Tag: kids
What If Kids Don’t Want to Go to Church Because of Their Parents?
Posted on July 28, 2016 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I watched a short clip recently with Carl Trueman in which the scholar made the observation that one likely reason we are seeing a drop in church attendance is that parents are simply not teaching their kids that it is a priority. Trueman said:
“The church is losing its young people because the parents never taught their children that it was important. I think that applies across the board. It applies to family worship, and it also applies to whether you are in church every Sunday and what priority you demonstrate to your children church has on a Sunday. If the sun shines out and their friends are going to the beach, do you decide to skip church and go to the beach? In which case, you send signals to your children that it is not important.”
An Honest Commentary On Race Relations from Someone that is Curious
Posted on July 21, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
That account is similar to the time my daughter met her soon-to-be best friend. My daughter was 5 and the little girl was Asian-American. They hit it off quickly and my daughter asked why her eyes were “shaped different.” Her parents laughed and so did we as I told my daughter that she was Asian-American and simply had eyes shaped differently than hers. The two were best friends from that moment on.
What I love about my kids is that they are free to see the differences in people without prejudice. It would be unfair to say they don’t see color, because clearly my son noted the difference between his skin and the skin of his playground friend. But it didn’t matter. His skin color wasn’t a prerequisite for playing nor was it a barrier; it was just a factual difference he noticed. And both my son and my daughter felt free to ask honest questions and make honest observations about the differences they saw in people.
You Won’t Believe the Phrase One Writer Says is “Offensive”
Posted on July 14, 2016 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
I recently read a headline so astoundingly absurd that I almost didn’t believe it. Surely I was not seriously reading what I thought I was reading? And yet, when I looked again, there it was in all its absolute ridiculousness. The headline read:
“People Shouldn’t Say ‘Start a Family’ Because It’s Offensive.”
The author, I will keep his identity hidden to protect the silly, says that this phrase is offensive to single people and those with no children and, therefore, it should be removed from our vocabulary. He wrote:
“What this euphemism means is get pregnant—or try to get pregnant, or have a baby, or adopt…Start a family devalues any couple who doesn’t happen to have kids, for whatever reason.”
Now, if you can’t pick out the ways in which this statement is beyond ridiculous, let me help.
First, notice that he says this statement is offensive to couples that don’t have kids “for whatever reason.” He is implying that people who willingly choose not to have kids are offended by the choice of others to have kids. In other words, a couple that makes a conscience decision not to have kids – though they could – are offended, he says, by my choice to have kids and use the phrase “start a family.”
A Helpful Resource for Developing Character in Your Kids
Posted on July 12, 2016 in Family, Home School by Nathan Cherry
Looking around our culture it is apparent that character is not high on the list of priorities. The selfie generation that is all too willing to trade naked pictures for fame has forgotten the pricelessness of strong character. The effects on our world are more than obvious.
I came across an audio series on teaching character to children. As a father I am always looking for resources to aid my efforts to teach and train my kids. I am keenly aware of the need to teach them morals, respect, and character; so anytime I come across a resource that can help with that task I want to share it.
Let’s face it; we live in a society that does not value character. One look at the political landscape, or at the state of Hollywood and it’s quick to conclude that character and morals are not nearly as valuable as the lack thereof. The self-absorbed, entitled mentality that pervades our culture is a by-product of society that rewards laziness, dishonesty, and corruption. As a parent the task of imparting character and training our kids to think independently and be willing to stand in opposition to “the crowd” is even more critical than ever.
The series includes lessons on cultivating self-control and modesty in our kids, certainly traits that are sorely needed in today’s word of excess and indecency. As more kids become desensitized to sending nude pictures of themselves via text message, self-control and decency are clearly much-needed lessons. It also contains lessons on correction, and how to pray for our children which, I think, are valuable to any parent.
Captain Obvious Award: New Study Suggests High School Condom Programs Lead to More Teen Pregnancy
Posted on July 5, 2016 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
What happens when you hand out condoms at the high school level?
If you’re a progressive, liberal, or lacking in common sense the answer is: kids have safe sex.
If you have a properly functioning moral compass and a shred of common sense the answer is: teen pregnancy rates go up.
While advocates of condom distribution studies insist that these programs are designed to encourage safe sex; a growing body of data points to the fact that condom programs simply increase teen pregnancy and abortion rates.
Take a moment to read about a new study that further suggests condom programs do little more than increase teen pregnancy and abortion rates. A recent report comments on the new study:
“Overall, the study adds to an impressive body of research which shows that efforts to encourage contraceptive use either through mandates, subsidies, or distribution are ineffective at best or counterproductive at worst. In many countries, increases in contraception use are correlated with increase in the abortion rate.”
The study supports other data, which suggests that teen pregnancy, abortion, and STD’s all increase due to the implementation of condom programs. To this I utter an exasperated and common-sense based “sigh.”
SPORTS: A New Idol for A New Generation
Posted on June 29, 2016 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I recently watched the Cleveland Cavaliers pull off an improbable comeback to win the NBA finals. With their team down 3-1 the Cavs won 3 straight games to bring home Cleveland’s first NBA championship; a promise LeBron James issued two years ago. It was an exciting game and series for fans, but it also reminded me of how much Americans worship sports.
To be fair, I love sports. I’ve been playing and watching since I was a kid. What I am most thankful for is that my parents never allowed sports to interfere with our family, or our life as part of the church. That doesn’t seem to be the case today.
How often have you said to your pastor, “we won’t be around much the next few months, it’s _________ season.”?
Can Someone Please Tell Me Why Fourth-Graders Need a NSFW Book in Their School Library?
Posted on April 26, 2016 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
The Oregon school principal is apologizing after angry parents demanded to know why their kids had access to the book; especially when they were told it had been pulled from school shelves. Perhaps a better question is why has such a book been approved for 10 year olds in the first place?
Let’s do a very simple review: any image depicting people engaging in sexual activity is considered “explicit” and/or pornographic (depends on who you talk to). To view any such image a person is supposed to be at least 18 years old; as every pornographic website makes perfectly clear. So why is a school allowed to show explicit/pornographic imaged to our children and call it “health class”?
According to one article, some of the images in the book include:
VIDEO: This Animated Explanation of Heaven and Earth is Great for Kids – and Adults!
Posted on March 22, 2016 in Family, Home School, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I ran across this video explaining heaven and earth at a blog site I frequent. It’s simple in its composition but the depth of theological insight and teaching is definitely there.
Many people are confused by the difference between heaven and earth. Are they one and the same? Are they totally separate? How will God bring them together? Is God bringing them together now or will that happen in the future? There is a lot of questions and the average church attending Christian does not have many answers.
This fun video illustrates the difference and explains in simple terms what God did, is doing, and will do with respect to heaven and earth. Take a look and see if you don’t learn a few things. Watch it with your kids and start a conversation about how they can come directly into God’s presence each and every day.
If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.
What is the Most Important Lesson My Kids Can Learn from Me?
Posted on March 9, 2016 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
As parents we spend a lot of time teaching our kids. Over the years I have helped teach my kids to:
tie a shoe,
ride a bike,
dress,
brush their teeth,
vacuum the floor,
and eat with a fork.
These “lessons” were often informal, not something planned with a manual and graded when we were done.
I’m sure you can recall many “lessons” you taught your kids as they were growing up (or maybe you’re still teaching because your kids are young; or hard-headed.) We often teach our kids without even realizing that we are doing so; a truth that is both interesting and somewhat frightening.
We’ve all been told that kids watch our every move and will learn by watching; they will imitate us. So we do our best as parents to be polite, use our manners, and refrain from burping at the dinner table. We want our kids to learn good habits so we try each day to set an example for them. But what about the lessons that can’t be learned by simply watching and observing someone else?
Public School Learns a Lesson After Telling Students They Can’t Pray in Cafeteria
Posted on February 25, 2016 in Home School, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Imagine your child and a few friends bowing their heads to say a prayer in the cafeteria at school before eating their lunch. As a parent you would be proud of their small demonstration of their faith. And you would be more than a little irritated if the principal of the school told your child that prayer was not permitted and the group had to stop immediately.
That scenario happened in a Wyoming school when students were told they needed permission to pray, and after receiving permission must pray in the hallway so other students wouldn’t see the prayer and be offended.
A recent article reports that the school argued that by praying in the cafeteria the students were creating a “captive audience” and forcing others to see, hear, and be part of their prayer. The principal wanted to avoid offending anyone – except the Christians it would seem – by making sure no one would see or hear the prayer.
But, when the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) – a legal organization that defends religious freedom – stepped in, the school changed its tone. ADF sent a letter to the school threatening legal action if the school continued to infringe on the students’ 1st amendment rights to pray: