All right. I'll ask you this and I think I know because you wrote a book on it, but let's see. Let's see if I get the answer. You might have a different answer now

What do you think the most important thing a parent can do?

Christian parent if he's hoping and dreaming and praying

He or she to raise radical followers of Christ in his children

Welcome to Family Life today where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I'm Ann Wilson and I'm Dave Wilson and you can find us at familylifetoday.com or on the Family Life app. This is Family Life today.

First pray. I mean, we all say that. Okay, we all know the pray, but seriously pray, but the other thing is you live it in front of them. I didn't realize how big that is until we had teenagers because they're basically saying, I really don't care what you say. I'm watching what you do. Yeah, yeah, and I'd say that's the most important because when you are radically following and loving Jesus,

they can't help it notice that and not in a way. If you're doing that, you understand the grace that God has put on your life. You understand what it means to love people. If you're being the Pharisee and if you're all being super legalistic, your kids will totally not buy it, but if you're living a life like Christ, and in no means did we do that perfectly at all. Like we failed miserably, but we told our kids. You guys were failing.

We're not doing very well, but even that honesty seemed to help. What would you say? Well, I don't, it doesn't matter what I think. I think we want to ask Jeff Norris who's sitting in the studio with his past room perimeter church up in Atlanta, Georgia. Jeff, welcome back. Thank you. Thank you. So glad to be here again. I mean, the reason I'm asking you is you wrote a book called rooted, you know, lifestyle, radical dependence. I've read its great book. You've got kids. You've got teenage kids. How many kids do you have? We have four.

19, almost 15, 13, and 10, three teenagers. We're in the thick of it. We're in the thick of it. So I'll throw the same question out to you. I agree with Ian. I think living it is huge. But you're right in it right now. We have grandkids now. So we've gone through that season.

You wrote a book about radical dependence on Christ for yourself. But as you are living that and being a parent, what would you say to number one thing?

Well, first let me say this. And this is, you know, classic sucking up to the host. But you guys do not look like you're old enough to have grandkids. So you're so right. You're going to have to tell Rachel. I want to know your secrets.

Can we keep having him back one more?

You know, here's what I would say about parenting. It's, yeah, newsflash. It is so hard. It is so hard. And I've felt the need a lot of times

to feel like I have to give right answers to church members. Because you sit in a seat, you know, you're a senior pastor. You're supposed to have the answers.

It is so freeing to tell church members and friends and whoever, you know, like I don't know. I know some things and there's a lot that I don't know.

And here's what I do know. I do know that I agree with Ian. We have to live it out. We have to pray. We have to be dependent upon the Lord to do it only he can do.

I keep bringing up Randy Pope to founder of our church that I followed as senior pastor. He had a great phrase that he used all the time, which was attempt something so great for God that it's doomed to fail unless God be in it.

I love that.

Yeah. And we use it. It's our church motto. And I think that describes parenting really well.

It's something so great for God that it's doomed to fail unless God be in it. A lot of days feel like that. God, I'm trying to raise these children to glorify you and raise them and have an additional Lord.

And I feel like I'm messing it up at every turn. I don't know how to deal with this situation or that situation. Sometimes my wife and I aren't in agreement on how to handle this situation.

And I think she's handling it wrong. And she thinks I'm handling it wrong. And what do we do, Lord? And unless you show up, our kids are going to fall apart, which is not true. It's all in the grace of God. But that's how you feel.

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