Teens Need Grace

Brad Bigney is a pastor with the Evangelical Free Church of America and holds an MDiv. from Columbia Biblical Seminary. He's a certified ACBC counselor, conference speaker, Lead Pastor of Grace Fellowship since 1996, and author of Gospel Treason. He and his wife, Vicki, have been married 35 yrs. and have five adult children. Today, we will pick Brad's brain about the subject of idols. Why should we talk about this when it comes to parenting teenagers? I have never experienced so much pain in my personal life as I have through parenting. You are the only person you can actually control. Some of this pain that I was feeling was an indicator of some things that I was holding onto and believing that needed to be corrected. Idols usually only get exposed when something is taken or shaken. If you want to learn more, get a copy of Brad's book, Gospel Treason (https://tinyurl.com/mr32x9dn), or you can also go to https://bradbigney.com/ to access 9 sermon videos on this subject, download a study guide, and get other handouts for free.

I sit down with Dr. Kevin Carson to discuss what it looks like to actually understand the world of the Teenager. 1.  Consider the parents: age, position, lifestyle, friendsPossible idols – comfort, respect, appreciation, success, control, independence2.   Consider the teen: age, position, lifestyle, friendsPossible idols –1)   Material possessions2)   Relationships / acceptance / approval3)   Appearance4)   Pleasure5)   Comfort / laziness6)   Control7)   Sexual satisfaction8)   Selfish (vs. serving)9)   Self (vs. trusting God) 3.   Three obstacles to life as a teen:1)   “God isn't playing my game.”2)   “My family is so not perfect.”3)   “The world around me is hard and dangerous.” Foundational Issues for Wise Parents to Teach Their Teens 1.   God's opinion matters most – the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). 2.   Children need to listen to their parents and remember the wise things they say (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20). For each parent, the challenge is to make wisdom attractive. 3.   The teen must be careful in choosing friends – abstain from the wicked (Proverbs 1:10-15; Psalm 1). 4.   Be sure to help your teen understand the difference between a wise and foolish son. The way both the parents and the teen handle conflict identifies often who is wise and who is foolish. Be aware of both characteristics (Prov 26:4-5; 12:15; 18:2; 19:1; 20:3; 26:12; 28:26; 29:11; James 3:13-18).More about Kevin: Kevin N. Carson, D.Min. Sonrise Biblical Counseling Ministries, Ozark, MO www.kevincarson.com

I am super excited to have Pastor Robert Row with us today! Pastor Robert has been married for 23 years to his wife, Rebecca. They have five children, one with Jesus and four here on earth. He was in pastoral ministry for a long time and did Student Ministry for about 20 years. He's now the Student Ministries Coordinator with seeJesus Ministry, where he works with Youth Pastors from all over the country and the world. This wonderful ministry has discipled so many people and I've personally been blessed by the ministry of seeJesus. Today we're looking at what it means to really love the person of Jesus and why that's important. We're talking about how parents can fall in love with Jesus and help their teens fall in love with Jesus.

I had this interview back in 2020 and I'm really excited to share it with you. We have Pastor Paul Tautges with us; he is the pastor at Cornerstone Community Church just outside of Cleveland, Ohio and he is a Biblical Counselor. He and his wife Karen have been married for 35 years and the Lord has blessed them richly with a large family of 10 children and a growing number of grandchildren. He's been in pastoral ministry for over 30 years and Biblical Counseling for over 25 years. He is the author of several wonderful books that have impacted so many lives, including a 31-day devotion that has impacted me, called Anxiety: Knowing God's Peace. Today we're going to look at some core principles on how to help parents of teens who are anxious.

I am super excited to have a guest speaker with us today. Drew Hill is a pastor in Greensboro, North Carolina and the author of Alongside: Loving Teenagers with the Gospel, which is the winner of the 2019 Christian Book Award, no big deal. He provides resources for thousands of youth leaders around the world through the YoungLife Leader blog.

A lot has been stripped away because of COVID-19, and as parents with tens, it’s probably been pretty difficult navigating this new normal. So, do you feel lush and healthy, or parched and dry? If were going to better love our teens through this we need to answer that question.

It’s a sad truth but many times our teens get pretty apathetic towards Christ. I sit down with Pastor Jason to pick his brain about what he does to instill passion in his teen’s lives.

Seriously? Another parenting podcast? Yes, seriously. You and I and your teen need grace! This podcast is centered on equipping parents, grandparents and guardians with Gospel-Focused material to better raise teenagers.