Transcript

American Family Radio thanks sponsor, Preborn for supporting pro life advocacy

Dr. Jessica Peck: We would like to take a moment to thank our sponsor, PreBorn. When a mother meets her baby on ultrasound and hears their heartbeat, it's a divine connection. And the majority of the time she will choose life. But they can't do it without our help. Preborn needs us, the pro life community, to come alongside them. One ultrasound is just $28. To donate, dial pound 250 and say the keyword BABY or visit preborn.com/AFR 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 day, getting to spend time with you, prescribing Hope for Healthy Families. And today we are talking about something I've actually been talking about since since the year started. Not that it's new this year. I haven't talked about it before. But in an age where we are living in a culture that is discipling our children every single day more and more, and especially with the advent of AI, of artificial intelligence, we are talking about family discipleship. We have got to wake up and pay attention and be intentional about discipling our families. Because if we don't, if we are passive, if we just outsource that even to church, that's only an hour, two, three hours a week. Even if we try to outsource it to good sources, nothing is going to take that primary role that we have as disciplers for our family. And if we're not intentional about it, social media is gladly going to fill the gap. Algorithms are going to shape the desires of our children. Entertainment is shaping their values. And schools and peers and influencers and AIs are all competing to answer life's big questions that kids are asking today. Who am I? Why am I here? Why does my life matter? Was I created for a purpose? Does my life have meaning? And I know many Christian families feel very overwhelmed simply trying to protect their children from all of these cultural influences. That's why gatekeeping parenting has risen in popularity, because we think, okay, we're just going to shut down the fort. We are going to protect our kids. We're not letting anything bad get in. But Jesus didn't call us to retreat completely from culture to live in a bunker somewhere. He called us to raise disciples who can engage culture with truth and hope. And we've got to do that for our kids. The Great Commission begins at home, before our children can go out into the world. They need parents and grandparents and other committed adults in their lives who can understand that they themselves are sent by God to tell the world the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So today we're going to explore how families can move from simply just attending church, checking those spiritual boxes, to really embracing a lifestyle of discipleship and mission. I'm really delighted to introduce my guest to you today. Remarkable leader, pastor, theologian, author, disciple, maker, father and grandfather, Dr. Daniel Akin. Now Dr. Akin has served for more than two decades as president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and professor of preaching and theology. And he and his wife Charlotte have been married since 1978. Isn't that wonderful? They've raised four sons, which automatically increases my respect for them. Let me tell you, especially Mrs. Akin I will just tell you right now, as a mom of boys, I have such respect for moms of boys. It is not for the faint of heart, but it's so rewarding. And they're all serving in ministry today, all four of those sons together. They have four daughters in law, 15 grandchildren, and their family itself is a testimony to multi generational discipleship and I couldn't love it more. Beyond The Classroom Seminary Dr. And Mrs. Akin have traveled throughout the world. Sudan, Turkey, India, Thailand, Kenya, Central Asia, Paraguay, the Middle east, equipping leaders, encouraging missionaries, sharing the gospel. And his newly updated book, I Am Going revisits one of the most important questions for believers today. What does it mean to live as someone who is sent by Christ? What does it mean to live on mission? And the book reminds Christians that the Great Commission is not reserved for missionaries overseas only. It is the calling of every believer in every home, in every neighborhood, in every generation. Danny M. So glad to have you here. Thank you so much for spending time with us today.

Dr. Daniel Akin: Jessica. Thank you. I'm really honored to be a part of your program today.

Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, I can't wait to really take advantage of some of the wisdom that you have just personally through your family, professionally, through your teaching and preaching. And I know as I'm hearing a lot of talk today that a lot of Christians assume missions is something that, you know, you're called to do overseas. Like that's what it is. But the Great Commission is bigger than that. And so let's start talking about your book.

Dr. Akin says the Great Commission starts in the home with your children

I am going talk about what is the idea of going? Where does that encompass? Maybe it's overseas, but it also could be here. Give us an idea of the vision for your message.

Dr. Daniel Akin: Well, Jessica, I believe the Great Commission actually starts in the home and that the primary, object of our discipling ministry for parents should be our children. And that from the time we have them in our home, until God raises them up and sends them out, we should be pouring into them the truth that they too are called to be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission. And so, as you mentioned, Charlotte and I were blessed, are blessed with four sons. By the way, I like what you said about your, respect, for her. She was a stay at home mom. She poured her life into those four boys, and by God's amazing grace, they are all in the ministry today. And I very lightly say she deserves the bulk of the credit because she was the one shaping their little hearts and also instructing their minds when they were little, and they're in the home. But we tried to help them begin to think even then, that God had something great for them to do, wherever it was that they, would go and whatever it is that God would call them to do. I never told them I wanted them to go into the ministry. I just always told them, if you will grow up, love Jesus and serve him. I, don't care what you do. And I do believe that God calls all of us. I love the way you put it. He calls all of us to be a part of his great mission of, getting the Gospel to the ends of the earth. But that starts where we are. And that does not necessarily involve going overseas, though it does certainly involve that. But wherever we are, whatever God's called us to do, God calls all of us to be Great Commission Christians.

Surveys have revealed that most people don't know what the Great Commission is or where it's found

Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, Danny, I want to ask you to put on your theologian hat for just a minute and talk a little bit about the Great Commission, because I think that for a lot of people it can just feel very theoretical. It can feel very abstract. Just something like, oh, yes, that, that's a Bible verse, but it really is a command. How should we interpret. How should we read and interpret the. The Great Commission as a personal call?

Dr. Daniel Akin: Well, you know, it's interesting. Surveys have revealed that most people don't know what the Great Commission is or even where the Great Commission is found. most of us who are involved in ministry recognize it's found in Matthew, chapter 28, verses, 18 through 20. But Jessica, actually it's found in all four Gospels and the book of Acts. It's in Matthew 28, it's in Mark 16, it's in Luke 24, it's in Jon 20, and it's in Acts, chapter one. And I love telling my students if God says something Once, that's enough. He says it five times. It must be very important, to our God, and therefore it ought to be important to us as well. And of course, you're right. It's a command. And the command that's found in the Matthew version is make disciples. Well, it does tell us to make disciples of all the nations. But again, I want to emphasize the fact that we are to be disciple makers wherever we are, whatever God's called us to do, whatever God has gifted us to do, we should be Great Commission Christians in our particular location. And the great thing about, our nation now is that God is bringing the nations to America. And you teach at Baylor and I know you have a large number of internationals that have come to study there. Most of them are not Christians. they come lonely, they come, ill prepared for the new context they're going to live in. They're looking for relationships. They're looking for friends who will simply love and care for them. Well, that's exactly what is at the heart of being a Great Commission Christian. Finding people who need to know Christ and sharing the gospel, if they come to Christ, discipling them so that they begin to look like Jesus and they begin to obey all of his teachings, which again, is part and parcel of the Great Commission. So I don't know anyone, even if you're in a small rural church, I don't know anyone that cannot be a part, on some level of being, involved in fulfilling the Great Commission. The issue really is, do I think like a Great Commission Christian? And what does that look like, given where I am and given the opportunities that God presents before me?

Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, you're giving us great food for thought because this is something that you actually have to sit down and think about and be intentional. And I know, you know, I think back just from my profession, for my vocation as a professor, as a nurse. There were early, in my career, I would think, okay, I'm a nurse and I'm a Christian. Like, I'm, I'm both of those things. But really the Lord did a work in my heart to really convict me that, no, I'm a Christian who has a calling through nursing, and that is my ministry field. And I'm also a Christian who is a mother. And I have a calling to minister to my kids and to, to disciple them and to. That is just my, my greatest mission field is absolutely at home. But God has given me many mission fields. How do you sit down and really be intentional? Because I imagine there's people out there who think, I haven't really thought about that because I'm a banker or I'm a welder or I'm a truck driver or you know, I'm, I'm a stay at home mom, those kinds of things. How can we really be mission minded with when we're not in professional ministries, quote unquote, so to speak?

Dr. Daniel Akin: Well, I think one thing you have to ask yourself is who is there in my sphere of influence that I can disciple now again, I like what you said a moment ago. I do believe that our children should be the primary object for parents when it comes to being a disciple maker. I have too many friends in ministry that are well intended, but they overlook their marriage, they overlook their family and they think, well, that's, that's just part parcel of what it means to be a dad and a husband, or a wife or a mother, disciple making means going outside and find. No, it may include that, but I tell my students here at Southeastern, if in your life you only disciple your children, I believe you would have done a very valuable and noteworthy thing. Of course, what I've discovered is this, if you start with your children, you won't stay there, because being a disciple maker will become part and parcel of who you are, how you understand yourself as being someone in Christ. And it will naturally be an overflow to others. Now that may mean just like in your particular vocation, your particular network of friends and family, but it may be that God puts on your heart. You know what, there are those who today have no opportunity to receive the gospel and believe if they wanted to be saved, they can't. Why? Because there's nobody there to tell them. That's why. It's southeastern. One of the things, you know, one of the good missionary questions that's been raised for years and years and years is ask the question, lord, should I go? I think there's a better question. That question is, lord, why should I stay? Given the need is so great around the world. Half a billion people today do not have adequate access to the gospel. The need is so great around the world. And because of, the way we can travel and the way we can move about, there are far greater opportunities to go now. May be going on a short term trip, it may be going for several months. But what we've also discovered is people that become career missionaries. Most of them got their taste for the great commission in a short term kind of mission, opportunity. So all of us, one of the things I always Tell people is, all right, I want to be a faithful Great Commission Christian. What do I do? Well, one thing I would encourage you to do is get a passport. Because you can't leave the nation of America without getting a passport. Get a passport and then begin to ask God, all right, what are opportunities that are out there? Lead my heart, lead me and my church to some particular place where I can begin to see what it's like to share the gospel among those who've never heard. It may be that you come back and you realize my, calling is to be a prayer warrior, to be a giver, and to be a sender. Okay, great. That is vital to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. But it may also be that God puts on your heart. You know what? My home's not here anymore. My home belongs somewhere else, thousands of miles away. And wherever God sends me and places me, that will be my home. Because I'm in the center of his, of his will for my life and for his calling upon my life.

Dr. Jessica Peck came back from a mission trip to Africa recently

Dr. Jessica Peck: Danny, as you're talking, I'm just thinking about reflecting on my own journey. You know, I grew up in a real. I'm a small town girl, and I grew up in the world, was really small, but didn't travel very much when I was, when I was growing up. But just recently, I. I came back from a mission trip to Africa, and my husband and I were talking about it, and he's like, did you ever think like, you would be one of those people who went to Africa? And I said, absolutely not. Never. And going into other parts of the world. And as I was thinking about that, you know, I prepared for that trip like, I am going. I am going to Africa. I've got to prepare myself. And I was really convicted, Danny, because I thought, what if I took that same level of preparation, if I took that same intentionality in my mindset, and I said, I'm going into my community today. and I took that same mission mindset. I felt very convicted about that, and I hope that you're feeling a little convicted, too, because we all should be convicted to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We live in a world that is filled with. With a doom scroll filled with bad news, and people are desperate for hope, and you have it, and you can share it. And when we come back, we'll Talk more with Dr. Akin about his book I Am Going and How to be Family disciplers. You don't want to miss it. We'll see you on the other side of this break.

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The Commission by CAIN: see my hands and look at my feet it's okay if it's hard to believe. I, have faith you will do greater things. It's my time to go but before I leave go tell the world about me For I was dead Now I, live, live. I've got to go now for a little while but goodbye is not the end.

Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is the commission by Cain, and that's exactly what we're challenging you to do today, to go tell the world the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are talking with Dr. Daniel Akin, who is president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Presbyterian professor of preaching and theology. He's a husband, a father, a grandfather, and he has a heart to equip people to go into the world. His book is called I Am Going. It's an updated version and such a timely message for today, where we're living in a world that is so distracted, that is busier than ever, and we're more digitally connected but more relationally disconnected than ever. And A lot of families feel less purposeful than previous generations because we feel so many pressures and distractions to make sure our kids go to the right school and get in the right sport or, take the right test or have the right coach or get the right opportunity. And all of those things we're pressured to do. And none of those things are bad in and of themselves, but they're distracting us from living with intention, with purpose. And Danny has already shared with us that the greatest, the Great Commission starts in the home. We've got to share that. Parents, grandparents, need to share that with their children. We need to have a generational legacy of the gospel. And Danny, I'm so grateful for your family's legacy and living that out. I'm sure you'd be first to say that your family is not perfect, but it is possible to have a healthy family in a very unhealthy world. And so I want to go back to you and I were talking a little bit during the break, and you said that churches with passions for the nations don't usually have as many other problems because you're focused on something else. So I want to ask you about that on air and invite you to share about that and really invite church leaders to think about are they mission minded and how does this practically settle on their congregation?

Dr. Daniel Akin: Well, we all have priorities, and your priorities are going to color everything that you see and everything that you do. And I've just discovered, I've been in the ministry now almost 50 years and, had a chance to be in lots of churches, through traveling and speaking and representing our seminary churches that have a Great Commission atmosphere, Great Commission culture. They are so consumed with getting the Gospel to those who do not know, both at home and, around the world, other things, little things that can sometimes become big issues. They just don't, because you realize, are these things, issues we need to address? Yes. But should they have the priority and the importance that we sometimes put on them? No. Because getting the gospel to the ends of the earth, fulfilling the Great Commission, being obedient. I love to say it this way, Stephanie. last words are meant to be lasting words. Out of all the things that Jesus could have said before he went back to heaven, he said, go and make disciples of all the nations. Now, if that was on the heart of our Lord, as he prepared to return to the Father, that probably ought to be on our heart as well. And if that is a consuming passion that your church has, then other things just kind of fade into the background, they still need to be addressed. But I remember a man recently saying to me, the, the mission of the church is the mission. And the mission of the church is not worrying about the nuts and bolts. So they certainly have to have our attention. But the mission is that which should consume us. And when it does, other, things fall into their proper perspective. And so how do you do that? Well, again, you have a pastor, everything rises or falls on leadership. So you have a pastor that has a passion for the Great Commission and then he begins to think of practical things. You say, for example. Well, for example, having a globe, in your foyer so that people, every time they walk in the church and walk out the church and there they reminded that there are lost people around the entire world that need the gospel. Maybe you put a map on the wall, that's fine. What do you do in your worship services? Well, I've got some friends that every Sunday when they gather, they pray for an unreached people group. They take advantage of the operation world or they take advantage of the Joshua Project. And every week they place before their people an unreached people group. Others adopt and unreached people group. And that becomes their particular focus in terms of prayer, in terms of giving, making short term trips, assisting those on the field. So there's just lots of things you can do that become. Here at Southeastern, we talk about the fact that we want the Great Commission to be the air that we breathe and the DNA that runs through our bodies. And when people visit here, they will say, you know, y' all are different. you talk about going, you talk about the nations, you talk about reaching the unreached. It really is the atmosphere in which you conduct your training of ministers. Well, the local church can be exactly the same thing. And in fact the local church is plan A. And God doesn't have a plan B or a plan C. The local church is plan A for getting the gospel to those who've never heard.

 We see trends in the church of a consumer mentality

Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, Danny, I want to wade into some, some some tough waters here and ask you about. We see trends in the church over the last, probably since COVID really accelerated since COVID of really a consumer mentality where people go to church, they are living on spiritual empty all during the week. They're not reading their Bibles, they're not engaging in spiritual disciplines, they're not reading, they're not, you know, doing any of those things because they're just trying to survive, trying to get through the week. And then they get to church and think okay, I'm here. This should fill me up. I want the worship music to make me feel good. I want the pastor to make me feel good. I want the greeters to make me feel good. I want everything, you know, just to fill me up for the week. And that is such a backwards mentality, you know, really where we think about practicing those spiritual disciplines and then going to contribute during the week. But we see it, you know, since COVID with the online, with the rise of online services, it kind of gave everybody a window into the performance elements and who has what digital technology and those kinds of things. How do you contrast that rising consumer mentality both in the church and as families who are coming to the church with a great commission, with an I am going mindset and living on mission?

Dr. Daniel Akin: Well, what you described a moment ago is what I call Dead Sea Christians, everything coming in but nothing going out. And what happens? You have a dead sea. Well, Dead Sea Christians are the malady of too many churches where what you described a moment ago is how they think of church. I come to church to get. They don't think in terms of what can I give. Furthermore, good preaching and teaching of God's word is always going to put before the people two questions. Question number one, what does God want my people to know? Question number two, what does God want my people to do? Now I agree, knowing precedes doing. You've got to know what to do before you do it. But people need to be challenged to go and do. And so churches I think need to recognize we have to provide clear, tangible, achievable goals for the doing. So one of the things I would say to a pastor that wants to cultivate a great commission mindset for his people, you've got to take you being a nurse, know you have to crawl, before you can walk, before you can run. And so start with little steps that can begin to move your people in that direction. Find things that they can do that are easier, closer at home, tangible that they can get involved in. Once they do that, once you get a taste for serving others and seeing the gospel power work in the lives of others, you become more open to being more daring, more willing to go and face a difficult challenge. So you can't go from A to Z overnight. You'll crush your people, they'll become discouraged and you'll crash, and burn. Come up with things that are doable, on a short, close, at hand scale and then grow from there. Start off with short term mission trips. Start off with vacation Bible schools. Go to work in your particular inner city. Start there and then think about, all right, can we do something outside of our city? Yeah, well, you got need like in Texas, here in North Carolina, there are all sorts of things you can do on the state level. All right. After that, well, we have a North American mission board with Southern Baptists that are doing work all the time in North America, American Canada. they are very active in the inner cities. The inner city, we talk about a lost culture which is becoming more and more what America is. But the inner cities have been spiritually neglected and bankrupt for decades. And the need there is so great. And those are opportunities that do not require a lot of money, do not require a lot of travel. There are partners on the field that will gladly welcome you there and guide you into what you can do. We sent some of our grandkids on some short term mission trips and they got bit by the missions bug. One of our grandsons is headed to China, in a few weeks for two weeks. And he started off by doing a short term mission work there in the Atlanta, Georgia area. So start where they are and then watch God work as he gets a hold of certain hearts that then recognize there's a big world out there and I have a God with a big vision. I want to be a part of what he's doing. I don't want to sit on the sidelines and watch. I want to be a part of, of what God's doing.

You raised your sons who are now raising, you know, their sons and daughters

Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, Danny, you, you've talked about three generations now, what a beautiful legacy that you are building and what a way that God has blessed you, the faithfulness in your family. And I want to talk about starting small. So you talked about starting with vacation Bible school. Let's go even more micro level than that. Let's talk about practical strategies in the home. I'm really interested in your perspective because you raised your sons who are now raising, you know, their sons and daughters. You have three generations and, and the world has changed a lot, Danny, since you were raising them and now you're helping them, I'm sure, supporting them, raising your grandkids. And you see the world has changed. And I see families who are so pressed for time, who are so pressed for distraction. What are some of the things that you did with your sons and being mission mindset and sharing the gospel and discipling them in your home, that you think these things stand the test of time. No matter what culture, how culture has changed, these things worked well, probably like

Dr. Daniel Akin: you, Stephanie, I've been asked on various occasions, what was your parental philosophy? How did you try to raise the four sons that God gave you? And there were a number of things we did. But there were two foundational planks for Charlotte and me that we always tried to follow very rigorously. One was, teach your children that Jesus is wonderful and that there's nothing like him. And secondly, have a lot of fun with your children. You say, well, wait, wait, wait. That doesn't sound like Great Commission mindset. Well, the fact of the matter is, if you are having fun in what you're doing, you're more prone to keep doing that. And so with our voice, we wanted them to be involved in, doing things that related to the church, related to the gospel, and related to ministry, but to have fun in the midst of doing it. I wanted them to have a good taste in their mouth for the things of the Lord. And if they do, then that also opens up their world to the possibility of greater things that they perhaps, would have never imagined. I wrote a book a few years ago. It was just a simple book. I gave an address at the Gospel Coalition, entitled Kids with a Missional Heart. And I just walked through that little book, very short, about what are the things that you can do in your home to cultivate that missional heart. And so we talked about the fact that you teach your children of the supremacy and the glory and the wonderfulness of Christ. You make sure you are in touch with your children. I call it incarnational parenting. Getting into their world, seeing things through their eyes, and understanding what matters to them, what's important to them at their particular, stage of life. And then we talked about the fact God, is going to do, if you follow him, great things in your life. And great things doesn't necessarily involve becoming a great athlete or a great movie star or a great, politician. Not against those things. But doing something great for God flows from obedience to him and whatever it is that he calls you to do. And one of the things I've done, and I mentioned this earlier, is we began to acquaint our sons with missionary biographies and the wonderful stories of missionaries. Very regular, normal, ordinary people, who, because of their radical obedience to Jesus, the great God that we serve, did extraordinary things through them. And I began to say to them, you know, God may someday call you to be a missionary. God may someday call you to do something extraordinarily, unbelievable for him. And it may be through your vocation. two of my boys, when they were young, all of them wanted to be, athletes. All of them were very athletically like their dad, very committed to that. But some of them thought, well, I want to be a lawyer. Which I was like, I don't know about that, but I'll leave that for another day. But, they, I said, well, great. You need to be, if that's what God calls you, to do, the most godly, good, faithful law you can possibly be. And you need to leverage that calling to reach the nations with the gospel. And so you continually keep that vision before your children and let them know, this is a big world, we have a big God, and he wants you to do something great in and through your life and to help them dream that way. You know, we today, we're so consumed by the secular mindset. We think doing something great means getting a good education, getting a good job, making a lot of money, having a lot of stuff. And again, we would always remind our children, whenever you leave this world, you're leaving it all behind. And are you leaving something behind that really did matter? And I think God used that in an indirect way to lead our boys into ministry. I never prayed that they would go into ministry, but God led them to do that. And I think in part because they wanted to do something that really mattered for Christ. And again, I've got 15 grandkids at this point in time. None of them right now are looking to go into vocational ministry. But I keep talking to them about the fact you want to be a, teacher, be a godly great commission minded teacher, you want to be a business person, be a godly great commission minded person, leverage your calling and your gifts to fulfill the Great Commission Commission. And if they just think in that category, they're going to be faithful to what Jesus gave us in Matthew 28.

Dr. Jessica Peck: May it be so. Well, when we come back, Danny, I want to ask you about the flip side of that. What do you see that strategy that maybe needs to change as things are changing? We will talk about that. That may change, strategy may change. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But we'll be back right after this break.

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The Cross by Anne Wilson and Chris Tomlin: who told you grace can't reach the devil Made you believe the lies he tells are true when you're so that you're the one who's wander too far off it's not too late Just come home to the cross Come to see a savior's love that would die to make you new Nothing you have ever done can change your mercy Time for you and if you ever wonder if you are so great it comes look up and see the cross

Dr. Jessica Peck: welcome back, friends. That is the Cross by Anne Wilson and Chris Tomlin. And that's what we're encouraging you to do, is to share the story of Jesus with those around you, with where he has placed you in your spirit, sphere of influence. And we're really talking about families being the primary disciplers of children. I'm talking to Dr. Daniel Akin who is president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and has written an updated version of his book, I am going talking about living on mission. And before the break, Danny, you and I were talking. I had asked you what has stayed the same from raising your sons and now raising your grandchildren who are starting to become adults? What has stayed the same? And you just shared so beautifully about that missional mindset. And it reminds me, Danny, now, I don't want you to, to opine on the theology of this, okay? But I'll tell you a story that my granny read to me from Reader's Digest that basically went something like, there was a man who lived on the earth who was so special and so wonderful that they were going to allow him to bring one thing to heaven. See, you see why I don't want you to say anything about theologically, because this is problematic. But it stuck with me because the man, you know, after a lot of thinking about what he was going, he finally decided to bring gold, because that was the only thing that would keep its value. And the story goes that he went up and meets St. Peter at the gate, who was very curious about what he would bring. And when he looked in the bag, he said, of all the things in the world, you brought pavement. Like, that's our pavement. And again, theologically, not quite there. But it really did give me a mindset for how things will be in heaven and really helped me think about that in a creative way. And when we're teaching our children that this world is not all there is and to really be heaven minded.

Where do you see a place where strategy needs to change for reaching young people with the gospel?

Danny, honestly, I, think you've seen a Lot of things change. What, where do you see if. Any place? You may not see any place, but where do you see a place that maybe our strategy needs to change for reaching young people with the gospel?

Dr. Daniel Akin: Technology. Technology. Technology is here. it's not going away. social media is here. It's not going away. social media technology, artificial intelligence, we take all of that. They in and of themselves are neutral realities. They can be either used, they're tools. They can be used for good, or they can be used for bad. And so rather than, ignoring them, playing the ostrich and sticking our head in the sand, well, I think we need, Jennifer, to redeem them. And therefore we engage them and we ask the question, how can I use this particular entity and leverage it for the glory of God and the expansion of his kingdom? One of the things I'm excited about is, I'm seeing more and more mission organizations take advantage of social media, because you can touch the world, for good or bad through social media. And a lot of, our. This is, this is way beyond me because I'm too late to this particular game. But I watch my grandchildren, and our children, and they are so technologically savvy. It's intuitive to them. They grew up in this world, so this is just normal to them. This is not a new normal. This is normal normal. Well, they not only understand it, they recognize how to use it. And so why not use it for the advancement of the gospel? You can build relationships. Now, it's not the same as flesh and blood, we know that. But you can build relationships online, through a Internet, community for the purposes of sharing the gospel. And we can actually get into, what we call closed countries through technology and through the Internet. And some of our sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters are unbelievably gifted and talented in this particular area. So, you know gaming, which, I know nothing of, I know it exists. I can't tell you one thing about it. I know it's extremely popular, and I have met in recent years some of our students that have come here have, as an ambition to use gaming for the purposes, as a platform, for the purposes of getting the gospel to the end of the earth. And I applaud that. And I say you go for it. Recognize there are dangers, and recognize you've got to be, as wise as a serpent, while you're as harmless as a dove. But the fact that you can take something that the evil one, means for evil and we can use it for good. So that's one area in particular, I think that we're going to have opportunities going forward. We can get into places technologically that we cannot get into personally. And so I think, praise God, we have this avenue, let's use it well for his glory.

There's this digital divide between generations where one generation is raising another generation

That's one thing that just really stands out to me at this particular point in time and where we are.

Dr. Jessica Peck: This is something I feel really passionate about, Danny, because I think it's such an opportunity. There's this digital divide between generations where one generation is raising another generation who had completed completely different worldview experiences, childhood experiences. I mean it's almost, in some ways it feels like you're growing up on another planet. And I think that's why we keep seeing these like 90s nostalgia trends. Like dad, what were you like in the 90s? Because we want the world to be like it was. But I think it's such an opportunity for old school wisdom and new generation vision to come together to say, like, hey, this is, I see the world this way. Here's the opportunities. And us as older generations, I'm putting myself at and they're coming in to say, hey, yeah, we've been through hard times. We've fought against cultural resistance. We have, you know, experienced things where our faith has been tested, where we've been stretched, where we've been stressed. And here's how we get through that. Here's the ways that God has been faithful. So there's some things that don't change in a world that is changing. And I think it's an opportunity for a really beautiful partnership. And it makes me think of the scripture. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young at ah, the set an example for the believer. And at the same time, you know, we have, have all of the wisdom that we have from, from people who are older.

There is increasing cultural hostility toward a biblical worldview, toward biblical values

And regardless of where you are in the generations, one things that one thing that all generations are seeing, Danny, I think is just an increased cultural hostility toward a biblical worldview, toward biblical values, towards Christians in general. And that can be really scary for people who are wanting, feeling like they should share their faith, but they feel afraid of that. And you've been, you know, you've obviously shared your faith here in the United States and all over the world. What is some wisdom that you can share with us to respond to the fear that comes with that hostility?

Dr. Daniel Akin: Well, you mentioned a moment ago so much is changing, but there are some things that never change our God, as you said, in the last segment is the same today, yesterday and forever. So he does not change. His truth does not change. Secondly, he has given us his truth in this wonderful book called the Bible. And the truth of the Bible does not change as well. You study the Bible and you learn something else doesn't change. Human nature doesn't change. We all are born with a sin nature. we're all inclined towards sin. we all need a solution to our sin problem. Something else doesn't change. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is still the only message that changes hearts. we all must be born again, that gives us wisdom for how to live in a way that honors God and blesses others. the great commandments do not change. You still love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself. Those are constants that we can live in and by no matter what is taking place around us. And you are exactly right. Especially in the Western world, our contact is becoming increasingly hostile, to the Christian worldview and my grandchildren, your grandchildren, which will be coming, sooner than later. They live in a world that is much more challenging than my world was. It just is. They've got so many more temptations, they've got so many more, ah, just blatantly contrary ideas to a Christian worldview. And they are bombarded with this. I mean they are absolutely inundated students that now come to our college. We have a college, Judson College, named after the famous missionary Adoniram Judson. And then our seminary, they come, ah, with Jennifer with radically different challenges than my generation did. And I want to be fair, I think their challenges are much greater than mine, much more hostile than mine, much more difficult to engage because again, they are just being inundated. It's almost like a flood of counter Christian ideas that they're having to engage, that they're being hit by from every conceivable direction. And yet we need to be able to help them fulfill first Peter 3:15, to be ready always to give an answer to anyone who asks them for a reason, for the hope that they have within themselves. And so teaching our young people to be good, Christian apologists, be able to provide intellectual answers. But I still agree with the wonderful Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer, who said the greatest Christian apologetic is still love. And if you love people genuinely and authentically, you will open the door to get a hearing that I don't care how intellectually savvy you are, if you, I'll say This way, if you act like a donkey's back in, don't be surprised when people turn and walk the other way. And the Bible teaches us that we're to speak the truth in love. The Bible teaches us that Jesus was full of grace and truth. And so we need to raise up a generation that recognizes truth is important, but how you communicate that truth is absolutely essential.

Dr. Jessica Peck: Yes. When we're looking at the world today, I see a lot of young people who are really fearful. And I just want to encourage them all because God has not given us a spirit of fear. And God doesn't call us to be fearful. He calls us to be faithful.

You argue that gratitude, not guilt, should motivate missions

And, even in sharing the Great Commission, one of the other contrasts that you make is between gratitude and guilt. Now, I'm a big fan of gratitude from a health lens. I call it vitamin G because it is that powerful. And so often in scripture, this is where I love the integration of science and scripture, because God made science and we see the health benefits. That gratitude is so much for our good, not just for our theoretical heart, our feelings, our emotions, but for our physical heart, our arteries, our veins, our blood pressure, our risk for stroke and heart attack and all of those kinds of things. And you argue that gratitude, not guilt, should motivate missions. Why is this distinction important? And, and I will say as a preview, I think there's a lot of younger generations who perceive, like a lecturing kind of shaming, you know, like, you better go out and do this and that kind of thing, and, and that I don't see as particularly effective. So how can you contrast the gratitude versus a, guilt based approach?

Dr. Daniel Akin: Guilt has a short lifespan. In terms of motivating, gratitude will last a lifetime. My goal for my own children and grandchildren, the students that come to our school, is that they will not only run the race well today and tomorrow, but they'll finish the race well. And guilt will not get you to the finish line. But I love the way you put it. Gratitude will. Because if you're living out of the overflow of thanksgiving to God and gratitude to God for what Paul calls his unbelievable, gift, his incredible gift, which is the salvation that we have through his son, Jesus, there is an endless supply of energy and strength and motivation that will keep you in the race even when, it's difficult and hard and the winds are blowing against you and the waters get very high, that will sustain you. Guilt will not, guilt may motivate you for a season, it cannot motivate you for a lifetime.

Dr. Jessica Peck: What are Ways that families, that parents can share their faith without feeling performative or forced or like it's a spiritual checkbox or a guilt based thing or a fear based thing. How can families just share the Great Commission and decipher, start discipling without feeling awkward or unnatural or forced in any way?

Dr. Daniel Akin: Well, I'll quote my precious wife Charlotte. Whenever people ask her about our family as we were raising our boys, she would always say that we were a family of seven. There were the four boys, there was mom and dad, and there was Jesus. And we simply talked about Jesus as if he were there because he is there. And he just became a part of the natural ebb and flow of our home, of our conversation. We were always raising the question, well, how do you think Jesus would see this situation? How do you think Jesus would have responded to what happened to you? And it was just natural. It wasn't forced. It was just the natural air that we breathe, with our boys. And by God's good grace, they've carried that with them and now they're imparting that to their children or our grandchildren. And when Jesus is just part and partial of your regular normal life and conversation, the Great Commission then naturally, naturally, not forced, naturally, just becomes a part of the, of the atmosphere of your home because you care about what he cares about. And as we said earlier, he cares a lot about the Great Commission.

Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, Danny, you've provided us some very encouraging, encouraging words. And I encourage listening listeners to really be thoughtful. Talk about this at your dinner table tonight. Talk about it when you're going on a walk with your spouse. Talk about it as you go along the road, as you get up, as you lie down and think, how is our family living out the Great Commission? Because the goal of family discipleship isn't just raising good kids. It's raising disciples who love God, who know his word, who understand they're sent into the world with the hope of the gospel. The book is I Am Going. The author is Dr. Daniel Akin. And just remember, the Great Commission is not a command for missionaries. It's a calling for every single one of you. And as you pray over how to live out that calling, I pray as I always do, that the Lord will bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you. And I'll see you right here tomorrow. We'd like to thank our sponsors including PreBorn. PreBorn has rescued over 400,000 babies from abortion. And every day their network clinics rescue 200 babies lives. Will you join PreBorn in loving and supporting young moms in crisis? Save a life today. Go to preborn.com/AFR the views and

Jeff Chamblee: opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.