American Family Radio is celebrating Truth for Youth Bible Week this week
>> Rev Tim Todd: Hello and welcome to the Dr. Nurse Mama show prescribing Hope for Healthy Families here on American Family Radio. Here's your host, professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four, Dr. Jessica Peck.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, hey there, friends, and welcome to my favorite time of the afternoon, getting to spend time with you prescribing Hope for Healthy Families. Here's the exciting thing about today. Today is not just a spectator show. It's not a special spectator sport. Today we are giving you an opportunity to put feet to your faith and to join us in the Truth for Youth initiative. So this week on American Family Radio, we are celebrating national Truth for Youth Bible Week. That's August 4th through August 8th. This is a powerful partnership between AFR and Revival Fires International to bring the hope of the gospel directly into the hands of our teenagers as they head back to school. School. You can visit t f y that's truth for youth.org order online anytime or you can call 800-733-4737. That's 800-733-4737 between the hours of 8:30 and 4pm Central Time. That's right now. Because let me tell you, friends, in a world filled with confusion, with compromise and chaos, our kids need to be grounded in the truth. And there is no greater truth than God's. And that's why we're on a mission to give away 65,000. You heard me right, 65,000 free truth for youth Bibles to teens age 13 to 18 who promised to pass it on to a friend this year at school. Now, there have been more than 1 million Bibles distributed over the last 24 years and more than 30,000 salvations. Praise the Lord. We are witnessing, Gospel movement rising up in our public schools like never before. And joining us today is Tim Todd, here to talk all the incredible impact of this outreach, the vision behind the Truth for Youth Bible and how you and your kids can be a part of what may very well become the greatest youth awakening this generation has seen. I can tell you this is true. We have guests coming up for see you at the poll for Moms in Prayer International who are all reporting seeing revival break out among young people. Tim has served in full time frontlines evangelistic ministry for more than 38 years. And Tim, it is always a joy to have you back on the program. Thank you so much for joining us.
>> Rev Tim Todd: It's honored to be with you, Dr. Jessica. Appreciate you and your powerful show.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, thank you so much for your powerful work and powerful ministry. This is so exciting. You know, Tim M. We've had so many guests on who have shared their stories of coming to know the Lord from nothing else but just opening the word of God. So tell us all about the Truth for Youth Bible, how this national movement began, and what God is doing today with it.
>> Rev Tim Todd: A little over 25 years ago, I approached Don Wildmon, Tim Wildmon, Buddy Smith, and the leadership at AFA and told them about the Truth for Youth Bible that the Lord had laid on my heart to put together. It consists of the entire New Testament in the God's Word translation, along with about 100 pages of comic stories, graphic novels that deal with the truth about issues of moral concern that young people are confronted with on a regular basis. Jessica we deal with things like what the Bible says about abortion and sexual purity and things like drugs and drunkenness and peer pressure. And we deal with cutting and sexting and bullying and suicide and many, many other issues in these comic stories. And in each story, we put the plan of salvation and we give the Bibles to young people that will commit to give them to their friends in school that don't know Jesus. So I told Tim Wildmon, Don Wildmon, Buddy Smith about this project, about what I just needed a platform, a national platform. That was 25 years ago. Now, 25 years later, we've given away 1.3 million truth for youth Bibles and we've seen more than 30,000 young people that we know of that have given their heart to the Lord. And it's exciting to see these bold young ladies and young men going on their school campus and making a spiritual, eternal impact in the lives of the young people that are receiving these Bibles.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: You know, for me, as someone who works boots on the ground every day with young people and young generation and seeing the impact of the mental health crisis, of loneliness, of all the problems that you were talking about, which are so just make our hearts so heavy, I can attest him, those problems are very real and very true. And we cannot solve those problems with our own worldly wisdom. And I don't want to just give a teen a hope of saying, well, you'll just meet some nicer people and make some better choices. I want to tell them that God loves them, he knows them, he created them, he has a plan for their lives. There is hope, and God is here to give them a hope and a future. And so to be able to put the word of God into the hands of a teen who really needs it is a great opportunity. Would you please tell us how we can do that?
>> Rev Tim Todd: Yes, Go to T F y.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: T.
>> Rev Tim Todd: F y.org or call toll free 800-733-4737. That number is 800-733-4737. One Bible per teenager, per household. If they give the Bible to somebody in school that they know that is struggling, that needs Jesus, then we will give them a Bible absolutely free of charge. And the testimonies of what God. These efforts for the past 25 years, Jessica, is just mind blowing.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, you just, you just preempted my next question, because I was going to say, with 1 million Bibles in 24 years and 30,000 salvations, there's got to be some amazing stories in there. Could you share with us a story or two of a child who's been impacted and their life has been saved, literally, by the receipt of one of these Bibles?
>> Rev Tim Todd: Yes. In fact, Jessica, 25 years ago, when we started this project, there was a coach, a football coach in Purvis, Mississippi, that heard the radio broadcast. It was one of the very first ones. It was the very first week we did this, 25 years ago. And he said, I have got a student that is, a football player on my team that is involved in drugs. He's involved in, marijuana. he's drinking, he's troubled, really, really struggling. He said, I want to give him a copy the truth for you Bible. So he ordered it, he took it into the classroom, and, Jessica, it was in the middle of the class period. He interrupted the class, and the coach walked right up to this student, threw that Bible on his desk and said, you need to read this. That young man, after school, read the comic stories, gave his life to Jesus Christ. And then a few weeks later, he was called into the ministry. Now watch this. 25 years later, that young man is my pastor at the assembly in West Monroe, Louisiana. Christopher Miller. He is now my pastor. And so, that. And it just shows you. Luke, chapter 8, verse 8. He said, Some seed fell in good soil and produced a hundredfold harvest in return. And then verse 11 says, the seed is God's word.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: That, Tim, that's an amazing story. And listen, you can be a part of this. Maybe you will be buying a Bible for your own future pastor. You can go to T F Y. That's Truth4Youth T F Y.org or call. Pick up the phone and call now. 800-733-4737. That's 800-733-4737. What's your goal for this year, Tim? What do we need? What. What are we trying to reach, we're.
>> Rev Tim Todd: Trying to reach 65,000. Dr. Jessica and I believe that with the momentum we have right now that we're going to reach this goal and perhaps even surpass it.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, what would you say to the person who's thinking, I don't really know who to give this to, I want to help, but then what do I do? What would you say to them?
>> Rev Tim Todd: I would say, like so many thousands of young people across America are doing right now that love God. Jessica. They, they, they get up in the morning with their truth for youth Bible to give away, and they pray, lord, show me who to give this Bible to today. And I've got so many testimonies of young people that when they give that Bible away, the young person they give it to says, you know, I had just asked the Lord this morning to give me a sign and show me, and I needed help, or this, that, or the other. And the Lord gives you a divine connection there with these young people as they're standing up boldly and saying, God, show me who to give it to and I'll give it away. And the Lord always comes through because God is all about soul winning. God is all about bringing young people into the kingdom of God.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: I agree with you so much. God will lay something on my heart. And it's taken me a long time to take that step of bold action and to actually say, okay, I'm going to act on it. Because, Tim, I'm sure you're the same way. Once you know the voice of God in your life, there's times where he just moves you. I remember one time where God told me specifically to go out and take a walk. I was at a conference and I wasn't particularly going to take a walk, but he told me to go out. I saw a woman on a bench crying, and he said, go over there and pray for her. Now that can be really intimidating. You think, oh, people are going to think I'm crazy. Well, I'm past that now. But walking up and being able to pray with her, it was just amazing. And I think even recently I was at an event for Nick V Ministries, Nick Vujicic, and there was a woman who came in and sat in the back and she looked like maybe she didn't exactly know where she was. And so I said, can I help you? And she said, I was coming to an open mic night, but some, somehow I ended up in here and I don't know why. And I said, oh, but that's where we have to have that boldness. And Tim, I've got a copy of this Truth for Youth Bible right here. It's so important to present this in graphic format so that kids can, kids can read it in a way, in a currency that's there, doesn't dilute the truth of God's word. And you've got that in here. But tell me a little bit more about this format and how it's reaching kids that maybe before were more difficult to reach.
>> Rev Tim Todd: Yes. In fact, a lot of times young people won't read the text of the New Testament or the Bible, but they will read these comics. And they are so powerful and they are so well put together and so well written. And, the artwork is just absolutely top shelf. Just the best of the best. And we in fact just finished a brand new comic, Jessica, that will be in the next issue of the Truth for you Bible on the truth about transgender ideology. So that young people struggling with what their identity is will know that their true identity is in Christ. So the format of these comic stories draw these young people into the text, not only of the, of the graphic novels, but in addition to the New Testament, after they read through the comic stories and the plan of salvation is incorporated into each story. So that not only do they find out the truth and what God has available to them for healing and deliverance and victory and breakthrough, but also most importantly, how to give their life to Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: You know, I recently interviewed a woman named Mary Jo Sharp who grew up as an atheist, and her band teacher gave her a Bible. And just in reading the truth of God's word, she described the experience as just being transformative. And she said that her parents had been quite open minded. Kind of you can be whatever religion you want, but they came to know Christ as well from her conversion. And it's just beautiful to see the joy and the hope and the peace that they have. Once again. That phone number is 800-733-4737. That's 800-733-4737. Or you can visit t f y.org that's truth4youth.org and you know, it is just, it's so encouraging to see this generation raising up. And Tim, we're, we've been talking a lot on the about kids going back to school. And when you walk into a store and you see all those school supplies, we ask you to pray for those kids who will be using the school supplies. School can be a scary place today, but we can Provide kids with the hope of God's word. So one more, once more. Tim, I'd love for you to tell everybody what's the Number to call?
>> Rev Tim Todd: 800-733-R F fires 800-733-4737. Or they can go to TFY.org I will say, Jessica, I wish I had truthforyouth.org I have tried to get that, but, it's crazy. I've got truthforyouth.com and then tfy.org and so, and somewhere along the way, I'm gonna get that. But, in the meantime, m. it's tfy.org real easy to remember and one, Bible per teenager per household for young people all across America. Help us get the word of God into the hands of young people.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Tim, thank you so much for the work that you do. Thank you for being with us today, and thank you for giving our listeners an opportunity to put feet to their faith. Call 800-733-4737. If you're wanting to to support a kid going back to school, this is a great way to do it. Now, listen, don't go away because we are going to come back and talk about some of the risks that kids are facing at school today and how we can equip them for the best school year ever. Don't go away. We'll be right back after this break. And once Again, that number 8007334737 or 800RF fires tfy.org thanks, Tim. We'll see you on the other side of this break. I want you to picture this. Her name is Kayla. She is 17, alone, terrified and pregnant. Sitting in a clinic, tears blurring, thinking abortion is her only option until she was offered a free ultrasound, paid for by a hero just like you. The moment Kayla heard her baby's heartbeat, the decision was made. And today, her little baby boy, Gabrielle, is thriving. Because preborn walked with Kayla every step of the way. Now multiply that by 38,000. That's how many babies preborn has helped save just this year. How many mothers preborn has come alongside with practical and spiritual resources to make motherhood possible. But here's the most important thing you will hear today. Their goal is to save 70,000 by the end of the year. And they can't do it without us. Every $28 provides that ultrasound. The moment everything changes, will you be the reason the next Kayla chooses life? The reason Gabrielle fulfills his destiny. To donate, dial £250 and say the keyword baby. That's £250, baby. Or donate securely@preborn.com afr that's preborn.com afr. Waiting for change to come Knowing the battles won for you have never fail me. Your promise still stands. Great is your faithfulness. Faithfulness, I'm still in your hands. This is my comfort. You've never, never fail me.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is do it again by elevation, worship. And, I hope that you're having a great day wherever you are, whatever you're doing. And unless you have just been in your house or living under a rock, you don't, you know, it's back to school time. Everywhere we are going, we are seeing back to school school. I've already seen so much Halloween stuff out. I'm not ready for that. But I would be not mad if they put out Christmas stuff. Yep, there I did. I did it again. But today I am trading in my stethoscope for school supplies because we are diving into the wild and wonderful world of that back to school season. And whether you're a seasoned parent with a well worn calendar, you're like, I am at that stage of life where I've done things now four times. And so the forms are easy, the parent meetings are easy. No longer do I take take copious notes. It's so much more chill. But. Or you're just in that new phase and I've been there too, where you take notes on everything and you're realizing, oh my goodness, we've got to make eye appointments and teeth cleaning appointments and we've got to buy new shoes because you didn't really wear sneakers over the summer and now you've outgrown them wherever you are in that, you're in the right place. So let's be real today for a second because today's kids, it's not just about making sure they have the right snack, making sure they have the right notebook. Our kids today are carrying more than backpacks into school. They are carrying very big emotions. They are carrying technology in their pockets in their backpacks. And they are trying to navigate cultural shifts that really would make even the most seasoned adult need a nap and a therapy session, honestly. But here's the good news. We are not facing this alone. And as people of faith, we believe that God is not surprised. He is not pacing the floor of the throne room of heaven thinking, oh, no, what happens next? He knows the times that our children are growing up in even more than we do. And he has placed them Here on purpose, for a purpose. And the best news is that he has equipped us, their parents, their mentors, their teachers, their spiritual guides to walk with them, to love them well, and to raise them to stand firm in a shaky world. That is the message that our kids need to be taking into school. So today, for the rest of the show, I'm, m going to tackle three big things for you. I'm going to do my best. I can't promise that I'll get to the end, but if I don't get everything I have to say, I will come back to it.
One thing that we're going to do is understand Gen Z and Gen Alpha
One thing that we're going to do is understand Gen Z and Gen Alpha. What does their world look like today? Because let's just say that if you're stilling still saying something like, okay, that sounds cool. Well, congratulations. You're officially a fossil in the eyes of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Gen z is born 1997-2012. They are teenagers. They are young adults. Gen Alpha are just now starting to come of age as teenagers. They're 2013 to the present. And they are what we call digital natives. They have grown up around technology and they don't just expect technology, they expect it to be good. And Gen Z is socially conscious. They're very anxious, but they're also ambitious. They deeply value authenticity, which is really great. And Gen Alpha, they're practically born with their own AI assistant. Their screen time schedule, it feels like they come with one. One study says that over 60% of Gen Alpha kids prefer YouTube to TV. And this I have found true with my own kids. I had one of my kids get in the car with me the other day and say, what are you listening to? And I said, the radio. And they said, what do you even mean by that? What, what is the radio like? Why aren't you just streaming things? And I thought because I'm listening to the radio. But my kids, they'll much prefer to stream content than just to turn on the TV. 40% say of Gen Alpha say they'd rather learn from an app than a teacher. Now that's kind of depressing. These kids know how to swipe before they can spell. And you know, that is the truth. But don't worry because today we'll explore how some small bridges of connection across those generational lines, just with a little humor, with a little grace, we'll, we'll explore that.
Give you a heads up on guiding your kids in a world of AI
The second thing I want to talk about is give you a heads up on guiding your kids in a world of AI because you thought learning the school Drop off map was complicated. Try keeping up with ChatGPT fueled homework and kids who are literally smarter than your iPhone. AI is changing the way that our kids learn, think, and even relate to each other. And after this summer, they've had a lot of time with AI and it's changed even over the summer. And you might find yourself finding some new challenges with AI in this school year. It's not always for the better. But here's the thing. We don't need to be afraid of these new tools. We just need to teach our kids wisdom and discernment and how to stay rooted in truth. That doesn't change even when the algorithms are constantly changing. And the third thing that I'll share with you is a little bit about the anxious generation. Of course, we'll touch on some of the powerful insights from Jonathan Haidt's book and talk about what it means to raise resilient kids in a world that's constantly telling them they're not enough or they're too much or they have to earn their worth. But the most important thing, I'll say this over and over again, is to hold tight to the truth. Truth that our worth is already secured in Christ. It is already there. Kids don't need more followers on social media. They need to be faithful followers of Jesus. And he will show them the way. So whether you're sending your baby off to kindergarten with a lump in your throat, or you're helping your teen navigate high school group chats, or you're working on college pressure, you have young adults, you're taking care of grandkids. Take heart because you were chosen for this very moment. Your presence, your prayers, and even your imperfections matter more than you know. So let's. This episode, this episode is just going to be packed with some grace, some grit, some humor, but a whole lot of hope. And we're talking about bringing truth to youth. So let's get our kids and ourselves ready for what's ahead, with God leading the way. Let me go back and talk a little bit about generational legacy. Now, even as July started to roll by and we are rolling into the 250th year of our country, we prepare for our, a big 4th of July next year. With 250th birthday, we can recall specific historical events that have significantly shaped each generation over the last century. So if you can recall these. See if you can recall these American generational milestone moments. So the Greatest generation born 1900, 1945. Where were you on VE Day? Baby boomers born 1946 to 1964, where were you when JFK was assassinated? You know, Gen X born 1965 to 1980, where were you when the space shuttle Challenger exploded? And millennials, born 1981-2000, where were you on 9 11? Now, in each of these circumstances, despite terrible tragedy, one thing happened that was common to all of those circumstances. The country, the United States was largely inspired to a sense of unity and displays of patriotism. And we all felt called to a common grief, a common purpose. However, Gen Z, Generation z again born 2001 to 2020 they've had a much different generational experience. So their generational milestone question, as we are now almost six years out from this, it is solidified in their minds. They will ask each other for the rest of their lives, where were you when the world was quarantined for COVID 19? Now what sets that question apart? Part is how it tore our country apart. It deepened political and cultural divides. And Millennials were the first generation to be born post 9 11. And they already view the world as inherently unsafe. They don't know what it's like before transportation Safety Administration, before airport security, all of those things. And Gen Z inherited that worldview from Millennials. And it was made even worse because we've had economic crises, we've had inflation, we've had fear of school shootings, we have political inc. We have global unrest. And Gen Z lives at the speed of a smartphone. And they are, bless their hearts, overshadowed by a constant electronic doom scroll in their news feed that delivers all the world's bad news in an instant and reinforces this view that the world is scary and unsafe. Any engagement with a news source, this is scary. I want you to really think about this. If they just click on something because they're curious, it directs an all knowing, all watching, ever present algorithm that is literally shaping their worldview in a pessimistic, fearful crisis mode. Inner COVID 19 into that that was already there, in which everything they knew about the world and expected in their growing up years was taken away. That resulting mental health crisis among young people, if we're really honest, it is met with accusations that are often unkind from us as older generations. We say, you're weak, you're snowflakes, you need to suck it up. And the result, what we see from all of that is I really believe that Gen Z experienced a very significant social, emotional and psychological injury following the COVID 19 pandemic. And I think that's going to leave a Mark, it's going to leave an indelible imprint. But I always go back to scripture and even thinking of the story of Joseph, what, what Satan intended for evil, God will use for good. So if you're feeling the weight of that injury that they experience, know there is reason for hope and optimism because Gen Z has a lot of strengths. They are incredibly tech savvy, and no doubt they're the first one to help you with your phone with the remote control. That would be me or any other technology requests. My kids are constantly teaching something. They really value authenticity, and they are increasingly rejecting influencer culture. I was just having a conversation with my young adult children last night and they were telling me of the disdain their generation has for social media, that they are done with it, they're over it. And so many of them, it's becoming more normal to make a pact to say I'm staying off of it, because they recognize how much time it takes. And I'll have to look up the number. But my son was telling me something about the collective time. I'll look it up during the break. But, the collective time that the world has spent on playing a specific video game, and it was millions of years and I've been saying technology is the thief of time. And I think that this generation recognizes that. We were talking about how this generation is going to die with more memories of other people's lives than their own. And my daughter told me, I don't like that. I reject that. I'm, not going to live that way. And I see that in this generation they are also very aware of economic stability. They know about inflation, so they're very fiscally conscious. They have a wonderful entrepreneurial spirit. They share clothes, they share possessions. They really. It's very chic to, I would say cool, but that's uncool. It's very chic to share things or to save money. That is, And I feel like other generations, it wasn't that way. You had to have the designer thing. You had to have the, you know, whatever it was that marked your social status. And I see that less and less Gen Z is also embracing traditional values. They are prioritizing marriage. It's important to them. They want to have children. They want to own a home. And they want stable careers and predictable routines and healthy lifestyles. And we even see their political views shifting as they increasingly value tradition and privacy and freedom for their expressions of faith. So that is really encouraging to me because that gives us a great opportunity as older generations to remind them. Yes, all of those things in this world are great. But ultimately, we're not just citizens of this country. We are citizens of heaven and a kingdom that will long outlast this country that we cherish and hold dear today. Our faith is not in a government structure, an earthly leader, a worldly power. We're citizens of a heavenly kingdom who live in a country where we have the incredible privilege to exercise our right to free speech, to tell others about the hope of heaven. And that is really exciting to me. And as we think about, you know, just where we are at this time we are in August. Everybody is in that back to school age. And each August, I have to say, I so eagerly await that parade of back to school photos that inevitably flood social media. And I do have such great affection. I see nervous smiles. I see freshly combed hair. I see parents simultaneously proud but a little wistful. I see hilarious photobombs and fails. These are all just beautiful markers in time that we will view with nostalgic fondness. But each photo is so exciting to me because it represents a fresh start, a year of possibility, a season of change, a new beginning. That's a powerful thing you can leverage in your family because sometimes when we feel defeated, when we feel discouraged, that can be encouraging. But if you look closely, every photo really tells a a greater story. There's evidence of shopping trips for new clothes after summer growth spurts, deliberation that went into choosing a backpack, grocery shopping for lunches. You'll spot parents who came to orientation with the color coded binding grinders. I have been that mom, I confess. Memorize the carpool map and a mental spreadsheet of every teacher's discipline style. Maybe they filled out the same form for each child six times before they learned to fill out the generic stuff and photocopy one and then fill it out times four. That's just my tip to you. But they booked checkups, ordered glasses issued, heartfelt please not to lose those glasses. Their kids have been coached through first day jitters. How to make friends, how to choose an elective, how to be picked up from school. And there's of course, the oh mom, not another photo protest. This is tradition at its finest. And all of these things are in just one picture. Expectation at a new school year is high and parents can present their children as mirror reflections of their own aspirations and dreams. How will they do on their exams? Will they get into a good color college? What kind of scholarship will they get? What honors will they accrue? What athletic routes can be pursued, what kind of career will they choose? And we really need to own that as adults. Because when the COVID 19 pandemic began and students experienced a radical shift in education, the predictions that were there have not exactly come true. I'll tell you more about that when we come back. And I'm going to talk to you about the lockdown fallout that I am really still concerned about. And of course, then I'll give you some thoughts on the anxious generation. Hey, more help and hope on bringing truth to youth. On the other side of this break. Here'S Dr. Al Mohler from the American Family Studios documentary. The God who Speaks. Jesus in the Gospel of John continually points to the scriptures. And as he says famously, these are they that testify of me. If you knew Abraham from the scriptures, you would know me. Jesus himself refused to allow that division between his own authority and the authority of scripture. He never set scripture aside. What he did was to make very clear that he perfectly fulfilled scripture. And of course, he went beyond even the Old Testament law in the Sermon on the Mount, saying, you've heard it said, you shall not commit adultery. I will tell you that if you've lusted in your heart, you have already committed adultery. So Jesus Christ himself drives us back to the authority of scripture and evidently that's exactly where he wants his church to be. Visit the God who speaks. For my waking breath, for my daily bread. I depend on you. I depend on you. For the sun to rise, for my sleep at night. I depend on you. Yes, I depend on you. You're the way, the truth and the light. You're the world in life. I'm the branch and you are the mind. Draw me close and teach me to.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back friends. That's Abide by Aaron Williams and Dwell Songs. And that is the cry of our hearts. It should be the cry of our hearts to teach us, Lord, to abide. Because so often we start spinning, we start running, we look at the world around us and we think, oh no. And all of a sudden we all become Chicken Little. Or maybe that's just me. But we need to learn to abide in the Lord. And that's something that we can do even as we're sending our kids off to school. I'm talking about that today. Just giving you a little encouragement as kids go off to school. And if you don't have any kids in your house who are going off to school, certainly pray for for those kids. They're the teachers, for the coaches, for the staff, for everyone who is involved in Back to School. Just pray for them. We're going to have a great week coming up week after next where we're going to talk a lot more about school. But before the break, my producer is faithful to remind me that I told you I would look up a statistic. So I did. My son was telling me about this last night and there was a report that came out that he and his friends were talking about. It's a video game called Call of Duty. Duty. I've never played it, don't really know anything about it, but I know it's a popular video game. Call of Duty players. This report from Activision says that Call of Duty players have collectively spent. I'm gonna say this, but you won't believe it. Over 25 billion, with a b billion hours playing the game. That equates to 2.85 million years of gameplay play which exceeds the entire timeline of human history. That is wild. And I think it's a good gut check for us because I've been saying for since the beginning of this year, I've been really convicted about technology being the thief of time. And I feel like it can be just something that seems innocuous and some things that aren't necessarily bad in and of themselves. But when we look at how we're stewarding the time that God gives us here, here, how much are we stewarding? Well, that can be really hard. And when we look at when the COVID 19 pandemic started, it pushed a lot of kids online. And a lot of that time came because we were isolated. And what m the pundits predicted was a massive catastrophe. Kids were going to fall behind in math and reading and science. And you know what? That happened? Kids did fall behind in math and reading and science. But what we're showing is that even though that happened, the far greater deficit occurred in social and emotional learning. And that's critical because if you don't have social and emotional learning and maturity, you're not going to be ready for school. You're not going to be set up for healthy relationships. You're not going to be best equipped to cultivate resilience, to nurture your own well being. Because the pandemic lockdowns did not just close school, they closed childhood. And I'm still really upset about this because I see the impacts. Kids lost more than lessons. They lost the joy of friendship and guidance of caring adults in their lives. They were robbed of interactions that shape empathy and wise decision making and resilience and character. And they were just left to navigate These new norms, isolated and afraid. And then we have this deeply anxious generation, profoundly lonely. Now, most of us as adults, we say, hey, you. Yeah, I realize that happened. But our actions and our priorities are not aligned with our thoughts. So we need to be, reminded that academics are not the most important thing. Character matters. And again, all of us would say that. But where is the most of your time and energy going? Is it into those accomplishments or is it into character and relationships? Relationships are more foundational than academic rigor. And as your kids and grandkids and loved ones start the school year with academic or athletic aspirations that are great, that can be wonderful. Really. Think about ways that you can prioritize support for their character development. What character trait will you work on this year? How will you help to disciple them to spiritual maturity? How will you work to deepen your relationship connection? So I want to encourage you to do these things. First of all, all pray for your child. Pray that God would protect them and bless them and give you wisdom to guide them with kindness and love and courage. Because it takes courage. Commit to learn to be a faithful follower of Jesus. As your child is going to school and learning things, you can learn to be a more faithful follower of Jesus. And your kids will learn right alongside you. And no matter where your child is going to school, where they're getting their education, you choose to be their teacher this year. You don't need to be a physics genius.
Prepare your kids to have a character goal for the year
I'm certainly not. You don't need to be a professional editor. That's not my husband's department for sure. We partner on that. But your child learns best from your presence in their life. They are not going to be permanently harmed if they fail one test, but they can be deeply hurt by lack of guidance in handling their emotions and navigating life's challenges. So, so equip your kids to have a character goal for the year. Choose a quality that you want to grow. Do they need to be more kind, more courageous, more patient, more joyful? Think about the fruits of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Where do they need to work on and invite them to have you work alongside them? And that is, that is really important to do, because when we look at that lockdown fallout, a fallout. In the shadowy Aftermath of the COVID 19 pandemic, the world is really bearing witness to an avalanche of technological innovation. But we have this catastrophic impact on young people. One of the other things that happened during COVID was this technological, explosion of technology and really Things have changed a lot and that's really concerning to me. And it's particularly with that is the arrival of AI or as my mother in law said for a long time owl because it looks like a big A and a little L, but it's actually capital A, capital I. Artificial intelligence or kids refer to it a lot as chat, meaning chatgpt. And it's changing the world. So social media, even though it was popular before the pandemic, it exploded during the lockdowns and kids became even more tech savvy. And so I want you to imagine a world in which kids grow up with these advances that are normalized by culture. These are the ways that at the takedown of the American childhood honestly is what I see. See following Covid, we have kids who prefer to be indoors. They prefer to sit, to be sedentary and to engage online rather than playing unstructured outside. Their digital communication is their primary way that they communicate with people. Kids are anxious about face to face interaction. They lack skills in reading, body language and resolving conflict in real time with real work. Instant gratification is normalized because they have constant access to digital entertainment that uses dopamine driven rewards for emotional regulation. They watch electronic media individually on their personal devices. There's digital silos within families where everyone is streaming their own content. They prefer short term digital content because that is, it's over stimulating their brains, but it's shortening their attention spans, making them less inclined to react, read. And then we have traditional safeguards by present adults. They're just not as good because we keep our kids less safe online than we do in the real world. And of course I've been talking a lot about technology like nudifying apps that allow innocent pictures and videos to have clothing removed and generate explicit materials. These things are all really, really scary. And that brings me to some thoughts I wanted to share with you about the anxious generation. And every once in a while it seems like a book or a movie or a TV series or a concert tour just really catches the right wave to become a cultural juggernaut. And suddenly it seems like it's everywhere you go, everybody's talking about it. And that is what I see to be the case with Jonathan Haidt's book the Anxious how the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Now this book debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. It stayed there for a year. The book has sold nearly 2 million copies. It's translated into 44 language so clearly languages so clearly it hit a nerve. And I want to say that there are many valuable points made by Dr. Haidt in his book and I do applaud the collective conversation that has been raised by his work. We're talking about it. I completely agree with his observations about our tendency as parents of Gen Z be to over protect our children in the real world while under protecting them in online environments. So what Dr. Haidt does is he proposes four new norms. He says we need to do these four things. Number one, no smartphones before high school. None. Number two, no social media before 16. Number three, phone free schools. No phones in any schools. Number four, more independence, free play and responsibility in the real world. Now, these recommendations are not unreasonable. I've actually made these recommendations. Many other child health experts have made those recommendations. But I confess right here today, I have concern about the wide scale, rapid wholesale adoption of this framework as a miracle solution. And Dr. Haidt is proposing a simple causality. And he's gotten some criticism for this, for reason, some saying that basically smartphones caused the youth mental health crisis. And he argues that that's gotta be right. Because I haven't heard a plausible alternative is what he says. But for me, speaking for myself, I believe the reality is much more complicated than that. Because as adults, we are not immune to alarmist sensationalism. Anytime we hear something, we hear a about fentanyl, we hear about any other human trafficking, we hear about all of those other threats. Our hearts are gripped, our attention is made and we think, okay, I need something to do right now to keep my kids safe because I don't feel good about this and I want to feel good about this. And we long for an instant, simple fix. Now let's hear me clearly. Smartphone use definitely contributes to unhealthy impacts because it restructures childhood in ways that we see new risks. But it's certainly not the only factor. So I want to encourage you to take that paradigm of the anxious generation and let's look at it through a spiritual lens. And rather than just seeing it as one thing, it's all smartphones. I see. And I encourage you to see a culture that's increasingly disconnected from faith. Because when we have kids who do not have a clear understanding that they were made in the image of God, questions of identity, questions of purpose, questions of belonging, they prompt kids to seek external validation many of the times, many times that's on a smartphone, on a social media app. But they are not finding validation. They are finding confusion and insecurity and anxiety. Now we know that secular and religious research along alike. They all say the consensus is there that says people who hold tight to their faith have better health. But only 4% of Gen Z holds a biblical worldview. That's a truth that we're seeing now. We're seeing decreasing biblical worldview. We also live in a culture that promotes moral relativism, personal truths. You live your truth. You do, you, you do what's right for you and, and ever changing social norms. I say this all the time. What's celebrated today is canceled tomorrow. Well that creates chaos and confusion for kids who are unmoored from the stability of absolute truth and unchanging values. We also see declining church attendance, particularly since COVID Many families stopped going and they have not gone back. Well, this decreases the opportunity for discipleship. It decreases the opportunity for being mentored by people from other generations. And it really decreases our impetus to nurture spiritual disciplines that serve as protective factors. We're not going to church, we're not reading our Bibles. We're not turning to prayer as a coping mechanism. We're not walking alongside people who speak truth to us, who hold us accountable, who help encourage us when we're discouraged. The other factor that I see is families today live in an over scheduled, overstimulated world focused on achievements. And they don't have very much margin for meaningful relationship building and rest and renewal. The truth is today I think parents deserve a label of the anxious generation just as much as we put it on our kids because we're anxious about the impact of smartphones and social media. But we feel overwhelmed and powerless. So enter Dr. Height who tapped into that gauntlet of parental anxiety and he offers a simple solution that places all power in your hands as the parent to enact a quick fix. Friends, it is not that simple and we are just not that powerful. I think it's important for discerning parents to know that Dr. Height is a professed atheist who holds a positive view of religion as he says. But he sees Christianity as implausible. And his stated hope is for parents to adopt his four recommendations and, and thus rewire childhood. His vision that he that he has published is to foresee a world in which our children have reclaimed their birthright. A play rich and community centered childhood. But as Christians we desire this for our children too. But we have a much greater hope in the glory of God. A hope that does not disappoint because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. But our vision, get this, this, this is important. We have a vision that our children will claim their birthright not just to a, play rich and community centered childhood, but as joint heirs with Christ living eternally. And so as parents, we can leverage some of those practical recommendations on healthy technology use. But don't let it be a temptation for a simple quick fix that distracts you from the daily work of discipling your children. And it's slow and it's challenging. But God is equipping you for every good work. And I pray the Lord will bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you as you do it. I'll see you right back here tomorrow.
>> Jeff Chamblee: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
