Christian Parent, Crazy World

HOW DO YOU LIVE BIBLICALLY WHEN EVERYONE AROUND YOU ISN’T? Or a lot of people around you aren’t. In other words, how do you live a counter-cultural life? Good question, huh? We are in the middle of a series on how to be a counter-cultural Christian. In this episode, Catherine offers six guidelines to help you and your kids swim upstream in our downstream culture.At the end of life, all that matters is our faithfulness to God. Did we stand strong? Culture is always flowing downstream. Always has been. Always will. Did we go with the flow, or were we determined to swim the other way?If we want to swim upstream, we need to:(1)Know the Word(2)Find encouragement in those who swam upstream before us.(3)Question everything.(4)Expect opposition and even persecution.(5)Listen intently for God’s voice.(6)Maintain an ETERNAL MINDSETIf we can do these things, and if we can teach our kids to do these things, we will be swimming the right way. RESOURCES MENTIONED:Keys for Kids: Website: https://www.keysforkids.org/Daily Devotional: https://www.keysforkids.org/Programming/Keys-for-Kids-Daily-Devotional/Read-ListenThe Jesus Storybook Bible: https://amzn.to/3D4GPeUApologia What We Believe Series:Who Is God? And Can I Really Know Him?: https://bit.ly/314vUFnWho Am I? And What Am I Doing Here?: https://bit.ly/314jzAZWho Is My Neighbor? And Why Does He Need Me?: https://bit.ly/3D4FHI8What On Earth Can I Do?: https://bit.ly/3lktucqThe Bible Project: Website – https://bibleproject.com/How To Read the Bible (videos): https://bibleproject.com/explore/how-to-read-the-bible/Article on Yeonmi Park: “Columbia student who escaped North Korea says she sees similarities in the US”: https://bit.ly/3I4MVzF“Only One Life” by C.T. Studd: https://bit.ly/3d2puZG***Follow Catherine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinesegars/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motherhoodfaithandculture/Episode Image Credit: Getty/Jorm Sangsorm Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If we are going to swim God’s direction in this downstream culture, people will think that we are odd. They will have all kinds of choice words to describe us. We need to have this expectation in life, and we need to give our kids this expectation as well. If our children stay true to God’s Word and God’s standard, our culture will not celebrate them. In fact, our culture will accuse and may even cancel them. Other Christians may accuse and cancel them. But that’s ok. We stand in good company when we are accused and canceled for our faith. This episode is the first in a series on being a counter-cultural Christian. In order to do that, we need to (1) stay grounded in the Word, and (2) draw inspiration from those who swam upstream before us. In this first installment, Catherine gives some practical tips and lots of Biblical inspiration to help us swim upstream in our downstream culture.PODCASTS REFERENCED:CPCW 4-part Worldview series – you can find all the episodes at https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/episodes Episode 6: Why You Should Teach Your Kids About Other WorldviewsEpisode 7: What Other Worldviews Are Competing for Your Kids’ FaithEpisode 8: What Sets the Christian Worldview Apart from Other WorldviewsEpisode 9: How Does the Christian Worldview Create a World We All Want To Live In?Episode 4: Is Christianity Just a Religion of Do’s and Don’tsSCRIPTURES REFERENCED:Hebrews 4:12 Proverbs 14:12RESOURCES FOR SCRIPTURE SONGS:Catherine Segars’ Website: Resources : https://catherinesegars.com/resourcesEsther Mui: Scripture Songs for Worship: http://www.scripturesongsforworship.com/Seeds Family Worship: https://bit.ly/2YOHnrpThe Corner Room: https://bit.ly/3CckdJ2Sherri Youngward: http://www.sherriyoungward.com/King Things: https://bit.ly/3qzp5Wy The Bigsby Show - Books of the Bible Song: https://bit.ly/3kAQWC0The Bigsby Show - 12 Disciples Song - https://bit.ly/2YOI9EPASL Page on Handspeak (motions to aid in Scripture memory): https://www.handspeak.com/word/ARTICLES REFERENCED: “Factose Intolerance,” by Cheryl Lowe, Memoria Press: https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/factose-intolerance***Follow Catherine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinesegars/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motherhoodfaithandculture/Episode Image Credit: Getty/PeterHermesFurian Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you know that you have a purpose in life? Like beyond parenting. Beyond what you do for a living, even, perhaps. Beyond paying the bills and doing the chores and feeding the kids. You have a purpose in life. Something that God created you to do before you were ever born. God has a very specific part for you to play in the grand story He is writing throughout all of historyIn this podcast, I’m going to talk about how to discover why you were born. I will give you the Five P’s of finding your purpose.Discovering your purpose in life really does tie into your parenting in a big way. Because when your kids see you living your purpose in life, they are going to be inspired to live out theirs. The majority of people live and die without ever discovering their purpose in life, the reason God created them. Isn’t that sad. But what is even more sad is that the majority of Christians, the majority of people who know the God who created them with a purpose to fulfill for His Kingdom, they never discover that purpose is either. They never realize why they were put on this earth. How sad is that? It is tragic, really.The 5 P’s to Your Purpose:People who fulfill their God-given purpose in life are people of prayer.They are people who plant themselves in Christ’s body, in the church. They are people who allow God to prune them without losing their faith.They are people who persevere. And all the while, they never stop praising God. The question is not “Do I have a purpose?” Scripture is clear—you do. The question is, then, “Will I discover God’s purpose for my life?” And then, “Will I fulfill God’s purpose for my life?” Or…“Will I usurp God’s purpose for my life with my own?”I encourage you to fulfill your purpose by praying, planting, allowing God to prune, the persevere, all the while praising God. And as you do this, you will be modeling for your kids how to fulfill their purpose in life too.SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:Jeremiah 1:5Isaiah 49:1-2Psalm 139:13-17Ephesians 2:10 Isaiah 46:10-11Proverbs 25:2Psalm 92:12-13John 15:1-2Psalm 144:1OTHER SOURCES REFERENCED:John Bevere Devotional“Jobs Are Hard” videoThe Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The more your kids understand their God-given purpose in life, the more likely they are to stay grounded in their faith into adulthood. As parents, we have this incredibly unique position in our kid’s lives. We are literally front row center for most of the first two decades. We are, hands down, the most important influence on our kids during their formative years. We have not just the ability, but the responsibility to uncover those spiritual gifts in our kids’ lives, and to cultivate them. You could say that we are the chief gardener in their lives. How well those little seeds do is, in a large part, up to us.“God gave you your kids for a reason, your specific kids. That’s because you hold the key to unlocking who God created them to be.”***Tips for Cultivating Your Child’s Spiritual Gifts:1. What do you see in your child’s life that isn’t like your other kids, or other peoples’ children? When you see a gift – feed it. Call it out and encourage it. Water that gift and watch it grow.2. Don’t compare your parenting or your kids to other kids. God specifically chose you to parent your children. What your kids need is quite simple: they need you. And God will meet all the needs you have as you parent them.***Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Pass the Baton (blog): https://catherinesegars.com/2020/12/11/pass-the-baton/Blogcasts at CatherineSegars.com: https://catherinesegars.com/category/blogcast/The Mere Mother Blogcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PXxZ9OEvangeline’s Faith Testimony in Episode 14: https://bit.ly/3BjI5xMSing to Me (blog post): https://catherinesegars.com/2020/03/07/sing-to-me/***Scripture Mentioned in This Week's Episode:Jesus at the Temple: Luke 2:41-52; Philippians 4:19***Follow Catherine:Instagram | FacebookEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Olha Khorimarko Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When you step out with God in prayer, you need to expect opposition from the enemy. That’s because prayer changes history. Your history, your child’s history, human history.***Resources:Read my article on this topic on Crosswalk.comGod Is Good, But This Isn’t: Blogcast Recording | Article.Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life's Not Okay***Scriptures to Pray When You Go to Battle in Prayer:Jeremiah 24:7John 8:31-32 2 Corinthians 3:16-172 Peter 3:9 Exodus 23:25-26Galatians 3:29 Matthew 6:10Romans 8:28Whatever happens in this life, it won’t happen because I didn’t pray with faith. Whatever doesn’t happen in this life, it won’t fail to happen because I didn’t pray with faith. Because I didn’t fight, because I didn’t take the authority that God has given me, those keys, and use them to speak forth what I believe is His will here on earth. HERE’S THE BOTTOM LINE when it comes to prayer. Our faith in prayer must not be in a certain outcome—now we may be praying for a particular outcome. Our faith must be in God regardless of the outcome. ***Follow Catherine:Instagram | FacebookEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Yelyzaveta Hryhorieva Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Get close to God. Seek His face. Declare who He is. Exclaim His goodness. Ask for direction. Request what you need. And command His will to be done here on earth in your life as it is in heaven. Pray some bold prayers. Scriptures referenced:James 1:5Philippians 4:6-7Psalm 37:4Psalm 144:1-2Article referenced:Is God Still Speaking to Us in Dreams, Even Today?Read my article on this topic on Crosswalk.comTeaching referenced:8 Steps to Find Redemption after Loss***Follow Catherine at https://catherinesegars.com/Episode Image Credit: Getty/Yelyzaveta Hryhorieva Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

I love apologetics, explaining the faith and equipping parents to help their children stand strong in the faith. But there comes a time in life when we need to stop explaining and start exercising – we’ve got to start walking out all that we know.In this episode, we will cover:1. The four types of prayers we should be praying when we are in a battle for one of our kids2. The greatest impediments that keep us from being effective in our prayers.***The Four Types of Prayers:1. Declarative Prayer2. Exclamatory Prayer3. Interrogative Prayer4. Imperative Prayer ***Scriptures referenced:James 1:5Phil. 4:6-7Matthew 16:19 Matthew 18:18Luke 10:19Mark 11:23John 14:122 Chronicles 16:9Matthew 13:58***Read my article on this topic on Crosswalk.com***Books referenced:Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth by Dutch Sheets, pg. 23 & 29.Confronting the Powers by C. Peter Wagner, pg. 242.The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson***Follow Catherine at https://catherinesegars.com/Episode Image Credit: Getty/siraanamwong Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We spend a lot of time worrying that our children will leave the faith in college. But statistics show that children are more likely to leave the faith before they leave the nest.In this episode, Catherine covers:1. What is to blame when your child walks away from the faith (and what NOT to blame).2. A battleplan for going to war for your child’s faithArticles and Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Read Catherine's accompanying article on Crosswalk: https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/what-to-do-if-your-child-has-walked-away-from-the-faith.htmlAlready Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church And What You Can Do To Stop It by Ken Ham, Britt Beemer, and Todd Hillard (pgs. 31-32)Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper, More Intimate, More Powerful Relationship with God by Jentzen Franklin.Praying Circles Around Your Children by Mark Batterson.House of Miracles by Brandon Lake.***Scripture Referenced in this Episode:The Good Shepherd & the lost sheep: Luke 15:3-71 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”The Armor of God: Ephesians 6:10-20 Exodus 17:8-16: Israel’s battle with Amalekites.***Quotes on prayer:J. Edwin Orr “History is silent on revivals that did not begin with prayer.” The Great Oswald Chambers called prayer "the greater work."W. Clement Stone: “Prayer is man’s greatest power.” Watchman Nee: “Our prayers lay the track down through Gods power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails.” ****Follow Catherine at https://catherinesegars.com/Episode Image Credit: Getty/Qvasimodo Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We have all heard at some point to “speak the truth in love." But how exactly do we do that? Where in scripture are we instructed to do so? In this episode, we are going to break down this popular saying and discuss how to humbly lead others to the truth. Our goal should not just be to speak the truth, but that our expression of truth is effective and genuine. Resources Mentioned:Article: The Danger of Speaking Truth without Love by Catherine SegarsScripture Referenced:Paul’s admonition to speak the truth in love: 1 Corinthians 13Zacchaeus’ story: Luke 19The woman at the well: John 4The woman caught in adultery: John 8"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 NIV)Paul’s admonition not to judge the world: (1 Corinthians 5:12).Follow Catherine at https://catherinesegars.com/Episode Image Credit: Canva Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our social and political landscape is incredibly contentious. We need guidelines to help us and our kids navigate these treacherous waters. In this episode, we discuss how to talk about sensitive topics with our kids, telling them the truth – which is often offensive -- but with love. How do we do that? I’ve got 6 guidelines.Read the article that goes with this episode.GUIDELINES:1. Listen. Really listen.2. Respect other people’s beliefs. Don’t ridicule3. Don’t assume a motive. Challenge methods, not motives.4. Be more concerned about people than your position.5. Speak in love while never denying truth.6. Recognize that what people need most is not an argument, it is an experience with God.Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (Matt. 7:12)***Resources and Articles Mentioned in This Episode:The “love” chapter: 1 Corinthians 13The Danger of Speaking Truth without LoveC.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" BroadcastC.S. Lewis' conversion from atheism to Christianity C.S. Lewis quote on his encounter with God at Oxford***Follow Catherine at https://catherinesegars.com/***Episode Image Credit: Getty/Gvardgraph Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.