WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 Parents are the primary influence in a child's life. 2 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.700 Regardless of how much time spent with the child, 3 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:08.660 by the mother or the father, 4 00:00:08.660 --> 00:00:12.740 they hold incredible influence over the life of the child. 5 00:00:12.740 --> 00:00:17.740 In our last episode, we surveyed the potential 6 00:00:22.780 --> 00:00:25.700 of the individual elements of our being. 7 00:00:25.700 --> 00:00:27.900 Our heart, soul, mind, and strength 8 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:30.720 possess incredible power individually, 9 00:00:30.720 --> 00:00:34.720 but also collectively, if aligned to the purpose of God, 10 00:00:34.720 --> 00:00:37.640 the potential is unlimited. 11 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:39.560 But we also talked about the problem, 12 00:00:39.560 --> 00:00:44.360 how sin has come into our soul and stolen our potential. 13 00:00:44.360 --> 00:00:48.840 In the episode today, we are talking about a strategy 14 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:51.560 to approach discipleship in a way 15 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:56.400 that sets up this generation to live an elite lifestyle. 16 00:00:56.400 --> 00:00:59.800 In approaching a strategy, it's important to understand 17 00:00:59.800 --> 00:01:02.880 the different influences within a child's life. 18 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:06.000 You have parents, you have education, 19 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:09.640 you have entertainment, and you have the church. 20 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:13.480 These things determine so much of what a child believes 21 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:18.060 and focuses on in terms of what they are 22 00:01:18.060 --> 00:01:20.160 desiring to accomplish. 23 00:01:20.160 --> 00:01:23.640 In this episode, we will be focusing on parents. 24 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:26.600 Parents are the primary influence in a child's life, 25 00:01:26.600 --> 00:01:30.320 regardless of how much time spent with the child, 26 00:01:30.320 --> 00:01:32.240 by the mother or the father, 27 00:01:32.240 --> 00:01:36.320 they hold incredible influence over the life of the child. 28 00:01:36.320 --> 00:01:40.600 We see that even from abusive households and absent parents, 29 00:01:40.600 --> 00:01:44.160 that it's uncanny how generations will continue 30 00:01:44.160 --> 00:01:47.000 to repeat the different beliefs, values, 31 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.260 and behaviors of their parents. 32 00:01:49.260 --> 00:01:51.000 So it cannot be underestimated. 33 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:54.880 In my personal research when I was completing my degree, 34 00:01:54.880 --> 00:01:57.240 I was consistently surprised 35 00:01:57.240 --> 00:02:01.000 that parents are the number one component 36 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:04.960 in affecting success in education, socially, 37 00:02:04.960 --> 00:02:07.560 and even career after the children 38 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:09.259 have moved out of the household. 39 00:02:09.259 --> 00:02:13.940 So speaking to parents, your job is incredibly important. 40 00:02:13.940 --> 00:02:17.460 If you want to see your children become elite, 41 00:02:17.460 --> 00:02:21.420 then it is time for you to become proactive 42 00:02:21.420 --> 00:02:24.340 in all of these elements of your child, 43 00:02:24.340 --> 00:02:28.180 in their soul, in their body, in their heart, 44 00:02:28.180 --> 00:02:31.340 and in the discipleship of their mind. 45 00:02:31.340 --> 00:02:33.460 And what I'm going to pose to you 46 00:02:33.460 --> 00:02:36.780 is a strategy for you parents to easily approach 47 00:02:36.780 --> 00:02:40.500 each individual element of your child's discipleship. 48 00:02:40.500 --> 00:02:43.820 The model that I have created has four components. 49 00:02:43.820 --> 00:02:45.940 The first being model. 50 00:02:45.940 --> 00:02:49.060 Display what you want to your children. 51 00:02:49.060 --> 00:02:50.180 Next is teach. 52 00:02:50.180 --> 00:02:51.740 Teach your children. 53 00:02:51.740 --> 00:02:52.700 Engage. 54 00:02:52.700 --> 00:02:55.100 Be interactive with your children 55 00:02:55.100 --> 00:02:57.100 as they are growing and learning, 56 00:02:57.100 --> 00:02:58.380 and then encourage. 57 00:02:58.380 --> 00:03:02.220 Encourage the behavior that you are wanting to see. 58 00:03:02.220 --> 00:03:05.060 Let's break this down into some simple examples. 59 00:03:05.060 --> 00:03:07.120 If you want to see your child 60 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.120 have a dynamic relationship with God, 61 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:12.960 the first thing that you as the parent have to do 62 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:14.680 is you have to model that. 63 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:17.200 You have to allow your children to see 64 00:03:17.200 --> 00:03:19.860 you spending time with the Lord 65 00:03:19.860 --> 00:03:22.160 and reading your Bible in prayer time. 66 00:03:22.160 --> 00:03:24.800 Let them hear the sincerity behind your prayer, 67 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:27.320 even if it's just at the dinner table, 68 00:03:27.320 --> 00:03:30.080 you know, saying the blessing before you eat. 69 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:33.180 Let them see your heart for other people, 70 00:03:33.180 --> 00:03:37.200 seeing how God is motivating you to love other people 71 00:03:37.200 --> 00:03:39.440 in visible actions. 72 00:03:39.440 --> 00:03:42.780 Don't be the preacher who does not carry out 73 00:03:43.620 --> 00:03:45.380 what they are encouraging other people to do. 74 00:03:45.380 --> 00:03:47.640 Make sure you are walking the talk. 75 00:03:47.640 --> 00:03:49.420 The next is teach. 76 00:03:49.420 --> 00:03:52.820 Make sure you are prioritizing time in your day, 77 00:03:52.820 --> 00:03:55.400 or even if it's just two times a week, 78 00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:58.860 to have intentional devotion time with your children. 79 00:03:58.860 --> 00:04:01.700 This is an incredible time to teach them 80 00:04:01.700 --> 00:04:03.060 about spiritual things, 81 00:04:03.060 --> 00:04:06.460 but so many times it can be led by their questions. 82 00:04:06.460 --> 00:04:08.620 I know for myself and my family, 83 00:04:08.620 --> 00:04:10.280 we would ask so many questions 84 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:13.240 about the different passages being read to us, 85 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:16.079 and it was a great time for my parents 86 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:20.180 to just teach and disciple us on those different things. 87 00:04:20.180 --> 00:04:21.700 The next one is engage. 88 00:04:21.700 --> 00:04:25.160 Find a fun, interactive way to engage your children 89 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:27.980 in this concept of discipling their soul. 90 00:04:27.980 --> 00:04:30.520 Maybe it's watching a cheesy Christian movie 91 00:04:30.520 --> 00:04:34.200 with the intent of actually analyzing the message 92 00:04:34.200 --> 00:04:37.480 and having that discussion afterwards with your child 93 00:04:37.480 --> 00:04:41.720 of what was trying to be communicated through that movie. 94 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:44.040 Lastly, we have encourage. 95 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:46.600 Look for the times when your children 96 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:49.340 are having their personal time with the Lord. 97 00:04:49.340 --> 00:04:51.840 Look for the prayers that they are praying, 98 00:04:51.840 --> 00:04:52.960 and encourage them. 99 00:04:52.960 --> 00:04:55.480 Now, this is one of the ones that's a little more tricky 100 00:04:55.480 --> 00:04:58.880 because you don't want to show favoritism to your children. 101 00:04:58.880 --> 00:05:00.200 So sometimes... 102 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:07.440 the individual compliments that you pay them just one-on-one can be so incredibly important. 103 00:05:07.440 --> 00:05:12.720 I remember a time when my father called me into his office and he read a scripture to me, 104 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:18.880 and he said that he believed that this was me in my development as a young person. 105 00:05:18.880 --> 00:05:23.120 And the verse was talking about how when we were a child, we thought as a child, 106 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:27.520 we reasoned as a child, but when we became a man, we put away childish things. 107 00:05:27.520 --> 00:05:32.960 Now, I was a young person, I think 13 or 14 at the time, but it was incredibly encouraging to 108 00:05:32.960 --> 00:05:40.320 me that my father saw my intentionality. He saw my progress as a young man of God, 109 00:05:40.320 --> 00:05:43.600 and he called that out and he encouraged that in me. 110 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:48.320 Another example we could use is physical fitness. Maybe you want your children to 111 00:05:48.320 --> 00:05:54.240 have a really good understanding of how to have a healthy lifestyle. Well, let's use the model 112 00:05:54.640 --> 00:06:01.360 model. So how are they seeing you exercise on a consistent basis? Make sure that that's visible 113 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:08.080 to them. Let them see you rejecting or having healthy restraint when it comes to unhealthy food. 114 00:06:08.080 --> 00:06:14.560 Then teach, prepare a healthy meal for dinner. And this is important to also make it delicious. 115 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:19.280 If it's healthy and disgusting, you're kind of defeating the purpose there, 116 00:06:19.280 --> 00:06:25.520 but make a delicious meal that is also healthy and dialogue with your children about what was 117 00:06:25.520 --> 00:06:31.600 chosen, why you were eating these different foods and how they are actually healthy and 118 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:39.440 beneficial for the body. Next we have engage, go on a family bike ride together, or go on YouTube 119 00:06:39.440 --> 00:06:45.520 and pull up a family workout and do that together as a family. Make it fun, make it a competition, 120 00:06:45.520 --> 00:06:51.120 make it a challenge, but make it family time to where you are actually engaging with your 121 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:56.080 children with this. Once again, you're not having expectations on them, but you are willing to get 122 00:06:56.080 --> 00:07:02.080 down and dirty with them and do the things, do the work together. Lastly, encourage, 123 00:07:02.080 --> 00:07:07.680 encourage those healthy decisions that you see your children make and compliment that. 124 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:12.960 Make sure that they are aware that you are observing and that you are seeing the progress 125 00:07:12.960 --> 00:07:19.040 that they are making. You are seeing the benefits that they are receiving from healthy choices. 126 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:25.360 We could use this model to go through every category of our children's being, and I hope that 127 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:30.640 it's a helpful tool to you to think about how you're modeling, how you're teaching, how you're 128 00:07:30.640 --> 00:07:38.240 engaging, and how you are encouraging your children. But more importantly than anything else is be a 129 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:44.240 present parent. If a child feels like they can come to you with their hurt, with their pain, with 130 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:50.720 their confusion, and you will be accepting, you will listen without being judgmental or critical, 131 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:57.360 then you are building a bond with your child that will last a lifetime. I speak once again from 132 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:02.960 experience with my parents, how they opened the door for conversations that were hard or 133 00:08:02.960 --> 00:08:09.200 uncomfortable or awkward, and they kept that open communication in a way that allowed me to 134 00:08:09.200 --> 00:08:16.000 approach them with my mess, with my hurt, with my confusion on different topics. When you are doing 135 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:22.560 that, you are opening a door to actually disciple their soul. They are willing to share the deep 136 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:30.560 things with you. You're able to address the faulty beliefs or the faulty ideologies that they have 137 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:36.480 about themselves. You're able to encourage the beauty that you see in their soul, in their person, 138 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:42.720 and you're able to partner with them in a discipleship that is both relational and unique. 139 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:50.160 So to recap, the way that we effectively reach and disciple an elite generation is by primarily 140 00:08:50.160 --> 00:08:57.200 through parents, parents being intentional and available to disciple every aspect of their child, 141 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:07.760 heart, soul, mind, and body. Discipling them through the strategy of modeling, teaching, engaging, and encouraging.