In Western North Carolina, a middle school's popular student group is called 'The Sad Club.' It's not about preventing drunk driving as in 'SADD.' It's about being sad. Young people today are facing rising incidents of depression, anxiety, and yes, suicide. Why? According to Dr. Alex McFarland, a lot of it is caused by breakdown in the family, a shunning of traditional values, and also a disparaging of the nuclear family by secular culture. He says, "Among the left, there is a real condescension and dismissive posture about mom, dad, husband, wife, family. And yet, uniformly, besides scripture, volumes of psychological literature and studies show that the best context for a young person to grow up in is in a stable, loving, two parent home with their biological mom and dad." McFarland speaks to thousands of young people across the country through his ministry, 'Truth for a New Generation.' He not only talks to young people, he listens to them as well. When he hears them talk about how sad they are and how much despair they're facing about the future, he knows the answer is a return to faith in the Living God. But instead of preaching to them, he walks beside them to better understand the pulse and heartbeat of their generation, and their search for identity. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, hear what McFarland has to say about Gen Z's and younger, and some solutions to helping them find hope in a hurting world.

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