Mar 11

6 Considerations Regarding Your Children and Media Usage

by duchesssa at www.sxc.hu

by duchesssa at www.sxc.hu

With the advent of the touch-screen tablet and smart phones, computer and media usage for young children has soared.  It used to be that children needed to be at least 2 – 3 years of age to use a mouse, but now they can use touch-screens much earlier.

These are often considered the “electronic baby-sitter” of the family.  (Like when my 4 year old was in my office this morning before pre-school started or when Caleb, our 1 year old, gets inconsolable at the Upward games on Saturday).  Most parents are allowing their kids to consume various media from TV, video games, computers, and tablet devices.

Cries of concern have been coming from physicians, preachers, and parents for the last several years warning about the dangers of over-exposure.  Statistics suggest, and our observation confirms, that most younger children use media.  Children 8-10 spend an average of 8 hours a day with some type of media.  Children in their teen years spend 11 hours or more on media per day.

In this first of two posts on the topic, I wish to share 6 areas parents should consider.  My hope in this post is that you will think and discuss the issue.  The research says that most families have very few rules in place and don’t consider many of the dangers of media usage.  So my hope is that you will make a plan.  Set some rules and define some boundaries before your toddler is waking you up at 4 in the morning because he is addicted to the iPad.

  1. Consider their Physical Health.  For kids it is not only what they are doing with media, but what they are not doing because of it.  Media creates inactive children.  Excessive media usage has been connected to obesity.  Doctors and child development specialists are very concerned about allowing children under 2 to use touch-screens or watch TV for an extended period.  Delayed muscle development can result  when children are not using their hands and feet in traditional manipulative ways.
  2. Consider their Emotions and Behavior.  Media use is being connected with aggressive behavior, ADD, hyperactivity, depression, and ill-temperment.  Video games are often a key area of concern in this area.
  3. Consider their Minds.  All parents understand the saying, “garbage in equals garbage out” but do we really consider what we are allowing into the minds of our kids.  These forms of media are addictive, and have been shown to actually affect and change how the brain works.
  4. Consider their Exposure to Inappropriate Content.  Christian parents should be very concerned about the type of material being viewed and the child’s exposure to it.  Not only is their a risk with sexual predators, but there is a real danger for children to learn values and morals contrary to the Bible.  Parents should consider the violence, immodest attire, and foul and crude language.
  5. Consider their Future Self-discipline.  Kids are going to become teens and adults who live in a world with technology.  Most of us adults have to practice self-discipline when it comes to media usage.  Parents need to set rules and time-boundaries on media usage to begin training their children for when they will not be there to set the boundaries!
  6. Consider the Age of the Child.  As parents make their media plan the child’s age and temperament must be considered.  It seems there is often a failure to make a distinction in ages regarding time or content.

In the next post I will discuss how my family and others handle media usage.  I hope to make it a practical discussion  on how various Christian families are handling media in their homes.

What else should parents consider regarding children and media usage?

—————–

Sources:

USA Today Article  from 10-28-13

American Association of Pediatrics Website 

Common Sense Media Research Findings – 2013

 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/6-considerations-regarding-your-children-and-media-usage/

Mar 09

What is it like to be the Preacher’s Kid?

Austin posing with me his coach at an Upward game.

Austin posing with me his coach at an Upward game.

“What is it like to be the preacher’s kid?”

This is the question, Austin, my 9 year old, was asked in Bible class.

I love his answer; which was, “I don’t know, it is just like being a normal kid.” 

He had never even considered the question.  He didn’t feel different or special because he is the preacher’s kid.  Austin has been at Seven Oaks his entire life.  He has never known another congregation.

When we asked the other kids the same question later at the lunch table, the others thought the question was also odd.  Why would it be any different to be the preacher’s kid?  They had never even considered that they may be different from the other kids at church.

Being the preacher’s kid to my children just means having special access to the building and being treated as special by lots of people! 

Austin’s answer was a victory for us as parents.  We want our kids to be normal kids and be involved in the church and love the Lord because we are Christians and we love God rather than because their dad’s work is with the church.  I know it will be more challenging as they hit the teen years and they may feel more awkward as their social conscious becomes more mature, but right now we are winning the battle.

Austin’s answer was also a high compliment to Seven Oaks Church of Christ.  There are many things I love about Seven Oaks, but one of the highest ones is their love of my wife and kids.  They have always treated us like family.  They do not view our kids differently. They are warm and accepting of them and their personalities.  They do not expect them to be perfect and understand they are kids.  They respect and accept our decision to homeschool and treat our kids the same as the public school children.

So as of right now we are glad that the question, “What is it like to be the preacher’s kid?” is the oddest of questions because they are just normal kids in a Christian family.    

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/what-is-it-like-to-be-the-preachers-kid/

Mar 06

Water: The Overlooked Blessing In America

water drop 5 by macleod at sxc.hu

water drop 5 by macleod at sxc.hu

When was the last time you paused to thank God for safe drinking water?

When was the last time you considered the luxury of a hot shower?

Most of us reading this post can get water by walking to our kitchen sink.  Many of us have bottled water in our refrigerator.  We have two or three bathrooms in the house with a toilet and a hot shower.

In the church we have missionaries come or benevolent ministries send letters and they talk about their well projects or the need to provide safe drinking water.  We don’t realize that for much of the world, the poor developing nations of Africa and Oceania safe water is a rarity.  

Let these statistics sink into your mind. . . 

  • 780 million people lack access to clean water.   That is more than 2.5 times the United States Population.
  • 3.4 million people die each year from a water related disease.  That is almost the entire city of Los Angeles.
  • Lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours.
  • More people have a mobile phone in the world than a toilet!
  • An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.
  • Diarrhea is the 2nd leading cause of death among children under five in the world.  Around 1.5 million deaths each year – nearly one in five – are caused by diarrhea.  
  • Every day in developing countries women and children walk an average of 4 miles to obtain water for their family.

My thoughts . . .

  • This is astounding, I did not know this information until I ran across it this morning.  I had no idea it was such a problem.
  • “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”  Jesus Christ – Luke 12:48    We have a responsibility that comes with our abundant blessings.  We need to help the poor and hurting when we can.  Support brotherhood groups that are using this need as an opportunity to share the gospel.  Healing Hands International has been successful with a solution to the crisis.
  • Be thankful.  Could you imagine walking four miles a day for water?  Can you contemplate suffering through your child dying of diarrhea?  This problem makes the things we complain about in America seem so petty.
  • Pray.  Join me today in praying for those who are suffering through poor sanitation and the lack of safe drinking water.  May they have greater access to these physical necessities, but chiefly pray for them to know the Lord who can provide everlasting water (John 4:13-14).

So when you walk to the sink or jump in a hot shower later today, pause a moment and be thankful for the water you have!  

Would you like to share about those who are helping those without safe water and sanitation?  

————

Sources

www.water.org

www.hhl.org/water/why

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/water-the-overlooked-blessing-in-america/

Mar 05

Discovery Park of America – A Great Family Trip

image-9“Union City, Tennessee, Really?”

This is the reaction of most folks when they hear about Discovery Park of America.  You don’t expect something so big and nice in a place so small and away from a large city.

Union City is only 40 minutes south of Mayfield and on our way to my parents home, so we have been watching the construction of Discovery Park for several years.  It always looked so tremendous is size.  It opened toward the end of 2013 and we were finally able to go with some friends, Chris and Vickie Fry, last Friday.

Here are some of my thoughts on the Park . . . 

  1. We were very impressed. Everything is done with top quality.
  2. It is very large.  We were there from opening (10 a.m.) to closing (5 p.m.) and we did not come close to getting everything seen.  There were also 2 or 3 school buses full of kids at the same time and we hardly noticed, it did not seem crowded.
  3. It has a lot to do outside.  It was kind of cool on our day which made it a little more difficult to enjoy the outside activities.  I would estimate that about half of the exhibits are outside.  Many of these are buildings, but you have to walk back and forth to them.  It would be wonderful to do in the fall and spring of the year.
  4. It was very reasonably priced.  It cost us a little over $60 dollars for the basic admission for our family of 6 (Caleb was free and we did not do any of the special exhibits that cost more money).
  5. It is not just for kids.  It is a park that is for adults as much as kids.
  6. It is very diverse.  It is a museum, science center, inter-active history, an American cultural exhibition, and playground.  They have everything.  They have old cars, military stuff, geology, old tractors, a water mill exhibit, ceramic exhibition, a maze, train exhibit, old homestead and log cabins, and so much more.
  7. It contains some information that conflicts with the Bible.  The museum contains an exhibit on the Big Bang theory, prominently promotes Dinosaurs and their existence millions and millions of years ago, and has other incorrect geological information.  A young earth creation perspective is not represented in anyway.  So parents need to be aware that much of this may conflict with what they teach their children at home.
  8. It is a great trip to do as a family and with friends.  We had a wonderful time together and with our good friends the Fry family.  The kids loved it and are already planning their next trip.  You can purchase season passes pretty reasonable.  We did not choose this option, but may in future years.

Here is the website to Discovery Park of America so you can learn more and plan your trip.

Enjoy some pictures from our trip.

The kids in front of the Ark of the Covenant

The kids in front of the Ark of the Covenant

The slide was the kids favorite.

The slide was the kids favorite.

The kids loved playing in the water section.

The kids loved playing in the water section.

Caleb liked the playground area for babies.

Caleb liked the playground area for babies.

We all enjoyed getting to watch pottery being made.

We all enjoyed getting to watch pottery being made.

Austin and Emma enjoyed the comfort of the luxury train car.

Austin and Emma enjoyed the comfort of the luxury train car.

All the kids on a bench outside.

All the kids on a bench outside.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/discovery-park-of-america-a-great-family-trip/

Mar 02

The Past Shapes You, But Should Not Define You

Waiting 2 by coolza at www.sxc.hu

Waiting 2 by coolza at www.sxc.hu

The separated couple were talking to me.  He said, “She never thinks I am good enough or believes in me!”  She replied, “I believe in him, I am just disappointed with his actions.  He fails by making poor decisions, and then blames it on me not believing in him.  He lives with a chip on his shoulder, always expecting others to think he can’t do it!”

As the conversation went deeper and the relationship developed it became apparent that his issue found its root in the rejection of his father.  He rarely saw his father.  He never had his approval or a relationships with him.  It left him deeply wounded and hurting.  He grew up always feeling like he had to prove himself, which lead to the inability to place his trust in others.  He then would often live out these expectations by making mistakes that harm his relationships.

This is just one story.  You consider your story or the story of others around you.  Maybe it is your marriage that needs to apply this principle.  

Here it is …

The Past Shapes You, But Should Not Define You!

You must understand that the past has made you who you are today, but it does not have to rule and control who you are today.  The story of Joseph is a wonderful study of this principle (Gen. 37-50).  Joseph was rejected by his brothers and sold to slavery.  He was accused of rape and placed in prison.  He was forsaken in prison by those he helped for years.  Finally he was elevated to a great leader in Egypt.  He was then challenged to forgive his brothers who unknowingly come to him for food.  Joseph in each stage of his life, chose to allow the past to shape him, but not to define him.  He was a man of integrity and faith in each place in life.

The glory of the gospel is that we are forgiven and receive a new birth at baptism (2 Cor. 5:12-21).  The past shapes us, but it does not define us (see Moses, Paul, and Peter for other examples).

Consider your past, but quite allowing it to define you!  Break free from it through Christ and live in the present.  Press forward to the goals ahead and be who God called you to be today and in the future.  Don’t be crippled by the past!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/the-past-shapes-you-but-should-not-define-you/

Feb 27

You The Man

You the man!! 

I love this common slang to encourage other guys.  We used to say it when playing pick-up basketball at FHU.  I like using it to compliment or encourage a brother who has done something cool.  I tell my boys – “you the man”  and sometimes throw a little spanish on them “Tu el hombre.”

But that is not how God was using it when he spoke to David through Nathan the prophet (2 Sam. 12:7).

He told David a story about a poor man who had one ewe lamb taken by a rich man who had plenty.  David got the point of the story but he wrongly applied it.  

pointing hand by digital_a via www.sxc.hu

pointing hand by digital_a
via www.sxc.hu

He said the man who did such should die and restitution should be made fourfold because he did this thing with no compassion (2 Sam. 12:5-6).

Then Nathan told him, “You the man!”  This is the literal rendering of the Hebrew.

We are so similar to David.  

In many ways most of the stories and instructions in the Bible are meant to convict us.  The stories from the Old Testament and the teaching of Jesus are meant to transform us (Heb. 4:12).  They are meant to convict.  They are meant to show us our sin and shortcomings.  Yet we read them and get lost in the information.  We may get the message, but we apply it to our enemy, neighbor, or spouse!  We may even point our fingers at those who are violating them, yet we blindly neglect to apply the truth to ourselves.  

A friend once remarked to me, “the longer I study the Bible, the more I wonder if most all of scripture doesn’t have a purpose similar to this parable told by Nathan to make us say, “You the man.”  

It is only by looking into our hearts and saying “I am the man” that we realize our need for Jesus and His good news (1 Tim. 1:12-17)

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/you-the-man/

Feb 26

How Preaching Has Blessed My Life

The Jenkins Institute lead by Dale and Jeff Jenkins who serve the church and preachers through the institute publish an online magazine in blog format.  They do a great job and their work has blessed my life and ministry over the last several years.  If you are a preacher you should check their website and get on Dale’s email list to receive their information.  This month they are posting article by preachers from around the country on how preaching has blessed their lives.  I was asked to contribute.

You can read my post and the other ones currently released at this link.

I hope you enjoy it.

 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/how-preaching-has-blessed-my-life/

Feb 25

Spiritually Handcuffed by God — Grace and Truth

purchased / copyrighted photo

purchased / copyrighted photo

John wrote, “For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

I like to teach grace and truth as being spiritually handcuffed together.  Handcuffs bind two hands and arms together.  They keep the person wearing them from separating their hands.

God in the work of Jesus tied these two concepts together.

Grace – God’s unmerited or undeserved favor and gift of salvation (Romans 3:23-25, 6:23, Ephesians 2:1-10; etc.)

Truth – God’s revealed will and message for our lives.  (John 8:31-32, 17:17; Gal. 2:5, 5:7; Eph. 1:13; ch. 4; etc.)

Jesus is the manifestation of both of these concepts.  He brought into the world grace and truth.  He lived them out and made both possible.

Jesus and Grace – He brought God’s grace by becoming the propitiation for our sins on the cross.  His work, death, and resurrection made the grace of God possible in our lives (Rom. 3:21-25, ch. 5; 2 Tim. 1:9).

Jesus and Truth – He brought God’s truth to this world.  His will was to do the Father’s will and He spoke not on his own authority but on the Father’s authority (John 14:23-24).  He described himself as “the truth” (John 14:6).

They are tied together by God. 

Grace is the free gift of salvation.  Truth is the message of that free gift and how we obtain it.  You cannot have one without the other.  If you have the gift without the message it does you no good.  If you have the message, but not the gift then you cannot be saved.  We must have both!

What this means . . .

The history of Christianity and the religious world today struggles to keep these hand-cuffed together.  We often talk about liberal or conservative, grace-based or works-based, really all these descriptions are dealing with an over-emphasis of truth or grace with a neglect of the other.

Some err by unlocking the truth side and casting it aside.  They focus on God’s grace and emphasize in their teaching that it doesn’t matter how you live or what you do in obedience to God.

Others err by unlocking the grace side and casting it aside.  They focus on law-keeping as a means to salvation. They become legalistic to the point of making one’s works the basis of their salvation.   They tend to bind matters of opinion and are rigid in their interpretation of Scripture.

But the challenge for us is to realize Jesus brought both grace and truth (John 1:17).  We cannot divorce the two.  You must obtain God’s grace by obeying and following God’s truth.  His grace must be received as a gift that could never be earned or deserved.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/spiritually-handcuffed-by-god-grace-and-truth/

Feb 21

Don’t Expect an Inheritance!

business piggy bank 3 by osito-plTalk to funeral home directors, lawyers, or preachers.

You can probably talk to most anyone who has lived very long and they can tell you a story about a family that split over an inheritance.

You know the stories and their effects . ..  

  • Brothers who carry bitterness for decades over the way mom and dad’s inheritance was split up.
  • Son-in-laws fighting over an inheritance they believe their wives should get.
  • Daughters arguing and taking each other to court about mom’s guardianship, but the real motive is the money mom has and protecting their share in it.
  • One funeral director years back told me he had seen a family fight in the funeral home parlor about inheritance issues.
  • I have heard stories of hard feelings that go back years.  I knew one man who would not obey the gospel, and his excuse was he could not forgive his brother for the way he treated him in a property dispute.

There are many solutions and things that families can do to prevent these squabbles.  Parents having a will, openly communicating, and being fair all are important factors.  Us determining to follow the golden rule and have the attitude of Jesus should also be applied.  Christians should seek the judgment and counsel of elders, preachers, or mature brethren before going to court and dividing families for years (1 Cor. 6).

But here is my solution. 

Don’t expect to get any inheritance.  

It seems that most of the fights come because of money and people not getting what they feel they deserve.  Sometimes they have even lived their life, often in laziness or free-spending, expecting the inheritance.  They have staked their life on the inheritance.  Many times it is just a matter of greed. 

We all want an inheritance.  But we should not expect an inheritance.  We have a responsibility for our own life, debts, decisions, and future.  

Parents should not be expected to not provide for themselves in their aging years, just to leave an inheritance.  Parents should not be expected to plan their spending around their kids inheritance.  Nor should they be controlled in whom they give their money too in their sound minds.  It is their money.  Whether they are 40 or 90 it is their money and it should be used to provide for their needs, wants, and charities that they desire.

Now, I know that most folks are not going to live with this mindset.  But imagine what it would do to the amount of fussing and fighting over inheritance monies.

By the way, as a Christian, we have an inheritance. It is reserved in heaven for us and it cannot be taken away.  We are to be laying up treasures in heaven and one day we will receive it (1 Peter 1:3-9, Mat. 6:19-21).  You may be mistreated in a money matter, but forgive, and don’t harbor bitterness.  Consider our Lord who left the heavenly throne, came as a slave, had nowhere to lay his head, and died on a cross (Phil. 2).  Why do we let inheritance issues keep us from being loyal to Him?  He must shake his head when he sees people fighting over money! 

P.S. To my parents and in-laws – we may not expect it, but we would like some, so don’t go cut us out of the will because of this post!!  

What are your thoughts?

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/dont-expect-an-inheritance/

Feb 19

How Apple and the Soul-winner Share the Same Goal

Apple-logoApple CEO Tim Cook is quoted as saying:

“Our whole role in life is to give you something you didn’t know you wanted and then, once you get it, you can’t imagine your life without it.”  

They have accomplished their goal many times in the past.  If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod you can likely testify.  Most everybody was content to not have a smart phone before June 29, 2007.  But the release of the iPhone changed everything in the phone industry.

Likewise on April 3, 2010 when the iPad was released many were skeptical and critical.  Some thought there was not a tablet market.  Why would people want a tablet when they have laptops that can do so much more?  Yet, now the tablet market is a hugely significant if not leading part of the computer industry.

Apple has been successful with these devices because they are simple to use and become a part of our everyday life.  They change the way we live and work.  They often become devices we seldom put down.  We use them daily, for many hours a day.

So how does this relate to winning souls for Jesus?

Read the quote again by Tim Cook and relate it to the gospel of Christ. When I considered this quote, I thought; this is what I am trying to do too!  Most folks we come into contact with on a daily basis are not living with Jesus daily.  They may have faith in Him, but they are not walking as His disciple.  They do not know they were created for so much more!  They have a gaping hole in their chest the shape of a cross, that only Jesus can fill, but they don’t know it!  Any superficial faith in Jesus is more cultural than spiritual.

The church’s job, my job and your job, is to give them Jesus.  We have to help them realize there is so much more to life.  Isaiah talked about those who do “not regard the deeds of the Lord” (Is. 5:12).  They don’t stop to consider spiritual things.  They must realize they are lost without obeying the gospel (Eph. 2:1-10, 2 Thess. 1:7-10).  They must realize that true joy, hope, peace, and happiness comes through Christ (Rom. 5).

Here is the wonderful part, once they get Jesus, I mean truly get Jesus, they will not be able to imagine life without Him.  

Go tell someone about Jesus!  Expect resistance.  Expect them to not really want to know about the gospel.  But be persistent.  Keep praying.  Find ways to talk to them about faith, church, and God.  Don’t give up, because if you can get them to realize their need for Jesus, Jesus will change their life!  And they will not be able to imagine life without Him!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/how-apple-and-the-soul-winner-share-the-same-goal/