Keeping It Young

In this episode you'll learn how to nurture a deep, lasting connection with the Bible in your children. Dave and Bethlie explore practical methods to integrate God's Word into your family's daily life. Whether through storytelling, reading together, or creating memory verses, this episode is packed with strategies to help your children grow spiritually.

1. 1. Read the Bible Aloud: Start by reading Bible stories together to create a foundation for understanding God's Word.
   2. Model and Mentor: Show your children the importance of personal Bible reading through your own example.
   3. Memorization Matters: Engage in family memorization of scriptures during meals, car rides, and bedtime.
   4. Involve the Church: Choose a church that prioritizes biblical preaching and teaching to reinforce what you teach at home.
   5. Celebrate Milestones: Reward spiritual growth, like finishing reading the Bible, to encourage a lifelong love of scripture.
   6. Use Everyday Moments: Apply scripture to daily life and specific situations to make it relatable and memorable.

Connect with Us:

Instagram: @keepingityoungpodcast

Facebook: Keeping It Young

Start 2025 with a focus on biblical parenting! In this episode of the Keeping It Young podcast, Dave and Bethlie share six practical ways to teach children the Word of God. Using Deuteronomy 6, they discuss why it's crucial for parents to instill a love for the Bible in their kids and provide timeless principles to make God's Word a living part of family life.

What You'll Learn:

• Why teaching the Bible is essential for your child's spiritual growth.
• How to tell Bible stories in a way that captivates their hearts.
• Steps to help your kids develop a biblical worldview.
• How to integrate God's Word into everyday life.

Actionable Tips from the Episode:

1. Tell Bible Stories: Start with creation, Noah's ark, or David and Goliath to make the Bible relatable and exciting.
2. Read the Bible Together: Establish a daily habit of reading scripture as a family.
3. Live God's Word: Be an example by living out biblical principles in your own life.
4. Answer Big Questions: Help your kids develop a biblical framework for understanding right, wrong, and truth.

Connect with Us:

• Instagram: @keepingityoungpodcast
• Facebook: Keeping It Young

Call to Action: 👉 Don't miss Part 2, where we'll dive into more actionable ways to teach your children the Bible! 👉 Share this episode with other parents in your church or community.

5.) Know, Think, and Speak Truth.

1. Jesus IS Truth. (John 14:6) **Do you know Him?
2. Know Truth: Remind yourself that at one of the darkest points in history, Christ came!
3. Think Truth:
   1. He is not the Author of anxiety or fear. (Phil. 4:6-7; 2 Tim. 1:7)
      1. His grace, strength, and wisdom is available when overwhelmed by the Holiday hustle and bustle. (2 Cor. 12:9, James 1:5)
      2. He is always with us, and He has promised that struggles are for a season. (Heb. 13:5, 2 Cor. 4:17).
4. Speak Truth:
   1. Remind yourself and your children of the Biblical Christmas Story.
   2. Remind yourself and your children of the reason and truth behind Christmas traditions.
5. Be ready to share the Truth of Christmas to all.

3.) Speak Life and Reflect Light.

1. Jesus came to give life when we were dead in sin and headed to eternal death.
2. Jesus always shines light in darkness; in fact, He IS light!
3. Show life and light by being encouraged (get out of the news and into the Word!) and by being encouraging!
4. Be a true "Joy to the World" with your face and your words!
   1. *When:
      1. In the hustle and bustle of: Christmas shopping, errand running, decorating,
      2. Baking, wrapping, prepping
      3. In getting together with family, friends, church family.
5. Pray for wisdom to speak life and reflect life when you feel that family or friends misunderstand you or reject you. (Jesus knows all about that; He has never rejected you; He loves and accepts you. AND He still is life and light to those who misunderstand Him and reject Him. We can follow His example.)
6. Especially be aware of speaking life and reflecting light to those who desperately need Him. (This is so hard to remember in the hustle and bustle.)

4) Celebrate with Grace.

1. Celebrate—to acknowledge a happy day or event with a social gathering or enjoyable activity; to praise or honor someone.
2. Grace—courteous goodwill; a free and loving gift of unmerited favor.
   1. By its definition, celebration SHOULD take place with GRACE. If it doesn't, maybe it's because we're not truly celebrating.
3. Jesus came to love and to die for undeserving sinners—you and me.
4. We can and should celebrate with grace, no matter how "undeserving" those around us are.
   1. Speak Gently. (Graciously, Prov. 11:16)
   2. Serve Gracefully. (Mary and Martha, Luke 10:38-42)
   3. Celebrate Gregariously. (In a friendly way that shows a liking for the company of others; social, friendly, approachable.) **Don't be a Scrooge or a Grinch.

A FULL CHRISTMAS

JOHN 1:1-6, 9-14, 16-17

Part 1

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke give us portraits of the "Christmas Story," describing some of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. John begins his Gospel with a beautiful, glorious, and deeply theological description of Jesus—The Word.

John tells us:

• Jesus has always been. (Vs.1)
• Jesus is God and God with us. (Vs.1,2)
• Jesus is Creator. (Vs. 3,10)
• Jesus came to us. (Vs. 10,11 14)
• Jesus is light and life. (Vs. 4,5,9)
• Jesus knows misunderstanding. (Vs. 5)
• Jesus knows rejection. (Vs. 10,11)
• Jesus is Savior. (Vs. 12)
• Jesus is full of grace and truth. (Vs. 14,16,17)

How can we exemplify Christ and have a FULL Christmas?

1.) Be Present.

1. Jesus is with us. (Immanuel Isaiah 7:14, 8:8) (Emmanuel Matthew 1:23)
2. It is GRACE for us to be more interested and invested in ENJOYING the family and festivities, rather than DOING or MAKING the festivities. (This is a hard balance…convicting for servant minded Mama's.)

2.) Embrace Creativity.

1. Jesus created a beautiful world.
2. The beauty of Christmas and Christmas decor can reflect His creation and can teach truth. (Nativity, history, Carols)
   1. *Don't be a Humbug ;)
   2. *Don't go to the other extreme and get caught up in comparison or frustration.

REVIEW:

Episode 240

5 Ways To Help Your Teen

1. Keep teaching.
2. Keep protecting.
3. Raise expectations; don't lower them.

1. A teen who can't work, can't clean, is not polite, won't speak when spoken too is crippled for life

Episode 241

Continued...

2. Teens should be able to (or learning to)

1. 1. 1. 1. Cook meals
         2. Clean the house
         3. Do the laundry from start to finish
         4. Fuel the car, check the oil, and check the tires

4. Keep talking.

1. 1. Time is required
      1. Routine times
      2. Scheduled times
      3. Slow down
   2. Talking is giving and taking
      1. Ask Questions
      2. Listen
      3. Respond
      4. Learning to converse wisely is a huge part of living successfully
         1. Essential in work relations
         2. Essential in marriage
         3. Essential in raising children
         4. Essential in solving conflicts

5. Developm routines and traditions that draw you closer

5 Ways To Help Your Teen

1. Keep teaching.
2. Keep protecting.
3. Raise expectations; don't lower them.

1. 1. A teen who can't work, can't clean, is not polite, won't speak when spoken too — is crippled for life

How can we develop a grateful home?

1) Model gratitude by being heart thankful. (It's a heart matter and a choice.)

2) Model gratitude in our gratefulness to God. (Site verses from previous episode)

What has Christ done for you? Count your many blessings!

Psalm 68:19, "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah."

3) Model gratitude in our gratefulness for our spouse, family, and others.

Some "Instigators of Ingratitude," according to Choosing Gratitude:

Unrealistic Expectations

Forgetfulness

Entitlement

Comparison

Blindness to God's Grace (on us; on others)

4) Model gratitude in our ability to be grateful during stressful, busy, difficult, or even painful seasons.

5) Model gratitude in response to stress and busyness:

In the midst of relentless ministry deadlines and seemingly endless, tasks, I find that the 'burden' of my workload is lightened when I approach it as a high and holy calling, a gift to be received with gratitude." Choosing Gratitude, NDW,

In response to difficulty or pain:

"Do we only give glory to God for the part of our life that's going the way we want? Or do we…give Him thanks, just because He is God—regardless of the dark, painful,…places we encounter…?

6) Model gratitude by expressing it!

Model gratitude by expressing it in all those same spaces and places: to the Lord, our spouse and family, and others.

Smile it! (A grateful heart, makes a happy heart, which makes a happy face.)

Say it! (Aloud and Often.)

"Silent Gratitude isn't much use to anyone," Gladys Berthe Stern.

Write it! (Thank you notes for gifts, for help, for just because.)

Encourage family and corporate expressions of it! (Church, family altar, ` family table, reminders of gratefulness instead of grumbling, willingness to be humble and admit when we are ungrateful.)

GRATITUDE STARTS AT HOME

Colossians 3:14-15 "And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are

called in one body; and be ye thankful."

Right before Paul speaks to the family in Col. 3:18-21, he calls on them to

• Love each other
• Let peace rule
• Learn to be Thankful

This passage in Colossians is a reflection of what Paul wrote to the Ephesians in Ephesians 5:20, "Giving Thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Which is followed by 5:22-6:4, Paul's "Hallmark" passage on marriage and family.)

We can all look at the culture around us and recognize that entitlement and ungratefulness is rampant! There doesn't seem to be love and peace that Paul talks about in Col. 3. Is gratitude the key? Or A key? Our lives, our homes don't have to reflect the culture. We can have a "culture" of thankfulness in our homes, a place that fosters love and peace.

1.) Does gratitude matter?

A.) Yes, because it is commanded and modeled in the Bible.

"give thanks"—71 verses

"Thankful"—3 verses

"thanksgiving"—27 verses. (128 verses total)

"thankfulness"—1 verse

"thank"—26 verses

Psalm 30:12b, "…I will give thanks unto Thee for ever."

Psalm 100:4, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name."

Psalm 107:1, "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever."

Psalm 147:7, "Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God."

*Jesus modeled thankfulness:

Matthew 15:36, "And He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude." (Mark 8:6, John 6:11)

Matthew 26:27, "And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to the them, saying, Drink ye all of it;" (Mark 14:23, Luke 22:17 and 19)

Matthew 11:25, "…Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, …"

(Luke 10:21, John 11:41

*Paul regularly gave thanks to God and others:

I Cor. 15:57, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

II Cor. 9:15, "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift."

Eph. 1:6, "Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers."

Col. 1:3, "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you."

I Thess. 3:9, "For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God."

*And Paul (under Inspiration) gave commands to give thanks:

Eph. 5:4, "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks."

I Thess. 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

I Timothy 2:1, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;"

*Love is mentioned in the Bible over 280 times…peace is mentioned 400 times! Thankfulness is mentioned several times right along with them. Maybe the love and peace we crave is only one "Thank you" away.*

B.) Yes, because it improves your health, attitude, and relationships.

"The importance of this matter of gratitude can hardly be overstated. I've come to believe that few things are more becoming in a child of God than a grateful spirit. By the same token, there is probably nothing that makes a person more unattractive than the absence of a grateful spirit." Choosing Gratitude, NDW, p23.

Prov. 15:13, "A merry heart taketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."

Proverbs 15:15, "All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."

Prov. 17:22, "A merry heart doth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drouth the bones."

("A grateful heart is a happy heart.")

An article by MayoClinic, December of 2022, adds,

"Gratitude should be practiced daily, just as you'd take a 'magic pill,' if it existed."

They added that practicing gratitude could lessen chronic pain and the risk of disease.

Gratitude improves our countenance, perspective, and outlook, making us much easier to be around or live with.

Grumpy people vs Happy people

Prickly people vs Gentle people

Irrational people vs Restful people

On Edge people vs At Ease people (go with the flow)

Negative people vs Positive people

Doom and Gloom people vs Scriptural people

Entitled people vs Grateful people

It may be that your personality leans toward "glass half empty," rather than "glass half full," but a grateful heart will temper your emotions and allow your loved ones to enjoy you better.

Dave and Bethlie answer your questions!