The atheists accuse Christians of keeping their children cloistered away from other views and indoctrinating these young and impressionable minds as opposed to presenting them with a range of choices. Which they say is unfair to the children.

According to dictionary.com, the word ‘indoctrination’ means to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology etc. especially to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view. It goes on to say that indoctrination involves teaching someone to accept doctrine uncritically and that a synonym for the word is brainwashing.

Although there are some Christians who knowingly attempt to indoctrinate their children, most Christian parents do not, or at least don’t do it intentionally. Having said that, I do not believe that the Bible teaches us to pass our Faith to our children in a way that requires them to not question or reason, but to blindly believe and obey what we teach them. If we’re doing this, we need to actually listen to the criticism leveled at us, and change. Let me explain why I believe that.

Let’s start with a basic premise of our Faith. God put the ‘Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil’ in the Garden of Eden.  He allows each individual to accept or reject Christ and he also allows each person to live as they see fit, all because love always gives a choice. Logically then, how can we think that it’s right to ensure that our children won’t make the wrong choice by taking away their choice?

The Bible teaches that one of the keys to a deep and meaningful Faith is to seek God and to passionately search out truth. When we try to spoon feed our children a packaged truth and protect them from any objecting viewpoints, we unwittingly teach them that seeking and struggling for a meaningful relationship with God and for real understanding is not necessary. When we do this, we create another generation of unthinking Christians who remain baby Christians all of their lives.

Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. (John 16:13) A guide directs someone who has already decided to go on a journey. How can the Holy Spirit guide our children to all truth if they’re not on a journey looking for it? If Jesus meant for our children to be only surrounded by truth and sheltered from all else, then they wouldn’t need a guide. If there’s only one clearly marked trail, what do you need a guide for?

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” He didn’t say to force them or to leave them no other choice.

If we look at Jesus as the example of how our children should be educated, here’s what we come up with. He knew God and the Torah well. He also knew what was going on around him in culture, in politics, in religion, in economics, in his country and in the countries close to him. He was a learned man who knew the lies that were being told in the world around him and who could support or refute what was being said by anyone with God’s Words.

Our willingness to teach our children without cloistering them away or demanding unthinking alegence says to the world that we know that we have the truth.

We can confidently teach our kids this way because we know that truth will stand up to the test and that God is able to keep and guide our children. It’s in doing this that we raise Christ followers – young men and women who seek God, search out truth, study their Bibles, become strong in their Faith, are able to share and defend their Faith and who will make a difference in their world.

When we as Christian parents teach our children a thinking, reasoning Faith we protect them from the doubts and arguements of the world and atheists by equipping them to enguage in the conversation and influence with truth rather than be influenced by lies.

(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Bible Teacher)

Although the logic is highly flawed, the truth is when we hear that yet another disaster has happened, most of us wonder what part, if any, God had in it. Did he do it? Did he allow it? Why didn’t he prevent it? People in the media know that we wonder. Ever notice that when disaster strikes and some preacher somewhere seems to say, “God did it” it becomes front page news.

If we wonder, then what do we say to our children when they sit with us and see the TV images of rescue workers pulling damaged or dead humans from the aftermath? What do we say when they hear the report that Reverend so-and-so said God sent the killing blow?

The purpose of this blog is to provide parents with a little help giving their kids a basic, uncomplicated, Biblical explanation. Below is a break down of some key points that are involved in the bigger issue. They’re meant to be talking-points that you can print out and discuss with your kids.

1. Just because it happened doesn’t mean God came up with the idea or even approved of it. James 1:13 says,

“And remember that anyone who wants to do wrong should never say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either.”

If your child got beaten up at school you would never say, “I wonder what God was trying to teach you?” That bully was sinning and God simply had nothing to do with it. James goes on to say that evil desires are the cause of sin and its effects.

The Bible also teaches that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7), meaning that many things that happen in our lives aren’t a result of God’s intervention, but of our choices and actions. The book of Proverbs teaches that a lazy man will have difficulty getting ahead in life (Proverbs 6:6 – 11). None of us would be silly enough to tell a lazy person that God was causing him to go without. No, we’d politely ask him how the job hunting was going.

The Bible also records that the devil temped Jesus and stirred up wicked people against Paul, and that Jesus set people free who were possessed by demons. God did not author these things, the devil did. (Luke 11:14 – 20, John 10:10)

These and many other Biblical examples show us that things happen in this world and in our lives daily that aren’t authored by God.

2. We live in a broken world. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world with all its devastating effects. The Bible teaches that not only was man affected, but so was the actual creation.

“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, everything on earth was subject to God’s curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Romans 8:19 – 22 NLT)

Our planet is broken and being further diminished as time goes by, by death and decay.

Jesus and his disciples were caught in a storm so fierce that the disciples thought they were all going to die. Jesus spoke to the wind and waves and all was calm. Jesus wasn’t bothered by the storm nor did he say it had anything to do with God. The storm was against them, not for them and Jesus took care of it. (Matthew 8:23 – 27)

The Apostle Paul was shipwrecked in a storm (Acts 27). He was a prisoner and was being taken to Rome. He warned the ship’s captain that if they set sail they would be shipwrecked, but he didn’t listen. Afterwards, Paul told the crew that they should have listened to him and not set sail. Yes, God ended up using the circumstances (Romans 8:28) to bring salvation to the crew, and to the people on the island of Malta, but he didn’t send the storm.

Jesus talked about a tragedy that happened in his time (Luke 13:1 – 5). A tower fell on eighteen men and killed them. The Jewish people believed that when tragedy struck it was God’s judgement. Jesus contradicted that belief and said that their deaths were not directly caused by their sins. In other words, God didn’t do it.

Jesus told us something interesting about famines and earthquakes when he was talking about the things that were to happen before his return.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pangs. (Matthew 24:7, 8 NIV)

Jesus said that these things would come, but he didn’t say that they were sent by God. He said they were like the contractions a woman first has that signals that the baby is on the way. It’s interesting that Paul used the same picture as Jesus did when he was talking about creation being subject to the curse in Romans eight, “...all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth…”

• It’s estimated that an earthquake registering 7 or more happens somewhere in the world every three weeks, and moderate ones every three days. Each day on our planet, seismographs register almost 300 earthquakes of magnitude three or greater.
• The planet experiences an estimated 16 million storms annually and about 80 tropical cyclones, one-third of which achieve hurricane status.
• There are 500 active volcanoes worldwide. There are about 60 major volcanic eruptions annually, and two or three of those are huge and violent.
• There are between 100 – 150 extreme floods annually, worldwide.

It would be biblically and logically silly for us to conclude that God actively ’caused’ each of these natural occurrences. The earth is out of whack because of the curse that resulted from original sin, and the birth pangs will continue until Jesus returns and makes us a new one.

3. Humankind plays a part. Some recent court cases have challenged that a disaster was an ‘Act of God’ because there was good reason to speculate that man’s activities were the direct cause. Here’s what Wikipedia says in their article about ‘Act of God’:

“Recently, human activities have been identified by engineers as root causes of events until now considered natural disasters. In particular: – water pressure in dams releasing geological fault (earthquake in China) – geothermal injections of water provoking earthquakes (Zurich, Switzerland, 2003 – currently on trial).”

Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest hurricanes in US history. The damage and loss of life was huge and awful. However, the biggest loss of life occurred in New Orleans which flooded because the levee system failed.

Here’s another thing to consider. Through the centuries, certain areas have been wiped out by floods or volcanoes or earthquakes multiple times. It seems we have short memories. Once the pain of the devastation is gone, we go back to the side of the volcano, or to the unstable earth that moved violently under the earthquake, or to the area known for it’s hurricanes and we rebuild betting (I suppose) that it won’t happen again in our lifetime. At least now, in many places, building codes are being upgraded to help more people survive in areas that are prone to disaster. However, it’s hard to blame God when we keep building our homes on the proverbial sand, something Jesus said was unwise.

Many have asked if God had anything to do with what happened on 911 in New York. That answer is easy; the men who were responsible, committed mass murder which is sin. Again the book of James clearly tells us that God does not sin nor does he tempt (cause) people to sin. Nine-eleven was the result of man’s hate and/or misguided intentions, not God’s judgement. We would never say that a suicide bombing in Afghanistan that killed three innocents was orchestrated by God. So why would we say that God orchestrated the attack on the towers in New York?

4. God’s voice in judgement is clear. There are many examples of God’s judgement in the Bible. These judgements have several similarities that we can learn from. First of all, they serve as examples. Secondly, God clearly revealed his intent and purpose for them. Next, the righteous were always spared. Finally, they had more to do with his intervention to keep his plan for humankind on track than they did the individuals or cities or nations involved.

The natural disasters of today do not fit the Biblical pattern for God’s judgement. They cannot serve as an example without a clear message from God, that he’s involved and why.  There have been no clear messages from God in regards to these disasters. God’s a good communicator, so one guy in a church meeting somewhere who thought God showed him that God was going to judge New York or New Orleans, doesn’t cut it. Also, in all of these natural disasters, the Christians (the righteous) aren’t (as a whole) set apart and spared. God knows the difference between the righteous and the wicked; a birth pang from a broken planet does not. Finally, God’s plan for mankind is on track; the gospel is being preached throughout the world and disciples for Christ are being raised up. We are heading towards Jesus’ second coming with God being patient, not wanting any to perish (2 Peter 3:9). These events are the birth pangs Jesus spoke of, not specific judgements by God.

Jesus talked about the cities in his time being judged. However, he was clear that the judgment would take place in the final judgment when he returned. (Matthew 10:15, 11:20 – 24, 12:38 – 42)

Jesus also told a parable about the Kingdom, known as ‘The Wheat and The Weeds.’ In it he says that the wheat (the righteous) and the weeds (the wicked) are to be allowed to grow together until the final judgment, and then they would be separated. (Matthew 13:24 – 30)

5. God is speaking to the world today through his Son.

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1, 2 NIV)

God’s message to today’s world is one of God’s love, grace, and salvation through Christ. Peter tells us that he’s being patient, stalling off the final judgment because he wants all to come to salvation. The gospel only contains two mentions of judgment. The first one happened on the cross; the world was judged for it’s sins (John 12:30) and Jesus paid the penalty. Secondly, we will all be judged at the end of this age by how we responded to what Jesus did.

I’m not saying that God cannot or will not judge when and how he sees fit, however, he has revealed his plans to us already, and those plans are to speak to the world in this age with the Gospel message, not with judgment.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16, 17 NIV)

6. A Kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time said that the only reason he could cast out demons was because the devil gave him the power to. Jesus pointed out how absurd this was by using common logic.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ”Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? (Matthew 12:25, 26)

When disaster strikes, two things happen; the survivors cry out to God and the compassionate run to help. If you talk to survivors of a major disaster you’ll find that people don’t call out to God because they think he’s judging them. They call out because they feel so small and vulnerable and they instinctively call on the only one they know can help. Christians who hear about the disaster respond with prayer, money, help and kindness. The earth pangs, and God and his people start loving and helping.

Forgive me for the simple logic, but I’m following Jesus’ example here. If God was punishing New York or New Orleans or Haiti, would he be there to help afterwards? Does he destroy so he can then build up. Even God’s Kingdom can not survive if it’s divided against itself. When God judged cities in the Old Testament there was nothing left to clean up. No people were sent to help, and the last minute prayers of those judged did not result in rescue.

The earth pangs because it’s fallen and subject to the curse. When it pangs big time we are all reminded of our frailty and our need for God’s help. Then we, as Christians, have yet another opportunity to reach out and show those affected by it, God’s love.

When sharing these things with your children, be careful to deal with their fears. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is holding everything together until the last day (Hebrews 1:3) so there’s no need to be afraid that the whole planet will fall apart. If you live in an area that is prone to some kind of natural disaster, educate yourself and your kids as to what to do when trouble strikes and follow local instructions for safeguarding your family and for being prepared. Most importantly, pray with your children and ask God for his protection and then thank him for his protection. We live in a fallen world, but God has promised that he will help us through when we trust him (Psalm 91).

Natural disasters are not ‘Acts of God’. When our children understand this, it’s much easier to trust him through a disaster if they ever need to. If a child is taught that God is causing the destruction all around them, it’s hard to trust him. However, if they can picture the Lord right there beside them, helping them through something that he did not cause, and does not want them to be hurt by, it’s much easier to trust.

Recently, there has been a rash of books written by atheists vilifying religion and blaming it for the woes of this world. One best-selling book generated a wave of controversy because it suggested that efforts be made to eradicate religion. The author also takes aim at parents who teach their children religion, calling it a form of child abuse.

Here’s their logic (as far as I can see it). There is no God. Humankind invented God and created religion. Religion is destructive in that it polarizes people, and therefore, causes wars and all sorts of atrocities. The reason religion continues to thrive is that religious parents indoctrinate their children. Therefore, stop allowing the indoctrination of children and the world will become atheistic and wonderfully peaceful.

First of all, let me touch on the things that I agree with. Humanity has suffered much in the name of religion. Also, there are some religious groups in the world that teach violence to their children. There are also many religious parents worldwide that indoctrinate their children, or in other words, tell them what to think instead of teaching them how to think. I agree that all of these things are inappropriate parental behavior.

However, the author in my estimation, has built a very flimsy argument when it comes to Christianity.

Yes, the history of Christianity gets demerits for violence, but to blame present day Christianity for the mistakes of those in the past who did wrong in the name of Christianity is hardly fair. That would be like calling for the end of today’s German culture because at one point it spawned misguided people who caused wars.

The very word Christian means Christ-like or follower of Christ. Everyone who has read the Gospels even once knows that Jesus promoted love, forgiveness, humility and godliness. He did not promote violence, war and insurrection.

The Body of Christ worldwide has come a long way and is a force for good on our planet. When a catastrophe puts people in harms way anywhere in the world, it’s the Christians and Christian relief organizations that dig the deepest and run to care. Millions of Christians and Christian churches worldwide reach out to help and love their families, neighbors and communities every day. These heartfelt charitable acts are a big part of what it is to live a Christian life.

It’s hard to study the history of Western Civilization without seeing the amazingly wonderful impact that Christianity and individual Christians, compelled by their Faith, have had on the world today.

For a great summary read this link:  http://crossandquill.com/journey/?page_id=267

Furthermore, what is it that Christian parents are teaching their children? If you examine the words in red (Jesus’ teaching), you’ll find that a large percentage of what he taught wasn’t about what we believe, but about who we are and how we behave. We teach our children to love, to be caring, kind, generous and considerate of others, to be involved in their communities, to be team players and to be respectful of others who have contrary opinions or beliefs. How can this be damaging to our planet?

Going back to the general arguments about religion being a planet damaging force, studies show that children raised in religion are happier, more other-focused, and less prone to get involved with crime and high-risk behavior. They even tend to exercise more, eat better, and volunteer more frequently.

(Check one of the studies here:  http://www.youthandreligion.org/news/preliminary.html )

A brief study of history will show even the casual reader that things like political agendas, territorial disputes, racial differences and yes, even atheism (the murder of countless religious people in the name of communism, for the sake of the state) have been behind some of the greatest carnages visited on mankind. Should we forbid the teaching of politics, patriotism, property rights, racial uniqueness and atheism?

If your children are old enough, have a chat with them about what the atheists believe and are saying. Perhaps even let them read this blog and help them think it through. Our children need to know their Faith well enough that they can refute this kind of distorted logic when it’s leveled at them.

(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Bible Teacher)

Daniel’s life and the details surrounding it fascinate me. This man of God, full of deep integrity and wisdom, wrote some of the most detailed and much-studied prophecies in the Bible.

As a teenager, Daniel was uprooted from his home and taken as a captive to Babylon. He ended up in the royal court after the king ordered several young Israelite captives of noble birth to be brought to the palace (Daniel 1:3). Until the time Daniel was taken captive, he evidently grew up in either the royal family or in a very influential home.

Daniel was a young boy when the very godly Josiah ruled Judah. So since Daniel probably grew up in an influential family during Josiah’s reign, he likely was raised with spiritual training and with a godly world view.

Daniel and three other teenage Israelites were taken to the king’s court to get a Babylonian education. All four of the boys received Babylonian names. Daniel was called Belteshazzar; the name hints at the purpose of his education. “El” at the end of Daniel’s name refers to God. “Bel” at the beginning of his new name referred to a Babylonian god. Daniel and his friends were to be educated not only in regular school topics like literature, but they were to be trained to think and view the world, in every way, as the Babylonians did.

In other words, they attended a school similar to those where many Christians send their children to get educated today. Our public schools don’t only strive to give children a God-neutral education; very often they contradict what Christians believe.

Some contend that it’s our job to stand up, be counted, and change all of this. I wouldn’t disagree, but I’d like to point out something even more fundamental: it’s not the governments job to ensure that our children get the right intellectual or spiritual education – that’s our job. Government schooling should aid us in getting the job done, of course, but when we recognize the task as ours, we no longer resign ourselves to the status quo, but instead do what we can to fill in the gaps and right the wrongs in our own child’s education.

If your child is gifted in music, for example, you many conclude that the music program at her school is just not enough. So what do you do? You take control and get her involved in community or private lessons outside of school. Or if you or another family member has musical abilities then some training at home.

In the same way, if your children attend public school and are being taught things contrary to the truth, then it’s your responsibility to fix the problem. You may consider it a civic responsibility to help change things on a political level, but while you’re doing that, it’s also your parental responsibility to change it for your child, whether it changes for everyone else or not.

Fortunately, Daniel and his three friends had been well educated in Judah before their exile to Babylon. Not only had they learned what was right, but they also learned (at the very least from what Josiah did) about the dangers of the pagan religions that Josiah worked so hard to eradicate. This would have prepared the four young men to learn, discern, and understand everything they were taught in light of God’s truth.

In Babylon they learned about practices God had forbidden, such as astrology and divination. They didn’t refuse to learn about these subjects, but they did recognize them for what they were and refused to practice them. When it came to interpreting dreams or predicting the future, Daniel didn’t follow the ways of the Babylonian magicians; he went to God.

We need to prepare our children by educating them in the truth so that when their instructors teach something wrong, they know it and know what the real truth is.

Does this sound like a ton of work that you don’t feel equipped to take on? Don’t worry; you can do some pretty simple things to make sure you’re fulfilling the crucial task of educating your child to view the world from a Christian perspective.

Before diving in to what you can do if your children attend public school, let me briefly speak of the alternatives. Some speak about the alternatives in terms of right and wrong. They believe that everyone should home-school or send their kids to Christian school. Let me say that I disagree. There is no one perfect educational answer for everyone. It depends on the family, the child, the circumstances and much more. Jesus attended the equivalent of a Christian school. Moses was raised and schooled in Pharaoh’s courts, definitely the equivalent of secular school. Daniel and his friends attended Religious school in their youth and then secular school in Babylon.

The key is not where your children are schooled, but how they are taught at home. Moses’ mother evidently taught him and prepared him when he was young so that when the time came he chose God not Egypt. Daniel and friends were also prepared and ready for the temptations they would face and the incorrect teaching they would receive. Jesus may have learned the Torah at school, but practical life application was taught at home according to Deuteronomy six.

Many Christian families are opting to home-school their children, especially in the early years. This is a great idea, but not for everyone, or even possible for everyone. If you go this direction, you’ll still need to make sure you get curriculum that features a Christian world view, and also spend time teaching them about what the world around them believes and how to separate truth from error so that they are well prepared to live and believe in the real world. I home-schooled my oldest daughter for several years and it was a wonderful experience. I also made sure that I taught her from God’s Word everyday.

The other alternative is a Christian school. Again, this is not the right choice for every family, nor is it possible or even available to all. If it is possible and a good Christian school is available to you, it can be a great option.

Just because it’s a Christian school, however, doesn’t mean that you’ll like everything it teaches. If you choose this option, view it as a great assist; but just as you can’t delegate spiritual training to the church, so you can’t delegate education carte blanche to your child’s school – whether public or private. All of my children attended a wonderful Christian school and I can tell you from experience, the Christian school option does not get you off the hook. Christian schools are full of kids who are not living their lives as Christians, and although Bible class is part of the curriculum, our children still need to be taught the practical application of their Faith at home 24/7 in the midst of life.

Your child’s education is very important and one of your primary responsibilities as a parent is to pray about, plan, and oversea it. No matter which option or combination of options that you choose, you are still a key part of your child’s education. Stay on top of it, know what they’re learning, correct it if it needs correcting, add to it what needs adding and always remember, the most important things in life aren’t taught in school. It’s our job to teach our children the practical application of their Faith, matters of character, relationship skills, love, manners, morality and much more.

Daniel and his friends arrived in Babylon ready to serve God and to learn in a secular, pagan world. Perhaps their parents believed what Jeremiah (who began his ministry right around the time Daniel was born) prophesied about the exile, and prepared their children for the inevitable. Perhaps they were just protecting them from being led astray by the pagan Canaanite religions. Either way, it’s a good thing they did. Daniel changed the world – and all because he was able to chew on what he was taught, compare it with God’s truth, and spit out the bones.

Chapter 1 of Daniel records one of the most fascinating details of his story. It describes what happened when Daniel and his friends were tested by the king himself, and also shows what can happen when students trust God and learn through God-colored glasses:

In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. (Daniel 1:20)

(photo by vaniadasilva)

The best way to explain to our children how God answers or doesn’t answer their prayers is to draw a simple parallel between their asking us for things and their asking God for things.

There are basically three answers children can anticipate when asking parents for something: yes, which may come with some stipulation or adjustment to the original request; no, which is usually accompanied by one or more good reason; and maybe, the category that most parental responses fall into.

• Our children make certain requests of us with the expectation of getting a yes answer – requests for things that they basically already know our will on. For instance, if we always let them have friends over on the weekend, let them watch a certain television show, allow them to have a snack at a certain time, or take them out for lunch after church, they’d anticipate a yes.
• Then there are requests that our kids fully expect to get a no answer to. For example, if it’s an established family rule that we don’t have friends over on school nights, or that no one turns the TV on until homework is done, or that a big bowl of ice cream after school isn’t an acceptable snack, then if our kids asked us if we’d consider making an exception, they’d anticipate a no.
• Finally, there are a whole lot of requests that our children make of us that have no predetermined answer: Nothing in the past would help our kids anticipate with any certainty what our answer might be. They know that the answer could be either yes or no, depending on what kinds of things we consider in the decision-making process. For example, if a go-cart track had opened up a few miles from home and our children’s friends had gone there and had a great time, our children might well ask us to take them there. If they knew that we often took the family out on special outings similar to this, they’d have reason to hope for a yes, although they couldn’t be sure. After all, there might be factors that they’re not aware of that would cause us to say no or not yet – factors such as the family budget, other plans for the weekend, or safety concerns.

This parallel holds true when our children request things from God. There are many things outlined in the Bible that God has already said he’ll either give us or agree to. For example, God has told us again and again that he’ll meet our basic needs – needs for food, clothing, shelter, and so on. And we know that he has instructed us, for our own good, to follow his principles – but he has also said that he’ll help us learn to follow those principles. So if we ask God to help us always tell the truth or be a better friend, or learn to say only kind things, or control our anger, we know that the answer is predetermined: it’s yes. We’ll call these prayers “yes prayers.”

There are many yes prayers outlined in the Bible. As we’ve discussed, the Bible helps us know who God is, what he’s like, and what he’s willing to do. That’s why getting to know and read our Bible is essential for developing a strong prayer life and a close relationship with God. As we get to know the Bible better, we’ll know more about what we can ask God for and anticipate a yes.

But there are also requests to which we can anticipate receiving a definite no from God, as the Bible shows. We’ll call these requests “no prayers.” For example, the Bible says that God is love and that we’re to forgive people who wrong us. Understanding that, we know that if we get really made at someone and pray that god will punish him or her on our behalf, the answer will be no.

The majority of things that our children talk to God about fall into the same category as the majority of things they talk to us about: they’re prayers that might get a yes answer or might get a no answer: We’ll call them “maybe prayers.” Occasionally the parallel breaks down here, unfortunately, because we’re less than perfect as parents. Our children may ask us for something that’s actually perfectly reasonable. Thinking just of them, we should give a yes answer, but the answer becomes no because to grant the request would greatly inconvenience us, or perhaps we’re just too tired to do the work required of a yes response.

Whenever our children ask God for something reasonable and there’s no reason that they shouldn’t have it, the answer will be yes. But as in the go-cart example, there are many times that a maybe prayer receives a no answer or a not yet answer from God because he knows the bigger picture: he knows how the answer will affect us, he knows our life schedule, and he knows whether a yes answer to this request would take us in the wrong direction. He knows what’s good for us and what isn’t, and what’s safe and what isn’t. God hears and responds to every one of our maybe prayers, but we need to help our children realize that he answers according to his greater knowledge of who we are, where we are, and where we’re going. But we can always be sure that his answer is in our best interest.

At some point your children might wonder; If all of this is true, then why pray? Why not just let what’s going to happen, happen? The parallel drawn earlier between your children asking you and them asking God will help you answer this question. Although your kids can trust you, if they never let you know what they wanted or expressed their interests and preferences, they’d end up missing out on a lot that you’d have been willing to give them if they’d talked to you about it.

Nothing gets by God. He knows what we need and desire, but because he gave us a will and wants a relationship with us in which we express our interests, preferences, and desires, he doesn’t automatically do things in our life. The New Testament writer James sums if up by saying, “You don’t have what you want, because you don’t ask God” (James 4:2). When it comes to yes prayers and maybe prayers, God wants us to talk to him and ask him for things, and he wants to do the things that we’d like in our life. It’s a partnership, a relationship.

Help your kids understand that, that is the way God set it up, and that’s the way he made it work. The more we talk to him and spend time getting to know him and letting him know what it is that we want and need, the more he does in our lives.

To further help your child understand who God is, I recommend the book: Talking to Your Children About God.

SYNOPSIS: Story of Speed Racer, who’s Mach 5 vehicle can jump, go under water and clear trees. When he’s not racing, he’s battling villians with his girlfriend Trixie, kid brother Spritle and pet monkey Chim-Chim.

GENRES: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation

TIME: 2 hr. 15 minutes

RATED: PG for sequences of action, some violence, language and brief smoking.

OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS MOVIE

(Recommended Age Group: 10+ years)

We watched the movie ‘Speed Racer’ thinking it was a kids movie. We are very glad to announce that there were no young children present when this movie was reviewed. It is NOT a movie for kids under 10 years of age. If you watch it with your tweens, we suggest that you make mental notes as you watch and talk with them about it afterwards.

We don’t recommend this movie for children for many little things. Remember, we as Christian parents need to look beyond the surface method of using amounts of violence, nudity, scary stuff and swearing to measure its suitability. Speed Racer contains many little scenes and comments that promote non Biblical ideals and taken together they add up to trouble. For example the youngest boy in the movie is constantly doing what he wants to do without regard to what he’s told. The writer’s portrait this behavior as normal and cute and make the dad look bad for expecting him to actually obey.

We’d normally go further and provide you with ‘What The Bible Says About That’ discussion topics for you to use with your children but since we’re recommending you pass on this one for the kids we’re going to take this another direction.

We actually will recommend this movie to you, parents and young people who will one day become parents. Why? Well first of all, for those of us who are old enough to enjoy a movie while ignoring Hollywood’s lack of Biblical morality and Christian world view, it contains a parenting lesson that we’d like to push a little further.

In the movie the dad, played by John Goodman, has three sons all born about eight years apart. When his oldest son is basically an adult, he makes a decision about his life that dad really opposes. When dad realizes that he is no longer in control and that the son is set on this particular course, dad makes a classic mistake in a last ditch effort to turn things around. He basically says, “If you walk out that door, don’t ever come back.” Ouch!

We won’t tell you what happens (no spoilers here) but the results of dad’s ultimatum are disastrous and he does learn his lesson (in a well scripted way) before the end of the movie.

When our children are young they need discipline, direction, training and consistent boundaries that are all (for the sake of our children) loving but authoritative. When our children become teenagers, our role as parents must change. We need to gradually stop being authoritative and progressively (as they prove responsible) hand our children the control of their own lives. If we do it right, by the time they are ready to leave home, we should be in a supportive and advisory role only.

We may claim that we would never give our child such an ultimatum, but if we seek to control them as oppose to guide them, when they get to an age where they need us to help them make their own decisions, the result is the same. We will push them away from us.

The Bible teaches that children must “leave their parents” and become responsible adults in their own right. We must let go. The best way to accomplish this is to do it very gradually helping our children to mature and take over small bits of responsibility at a time. The process should start when they’re tweens and hopefully be complete before they leave home.

Continuing to use an authoritative parenting method on teenagers will always result in head butting and possibly, in the end, a parting of ways.

Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Once we are God’s children, our Heavenly Father commits to walk with us and help us grow up no matter what. God will never give us an ultimatum that makes us reject him. Love never gives up on someone. So even if we find ourselves at odds with or even extremely against something our older teens or young adults are choosing, shutting them out and attempting to use our affections as a method of controlling them will not work and is not right.

We need to follow God’s loving example and never withhold our love and support. We may need to gently make it clear that we don’t agree and explain why but then move on to let them know that we love them and will always be there for them no matter what.

Enjoy the movie and watch what happens to dear old dad in the end. If you’ve seen the movie then post a comment, if not come back and do it after you’ve seen it.

If you watch this with your tweens and teens spend some time talking about the above parenting lesson. It may be a great opportunity for both you and them to talk about the gradual shift of responsibility and authority. Your kids will always feel like they don’t have enough autonomy. Help them understand that no one gets more authority and freedom just because they want it but because they show themselves mature and responsible enough to handle it.

God understands. He will always listen, understand, and respond to our children, no matter what happens in their lives. God is always right there for them. He understands everything they feel and go through, and he’s always ready to encourage them to go forward, to give them wisdom, and to help them out. God is on their side.

The New Testament book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is fully sympathetic, understanding even the toughest things we go through because he also went through them. Sometimes we forget that Jesus was once a child and then a teenager. (The Bible even records a time when his parents didn’t understand him!) Jesus had to be obedient to his parents, go to school, do chores, and grow up in a community of friends, neighbors, and family. The single incident from Jesus’ childhood included in the Bible – something that happened when he was twelve years old – seems to have been recorded to show us that Jesus had to grow up just like everyone else.

Our children can take comfort in the fact that when they pray and talk to God, they have someone listening who’s on their side, who completely understands how they feel and what they’re going through, and who’s ready to help.

We have a high priest [Jesus] who can feel it when we are weak and hurting. We have a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. But he did not sin. So let us boldly approach the throne of grace. Then we will receive mercy. We will find grace to help us when we need it. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Whatever our troubles are, however besieged we feel, God can and will help.

What should we say then? Since God is on our side, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

God understand us, and our children need to be taught likewise to be understanding of others, because when they love, accept, and forgive others, always trying to understand and to give them the benefit of the doubt, they become the kind of people that others feel good about and want to be with. When people know that our children don’t gossip, judge, or say negative things about others, those people can be confident that our kids won’t judge them either. When our children learn to be compassionate and understanding of others, many doors in life will be opened to them. Everyone on this planet wants to be loved, understood, and thought well of. When our children know how to imitate their Father with this character trait, and they imitate him from the heart, many of the people they encounter will want to be their friend, will accept them into their group or community, and will hire them, promote them, and honor and respect them. Life works by understanding and compassion.

But love your enemies. Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will receive a lot in return. And you will be children of the Most High God. He is kind to people who are evil and are not thankful. So have mercy, just as your Father has mercy.

If you do not judge others, then you will not be judged. If you do not find others guilty, then you will not be found guilty. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. (Luke 6: 35-38)

Those who have no sense make fun of their neighbors. But those who have understanding control their tongues. Those who talk about others tell secrets. But those who can be trusted keep things to themselves. (Proverbs 11:12-13)

(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Bible Teacher)

In some ways, God is very different from us. He’s God, and he’s awesome. He’s the creator, and we’re creatures. But that doesn’t mean that we should talk about God in terms of his being so big and mysterious that we can’t possibly understand who he is and what he’s like. Even the unique and awesome things about God can be put in simple terms for children to understand.

Yet in many ways God is similar to us, and that’s what we should focus on first when we talk to our kids about God. He made us “in his image.” People have debated a lot about exactly what that phrase means, but one thing is for sure: everything good that God created as part of who we are is part of who God is, even though he’s not limited to or by any of these things.

With God revealing himself as being so similar to us in so many ways, we should be able to avoid talking about God as unknowable and completely mysterious. It’s through these similarities that our kids can easily begin to understand who God is and what he’s like, and to feel more comfortable with him and relate to him better. Here are some of the ways in which God has shown himself to be similar to us (or rather, ways in which we’re similar to God):

• He’s creative: he loves to design and make new things.
• He’s love: he enjoys giving and caring for others.
• He has emotions: he feels, and he expresses the way he feels.
• He has a sense of humor: he laughs and has fun.
• He loves beauty: music and art and nature.
• He loves being in relationships: he wants to know and be with us, as his children and his friends.
• He loves wisdom: understanding and knowledge.
• He talks and thinks: he plans and builds, and he pursues goals, enjoying work time and rest time in the process.

It’s important that our children have an accurate understanding of God’s character for three solid reasons. First, in order for them to trust God and develop a relationship with thim, they need to know what he’s like and what they can expect of him. Second, God created everything, including life itself, in harmony with his character, so understanding his character is essential to a successful life. And third, understanding God’s character gives children a picture of what their own character should look like.

The next 4 blogs will cover the four foundational descriptions of God’s character, from the Bible, that you can use to help your children better understand who God is.

(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Bible Teacher)

The YouTube video attached is one of my all time favorite animated short films. The little blue birds are so into their exclusive ‘only our kind’ club and eliminating all threats to uniformity, that they’re blinded to what’s going on around them.

Children left to themselves tend to act exactly like that. She’s too young to be with us, he’s a boy, she’s my sister not my friend, they aren’t part of our class, club, team, school etc. If we’re not careful we can excuse this behavior as normal childhood antics. However, if we do, these seemingly innocent weeds can lead to full blown exclusive adult attitudes and behaviors such as prejudice and a lack of compassion and empathy for those that are different.Prejudice and exclusive attitudes in adults exist in most cases not because the adults learned to be that way but because they never learned how to be different as kids. Also lets face it, if your kids are always fighting about who gets to be involved and who doesn’t, or if you’re having to constantly get up when company is over to try and solve these problems, it can be a real pain.

Here are four simple steps that will help you transform your kids from the natural tendency of being exclusive, to always being inclusive.

Step #1: Have a family meeting.

If you’ve never tried a family meeting you’re missing out on one of the most effective parenting tools. Kids are just like everyone else, they love to be included and they love to be heard. Putting them in the authority/decision making loop gives them ownership of the decisions made and gives you the ability to hold them accountable to what they agreed to.

When announcing the meeting, explain that the purpose of a family meeting is to address a family problem and to come up with a plan together to solve it. Let everyone know that it’s going to be fun and that ice cream (or what ever treat everyone likes) will be served.

Start the meeting with a short prayer asking for God’s wisdom and help. Next set the tone, every one will be heard and no one will be criticized or blamed etc. Now talk to them about the problem, use specific examples without singling out anyone or being harsh. Take the tact that everyone has been involved in the problem (you could even apologize for not doing this sooner) and together you’re going to solve it.

Step #2: Talk to your kid’s about what the Bible says.

Now it’s imperative that you explain to them why all of this is important. Sorry but, “Because I said so,” doesn’t work in the long term.

You may even begin the discussion by showing them the attached animated bird film as an illustration of the problem.

Let them know that Jesus is our example and he never excluded anyone. Everyone who came to Jesus was welcomed and loved. Even though he was an adult, when his disciples tried to turn kids away he got upset and welcomed them. He spent time with people no one else would spend time with, people who weren’t very nice, people who were crippled and disabled, people who were sick, people who weren’t popular, people who had different religious views and who were from different cities and countries and even lepers who everyone else ran away from.

Explain that Jesus did this because he knew that it’s better to give then to get. One of the greatest secrets to having a happy satisfying life is to spend your time loving and caring for others. When you do, you feel better about yourself and many of the people you love start to love, give and appreciate you back.

Read and discuss this key Bible verse. (Put an emphasis on the idea of putting other people’s needs and feelings ahead of your own.)

‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:’ (Philippians 2:3 – 5)

Don’t rush the conversation. Make sure everyone gets it before moving on to the next step.

Step #3: Get everyone to agree on the new rules.

Now it’s time to get everyone’s ideas on how to solve the problem. Center the conversation around concrete examples like, “What are you going to do when your younger sibling wants to play with you?” Be sure to bring a balance. There’s nothing wrong with the older sibling telling the younger sister that he’ll play one game with her or spend fifteen minutes playing with her before he returns to what he was doing.

In our home we set the rule that EVERYONE must be included always and no was to be EXCLUDED ever. Shape your rules out of your discussion and get everyone to agree that you’re going to all work together to be an inclusive family. Then compliment everyone on a great family meeting and for their wonderful input.

Step #4: Enforce the rules.

You must be diligent with this final step. It’s relatively easy for a child to say they understand and agree to change but they need help remembering and applying what they’ve learned in the moment. Make a special effort in the days and weeks to follow to stay on top of every opportunity to teach and reinforce what everyone agreed to.

Praise every effort that is made by your kids to be inclusive and when you hear a problem brewing don’t yell from the other room, go there immediately. Stay calm and remind those involved of the meeting and what they agreed to. Perhaps even remind them that they’re sounding kind of like the little blue birds. Now help them come up with a balanced way to be inclusive and assist them in carrying out the idea.

It’s as simple as that. If you follow these four steps you will be amazed at how the level of peace and cooperation in your family will go up to a wonderful new level. More importantly you’ll be helping to instill wonderful qualities in your children like empathy, selflessness and compassion which will grow with them into adulthood.

(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Bible Teacher)

The Bible

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, ‘Give me a light!’ and someone did. Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren’t embarrassed because mirrors hadn’t been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn’t have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh’s people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don’t lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor’s stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses’ best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn’t sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don’t have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, ‘Close the door! Were you born in a barn?’ It would be nice to say, ‘As a matter of fact, I was.’)

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans.

Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn’t stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

The End

Funny, right? One thing I noticed while reading it was that despite the humorous gaffs, this kid’s grasp of the overall story of the Bible is quite good. One of the first things we need to teach our children about the Bible is the big story from Genesis to Revelation. Once they understand that, it’s easier to make sense of the individual stories because they have a context to place them in.

Read the retelling with your kids and have a little fun seeing if they can correct the mistakes. It’s an enjoyable way to help them start to grasp God’s big story.