Must Read Book for Christian Teens (and Adults)

Must Read for Christian Teens (and Adults) - Parenting Like HannahIf you talk to the average teen involved in school and church, you will usually hear about their interest and even passion for issues of social justice. Now back in your day, you may have been interested in some of the same problems of the world. You may even now volunteer in an attempt to make a positive difference. You in fact may actually be more passionate and knowledgable about some of the social justice issues than even the most passionate teen.

There is a generational difference though.  Where previous generations addressed social issues within their churches and outside of them, Christian young people today expect churches to take the lead in all of these issues. If they feel their church is not only not leading in these areas, but also in their minds barely addressing them, they will often leave. Unfortunately, because many have little in the way of a strong biblical foundation, leaving often means rejecting not just their congregation, but the church as a whole and even their belief and faith in God.

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Is Your Child Repackaging God?

Is Your Child Repackaging God - Parenting lIke HannahHave you ever bought an item for years and then the company suddenly repackaged it? Often it’s because the company wants consumers to view their product differently. They know they can often change the way a product is packaged and consumers will view the product differently – even if the product itself has not changed at all.

One of the most dangerous things people do is try to repackage God. Studies have shown our brains are wired in such a way that we try to make God fit into the image we want to have of Him – whether or not it even remotely resembles who God really is and what He truly wants from us. Your kids – just like the rest of us – will be susceptible to this tendency unless you prepare them.

The problem with your kids repackaging God into their image of Him is twofold. First, this new image they have created of God may not resemble God at all. Secondly, they may be so focused on shaping God into the image they want to have of Him, they forget to reflect God’s true image – which they have now possibly altered to the point that they are merely reflecting themselves to the world – not God.

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Five Tips For “Being” a Christian Parent

Five Tips For Being a Christian Parent - Parenting Like HannahParenting books and articles are full of lists of things to do to be a great parent. The assumption is that if you can check everything off of the list, you will have children who grow into becoming wonderful, successful adults. Christian publications are not immune either, as you can see by all of the tips in this blog over the years.

People love lists – especially if those lists can help them be a better person or in this case parent. They come with the promise that if you can just complete the list, you will achieve your goal. In Christian parenting, the stakes are even higher. We feel an added burden to raise children who worship and serve God all the days of their lives. It would be wonderful if someone could guarantee us if we checked things off of some list our kids would be productive Christians.

Here’s the secret no list writer will tell you. They are successful not because of the list, but because the list represents who they are at their core. They can work the list and make it work because the list represents things they do because the goal of the list is so important to them it has become their identity.

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God is GOOD Challenge for Kids and Teens

The "God is GOOD" Challenge for Kids and TeensIt doesn’t really matter if you are reading this post the day it went on the website or days, months or even years later. The world is filled with evil and lots of people who are more than willing to act in incredibly evil ways. Sometimes, they conduct their evil under the pretense of it being what God wanted them to do.

Yet God is GOOD. The Bible tells us all good things come from God. It also tells us “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 ESV)

In the process of teaching our kids everything in the Bible about how they should behave, we sometimes forget to tell them their purpose as a Christian. We are to worship and obey God and serve Him by serving others and sharing our faith. Those last two things are what the scripture in Matthew is all about. Serving others allows us to point them to God and share His message with them.

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Christian Kids and Margin

Christian Kids and Margin - Parenting Like HannahSomeone has taken the concept of idle hands being the devil’s workshop and decided children and teens should not have a spare moment of unscheduled time. Schools are pressured to give lots of homework and keep kids at the building for as many hours as possible. Extra curricular activities often demand young people practice or perform six to seven days a week – all year. We run our kids from activity to activity, coming home in time for them to do homework and get inadequate amounts of sleep. If our kids do have a rare free moment, all they have the energy to do is zone out in front of a screen – watching videos or playing games.

While all of that constant activity may indeed keep most kids out of terrible trouble (trust me if they want to find it, they will still get in trouble), it is also robbing our kids of some things that could help them grow to be strong Christian adults. To develop an active, living faith takes time and more importantly time to do nothing but read the Bible, pray and think. While those things can all be done on the run, it just doesn’t have the same effect as when those activities are done in the still of margin time.

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