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Chap Bettis

May 25
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Do You Have a Plan for Protecting Your Children on Social Media?

By Uncategorized

I recently had an opportunity to hear from Aime Konwinski. She is the founder of Smart Gen Society.  Her presentation particularly focused on the issues around social media. Here are statistics she gave us: 56% of 5-year-olds have their own digital device. The average age to get a smartphone in the US: 10 (roughly 4th grade). 94% of high schoolers use social media. 70% of middle schoolers use social media. 75% of fourth graders use social media (particularly Tik-Tok) in Omaha area. The average American teen spends 7 hours a day on digital media. Since 2019, the National Center for Missing and…

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May 18
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Am I a Hypocritical Parent?

By Christian Living, Parenting: Childhood, Parenting: Early Years, Parenting: Teens and Beyond

If our example is so important, then what should we focus on? Look with me at the words Paul used to describe the faith of Timothy’s mother and grandmother: I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. (2 Timothy 1:5) Sincere is the first word that Paul used to describe the faith Timothy had seen. The Greek word literally is “non-hypocritical.” The examples that Timothy had seen were non-hypocritical, authentic, and genuine. But what is hypocrisy? Some would say…

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May 11
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Alexander Strauch – The Household of God and Your Household

By Podcast

Watch the interview with Alexander Strauch on YouTube. Resources From This Podcast Biblical Eldership, by Alexander Strauch BiblicalEldership.com The School of the Shepherds Equal Yet Different, by Alexander Strauch The Hospitality Commands, by Alexander Strauch When the Church Was a Family, by Joseph Hellerman The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood   Topics Covered In This Week’s Podcast 00:15 Introduction 02:55 About the ministry and Biblical Eldership 06:20 The vocabulary the New Testament uses for church leaders 12:39 Family as an extension of the church 17:43 How elders and deacons can manage their households well 24:06 Should elders step down if…

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May 04
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How Do You Feel About Your Own Authority?

By Christian Living, Family Discipleship, Leadership, Parenting: Childhood, Parenting: Early Years, Parenting: Teens and Beyond

I recently returned from a wonderful time at Together for the Gospel (T4G) with over 11,000 in attendance. The conference encouraged me over the years as a pastor. There was always wonderful teaching, worship, fellowship, and books. Lots and lots of books! It was a balm to my soul. One talk this year was particularly helpful in thinking about authority. As I listened, I found myself thinking about all of the parents today who seem uncomfortable with the authority God says that we have. Much of this can be traced to a misunderstanding of the nature of authority that our culture…

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Apr 01
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Dr. Richard Ross – Connecting with the Heart of Your Teen

By Christian Living, Family Discipleship, Parenting: Teens and Beyond, Podcast

    Watch the interview with Dr. Ross on YouTube. Resources From This Podcast Turning Hearts– Dr. Ross’s website Jesus: The Reigning King, by Rob Rienow and Richard Ross Reign: Awakening a Young Generation to King Jesus, by Richard Ross & Clayton Ross Topics Covered In This Week’s Podcast 00:15 Introduction 02:15 Creating a heart connection with your teen 08:18 Keeping the heart connection healthy 17:15 The necessity of encouragement 29:07 The impact of Christ’s reign on the lives of teens Episode Transcript Chap: I’m Chap Bettis, and you’re listening to The Disciple-Making Parent, where we seek to equip parents…

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Mar 23
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How Can Parents Exasperate Their Children?

How Can Parents Exasperate Their Children?

By Parenting: Early Years, Parenting: Teens and Beyond

In the article from a few weeks ago, we saw that Scripture commands our children to honor us (Ephesians 6:1-3). But God also has instructions for us as parents. Positively, we are to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). I unpack how to do this in the Parenting with Confidence material. But before God gives us the positive exhortation, he gives us a negative command. Don’t exasperate your children. Some versions translate this verse as, Don’t provoke your children to anger. Colossians 3:21 is a parallel verse. In it, fathers (and all parents) are commanded not to embitter or provoke our children,…

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Feb 23
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Brett McCracken – The Wisdom Pyramid

By Discerning Culture, Podcast

We are raising children in the information age. We need a new unit of measurement- the exabyte. Experts predict in 2025, 463 exabytes will be created online every day. That’s the equivalent of over 270 million DVDs. Even more amazingly, that data is all available from a device I carry in my hand. But what if all this information was not making my family more wise, but instead more foolish? In today’s podcast we are going to talk to Brett McCracken about his book, The Wisdom Pyramid. In it McCracken lays out a vision for living a wise life by…

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Mar 09
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How Can I Expect My Children to Honor Me Since I Am a Sinner Too?

By Family Discipleship, Parenting: Childhood, Parenting: Early Years, Parenting: Teens and Beyond

I was recently asked this question at a conference. Have you ever wondered the same thing? Certainly, as parents, we blow it. Can we still ask our children to honor us? God has put children in our lives to shine a floodlight on our own need to grow. Time and time again we see our own sinful actions and reactions in our family. Yet Scripture also calls our children to honor us. How can we ask them to do this us when we are so sinful? (And I would add, are we calling them to honor us at all? I believe this…

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Mar 04
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Are You Believing This Myth?

By Family Discipleship, Parenting: Childhood, Parenting: Early Years, Parenting: Teens and Beyond

We live life based on the Ideas that we have. Sometimes we pick up those ideas consciously and sometimes unconsciously. This week’s article will help us look at the #2 myth that intentional Christian parents believe. The following is an excerpt of page 20 from The Disciple-Making Parent. Are You Believing this Myth? Myth 2: The ultimate goal of my Christian life is to have my children follow the Lord. Some parents need the reminder of the beginning of this chapter, that they themselves are primarily responsible to disciple their children. However, at the other end of the spectrum are the parents who would do anything for the…

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Mar 02
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Thoughts on Choosing a College

By Family Discipleship, Parenting: Teens and Beyond

I was recently about my thoughts on how Christians should choose a college by a father with three young teens. I remember my nervous feeling as I approached that period in the parenting and discipleship of my children. I felt I had a pretty good strategy for the young years and the teen years. But when it came to further education I did not have much of a plan. Factors In Walking Away Why is college a time of walking away? Scripture tells us that we are rightly influenced by our parents, pastors, and friends. This is part of God’s…

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