of our life and follow Him and His ways. An understanding of personal sin needs to come before a true commitment to following Jesus. Let's make sure our kids understand that they need Jesus because they are sinners, not becuase their parents tell them to or because they grow up going to church. Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

We talk a lot on here about how Jesus came to earth and died for our sins. But, did you know that Jesus is going to come back to earth some day?! Yeah! He's going to come back one day. But this time it'll be different. This time He won't be born in a manger with Mary and Joseph as his Mom and Dad. This time will be A LOT different.   I have to tell you up front that we don't know EXACTLY all the details about how Jesus will come back, but we DO know He said He would come back so we can trust that it's true.   We can look to the Bible for some clues about what it will be like when Jesus returns to earth. So, here's what we DO know about when Jesus comes back again, which we also sometimes call His second coming.   We know he will come on the clouds. We know that every eye will see Him. That means every person will see Him with their own eyeballs. We know He will come with all of His angels – tons and tons of angels with Him. Oh, and there will be trumpets! Loud trumpets! (trumpet sound) AND we know that the only person who knows when all of this will happen is (drum roll) God, Himself.   Revelation 1:7a says, ”Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him…”   How cool is that?! Our God is so amazing that He can do all of those things – like come in the clouds with millions even billions of angels behind Him. With a trumpet call announcing His arrival so that all eyes on earth will look to Him and see Him. I REALLY want to see this because I think it'll be the coolest sight ever!   And it will be for those who know and love Jesus! For those who don't know Him or follow Him, though, it won't be the best day ever. That's because when Jesus comes back they won't have time anymore to turn to Him. That's why it's important that we know and follow Jesus TODAY! We can't wait to do that because remember….no one knows when He's coming back. Only God knows that!   What if it's today? Look up! Do you see Him in the clouds right now? What if it's tomorrow? What if it's when you're 100 years old? Who knows?! Maybe it won't happen in your lifetime. Maybe it'll be in 10,000 years. Only God knows. But, we are told to live for Him right now and to be excited about the day when He comes back in this awesome way.   Okay friends, here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get us talking about this: 1.     What are some things we know from the Bible about Jesus' second coming? 2.     What are some questions that you might have about Jesus coming back to earth? There are plenty of things that we don't know about this day! So what are some of your questions? 3.     How do you think you'll respond if you see Him coming back? Would you jump for joy or find a trumpet to blow or maybe you'd hide not knowing what was happening or something else?     Let's try and learn our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him…” Revelation 1:7a   Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Does God forgive and forget? When we say, "God, please forgive me," we can magically erase His memory? Explore and ponder these questions with us! Psalm 103:12 says, “He has removed our sins from us. He has removed them as far as the east is from the west.” Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Did you know there are lots and lots of different meanings for the word “love”? The Bible has A LOT to say about love. So much so that we don't have time to talk about every Bible verse that mentions the word. In fact, the type of Bible translation that I'm using mentions love 551 times! Woah! Here are a few major things I want us to know about God's love though. 1 John 4:19 says that “we love because He first loved us.” God loved us first. He didn't wait on us to love Him before He returned that love. He loved us before we were even born! And this verse reminds us that He Himself is the definition of love. We love because He first loved us. And also, His love for us and our love for Him makes us do things. Sorta like how your love for a certain food makes you crave it or how your love for a friend makes you want to play with them. Another way to say it is that love is action. Love isn't JUST a feeling, it makes us do certain actions. Mark 21:31 tells us to love our neighbor as ourself. And 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 talks about what actions go along with love. Listen to this: “Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not proud. It does not dishonor other people. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people's wrongs. Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up. Love never fails.” Okay, here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing: 1.     How is God's love different from other types of love? 2.     How do you know that God loves you? 3.     How can you show love to someone today? Let's try and learn our verse together. You can repeat after me. “We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

How do I become a Christian? This episode walks through the basic understanding required to pray and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life. We must first start with our sin nature and our need to be forgiven. Then we look to the cross where Jesus died for our sins. Finally, we must ask Him to be in charge of our life and live out each day for Him with the help of His Holy Spirit. This is a complicated subject for some kids and will likely require listening to other episodes to put all the puzzle pieces of understanding together for the big picture. We are praying for you as you listen to this episode with your Backseaters!

One of the goals of this podcast is to get you interested and excited about God's word. The Bible is important to our everyday life…when we submit or REALLY listen to God's word it puts our heart and attitude in the right place to go throughout our day no matter what happens. God's word is living and active, it's powerful, as we've talked about before!   But today, I want to remind us that God's has a sense of humor and we can find that when we look at details of the Bible. In fact, Hudson, my 8-year-old, found something he thought was super funny in the Bible the other day that made him laugh. Do you think it's okay to laugh at something in the Bible? It is! I think God loves when we laugh and I think He especially loves when we are reading His word with enough attention to realize when something is funny!   Okay, so Hudson was reading in 1 Samuel 24 and this is where David is being chased by Saul because Saul wants to kill him. Listen to what it says and see if you can find the funny parts… “Saul returned from chasing the Philistines. Then he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” So, Saul took 3,000 of the best soldiers from the whole nation of Israel. He started out to look for David and his men. He planned to look near the Rocky Cliffs of the Wild Goats. He came to some sheep pens along the way. A cave was there. Saul went in to go to the toilet. David and his men were far back in the cave. David's men said, “This is the day the Lord told you about. He said to you, ‘I will hand your enemy over to you. Then you can deal with him as you want to.'” So David came up close to Saul without being seen and he cut off a corner of Saul's robe.” That's 1 Samuel 24:1-4.   Did you find anything sort of funny about that? First of all, I should say, there was nothing funny about this situation because Saul was trying to kill David and David was hiding for his life! Yikes!   But here's what's funny….if you are in to bathroom humor, which most kids are, right?! Saul has to use the toilet, he has to go to the bathroom. And it just so happens that he chooses to use a cave where David and his men are hiding. PU!! And Hudson pointed out that Saul must've gone #2 if he was in there long enough for David and his men to discuss what was happening AND for David to sneak up and cut a corner of his robe off.   What in the world!? HAHA! Can you imagine? Have you ever snuck up on someone going to the bathroom? I wouldn't recommend it. Stinky!!!   Anyway, this goes to show that when we pay attention to the details of God's word - when we listen and really think about the details of what we are reading then it comes alive to us! These aren't just made up stories! They are real life! And sometimes real life can be a little bit funny and make us laugh.   Okay, here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing: What did you find funny about that story with David and Saul? Why do you think God would include funny details like that in the Bible? Can you think of other funny stories or situations in the Bible?   Let's try and learn our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Saul went in to go to the toilet. David and his men were far back in the cave.” 2 Samuel 24:3b

Have you ever been lost? If that's ever happened to you then you know how scary and confusing it can be for everyone involved! Well did you know that one time Mary and Joseph lost Jesus? I mean the most important child in the world was LOST! That's right! Luke 2:41-52 tells us about the time that Jesus was lost for 3 days. And this was way before they had cell phones to call people or text and ask if anyone had seen Jesus. They just had to go around asking and I'm sure Mary and Joseph were worried sick. I love thinking about this story right after Christmas where we tend to imagine Jesus so peacefully sleeping in the manger almost like a fairytale. This story reminds us that Jesus lived a normal human life. Sure, He was the savior of the world and He wasn't worried or scared when He was lost. But, it reminds us of that He was fully human. And that meant that things happened….like being lost. AND that God chose Mary and Joseph knowing full well that they would lose Jesus one day for a few days. Their parenting mess up didn't disqualify them from being the perfect choice of parents to Jesus. And that's reassuring to me as a parent, myself! Okay, here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing: How did Mary and Joseph lose Jesus? How did Jesus respond to being lost? What do we learn about Jesus as a 12 year old boy through this story? Let's try and learn our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Why were you looking for me? He asked. “Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?” Luke 2:49

Jesus being born is a special story for everyone. For me and for you! The story of Jesus being born, the life he lived, and then eventually the death that he died on the cross was all for you. He came to this world for you! This was such great news for every single person that even a big group of angels shows up praising God saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” in Luke 2:14. I pray that when you hear the Christmas story, even if you've heard it before, that your heart explodes with worship for what God has done for each of us through Jesus. So here are some questions to get us talking about this famous story. You can pause to discuss and as always, there's no wrong answer! 1.     If you had to be one character in the Christmas story, like if you could be Mary or Joseph or Jesus or an angel or a shepherd or a sheep or a wise man or anyone else in the story, who would you want to be? 2.     What's your favorite part of the Christmas story? Do you have a favorite detail? One last time before we sign off, let's practice this awesome verse together. You can repeat after me. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14  Backseat Bible Nuggets was created by me, Laura, a mom of 2 that wanted an easy tool to help refocus our hectic days. Our hope is that this helps every adult easily start Christ centered conversations with the kids in their life. We are so honored you listen and would love for you to leave us a review or better yet, spread the word. Let your friends know about this podcast! And as always, I'm praying that your backseaters grow deep roots as you go along the way. 

Emmanuel. It's another name for Jesus. In fact, it was a name given to Jesus like 700 years before Jesus was born! Did your parents name you 700 years before you were born?! Mine didn't! You see, this time of year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus we have to remember something very very important. This birth had been planned since the beginning of time! That's pretty crazy. Most ladies are pregnant with a baby for 9 months, but Jesus being born had been in the works for thousands of YEARS! We know this because 700 years before Jesus was born a guy in the Bible named Isaiah said that a virgin would have a baby boy and they would name him Emmanuel. Here's the super cool part. Guess what Emmanuel means? If you know what the name Emmanuel means go ahead and tell me… Emmanuel means God with us. And that's just what happened when Jesus was born. God was with us through this little bitty baby who needed his mommy and daddy to feed him and bathe him and change his diaper. But then he grew and grew and became a man who told everyone about God and His ways and eventually died on the cross for our sins so that we can have eternal life with Him. Whew. What a life this miracle baby had! He changed the world! Emmanuel…God with us. What a cool name. What a cool God that He would want to come and be WITH US. He left heaven to come to us. And if you're anything like me you might think….why? Why would God want to come and be with ME? I can think of a lot better things He could be doing or cooler people He could be hanging out with. I mean, I make bad choices sometimes and mess up and I don't always have the best attitude. Why would He want to be with me and not someone else? Well, it's all because He loves us no matter what…even the worst part of us. He loves you and He loves me so much that He wanted to be WITH US. Emmanuel. Matthew chapter 1 tells us of the details about the birth of Jesus and says in Matthew 1:22 and 23 “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet: (who was Isaiah 700 years earlier) “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel.”   Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing: Emmanuel is another name for Jesus, but what does it mean? Why is it important that God wanted to be with us? How can you thank God for the gift of Jesus in coming to be with us? Let's try and learn our verse together. You can repeat after me. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel.” Matthew 1:23

Hey Parents! Have you ever wondered how to best approach and balance the topic of Jesus and the topic of Santa during the Christmas season? Well, after a BBN parent asked me about this, I have put together a special parents-only content bundle on this topic. It'll include some thoughts on the subject along with 4 suggested activties to get the conversation flowing and help you set the stage for you to have age-appropriate converstaions with your kids! It'll even include a beautiful and meaningful piece of digital artwork from Lauren Johnston Duncan (@laurenjohnstonduncan)! If you're interested in this content, please send your email address to @backseatbiblenuggets on Instagram or Facebook or backseatbiblenuggets@gmail.com. Merry Christmas, y'all!

We get to hear from some Backseat Bible Nuggets listeners today! They are going to share some of the things that they are most thankful for. We have so much to be thankful for. And even if I don't know you, I know that the Lord has surely blessed you with some special gifts in your own life. Can you think of some things right now that you're thankful for? The Bible tells us in the first part of James 1:17 that “every good and perfect gift is from God.” Every good and perfect gift is from God! Those things that you can think of that you're thankful for…they are all from God Himself. He loves you so much and He's given you so much. Let's thank Him together for those gifts that He's given us. Will you pray with me? Lord, you are the giver of the good gifts in our life. It's so cool that you love us like you do and that you give us things in our life that are awesome. Thank you for giving us the gift of salvation and eternal life through what you did on the cross. That's the best gift! But I also thank you for things like family and friends, good food and sports and even beautiful things in your creation. It's a gift to be able to talk to you like this in prayer. Help me understand just how much you've given to me and help me to continue to thank you for those good things every day. In your name I pray, amen. Hey, now it's your turn. I want you to talk with your people about the things you're thankful for and THEN I want you to pray and thank God for those things! I'm sure He can't wait to hear what you have to say!

Hudson talks to us about having self control with something he loves - screen time! Remember that self control is a fruit of the Spirit? And it's something that doesn't always come naturally to us. But as we walk and grow in the Lord, self control is something that God will develop in us just like a fruit growing on a tree or vine.  In this episode, we talk about the familiar Bible verse of 2 Timothy 1:7 that says, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-control.” 

What's the difference between having head knowledge and having heart knowledge? In this episode, we explore the differences by using candy as a simple and fun example.  And is the head or the heart more important? This episode will teach you kids the importance of having heart knowledge of God and how the Lord values our heart more than our head knowledge (knowing lots of facts about Him). The Bible tells us in Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” And in 1 Samuel 16:7 we find out that, “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Knowing the difference between head versus heart knowledge is foundational to lifelong Christian doctrine.  

Is God good even when I'm sad? We had a very sad day in our family this past week and it made us wonder about this question. Is God good even on the sad days? Our go-to prayer in our house before we start the day usually includes: “Lord, help us to have good days.” We pray that all the time! And it's a great thing to ask of God. But what happens with it turns out to NOT be a good day?  Does that mean God forgot about our prayer? Well, I'm here to tell you, after our past week, that God is still good….so good…even on our sad days. There are lots of things in life that will happen as we go through our day, but none of them change anything about God. In fact, God hasn't changed at all since the beginning of time. Can you imagine that?! Like you and I change every day. We grow taller, our hair gets longer, our fingernails need clipping, our brains grow bigger and understand more, the things we experience change as we get older. SO much change in our lives! But God, the never-changing God, is the same yesterday, today and forever. That's Hebrews 13:8. And since our God never changes, we can be sure that He is good to us always. EVEN on the sad days. No matter how sad they might be. And we can run to God in our sadness. Have you ever run to your mom or dad when you're sad? You can run to God just the same when you're sad! And He will meet you with open arms ready to listen to you and hug you in the best way. He's really awesome like that. Listen to this…Psalms 34:17-18 says that, “Godly people cry out, and the Lord hears them. He saves them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to those whose hearts have been broken. He saves those whose spirits have been crushed.” I love that. He is close to those who hearts have been broken. Aw man, it can feel like our hearts have been broken sometimes. But this verse tells us that God is right there with you when you are sad! Here are some questions that you can talk about with your people. You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don't overthink it! The point is to get talking about what we are learning about the Lord! Tell me about a time you were sad recently. What made you sad? How did it feel? Is God good even on the sad days? How do we know that God is good even when we are sad? Let's try and learn our verse together. You can repeat after me. “The Lord is close to those whose hearts have been broken. He saves those whose spirits have been crushed.” Psalm 34:18

When it comes to raising confident and godly girls, YOU are the right mom for the job. But you don't have to go at it alone! A course called Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters was developed by Terra Mattson, a licensed marriage and family therapist of over 20 years. Each Course includes: Eight video lessons for moms like you, giving behind-the-scenes coaching on the mental, emotional, and physical world of your girl; Conversation guides to foster deep discussions between you and your daughter; and a downloadable journal to spark a more intimate connection between you, your girl, and the Lord. Visit cpguides.org to select your course today! On the episode this week, we are talking about how most of us LOVE to win! First place is the best place, right?! Or is it? Find out how Jesus and God's kingdom views first place. This is a great episode for those super competitive kids in your life. But, it's also a great reminder of all of us that Jesus said, "So the last will be first and the first will be last." Matthew 16:20

How cool is it that there's a story about a queen who loved God in the Bible? We just heard how brave she was to go to the king and ask for him to save the lives of the Jews. When Esther went to the King without him asking her to come she could have been killed! Kings were very serious back then with lots of strict rules!   In fact, Esther said this in the Bible: “I'll go to the king. I'll do it even though it against the law. And if I have to die, I'll die.” Esther 4:16   Esther, trusting God and His plan, knew what she had to do to save the Jewish people. Even if it meant putting her life on the line. Wow! What bravery!   You can read more about Queen Esther in the Bible. She has a whole book in the Bible named after her for what she did! Through the book of Esther, we see that God's plan will always win. And we learn that He always takes care of His people. AND guess what? Esther's story shows us that God has more power than any king or ruler. So, here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and the point is to get conversation flowing. So don't overthink it! How do you think Esther felt when she had to be brave? Have you ever had to be brave and do something you were scared to do? For this last question, you might have to go and read more about Queen Esther to answer. But, in what ways did God honor her bravery? Like what happened to Esther after she did this for God? Our verse today is Esther 4:16. You can repeat after me. “I'll go to the king. I'll do it even though it against the law. And if I have to die, I'll die.” Esther 4:16

Sometimes in church, we use words or say things that are sometimes confusing. For example, maybe you've heard of someone say that we should be “in the world, but not of the world.” What does that mean? Or earlier this week my 8 year old asked me what “the fall” meant. Is it like when someone tripped in the Bible and it was super embarrassing so we still talk about it to this day? No, no. No one remembers when you trip, I promise. Anyway, I wanted to talk about what those 2 terms, ‘the fall' and ‘the world,' and what they mean just to make sure we aren't confused.

Check us out on Instagram @backseatbiblenuggets You know how in lots of movies, they are searching for some object that has great power or even like a treasure that has great value? Like the genie lamp in Aladdin that would give whatever was wished or desired. Or in the latest Minions movie when they are after the Zodiac stones that would give unlimited power. Lots and lots of movies have an object like that – one that is powerful and legendary. I'm sure you can think of other examples from your favorite movies.   Well, I started thinking the other day that we should think of the Bible like that. We should think of the Bible as a treasure. A powerful object. An ancient artifact of great value.   Because that's what it is!! Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God's word is sharper than a double-edged sword. And it's not just any sword, it's a sword that can divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow; and judge the attitude of the heart. That sounds really powerful!   And it IS powerful! Did you know that when Jesus was tempted by Satan, and they were having this sorta spiritual fight, that Jesus fought back with Satan by using words from the Bible? Isn't that crazy? Jesus didn't use jiu jitsu moves or Hulk smash punches to beat Satan. No, Jesus used the most powerful tool He had – which was God's word. The Bible.   Psalm 119:105 also tells us that the Bible is so powerful that it's a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. The guy who wrote Psalm 119 goes on to say that God's word makes his heart tremble – which means to shake or shiver because it's so powerful.   The Bible really is a powerful treasure. And most of us have it right in our house! How great is that?! We don't have to go on a long quest or fight off bad guys to get this powerful treasure, like they do in the moves. No, we just have to open it and read it. You see the power of the Bible, doesn't come from just owning a Bible. That's not how this treasure works. This treasure is powerful when we read the words or hear the words.   So, here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and there's no wrong answer to these. The point is to get conversation flowing. So don't overthink it! In what ways do you think the Bible is powerful? What gives the Bible it's power? How might this change the way that you think about reading the Bible every day? Now, let's practice our verse together. We talked about a few verses today, but lets reread Psalm 119:105 together. You can repeat after me. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105

Think with me for a minute about your school supplies at the END of last school year. What did they look like? Did they look like the same supplies that you took on the first day of school?   No way!!! If you are like my kids, they ended up coming home with a dirty looking pencil box full of broken erasers, half pieces of crayons, and dull markers. Everything they had started school with looked a little worn out by the end of the year.   Thankfully, the beginning of a new school year means a fresh set of school supplies. And honestly, the new school supplies is probably my favorite part of starting school.   The picture of the old worn out school supplies and then the fresh set of school supplies is similar to what happens in our life when we become a Christian. You see, before we come to know and follow Jesus, our hearts are like the old dingy supplies. Rough and used and worn down by sin.   But, the Bible tells us that when we come to know and follow Jesus then we become like those brand new school supplies! He makes us new! How? Because of Jesus' love for us and because He has the power to make our hearts new!   Don't believe me? Listen to this! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Can't you hear the excitement in that verse?! I think Jesus gets so excited to see someone's heart go from old to new. From dirty, old and worn out to bright, shiny, and fresh.   So, here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and there's no wrong answer to these. The point is to get conversation flowing. So don't overthink it! What do you think it means to be a new creation in Christ? Why do you think God would want us to be a new creation? Now, let's practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. Oh, and since we are about to start school where you'll have to use inside voices, let's take this opportunity to use a crazy loud voice when you repeat after me. Just to send summer out with a bang and get us excited about starting school. Okay, repeat after me in your loudest voice. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

In this episode, I interview Avery (5 years old) about why she loves to sing a song called "Good Morning God" every morning when she wakes up. She gives insight on how we can praise God and talk to Him at any time during the day, but how it's special to start our day off by praising the Lord and asking for Him to "show us the way," as the song says. The focus verse for this episode is Psalm 143:8 that says, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”

Ezekiel 37 tells us the cool story of the vision that Ezekiel saw where a bunch of dead bones came together piece by piece and came to life. This story was used to prophesy to Israel but is also useful for us today to remind us that when we are without Christ, we are just like those dead dry bones. But when we believe in Jesus and ask Him to be in charge of our life, we receive His Holy Spirit which gives us life! It's like we are those dry bones coming to life when Jesus fills us up! Romans 6:11 says "Count yourselves dead to sin, but alive in Christ.” Let's talk about this cool story and the visual that it gives us to what the Lord does within our hearts when He gives us spiritual life!

Do you know what freedom is? Well, in case you don't, I looked it up for us. According to Google, if you have freedom then it means you are allowed to act the way you want to, say the things you want to and think however you'd like to without anything holding you back. It also means you're not trapped. Like the lizards my kids keep catching and putting in our bug catcher. Those lizards are NOT free. They are trapped until we decide it's time to play something else and let them go. Anyway, freedom is a big deal! Lots of countries have worked and fought very hard for the freedom they have in their country. I live in America and freedom is a celebrated thing. The fact that we are free to go where we want to, say the things we want to talk about, and think however you'd like about different things. It's a big deal! There's all different types of freedom. Maybe it's summer now and you have freedom from school! Or if you were ever quarantined for COVID and felt the freedom after you got out of quarantine. Maybe freedom is as simple as being free to play the games you want to play every day. Or being free to sing a song when it's in your head. There's all different types of freedom. But, the most important freedom we can have is the freedom that Jesus gives us. The freedom from the consequences of our sin. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” When we are a follower of Jesus then we have the Holy Spirit and that means that we have the best kind of freedom. We will be free FOREVER and won't ever be trapped by our sin. We will be free FOREVER with a freedom that is bigger than a freedom that we will find in any country in this world. The freedom found in Jesus is the best freedom!   Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and there's no wrong answer to these. So don't overthink it! In what ways do you have freedom in your own life? Like what are you free to do? Let's fill in the blank….The Bible verse, 2 Corinthians 3:17 said that “where the ________ is, there is freedom.” Can you fill in the blank? Let's talk about why we are so thankful for freedom both in this world but also forever. Why are you thankful for freedom?   One last time before we sign off, let's practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 *Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gulschenko

How much fun would your kid have making their own Backseat Bible Nuggets episode? You can help them follow these steps: 1. Choose your favorite Bible story or verse and read it! 2. Find out what the story/ verse teaches you about God. 3. Apply it! How does the story/ verse change your life? 4. Ask questions about the story or verse that will get people talking! And remember to have fun while you do this and as always...don't overthink it! You can let me know how your episode turns out @backseatbiblenuggets on Instagram or Facebook!   *Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gulschenko

Peter, who was one of Jesus' closest friends, got very scared in this story. Being scared and fearful is something we've all felt before. But guess what? When Peter called out to Jesus to save him, then Jesus was right there ready to reach out and save Peter. We can learn from this story that Jesus is always with us. Especially when we are afraid. No matter what we are scared of, He is there! And we can ask Him to help us! Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and there's no wrong answer to these. So don't overthink it!   When was the last time you were scared? What did Peter do when he was scared? What can you do the next time you're scared and afraid?   One last time before we sign off, let's practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Right away Jesus called out to them, “Be brave! It is I. Don't be afraid.” Matthew 14:27

Figuring out just who God is can often feel like putting a puzzle together. We learn Him piece by piece and overtime we start to make connections as we know Him more. Just as its fun to put a puzzle together, it can be fun to learn all the pieces of the Lord and put those pieces together! But He is so awesome and profound that He is a puzzle that we will never complete as humans. And that's okay! Just as we enjoy the process of working on a puzzle, we should enjoy the process of learning more and more about the Lord.

Raise your hand if you want to be tall when you grow up? I think every kid I know cares a lot about their height. I know we do at our house! I bet you can tell me who is the tallest in your class or group of friends and I bet you can tell me who is the shortest. And have you noticed how adults so often make comments about how they just can't believe how much you've grown?   As a kid it's important to get the right amount of sleep and eat the right healthy foods in order to grow. Have your parents ever told you that? It's true!   Well, just as you will get bigger and taller as you grow up, you can also GROW as a Christian as you get to know and follow Jesus. There's a fancy word for this called sanctification. Can you say that? Sanctification. PAUSE. Good!   This complicated word just means that as we get to know Jesus better through reading about Him in the Bible or singing songs to Him or talking about Him with other people then we grow to become more and more like Him. Have you ever hung out with someone for a while and then you realize that you start saying some of the same things they say? Or maybe you start acting the way they act?   Same things happens when we hang out with the Lord. We start to think the way He thinks and we start to say the things He said. This is sanctification.   And it doesn't happen over night! It takes years and years, just like it takes years for us to grow as a kid. It's a process. And just as healthy food and good exercise and sleep can help you grow taller, in the same way, lots of time reading the Bible, praying and talking with other people about Jesus helps us become more like Him. It helps sanctify us!   So, that's sanctification. The growing over your lifetime to become more like Jesus. Hard to say word – but pretty basic thing to understand, right?   The Bible has a lot to say about sanctification and we see that growing process played out in the lives of all people in the Bible. But, for today, I chose just one verse. 1 Thessalonians 5:23a says, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely.” Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and there's no wrong answer to these. So don't overthink it!   What was that word that we talked about today that is a fancy word for growing to become more and more like Jesus over time? How do we know if we are growing to be more like Jesus? It's not someone that we can measure on a growth chart, like our height, so how do we know if we're growing more like Jesus? What are some things that you can do today to help you grow to be more like Jesus?   One last time before we sign off, let's practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely” 1 Thessalonians 5:23a. *Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gulschenko

It's been a full year of Backseat Bible Nuggets. This episode tells the story of the past year and all the Lord has done! I want you to know that when you listen to this podcast, you're listening to the product of small steps of faith and acts of obedience from the most ordinary average mom. I'm still in those same parenting trenches I was in a year ago and we still have lots of hectic days that are full of mom fails. But, I'm thankful that not only do we serve a God who in the trenches with me, but also we serve Him in a day and age where we can get a gospel centered parenting resources with the click of a button. What a time to be alive! So to my long term listeners, thank you for encouraging me. Thank you for listening. I hope you love the changes you'll see and hear soon. And to any new listeners, welcome! I'm so glad you found us. I can't wait to have you along for the ride as we use this podcast to refocus your hectic busy days and orient our conversations around things of the Lord.  *Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gulschenko

The story of Noah and the gigantic boat that he built is a story that lots of you have probably heard before. But what does it teach us? What do we learn about the Lord through this story? Well, we don't just learn one thing, we can learn lots of things from one story! We can learn that God is protector. He protected Noah and his family and all the animals from dying in the flood.  He is provider. He gave Noah the brain and muscles to build a boat like that. God even gave Noah the exact measurements for how big it should be to make sure everything would fit in it. What else do we learn? We can learn that God is holy, which means He has absolutely NO sin. And because He is holy, He hates sin. He hates seeing people sin. He's actually VERY serious about sin. So serious and so holy that God was willing to save just the few people that followed God on earth while wiping everyone else out in the flood. His holiness compared to the sin of the people on earth is what started this whole story of Noah and the ark!  Now, we talk about sin a lot because it's a fact of life for us humans. Remember, Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”? But there's something different for us today when we sin compared to the sinful people who where killed in the flood that God sent. And that difference is Jesus!  When we sin today, God still hates it. His feelings on sin hasn't changed. It's just that NOW we have a way to make our relationship right with the Lord again. When we believe in Jesus and what He did for us on the cross to forgive us from our sins and when He is king of our life, then we are forgiven from our sins. Jesus' death changed everything. God doesn't see sin in the world and have to flood the earth again, which by the way, He promised He would never do. And we are reminded of that promise whenever we see a rainbow. Jesus is the way that we as humans can know and love a God who is holy. And whenever I read the story of Noah's ark I'm reminded just how serious God is about sin. But also just how awesome He is for creating stories like this that show us His loving protection for those who follow Him. Genesis 6:9b tells us that, “Noah was a godly man. He was without blame among the people of his time. He walked faithfully with God.” So, let's talk about some questions. The point of the questions is to get you talking about the Lord. You can pause after each question to discuss. Oh, and don't overthink it! 1.     What do you learn about God through the story of Noah's ark? 2.     What do you learn from Noah in this story? We didn't have time to go in to this one so really think about how Noah responded, how hard he worked, and even what his friends must've thought about what he was doing. 3.     How does the story of Noah's ark make us thankful for Jesus? One last time before we sign off, let's practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Noah was a godly man. He was without blame among the people of his time. He walked faithfully with God.” Genesis 6:9b

In the Bible, the book of Jonah tells us the story of God telling Jonah to go to Nineveh. But Jonah refused and disobeyed what God told Him to do. He got on a boat and traveled in the opposite direction. Remember how we call sin anything opposite from God? Yeah…..Jonah was literally going in the opposite direction from God. Anyway, God's plans always win so God sent a huge storm to surround the boat Jonah was on. One thing led to another and Jonah ends up in the sea being swallowed in the belly of a big fish. Jonah chapter 2:1 literally says, “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.” You should go read his prayer from inside the belly of the fish. I mean, what would you pray in a situation like that? God hears Jonah's prayer. God makes the fish spit Jonah out on land. God repeats the plan to Jonah about going to Nineveh and this time…..this time Jonah obeys the Lord. He goes to tell the people in Nineveh about God. Jonah 3:3a says, “Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.” This story teaches us that it's important to obey the Lord. And the only way that we will get good at obeying the Lord is to know Him by reading the Bible AND to practice obeying people in your life like your parents and teachers. Obey is REALLY hard sometimes, right?! But the story of Jonah reminds us about how serious God is about obedience. And as we say in our house often, “slow obedience is no obedience.” Jonah eventually obeyed, but he was certainly slow about it. Now, guess what? There's actually more to the story of Jonah that lots of people don't often read. Jonah chapter 4 tells us more about how Jonah felt after he went to Nineveh. There's also something that happened with a vine and a worm. You should read it. It's like a hidden treasure that most people don't remember about Jonah. Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question to discuss. Oh, and remember, don't overthink it! 1.     Why did Jonah disobey? 2.     Did Jonah get his way in the end? 3.     What is one thing that you can learn from Jonah's story and remember in your life today?  One last time before we sign off, let's practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.” Jonah 3:3a 

There's something that we've talked about in lots of these podcasts that I want to make sure we all understand. It's so important to knowing God and understanding His plan for us… and even understanding WHY you were created!  It's a big deal!  Okay, so here we go…The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:16 that “God is love.” This means that everything about Him – His personality, His plans, who He is…. is love. You've probably heard someone say, “God loves you!” I mean, I've even told you that on this podcast before, right!? And that is the TOTAL ABSOLUTE truth. And it's not a truth that we should rush by quickly. No, the fact that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the maker of the heavens and the earth loves me. Little ole me. And He loves you. Little ole you….that's life changing. Meaning it changes your life when you understand it. We also know from the Bible that God's love is unconditional. What does that mean? Unconditional. Well it means that God loves us no matter what. His unconditional love means it has NO conditions. There are NO conditions or things I could do that could make Him love me more OR less. Remember our verse that said, “God is love”? It didn't say “God WILL love if you ________.” No, the Bible doesn't say, “God will love you IF you go to church.” Or “God will love you IF you are nice to others.” Or “God will love you IF you pray to Him.” What did the verse say? It says, “God IS love.” And there's nothing we can do to change His love for us. In fact, Romans 5:8 tells us that, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  That means that His unconditional love was given to us even though He knew ALL of our sin. His unconditional love that loves us no matter what was given to us even though we are sinners and will mess up and will fail. That's what makes it unconditional, remember!? So, let's talk about some questions. The point of the questions is to get you talking about the Lord, so don't overthink it! 1.     Let's see if you were listening….What does unconditional love mean? 2.     How does God show you His unconditional love? 3.     How does it make you feel to know that God loves YOU with an unconditional love?  One last time before we sign off, let's practice our verse together. It's pretty short so I bet you can memorize this one! You can repeat after me: “God is love.” 1 John 4:16  *Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gulschenko

God's creation is made for us to enjoy! And we are meant to turn that enjoyment in to thanksgiving and praise for Him. What things in creation make you worship Him? Maybe it's your pet, something outside, or even your favorite activity. In this episode, we are skipping the discussion questions and instead asking listeners to have an adult take pictures of 3 things in creation that make them say, "Wow! Thank you, Lord!"  We would love to see their top 3 shared at @backseatbiblenuggets *Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gulschenko