Father's Day at Truth for a New Generation

Bestselling author, speaker, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland. Bestselling author and apologist, Dylan Burroughs. Together, bringing you truth. For a new generation, this is TNG Radio. More than 22 years ago in Greensboro, North Carolina, it was my privilege to be a part of organizing a big event and we brought to town an evangelist named Dr. Bill Glass. Bill Glass was an NFL football player, an evangelist, he had shared the platform with Billy Graham, very respected guy, and Bill Glass came to town and in front of nearly 10,000 people in the Greensboro Coliseum, he said, crime is a father problem.

The problem with our country is fatherlessness. And with that, we welcome you to today's edition of Truth for a New Generation Radio, TNG Radio. Alex McFarland here with my good friend and colleague, Dylan Burroughs. Hello, my friend. Hello, great to be back with you.

Great to be back with you. We had a couple of weeks where I was on the road interviewing people and you've been busy doing all the work that you do with the John Ankerberg ministry and with our ministry. Let me ask you this, as we talk about family, and we talk about marriage and children and the blessing God gave the world in home and family, as this airs, this is Father's Day. What does marriage, fatherhood, and family mean to you, Dylan?

Well for me, I am a father of three children, so I think immediately of my own kids and the responsibility and the privilege that I have to bring them up in the love and admonition of the Lord. And over the years, I see so many times where I think that I'm a failure, but at the same time, I'm still giving it my best shot. And I want to encourage fathers out there today, whether you think you're doing a great job, whether you think you're doing a terrible job or somewhere in between, God has put you there on purpose and given you this great privilege. And today we're going to talk a little bit about how we can do this better. And if you're a mom out there or you're a teenager out there listening, let's make sure all the dads out there get this message that you can do this. There is no perfect Father except our Heavenly Father. We want to help equip you and encourage you to be better at this gift that we've been given of raising the next generation.

Exactly. You know, it was my privilege, and I say this giving God the glory, but I wrote a book called The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity, God and Christianity. And over the course of writing that book, we interviewed a lot of families. And another book came out in the aftermath of that called Abandoned Faith, Why Millennials Are Leaving the Church and How to Bring Them Home.

Francis Schaeffer, very famously in the 60s and 70s, was one of the very first voices to call the church back to biblical worldview. And he said, he and his wife Edith, they said that the family is the church in miniature. It's in the family. It's in the home that we learn about love and grace, restoration, redemption.

We learn about accountability. In the home we learn about law but love. And Schaeffer very famously said that the home is the church in miniature. The family was designed by God to point our hearts and lives to the gospel, to Jesus. Now Dylan, that being the case, I think it's no secret that Satan has attacked the family, the institution of marriage, the very definition of marriage, human sexuality, love, child-rearing. In the developed world, in First World nations, family is not valued and childbearing and raising young people to be people of godliness and virtue and character has not been affirmed and uplifted.

In fact, it's very much been denigrated and in many ways looked on with contempt. But all of that is because the family is such a potent vehicle for the gospel. I would say that's why Satan has attacked the family, would you agree? Well certainly, and if Satan can divide the family, he can divide the church and that's what we see oftentimes in our culture. And it's a shame to me that when we go to church on Mother's Day, it's considered a day of honor. There are flowers, there are videos, there are special presentations. But on Father's Day, it's often a time where the person speaking is making apologies and saying, if you've had a bad experience with your father and giving all these caveats because there are so many people who have struggled with having a good experience with their father growing up in this life.

But this is not the way that it is designed to be. God is considered a father. And if you look at the relationship between God the Father and God the Son as part of the triune Godhead, you see an example where God the Father says, this is my son in whom I am well pleased. He showed unconditional love.

He showed great intimacy and community and concern. And this is the kind of model and example that you're talking about that we are called to have as parents for our own children if we hope to overcome what we see in our society today. You know, Dylan, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of years ago. Listen to the title, the Wall Street Journal, America's Baby Bust. The nation's fertility rate is falling. This is the root cause of many of our problems and it's only getting worse. Now the Wall Street Journal reports, quote, 97% of the world's population now lives in countries where the fertility rate is falling. And it's been long reported that in Japan the average woman that's 30 to 60 has had two to three abortions.

It's very sad. And they're reaching what sociologists call demographic winter because they went through such a long period where consumerism, materialism, and not family were pursued. And so this is kind of a first world problem, but it's interesting that study after study shows that one of the keys to happiness, not only emotional stability and happiness, but even health, long-term health security, even financial prosperity is so much tied to the strength and the condition of one's family. But I want to talk about the tie between family and the gospel in a culture. We've quoted this book before, but Bradford Wilcox and Mary Everstadt wrote How the West Really Lost God. It's not an especially Christian book, although many of its conclusions do affirm what Christians and leaders like James Dobson would say. But they basically said this, quote, the recent history of American religion illuminates what amounts to a sociological law that the fortunes of American religion rise or fall with the state of the intact married family, end of quote.

Now what is that saying? There's a direct tie to family life and outcomes in terms of character, spirituality, but we're talking about walking with the gospel, living one's life as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Men everywhere, on this day we commend you, but we want to encourage you to just recommit and reaffirm your commitment to Jesus, not only as a follower of Christ, not only as a husband to your spouse, but as a Christian father to your children.

The men are the priests of the home. Our country is falling apart. Political unrest, social upheaval, the breakdown of the family, the rise of atheism, the rise of Islam. Our religious freedoms are under attack. There's gender fluidity.

Gender identity is making a mess of freedom of expression. So we need to put some skin in the game and love this nation. As Christians, we are to stand strong. There has to be some personal investment in the living out and the preservation of America. Stand Strong America will help you take the fear that you face and the bleakness that you face, but help you become a champion, a bold champion for Christ.

In Stand Strong America, Jason Jimenez and I lay out the facts about our nation, the current condition and how you, yes you, your family, your church, your community can be involved in keeping this great republic. Stand Strong America is a guide to bring courage and hope for you, the Christian, wherever Christian books are sold. For centuries, the Bible has inspired humanity and shaped the very world we live in. But how do we know this book is the Word of God and not merely the words of men? What we believe about the Bible is based on what we believe about its source. The God Who Speaks explores the evidence of the Bible's inspiration and authority through some of the world's most respected biblical scholars. We have essentially a dual authorship. So it's true to say that Paul wrote Romans. It's equally true to say that God wrote Romans. He says we saw this, and that sets the Bible apart from almost everything else in the ancient world and its religious pantheon of gods and goddesses. The God Who Speaks is a feature-length documentary from the American Family Association.

Available now at thegodwhospeaks.org. You're a good, good Father. It's who You are. It's who You are. It's who You are.

And I'm loved by You. It's who I am. It's who I am. It's who I am. This is Dylan Burrows here with Alex McFarland on Truth For A New Generation radio, and we are talking about the influence a father has on his family.

The father has been called the priest of the family, and rightly so, because the influence a father has can have great impact on the life of his children in ways beyond measurement. We've been talking a little bit about this influence, and Alex, you also have a little bit of information to share about some upcoming events that can equip us as we seek to know more about how to live out the truth of Christ. Well, God bless you, Dylan.

Thanks. And many of you listening will know about our Truth For A New Generation tour. We were in North Carolina in the spring of 2018.

People came from 19 states, and we give God the glory for that. But coming up, we are going to be in September in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, September 14 and 15, and we're going to be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, October 26, 27. We're going to have incredible people like J. Warner Wallace and Josh McDowell and Miki Addison of the Urban Family Talk Network and people like Dr. Michael Brown.

Amazing, amazing. We're going to be talking about God, the Bible, the role of Christianity in American life, and yes, we're going to be talking about marriage and family. TNG, folks, you do not want to miss it. Truth For A New Generation is really an important conference on worldview and apologetics.

It's for all ages, but it's especially for young people. And if you want to win the lost, equip the saved, pass the baton of faith to the next generation, please come to TNG. Go to the website which is truthforanewgeneration.com. Also I will tell you this, that beginning in July, new episodes begin of TNG television that run on the NRB television network throughout North America.

No matter where you are, you can see these. So please go to truthforanewgeneration.com or my own personal website which is alexmcfarland.com. But we're talking about marriage and family. George Washington famously said that, quote, the future of our country depends on the Christian training of young people. Now, Cornerstone Magazine, years ago, this was reported in many outlets in 2013, so this is about five years ago, but the data is still absolutely true.

A number of surveys were done, a number of pollsters. Here's what they said, quote, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife's devotions, only one child in fifty will become a regular worshiper. If a father does go to church regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two thirds and three fourths of the children will become, and remain, regular church goers. So dads, we're for you.

We're rooting for you. We love you, and God has given you an important role, but there is, we have to say, very soberly and honestly, there's a direct correlation between the father's consistency in his walk and his witness bearing the fruits of the Spirit, modeling before your family that you are a Christ follower. There's a direct correlation between dad's Christianity and the ultimate spiritual trajectory of the kids, isn't there, Dylan? Well certainly, and in addition to what you're saying there, it's not only taking your children to church and having them involved in spiritual activities, but it's living that out within the home as well. We know of many examples of fathers who may have taken their children to church growing up, but there were many problems within the home, whether it be neglect or abuse, or simply not living out the same lifestyle Monday through Saturday as you see on Sunday. So there is both the need to continue to involve our children in church for the next generation, but also the need to live it out day by day, which is the much more difficult task. And that's where it comes back to us as fathers, that we have to step up and say, not only are we going to teach the next generation of children under our authority the Gospel and how to live for God, but we have to live it day by day.

And talk a little bit about that, that daily challenge to live out what we believe and the influence that can have on our own children. Well Dylan, a magazine called Personality and Social Psychology Review recently wrote this, quote, kids who feel rejected by their fathers show higher rates of behavioral problems, delinquency, depression, and substance abuse than those who feel rejected by their mothers. And let me just say this folks, there's a direct correlation between the rise of gender confusion and homosexual ideation, homosexual activity. There's a direct correlation over the last 40 years since, all across the country, no-fault divorce laws, and being able to walk away from your marriage just when it becomes challenging. And I know there are sometimes, you know the Bible says God hates divorce. And there are probably some marriages that God hates that are ungodly and frankly toxic. And I know when there is adultery, abuse, and abandonment, sometimes in this fallen world, regrettably, divorce is the only outcome. We know that. And God gives grace and God forgives and God restores.

But overall, Dylan, we would be remiss if we didn't honestly say this. The rise of character issues and violence, gang involvement, substance abuse, and yes, homosexuality is due to the state of the family. And so when the father is absent, and the father either physically is absent or emotionally psychologically rejects and doesn't lay down his life for his family, the outcomes are not pretty at all. And yet the Word of God tells us, we've quoted these verses many times in Deuteronomy 6 where very famously God says to Israel, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one. That great declaration of the monotheistic nature of God. It goes on and it talks about teaching this to your children, having it always in front of your eyes and preeminent in your home that this family is a household devoted to the true and living God. In Exodus 13 it talks about, you know, your kids asking, Dad, how do I have what you've got when it comes to pass that your son will ask you, why do we do these things?

Then you will say when Pharaoh wouldn't let us go. God delivered us and we follow this God who is our creator, savior, and daily provider, protector, and friend. But Dylan, the father, the Bible presupposes that the father is living in such a way that the children will ultimately say, Mom and Dad, how do I have the faith that you've got? And what a sacred moment that is when a parent, especially a dad, can impart to the child the reality of Jesus that has been so prominent in their own life. And that's what we're going to talk more about when we come right back here at Truth for a New Generation Radio.

Stick with us. If you're a Christian parent, you of course want to instill a biblical view of life in the hearts of your children. If you're a pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church. This is Alex McFarland encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum, The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity. Why do bad things happen? I interviewed hundreds of children, ages 5 to 12, and we address actual questions from actual children, the spiritual issues that are on the minds of your kids.

Did Jesus ever sin? The book and video lessons are great for groups of any size and was produced with the goal of equipping kids to stand strong for Christ in any situation. The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask, the book, study guide and video series, you'll find it at AFASTORE.net.

That's AFASTORE.net. First Peter 3.15 tells us to be ready always to give an answer for the hope we have. We're instructed to be prepared to defend our faith. This is Alex McFarland for the Life Answers Teams, students we train at North Greenville University, a leading Christian college in South Carolina. The Life Answers Teams are made up of students who will inspire and equip your congregation. These apologetics teams we train speak in churches to youth groups and train Christians of all ages to address key issues of our times from a biblical perspective. Like is there a God?

Is the Bible true? What about gender and moral issues? Call me at 864-977-2008 and we will arrange for the Life Answers Team to come to your church and give a presentation that will benefit your people for years to come.

864-977-2008 and always be ready. This is Dylan back with Alex McFarland on Truth For A New Generation Radio and we are talking this Father's Day about the impact of a father on his children. And there's no greater way we could do this than by taking people to the Word of God, showing examples, showing principles, encouraging you to live out that faith in your own life so that your sons and daughters seek to have the same faith that you have. And Alex, as we get started in this last segment today, tell us a little bit about some of the things coming up with Truth For A New Generation.

Oh, thanks, Dylan. Well, we're so excited for what God is doing in terms of attendees and speakers calling, wanting to work with us, national leaders that we're so honored to partner with. But folks, listen to this. The Truth For A New Generation Tour is rolling throughout America over the next several years and we need your help.

God is working, young people are coming to Christ, families are being committed to the Gospel, and God is using this. And we've got a newsletter that's about to go out, so please listen very carefully. It was my privilege to do an audiobook with American Family Studios. They took my book, The God You Thought You Knew. For your support in any amount this month, we will send you either the book, The God You Thought You Knew, or the audiobook. Now the book is a $15 value, the audiobook is a $24 value.

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And with that, I want to bring some takeaway to all this. In the Garden of Eden, before the first church was built, even before the institution of civil government, Dylan, we know God instituted the family. The very first civil structure in world history was a marriage, a couple, Adam and Eve, and the institution of family. And family is very sacred. I mean, it goes back to the very beginning. And for that reason, Dylan, wouldn't you say the family is the cornerstone on which humanity rests, really?

It certainly is. And we see that both in the Bible as well as today. Leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell said, Becoming a good father is not automatic. It takes time and effort, and we must be willing to invest in this job. So dads out there and even mothers who are out there, this is a calling that is from God, but a calling that takes daily practice and commitment, more so even than our career, more so than our hobbies and passions. Our investment in our children is the ultimate investment we can make to impact both our family now and the generations to follow.

So let me give you these thoughts, folks. The family, like the gospel and the church, was given by God. Secondly, the traditional family, quote unquote, is the core building block of society. To the social architects, the social progressives, the people that want to affirm gay marriage and gender confusion, let me say, there's a reason. It's abuse, it's pain.

I've studied post-graduate studies in developmental psychology, and I've interviewed hundreds of people, and as a pastor counsel people, all of the impetus for new definitions of family and human sexuality and really frankly the animosity that many have toward quote traditional values. It always is born out of pain. It always is born out of wounds, and let me say this, if you've been wounded in the context of family, turn to Christ. He will heal you. He will restore you. Turn to Christ.

Christ loves every person. He will accept you as you are. He will forgive your past. He will make purpose out of your present, and he can restore. The Bible says in Joel 2.25 that God restores the years the locust has eaten.

And so don't put it off any longer. Listen, the family as designed by God has great spiritual significance. That's my third point I want to make. The family is like a gospel tract, and it is no accident that the family is being attacked by Satan. Let me say this, the restoration of America depends on the preservation of the family.

Now folks, God could snap his fingers and send a revival and a great awakening, and he may, and he may not, but here's the thing. The early church in the first two and three centuries, they were able to turn upside down the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was very violent. It was unraveling. It was fragmented. It was brutal. It was in many ways immoral, and in many ways it was analogous to our culture today. How did the church prevail? It was on the strength of family.

Great writers have documented this like Jerry Newcomb and Peter Lilback and Rodney Stark. So we can do this. We've got to be in it for the long haul. So I want to say the time to make family, your marriage, your children, the time to make family a priority is right now. So Dylan, here's the thought that I want to say. If you love God and country, be a champion for family. You say the world is a mess.

Well, perhaps. So what do we do? Love Jesus, love our family, be a champion for the family, and impart those values to your children. Amen. And such great words as we close today. Thank you for joining us here on Truth For A New Generation.

Stick with us. We have a final message here for you in just a moment. Truth For A New Generation, in association with Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, exists to equip Christians with a biblical worldview through conferences and camps. For information about upcoming events, visit truthforanewgeneration.com or give us a call at 877-YES-GOD-1. That's 877-YES-GOD and the number 1. TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, P. O. Box 485, Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, 27313. That's P. O. Box 485, Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, 27313. Or give online at alexmcfarland.com or truthforanewgeneration.com. Thanks for listening and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG radio.