I feel like I need to start with a couple of confessions. Confession is not only good for the soul, but it also brings clarity of purpose when it comes to living for Christ. So, here are my confessions. When I first became a dad, I realized I had more shortcomings than I imagined. First, after spending nearly forty years evangelizing and discipling others, I had no idea how to disciple my sons. I became a (single) dad later in life through adoption. (I thought I was a pretty exceptional youth pastor…until I became a dad.) My second confession is that, even as a professor with a doctorate in yo ..read more

If blessed with a long life, there is a strong likelihood you will come to a point when your parents need some sort of care. This could range from complete nursing home care to occasional assistance. Generally, it will be somewhere in between.  It is not uncommon for aging parents to need loving boundaries and careful correction in some areas. Perhaps their driving needs to be restricted in some situations or maybe they need other cautions for their safety and others.  Here are some points to consider:  Honor your parents. This command of God has no expiration date. Even when w ..read more

As parents, we must ask ourselves, “What do our teens typically base their decision-making on: Feelings or Truth?” We must ask this question of ourselves as well and model healthy decision-making as best as we can. In our feelings-driven culture, biblical guidelines are often considered archaic and outdated. So, the first thing we as parents must do for our children, as we discuss the battle between feelings and the truth, is teach our child which one should win based on the truths found in God’s Word. God desires for us to experience true spiritual growth and maturity. With this growth and ma ..read more

Technology is constantly evolving in our culture. There will always be the next, best thing that grabs the attention of society, which brings unique challenges of how we are to deal with the ever-changing culture as our children are often very invested in these technological advances. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, but it is in our best interest—and our children’s best interest—that we educate ourselves.  Stay informed when it comes to technology and culture. 1 Chronicles 12:32 tells us that David had men who understood the times and knew what to do with the information they had. To be a ..read more

Navigating through a year filled with challenges, many of us have felt the weight of heightened stress and concern. We are more than ready for a season of peace and joy. In the midst of the chaos, we need to be extra intentional to keep the quickly approaching Christmas season focused on Christ. How do we help our children focus on Christ at Christmas time when commercialism is so easy to fall into and intentionality takes much more work? We must choose to establish a daily habit of spending time with Christ in His Word. Spending time in the Word before the demands of the day begin strengthens ..read more

Here’s a great article from Fusion Family to help you have tough conversations with your kids.  View/Download PDF The post Teaching Our Kids to Show Love and Compassion in a Broken World appeared first on D6 Family ..read more

What do you do when you are afraid? In that moment of discomfort, do you withdraw? Maybe when panic rises, you lash out in anger. Some turn to substance abuse to numb anxious feelings, while others go for a hard workout. Have you ever just sat with your fear and tried to evaluate it?  Many of us would say we had no idea what intense anxiety was until we became parents. It can be an overwhelming tsunami of emotion the first time someone sees their child facing danger. Fear is a present and normal reality and part of the human package. We have to learn to manage it, or it will most certainl ..read more

Parents serve a critical role in the transmission of faith to the next generation. Unfortunately, many parents consider their role to be that of chauffeur, transporting children and teens to church so the “professionals” can be in charge of spiritual development. As parents, however, our role is too important to the success of our child’s spiritual development for us to simply surrender the teaching of the faith to the staff at our local church. Deep inside, parents know they hold this key role, but many are scared at the thought of such responsibility. Where do I start? How do I get them to t ..read more

Relationships are central to making a spiritual impact on children. Children and teenagers tend to embrace their parents’ faith if parents have heart connections (relationships) with them. If a parent and teenager grow distant from each other, the parent will probably have little spiritual impact, even if the parent teaches biblical truth.  Drawing from empirical evidence from more than 230 in-depth interviews, Christian Smith observes: “Parents can be very invested in and intentional about religious transmission, but if they have emotionally distant or critical relationships with their c ..read more

Family ministry holds immense importance within the realm of Christian communities. As we delve into the depths of Scripture, we discover the profound wisdom and guidance it offers regarding the role of family and its impact on spiritual growth. In this article, we will explore what the Bible says about family ministry and why it holds such significance in the lives of believers. What does the Bible say about a family ministry? The Bible affirms the centrality of the family unit in nurturing faith and passing down spiritual values from one generation to the next. Several passages highlight the ..read more