The spiritual condition of America, politics, culture, and current events, analyzed through the lens of scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. You know, a quote attributed to George Washington is, the future of our country depends on the Christian training of young people. Hi, Alex McFarland here.
We have a fantastic show, just a very renowned guest that I will introduce momentarily. But if you have followed what we do long at all, my wife and myself and our staff, we are passionate about America's young people. And you know, we do the summer camps. I was a youth pastor for 11 years, and then now for 20, almost 25 years, we've been doing things, conferences, camps, publishing seminars about youth parenting. I would, to elaborate on the George Washington quote, I think the future of our country, yes, does depend on the Christian training of young people. But I think all of us that are the grown ups, it behooves us to care about the welfare and the raising and the mentoring of young people, because there is a crisis of identity.
I really think this, that yes, there's a battle for truth, a battle for worldview. There's a battle for the home life and the welfare of so many children and teens. But as I work, as we have every summer 1,200 youth in our seven summer camps, and I just this past week was in Birmingham, Alabama, to speak in two public high schools. And we did assemblies in two public high schools. And then for two and a half hours after the assembly, through lunch period, we're talking with dozens and dozens of high schoolers.
And they might phrase it in different ways. But they're asking, why am I here? What is my purpose?
And what should I do with my life? And so to help us understand how to adequately and fruitfully respond to a generation that's really looking for answers, really, there's no better voice to listen to than that of Paige Klingenpiel. She's a licensed mental health counselor. She has ministered in churches in the public square. She has her master's in community counseling. So academically and spiritually, she's someone just for whom I have the measurable respect. And you may have seen her on the TEDx talks.
Let me tell you, that is quite an accomplishment to be an invited presenter in that context. She's a busy person serving God and country. We are quite fortunate to have her with us today. Paige Klingenpiel, thank you so much for being with us. But even more importantly, thank you for what you're doing in the lives of people everywhere. Well, Alex, thanks so much. I'm very honored to be here and have this conversation with you. Well, before we dive in and we talk about the young people in our lives, give us a little more of your background and where people can find you online.
Yeah, sure. So I have been married to my husband for 19 years. We have four kiddos. And so I am living the teenager life. My oldest is going to college soon and my youngest is transitioning to sixth grade.
And so we are in the teens season. I've been in private practice. I have been in community mental health and I am presently in a church setting where I get to offer counseling and walk alongside people every single day, just really navigating the seasons of life. And so you can find my podcast at Embracing Your Season on all major podcast platforms.
And I have a website as well, just PaigeKlingenpiel.com. How did God bring you to this? I mean, at what point in your life did you realize that your career would be to serve others as a counselor and also serve the church? I always love to hear the way God called someone into their role. And I want to hear your story. Yeah, gosh.
And I love that as well, right? The testimonies of people. You just get to see God's fingerprints all over it. And so I grew up in a pretty tumultuous home. My mom was a believer. My dad is an atheist.
My dad also struggled with substances. So my home life was pretty chaotic and dysfunctional. I became a believer at the age of 17. By then, my parents had actually dissolved their marriage through a divorce, which frankly I still feel like is the best for everyone involved. My mom remarried and they sent me to a youth conference because I was not making good choices, friends.
I was a rebellious teenager that was not happy with my life. And at that conference at 17 years old, I came face to face with the saving grace of Jesus Christ. And I literally was changed. I came home and I said, friends, Jesus is my Lord and Savior. And after that moment, I just felt a desire to share Him with others. And knowing that I didn't feel seen, knowing that I didn't feel loved, knowing that I was really struggling with identity and purpose and calling prior to my experience of having Jesus, the Lord just said, you need to share the comfort that you yourself has received.
That was the verse. That was my calling and purpose. And so when I went to college, I went to a Christian college and I started out as a teacher with the education program.
But then I realized I was like, no, this isn't exactly it, but it's along that line, which I love to tell kids that too. It's like, you can go to college, get a degree, but it may not be where God calls you. Well, second semester of my senior year after getting a ministry degree, God said, your ministry is going to be counseling. And so then after getting some social work jobs and really seeing the brokenness in this world at a different level, both socioeconomically and with mental health, I knew that that was my ministry. And so Lord has just blessed me.
He led me to adolescence, which really became my niche, becoming a teen therapist and helping parents. And, you know, I've been doing that almost 20 years now, which is just so incredible. And I am very, very blessed to be a part of that.
Yeah. Isn't it exciting? Hey, I got to tell you this early in life. I mean, I was a Christian for about four and a half years when I felt like God was calling me to the ministry and went to seminary and then grad school. And a lot of my academic preparation and then counseling ministry has been somewhat like yours, but it dawned on me that rather than fix broken adults, we could preemptively prepare and equip young people. And when people come to Christ at any age, it's great. Early in my ministry, I was talking to men that had made very bad life choices and they were in their forties trying to reassemble a shattered world.
And that's fine. And we love to share Jesus and help people of any age. But I just felt a calling. Wouldn't it be better than gluing broken adults back together? Let's preemptively help and evangelize and disciple and mentor young people.
So maybe those decades of brokenness wouldn't even happen. Absolutely. And that's important. Isn't it wonderful when you see kids at a young age find their identity and their purpose and their fulfillment in God's plan for their life?
Absolutely. And they're craving that, right? They have a hunger and a thirst for these things. That is instinctively the reason how God has made them, but they're finding it in the world, right? So now they have all these deficiencies spoken over them and lies that they believe. And parents are ill-equipped. Let's be honest. Even as a therapist, there are times where like, I literally don't know what I'm doing.
Someone please help me. That's why the body of Christ is so important so we can surround ourselves with people that have been through it, who know what they've done well and not maybe so great to learn from them. And so, yeah, kids are craving this and we just need to be that source of life and truth. Indeed.
I agree that they are craving it, and we see it everywhere we go. We've got a break in a minute, but I want to begin by talking about identity. From late childhood and pre-adolescence, and then the teenage years, who we are at, say 12, is going to be vastly different from who we are at 20, even though that's just like eight years. How can we adults, and we'll have to fully unpack this after the break, but how can we help kids navigate those very, very formative years from early adolescence to young adulthood? What are some things you like to see adults do in the lives of their kids during those years? Yeah, I think what comes to mind for me is just the reminder of truth that is just solidified in being in Christ, but we do that through telling our kids their worth isn't about performance or it's not found in roles.
And I know parents, we struggle with that too. Our roles equal our identity. That is so much this truth that is causing a distortion in just the way that we live.
Our identity is set and secure in Jesus, right? Once we have that, then it informs our behaviors, our actions, the way that we live our lives moving from there. And so I think that's where we start, but then we also start addressing their core needs, which we can dig into. But their core needs that every child, every human being has is they desire to be loved, they desire to be safe, and they desire to know their purpose.
When those things are addressed, it's transformational. We've got to take a break. Alex McFarland here, along with our very special guest, Paige Clingan-Peel will be back after this.
Don't go away. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this.
Hi, Alex McFarland here. I want to make you aware of two really important speaking engagements in July of twenty twenty-five. I'll be at the Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center, July 18th through 20th, teaching the Book of Job and then July 28th through August 1st with J. Warner Wallace, a week of apologetics with myself and Jim Wallace.
Go to the Cove dot org, the Cove dot org. And I hope to see you next summer. He's been called trusted, truthful and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarland show. Welcome back to the program. Alex McFarland here.
Before we resume our conversation with Paige Clingan-Peel, I want to ask you to please go to the newly updated and newly revised Alex McFarland dot com website. For one thing, our big speaker series, Conversations That Matter is in process. You may actually hear this before the first speaker, but on May 4th, we have Dinesh D'Souza. He's been a friend of mine for about 18 years. New York Times number one best selling author, a renowned filmmaker, probably the best political science thinker in America today. He was in the Reagan White House. He's incredibly intelligent.
He's funny. And we're going to have an open Q&A. And Dinesh D'Souza, May 4th at the Greg Roles Theater in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Now, you may hear this after Dinesh has spoken, but we've got in June, Gary Chapman, who wrote The Five Love Languages. And then we've got Charlie Kirk is coming.
Yes, Charlie Kirk, Lauren Greene from Fox News and so much more. The website for that is Alex McFarland dot com slash conversations. But let me refer you also to our summer camp website, which listen to this, equip retreat dot org, equip retreat dot org. We're in Montana. We're in Iowa. We're in Georgia.
And please pray and please promote. We've got a camp in Virginia. And we don't always do camps in Virginia, but it's beautiful.
And it's the first week of August. So check out and please pray. We'll have 1200 youth in our biblical worldview camps. We do all the fun camp stuff, you know, the zip lines, the hiking, horseback riding, but we talk about biblical worldview.
And so the website is equip retreat dot org. Paige, you might appreciate this. As we do our camps, we have corporate Bible study and worship. But then we break off and we we've got godly women teaching the teenage girls. And then I myself and our shepherds, the males teach the young men. Paige, last summer, and we see this increase every year, you know, young guys are asking us and especially the, you know, high school seniors, they want to know, how do I know God's will for the person I will one day marry?
Wow. And more than ever. And we've got all the apologetics questions, you know, sure. No one get the animals on the ark and all that. Yeah, the good ones.
Good question. More and more teenagers and, you know, late teens, high school, they're wanting to know about marriage and family. And someday they want to have kids.
And we do a lot of surveys. My point is, I'm profoundly encouraged that I'm seeing more of these teenagers, that it's not just job and money and materialism. It's how do I know who I am in Christ?
And someday, how can I build a family and do marriage God's way? I'm encouraged by the hunger for truth and a godly future that young people are expressing. Yeah, that's, I mean, that's fantastic, right? I mean, it gives you hope for the generations to come. But we, we know that the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit that was within us, the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is within even little ones. And so we can be encouraged that He is moving and may we just continue as adults to pour in and to fan that flame of faith in those kids coming up. Let's go, next generation.
Amen. So what are the core needs? The children, the youth, the young people that are in our lives, what do they really, really need?
The latest iPhone or... That's what they'll tell you, right? Yeah. So what I, oh gosh, so I'm in this season, right, where my kids can articulate what they think their needs are. And I love just like switching that up and be like, is that a need or is that a want? And so talking about love, for instance, they need to be loved. And love is one of those words we just throw out flippantly.
They were just like, I love sushi and I love the bears and all of these words that really don't have the same meaning of loving one another well. And we know that Jesus was the implementation, the human form of God's love for us. But what does that look like for us every day, especially as parents loving kids? Well, the truth is it's boundaries, it's structure, it's discipline, but not necessarily the punishment of just trying to take away their phone every time they do something wrong, which P.S. friends out there, I have done this.
We're doing it right now. Like sometimes that's just our knee jerk reaction. But what are they learning from that? That's where love comes in because we can teach them. That's the point of discipline. That's the point of structure is we want to love them well so they can be healthy adults moving forward.
And we just have to be intentional with that. And so to be loved is one of those things where we have to make hard choices sometimes for on behalf of our kiddos. And they may not always understand it, which I think is hard for us parents for sure. Do you think a lot of parents kind of lapse into permissive parenting because they want to be liked? God's call on our life as parents is not necessarily just to pursue being liked.
We're to be the leaders, aren't we? Yeah. Oh, 100 percent. And I do see that tension of you want to have a good relationship with your kids, but we can confuse good relationship with permissiveness, right? Or too much grace. I know, again, this is one of the areas where we've struggled with with our oldest. She is such a good kid that sometimes we are over graceful with her. And what we're encountering now is that she hasn't learned from the consequences that we should have instilled earlier. So then we finally have them.
She's like, wait, you've never done this. Why are you being so mean for us? We're saying, no, actually, we have done you a disservice by not loving you well, by keeping you accountable in the past. That is on us.
Please forgive us. But now this is what we're going to do because we know you're getting ready to enter the real world and we want to make sure you are ready and you are equipped. So it's that balance of you want a good relationship with your kid, but the reality is that love is not contingent on their good behavior or them liking us at that time. Talk to us about setting boundaries with technology. Because honestly, really the ability to unplug for a while and setting boundaries, that's something the parent needs to be able to do, isn't it? Yeah.
Yeah. There's so much of a negative impact that technology has on developing brains. And parents aren't always educated about that.
I think that's where that problem is, is because we use it, we think it's good for kids and it is to a degree. This is their social connection with other people. The problem is that it's actually increasing their need for stimulus.
So they need the constant stimulation in order for their brain to focus. This is where they're learning about their worth and value because it's the comparison of who they see online. This is where they're objectifying other people, no longer seeing one another as human beings. They're losing their ability to have empathy and process emotions. All of this is happening with developing minds. So we as parents need to do a good job of educating our kids, teaching them the ability to have self-control so that they can start shutting it down. They start seeing how the impact is influencing the way that they view themselves, the way that they're designing their friendships, the way that they're connecting with the world around them. All of these influences are not good. So if we don't educate, if we don't help them build up their own self, not only confidence, but also self-control, we're just allowing them to be fed by lies at a firefighter's or that stream of water, a fire hydrant. It's so much harder to shut it down when they have been inundated by these lies and messages so much.
So it is one of those things that I don't like using it as the first go-to for punishment of just taking away the phone. But I do feel like it's so important to talk to the kids about its impact and its influences. And not just technology, but let's talk about like television shows and music, the things that they are ingesting that has influence over their body, minds, and souls.
And that's where we can be as parents, disciplers of our kiddos by educating them in these ways. We've got to take a break. I want to thank you so much for being with us.
Before we let you go, any website or resources that you would refer us to? Absolutely. So again, you can check out my website at pageclingappeal.com. And Embracing Your Season is actually sponsored by Homeward. So I would love for you to check out Homeward. Homeward is a ministry for families, marriages, and parenting with Dr. Jim Burns, as well as Doug Fields.
So definitely check that out at homeward.com. We've interviewed Jim Burns. He's great. Fantastic. You're a gift to the body of Christ and our nation as well, Paige.
Thanks so much. Folks, we'll be right back after this. Stay tuned for more about imparting truth and life to the upcoming generation. Stay tuned.
We're back after this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Charlie Kirk is coming to the Grand Strand, August 21.
He's one of the world's most influential social media voices and one of the people most responsible for the resurgence of young people standing up for America, getting registered to vote and learning about our constitution. Hi, Alex McFarland here. You are invited to part three in our speaker series, Conversations That Matter, with Charlie Kirk, Thursday night, August 21, 7 p.m. at the Alabama Theater on Highway 17 in North Myrtle Beach.
For tickets, visit the Alabama Theater website at alabama-theater.com. Hear Charlie Kirk, August 21, and there will be open mic question and answer. For complete information on the speaker series, go to alexmcfarland.com slash conversations.
He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to The Alex McFarland Show. Welcome back to the program.
Alex McFarland here. We've been talking with Paige Klingenpiel about really raising teens that understand their identity, their purpose, their context. And we're going to wrap up here, and I want to give a Bible verse from 1 Peter 2, 9 in just a moment. But I want to thank everybody for your prayers and support. We have so many incredible things going on in this ministry. You know, I look back over the last five years, and you know, when COVID came along, in 2020, we had 38 major events on the calendar.
And by the end of March 2020, during all those quarantines, we had nothing going on. And I remember praying and thinking, Lord, what are we going to do? We're a ministry of events and broadcasting. Well today, by the grace of God, we have between full-time and part-time 16 employees working with us. We are doing more publishing, more camps, more conferences, more events, and it's been a walk of faith for sure. But more than ever, the Lord is allowing our ministry to be presenting the gospel to unbelievers, training and equipping biblical worldview to believers, churches, parents. We have another book coming out in the fall of this year of 2025, a book on prophecy and the end times.
So many things going on. And number one, I want to give God the glory. But number two, I would ask that you consider financially partnering with us. One thing that we're very much pursuing and praying about are training leaders, young leaders, men and women that are late teens, college age, all ages, encouraging those that will enter the pastorate. And so very much the ministry has been one of not only evangelism, but equipping. And so if you would consider standing with us to fulfill the Great Commission and to dispatch thousands of passionate, committed, well-equipped leaders for God and country, my website, alexmcfarland.com, or if you would go there and donate securely online, your gift in any amount is helping us to stand strong for truth and push back the darkness. And God is using what we're doing, believe me, it's so exciting.
We are ministering in all 50 states and internationally, and I give God the glory for what he's doing. As we wrap up talking about ministering to the young people in our life, it is vitally important to understand our identity and our context and our purpose. 1 Peter 2 verse 9. The Bible says this of every believer, no matter the age, 1 Peter 2.9, but you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light. Now in that verse, oh my goodness, is really a description of our life's purpose, our identity and purpose as a Christian. You're a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's precious possession, or special possession, some translations render it. That's who we are. That's why we don't fall into destructive, sinful, ungodly behavior.
Why would I seek my identity in bad relationships, immoral behavior, OCD habits, things that would enslave me, substance abuse? And then my purpose, to declare the praises of him, that's Jesus, and who is Jesus? The one who called us out of darkness where? Into his wonderful light.
So think about this, and before we can impart this to our children and the young people around us, maybe we as Christians have to reassert this and re-remind ourselves. Our identity, a chosen people, that is a called-out race. See, you're part of something if you're a believer. A chosen people, a called-out race, a royal priesthood, that means you are God's empowered representatives. A holy nation. That's your true ethnicity.
You know, there's so much in the news about race and ethnicity. What's your real birthright? You're part of a holy nation if you're a believer. And then, God's special possession. In other words, you are united with your owner.
John 10-28. Right this minute, folks. I don't know your external circumstance, but I know your true standing. You're in the palms of God's hands.
That's true. Okay, then, your purpose. What is our calling every morning we get up? And for so many people, you know, it's not amen, but it's oh me, another day.
Oh my goodness, every day is such a gift, because listen to our purposes. Four-fold purposes. Number one, to declare God's praises. 1 Peter 2-9. That means we publicly announce His excellence. Whose praises? It says, of Him, of Jesus. And literally, in the original language, we are declaring the praises, quote, of the One.
Capital O-N-E. The One. The Lord. Jesus. Our Creator. Our Redeemer.
The friend that sticks closer than a brother. And then, what has Jesus done for us? Well, for one, 1 Peter 2-9 says, He called us out of darkness. It means He summoned us out of sin and its results. Isn't that something?
Where? Into His wonderful light. And in the original language, you know, the word studies are so instructive. The awe-evoking light that He is. We are not in darkness. We're in light.
L-I-G-H-T. Light. Life. Liberation. Liberty. And that should breed within us, what? Loyalty.
Isn't that something? So we have our salvation, our daily walk, and our witness. And not only should we rejoice in it, live in it, every day invest in it, walk it out, but we should pass it on, impart it to those around us.
Now, I've got to say this as we close. I remember, and it only seems like it was a month ago, but it was 35 years ago, when, as a college student, I became a follower of Christ. And it was joyful because I had so many questions and so many uncertainties and frankly, fears. I was afraid that I was going to go to hell. You know, I knew I was a sinner, 21 years old. I knew I was a sinner. But Jesus came into my life. But right away, I knew that a lot of my friends probably were not Christians, and that was true. They were not Christians.
My buddies around UNC Greensboro. And then I was driving a delivery route, and I just was sure that so many of the people on my route were not believers. And people began to ask me questions, and I was every day at school, on my job. I was trying to, whenever the opportunity arose, I was trying to talk to people about the Lord.
Still do to this day. But the three words that were blinking kind of on the dashboard in my head were, I'm not ready. I'm not ready.
See, here's the thing. You'll never feel like you're ready enough, prepared enough, but just allow God to use you, and He will. You're not ever going to be ready enough. You're not ever going to feel prepared enough. And yet, if you're a believer, the dear Lord Jesus has said, you are my witnesses.
Isn't that amazing? So salvation, daily walk, witness. Salvation. You must intricately understand your true identity in Christ. You belong to the King. Daily walk. Intimately experience each day with the one who is the basis of your identity.
Jesus. You're not a failure. You're not a loser. You're not the black sheep of the family. You are sons and daughters of the King. Every day live it. Gratefully, humbly rejoice in your true identity. And then your witness. Intentionally pursue deeper levels of obedience and fruitfulness.
So it's intricate, it's intimate, it's intentional. We are His ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5.20. May God bless you as you walk and represent Christ. And may God empower you to pass that on, not only to all the people around you, but especially to your children and loved ones.
And our ministry is here to help, equip, empower. So stay bold. Stand strong.
Speak out. 2 Corinthians 5.20. We and our children are to be Christ's ambassadors. Alex McFarland Ministries are made possible through the prayers and financial support of partners like you. For over 20 years, this ministry has been bringing individuals into a personal relationship with Christ and has been equipping people to stand strong for truth. Learn more and donate securely online at alexmcfarland.com. You may also reach us by calling 1-877-YES-GOD1. That's 1-877-YES-GOD1. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you again on the next edition of the Alex McFarland Show.
