Youth Culture Today with Walt Mueller

Kids and Phone-Interrupted Sleep 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Are you a parent who laments the fall-out from smartphones and how they’ve permeated and changed not only youth culture, but your very own children and teens. When we notice the negative effects these devices are having on our kids and we choose to intervene by setting up borders and boundaries, arguments are sure to ensure. In fact, recent research says that the most common point of parent-child conflict these days is screen time and what is and is not appropriate. I’m guessing that most of you who are listening right now know exactly what I’m talking about as you have experienced these conflicts in your own home. But I want to encourage you to stay the course and not give up. Your kids need you to step in to fulfill your nurturing and protective role to keep them from harm and provide for their well-being. One area where borders and boundaries are needed is the over night hours. Stay with us all week as we will be talking about our kids and digitally interrupted sleep.

Parenting Through Puberty

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Our children need parents who will openly explain and discuss what is happening to their bodies as they pass through puberty. We live in a world that constantly sets unrealistic standards regarding physical beauty so that only a handful can measure up. Teenagers spend hours in front of the mirror looking for facial and body flaws. Figuratively speaking, they look over their shoulders and see images of the “perfect people” – the actors, actresses, supermodels, sports stars, and other media heroes - who “meet” them everyday through online videos, movies, television, social media and billboards. Parents, offer your teen a godly perspective on the changes that are taking place. In addition to modeling the unconditional love and acceptance of Christ during the physically awkward years, Mom and Dad should temper the social pressure to be preoccupied with outward appearance. Take the time to teach your children about the inward qualities of godliness.

Glorification and Social Media

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

One of the subtle, or maybe not so subtle, traps of social media is the way that we use it as a digital megaphone to trumpet ourselves. And because we all need to look good on social media, it’s usually not our real selves that we put out there, but our idealized selves. I have often said that if you seek the spotlight, it will blind you. That’s a mantra we and our kids should all embrace, knowing that we must join with John the Baptist to say, “I must decrease so that he might increase.” The great 20th century preacher Martyn Lloyd- Jones writes this: "When the Holy Spirit works in us, what He does is to make us glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The man in whom the Spirit dwells does not talk about himself; whether he is a preacher or whatever he may be, you do not come away talking about him." And, consider these words from Charles Spurgeon: “The moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for only one glory in the universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High.”

New Dating Slang

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

I was recently at a social function where I asked a mother how her fifth grade daughter was doing. “Well”, the mom replied, “She’s a little bit sad. She just broke up with her boyfriend.” The fact that we were talking about a fifth-grader got me to thinking about how much the world of kids and their dating relationships have changed over the years. Not only are kids dating younger and then marrying older, but there’s a whole new set of slang terms that we older folks need to know if we are going to keep up with the kids. If you hear your kids talking about “throning”, they are referring to efforts to date someone based on how that someone will raise their social status by giving their own image a boost. “Shrekking” involves dating someone you’re not attracted to, hoping that dating down in the looks department will lead to better treatment from the person. And “monkey-barring” has you holding on to one partner until you have moved on to the next. So parents, now you know!

God's Word on the World

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Parents, did you know that understanding the world of your kids is a part of your parental calling? Youth workers, Sunday School teachers, pastors, and other significant adults all play an important role in the spiritual development of children, but Scripture is clear: The primary arena for Christian nurture is the home. Parents are called by God to teach the truth of God’s Word by precept and example. An understanding of our kids and their culture helps us to function as cross-cultural missionaries – taking the Word of God from our culture into theirs. It helps us to prepare them for the reality of the unique challenges they will face in today’s world. Only then can we effectively teach them to walk through difficult times by integrating Christian faith into all of life. Regularly ask your kids about the pressures, problems, challenges, and choices they and their peers are facing in today’s world. Then, take time to get into God’s Word so that you might direct them into handling whatever it is they are facing.

Unwanted Porn

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Meta is the company that owns Facebook and Instagram. While there might not be too many teenagers hanging around on Facebook these days, our kids are engaging for hours a day with a variety of other social media platforms. In recent months, there’s been well-deserved pushback on the movers and shakers at Meta regarding the ways in which their social media platforms harm our vulnerable children and teens. The allegations against Meta are the same allegations, we believe, that should be levied against all social media platforms that are designed to draw and keep our kids. Earlier this year, a document released as part of a court filing revealed that one in five thirteen to fifteen year old Instagram users saw nudity or sexual images on Instagram. And to clarify, none of those one in five users were looking for those images. In fact, they say they didn’t want to see the pictures. Parents, our God-given responsibility is to guide and protect our kids. Set up social media boundaries.

Convincing Our Kids of Their Sin

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Parents, today I want to ask you a question that you might find a bit odd. The question is this, Are you doing what you can to convince your kids that they are indeed sinners? Listen to these words from the late Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I cannot imagine a worse state for anybody to be in than for him or her to say he or she does not feel he or she is a sinner. The Holy Spirit convicts and convinces us of sin, and if He has not done it for you, if you value your own soul, ask Him to do it. Christ came to die for sinners, not for the righteous, and the first work of the Spirit is to convict of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. We come to Christ for salvation after the Spirit has convinced us of sin, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the answer to our need.” Parents, because we live in a world that scoffs at the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we increasingly believe in the goodness of human beings, which leads us to forget that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Be sure your kids are aware of their sin and their need for Jesus!

Digital Violence

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Recently, the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence in El Paso, Texas, began raising awareness among their constituency about a new type of dating violence they were seeing among teenagers. It’s being called digital violence, a name that captures the changing realities of life for children and teens as they grow up in a smartphone and social media saturated world. Using the digital tools they have at their fingertips, along with the growing number of artificial intelligence options, teens as young as middle schoolers are creating and distributing images of their dating partners which compromise and undermine trust. In addition, there is the creation and spread of rumors, both visually and textually. Parents, we are living in the Wild West when it comes to life on the digital frontier. Pay attention, and always look for ways to teach your kids to live counter-culturally to the glory of God. As Paul says in Romans twelve, this is the spiritual worship to which we are called.

Cannabis Now, Mental Health Issues Later

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

One of the most essential lessons we need to teach our children and teens is that God calls them to be responsible stewards and caretakers of their bodies. In First Corinthians Six, the Apostle Paul tells us that we are to honor God with our bodies. We are to care for them as an act of worship. For parents, this means that we must warn them about being careful about what it is that we put into our bodies, as that can effect them either positively or negatively, both now and for the rest of their lives. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that cannabis use among adolescents increases their risk of being diagnosed with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other psychotic disorders up to and including age twenty-five. Doctors are reporting seeing patients who have used cannabis developing these mental health issues. Parents, teach your students to steward their bodies to God’s glory, educating them to worship God through self-care.

Are You a Burdened Parent?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

It’s a fact that many of you who are listening to my voice right now are weighed down under the burden of a child or grandchild who has entered into rebellion and walked away at some level from you and from the Church. I know that this is a heartbreaking load to carry. And when you are carrying it, you are often led to feel like nobody understands or nobody is willing to step up and carry the load with you. I want to remind you of the words Jesus has spoken in Matthew 11:28. He says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and over-burdened, and I will give you rest! Put on my yoke and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Along with Saint Augustine, we can pray these words for each other, “Lord, those who are bowed down with burdens you lift up, and they do not fall because You are their support.” Burden-bearing parents, may the Lord bless you today with a deep sense of his promised peace.

Are You Boasting?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Are you, like me, tired of all the boasting that goes on on social media? Are you tired of having to face the temptation of giving in to the pressure of comparison which fuels that broken human desire of working to keep up with the Joneses? For those of us who are old enough to remember what life was like in a world without the distraction of social media, we long for those days when boasting and comparison, while certainly something that existed, didn’t hammer us twenty-four seven through a digital device. Today, I want to encourage you to be someone who teaches your kids to navigate social media with a First Corinthians one thirty one attitude, while teaching your kids to do the same. First Corinthians one thirty one tells us this, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” All of us, young and old alike, need to realize that our lives should be centered not only the glorification of ourselves, but on the glorification of God. Imagine how things would change if that were the case.

Get Ready for Easter

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

As we get ready to celebrate power of the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus this weekend, I want to ask you if you’ve taken any time to talk with your kids about the earth-shattering significance of what it is that we will be celebrating. The fallout from our culture’s growing reality of biblical illiteracy hit me hard when a couple of years ago on the day after Easter my daughter-in-law, an athletic trainer at a large suburban high school, shared with me a conversation she witnessed between a group of a dozen student athletes who were in the training room. Everyone was chatting about their Spring Break when one of the students asked, “What the heck is Passover and Easter about?? I know nothing.” Multiple kids agreed that they didn’t know the story, and some jokingly said, “I think it’s something about Jesus. . . maybe his birthday.” Over the course of this weekend, why not read Matthew chapters twenty six, twenty seven, and twenty eight together as a family?

The Morning Shed

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 2 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

The TikTok video was titled, “Go to bed old, wake up hot.” The video is just one in the growing number of online tutorials posted by social media influencers to get women and girls using what’s called “the morning shed” routine. Wanting to know more about this new viral trend, I watched as the girl on the screen removed and peeled off all kinds of multi-colored patches, masks, wraps, mouth tape, chin straps and I don’t know what else more as she demonstrated another attempt at finding meaning, value, and purpose in outward appearance as opposed to inward character. Of course, medical experts are warning parents to keep an eye on this trend, as many of these products can harm the skin of our children and teens. But even more than that, we need to consider the hearts of our girls as they seek to squelch their insecurities with an expensive and even dangerous bedtime and morning routine. Parents, we need to raise our kids to counter-culturally glorify God through their spiritual growth.

God Speaks to Us in Death

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

For those of us who have experienced the death of someone we love, we spend more time thinking of them when the calendar turns to the anniversary of their death. On this day in twenty twenty, my father died and went into the presence of Christ at the earthly age of eighty-eight. The late Tim Keller penned these words about death: “Rather than living in fear of death, we should see it as spiritual smelling salts that will awaken us out of our false belief that we will live forever. When you are at a funeral, especially one for a friend or a loved one, listen to God speaking to you, telling you that everything in life is temporary except for his love. This is reality. Everything in this life is going to be taken away from us, except one thing: God’s love, which can go into death with us and take us through it and into his arms. It’s the one thing you can’t lose.” Keller’s words are good, true, right, and so reassuring. Friends, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Aura Farming

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

It’s spring and the farmers are out in force prepping their fields and planting seeds with the hope and anticipation of a bountiful harvest. There’s a new trend among our kids that’s all about farming, but not in the way our professional farmers are now farming here. No, our kids are involved in what’s called “aura farming.” In the teenage world, someone who has aura is someone who has the same kind of glowing presence as the top social media influencers, beloved celebrities, and people who ooze coolness. Aura Farming is the term used to describe the act of doing things online to boost your cool factor in the eyes of the world that’s watching you on social media. In essence, you’re farming and fishing for the social capital of likes, positive comments, and a growing number of followers. Parents, this is a troubling trend as our kids are going to look for love and attention in all the wrong places. Lead them to find their identity, purpose, and value in Jesus Christ and not in the eyes of others.

Kids and SSBs

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

The beverage coolers in one of our local quickmarts take up almost two entire walls. There’s everything in there from a variety of water products, to carbonated soft-drinks, to energy drinks. Many of the beverage products in those coolers are what would be known as SSB’s, or sugar-sweetened beverages. It’s no secret that our children and teens largely favor these ssb’s, as they are packaged and marketed in ways that attract their attention, along with the fact that kids have always loved the taste. A new study reported in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics reminds us that these drinks and other sugary foods do contribute to childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes. But the study also found that there’s a connection between high sugary drink intake and increased anxiety in teenagers. Parents, you are called to keep watch over and steward your child’s physical and mental health. Control your child’s intake of sodas, energy drinks, and sweetened juices.

The Dangers of AI

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Paul Kingsnorth has written an engaging and thought-provoking book on technology which serves to warn us by looking ahead to the dangers that are coming due to our un-thinking embrace of all things digital. The book is titled Against The Machine: On The Unmaking of Humanity. Kingsnorth’s analysis should serve as a wake-up call to all of us, especially parents, as he shares how the individuals behind the rapid development and acceleration of Artificial Intelligence keep pushing ahead while admitting that they don’t know where AI is headed. Kingsnorth writes that “many of them seem to be actively frightened of what is happening, even as they make it happen.” He tells us that when these AI developers were polled for their opinions, over half of those involved in developing AI systems say they believe there is at least a ten percent chance that they will lead to human extinction. This begs a question: are we listening? Tread carefully and with wisdom into new technologies.

Parents and Youth Culture

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

As a parent, what is your posture regarding how your kids will best navigate today’s youth culture? I want to warn you against two dangerous postures. Some parents take the approach I call false optimism. It’s an approach that looks at the world and with a shrug of the shoulders says, “No need to worry, Everything is going to be alright.” Truth is, the collective lot of children and teens hasn’t gotten any better. False optimism leads to forfeited influence because there’s nothing anyone needs to do. Another dangerous posture is what I call alarmist pessimism, which looks at the world and says, “It’s so bad and so far gone that nobody can do anything about it.” Not only does this view belittle God, but it too forfeits parental influence because there’s nothing anyone can do. I would like to encourage you to take the approach of biblical realism, as you seek to accurately understand the culture forces out there, so that you can responsibly lead your kids into navigating all of life to God’s glory.

How Parents Wreck Youth Sports

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

The title of a research study from the University of Hawaii recently caught my eye. The study title is this: “Frequency of Negative Adult Spectator Behavior at Adolescent Sporting Events.” Any of us who have attended a youth sporting event or who are raising young athletes know the sideline behavior of parents is often concerning, and sometimes even appalling. The introduction to the study recognizes that youth sports are a popular extracurricular activity that can support the physical, social, and emotional development of children and adolescents. But based on our current youth sports spectating culture, the researchers also recognize that there are detrimental aspects, including negative parent behavior, which in turn effects young athletes negatively. Researchers found that with eleven to fifteen year old youth baseball, there were an average of 5.2 negative adult spectator behaviors per game. Parents, we need to do better. Let’s not turn youth sports into and identity maker or breaker for anyone!

AI Voice-Cloning - A Warning

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Are you aware that Time Magazine’s 2025 Person of the Year is actually a group, rather than an individual? Named as winner were the “Architects of Artificial Intelligence,” an award which is given for the transformative impact AI is having on our culture and lives. Being given the title does not always signify a positive contribution, but rather the most influential contribution. AI is truly changing our world and our lives, at a speed of cultural change never before seen. One example of AI’s negative influence is how its being used for voice cloning and voice phishing. A person receives an urgent phone call or voicemail. The voice of a relative or friend, cloned by AI, then feigns an emotional or financial panic, asking you to wire money or make a credit card payment immediately. AI is truly making us wonder if we can trust anyone or anything anymore. Security experts suggest every family has codewords to be used to verify a caller’s identity. This new world requires caution on our part.

Your Kids and True Conversion

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Parents, do you understand that seeing your kids come to Jesus is not just about belief, repentance, forgiveness, and eternal life? Something else has to happen after our kids accept Christ as their Savior. Salvation is not just about justification, but about a lifetime of sanctification. We become followers of Jesus who integrate the Christian faith and kingdom of God into all of life. Theologian David Wells describes it this way: “True conversion is not an isolated experience but one that is related to a life of discipleship. Discipleship belongs to and should follow from conversion the way that natural life belongs to and should follow from live birth. And just as there is no discipleship without conversion, so there is not conversion with an ensuing life of discipleship that involves growth in moral maturity, a deepening faith, and loving service.” The goal of our parenting should be to nurture our kids into a compelling faith that transforms every area of their lives.

Barriers to Lasting Faith 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’ve been looking at barriers to lasting faith and the reality that far too many kids are leaving high school, home, and church, then heading off to college and walking away from their faith. In his helpful article, Why Youth Stay In Church When They Grow Up, Pastor Jon Nielson lists three reasons that are present in the lives of young people who continue to embrace and grow in their faith long after high school graduation. First, they have been truly converted. Rather than simply being happy that our kids are attending youth group, we should be praying that the Gospel would be preached into their lives and embraced by our kids. Second, they have been a part of a youth ministry focused on equipping rather than entertaining. While fun is present, the focus is on leading kids deeply into God’s Word and the life of discipleship. Finally, kids who grow up and continue to grow in their faith have parents who lived and preached the Gospel to them.

Barriers to Lasting Faith 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at barriers to lasting faith and the reality that far too many kids are leaving high school, home, and church, then heading off to college and walking away from their faith. Pastor Jon Nielson believes that one of the foundational reasons for this is that our kids have not grown up in homes where their parents have preached the Gospel to them. My own forty years of experience has taught me that when it comes to faith, kids are most likely to grow up to embrace the beliefs and behaviors they’ve seen and heard lived and taught by mom and dad. Of course, kids who grow up in non-Christian homes can come to saving faith. And, kids who grow up in strong Christian homes may launch on a Prodigal journey. Parents, don’t rely on the youth pastor and youth ministry to nurture your children in the faith. They are there to assist you as you endeavor to grow in your faith, and in turn lead out of your own spiritual maturity as you raise your kids for Christ.

Barriers to Lasting Faith 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at barriers to lasting faith and the reality that far too many kids are leaving high school, home, and church, then heading off to college and walking away from their faith. Pastor Jon Nielson believes that one of the foundational reasons for this is that our kids have been entertained by our youth group efforts rather than equipped to live the difficult life of discipleship. He reminds us that in Ephesians, Paul tells us that Christ gave teachers to equip the saints for ministry and to build up the body of Christ. Youth workers need to see themselves primarily as teachers. Have we taught our students well if they graduate from high school without good Bible-reading habits, Bible-study skills, and strong examples of discipleship and prayer? If not, we’ve lost them. Youth workers, it’s good to build loads of fellowship and fun into the youth group experience. But if that’s all there is, we’ve done more to win kids to fun, than to a lifetime of following Jesus.

Barriers to Lasting Faith 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at barriers to lasting faith and the reality that far too many kids are leaving high school, home, and church, then heading off to college and walking away from their faith. Pastor Jon Nielson believes that one of the foundational reasons for this is that our kids have not been converted to the faith. Nielson says that we all too often settle for our kids being nominal Christians or pretty good kids. In Second Corinthians five seventeen, Paul tells us that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. Salvation is a miracle that comes from the glorious power of God through the working of the Holy Spirit. Nielson believes that we need to stop being pleased with attendance at youth group and retreats. Instead, we need to get back to a focus on conversion and trust God’s Spirit to bring about change as we preach, teach, and talk to our kids. Converted kids are hungry to know God’s Word. Converted kids go on to love Jesus and serve the Church.

Barriers to Lasting Faith 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Several years ago here at CPYU we began what we call our College Transition Initiative. This initiative was our response to the concern parents, youth workers, and pastors were expressing regarding the growing percentage of youth group kids who had been raised in Christian homes, but had then gone off to college and pushed either the pause or stop buttons on their faith. It was as if they were jettisoning everything they had learned while growing up, in order to live what’s now seen as a normal college life void of Christian commitment. We realized that perhaps we aren’t nurturing or discipling young people correctly, leaving them with a mutation of the Christian faith that at the very least is just an ad-on to the rest of life, or at the very worst not even Christian faith at all. Parents, we are called to nurture our children and teens in the faith, teaching them the truths of God’s word and trusting God’s spirit to change their hearts. Stick with us all week, as we look at barriers to lasting faith.

Teens and AI Companions

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Several of my youth worker friends are reporting that many kids in their youth groups are feeling increased loneliness. The data supports this growing widespread epidemic of loneliness. God has made us for relationships, and when the pressures of life, the breakdown of the family, over-scheduling, and increased time focused on screens combine, it's a perfect storm resulting in feeling alone. Sadly, Common Sense Media reports that three in four teenagers are now using AI for companionship. And, in an effort to find emotional and mental health support, many are relying on non-human chatbots to counsel and guide them through their struggles. Common Sense Media has issued this stern warning: “Teens should not use AI chatbots for mental health or emotional support. AI chatbots are not safe and reliable for these purposes.” Parents, our kids need real flesh and blood relationships, starting with you. That is the first step in stemming the tide of teen loneliness.

Your Kids and the Community of Faith

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Parents, today I want to encourage you to have your family attend a church where the adults, teenagers, and children all worship together rather than going their separate ways when they walk into the building. By doing this, they will be afforded the opportunity to see the faith modeled by other adults. Writer Steve Garber knows the valuable role the inter-generational Christian community plays in the spiritual awakening, growth, and nurture of kids. He writes, “For individuals to flourish they need to be part of a community of character. Community is the context for the growth of convictions and character. What we believe about life and the world become plausible as we see it lived out all around us.” Parents, your kids need to experience the full breadth and depth of the larger body of Christ. God will use your church and wide diversity of members, young and old alike, to celebrate and affirm all that you are teaching them as you nurture them in the home.

Homiesexual

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

One of the slang terms you might hear male teenagers use these days is “homiesexual.” We all know that a homie is someone who is a close friend. The term homiesexual can be used in a variety of ways, and it’s always helpful to ask just what a person means when they say it. One of the most common definitions applies the term to male friendships that are deep and intimate in emotional ways. Sometimes these friendships defy traditional masculine gender roles, as the homies hug and cuddle without any homosexual feelings or inclinations. In other contexts, the term could refer to a homosexual attraction to or relationship with someone who is a friend. It’s always a good thing to ask for clarification when the term is used because of the full spectrum of meanings. We are reminded once again of our need to dig into God’s Word to help our kids come to an understanding of the gender binary, and the purpose and place of sex, which is in the context of a heterosexual, monogamous, covenantal marriage.

Is AI Anti-God?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

In his book Against The Machine, writer and thinker Paul Kingsnorth contends that thanks to digital technology and advances in AI, we are moving into a world that is governed by Algorithm’s and AI, rather than by God-imaging humanity. In essence, we are letting the machine guide and direct our lives. I want to encourage you to take note of the four values the Machine is promoting. First, there’s a reliance on science rather than faith in God’s revelation to define the nature of reality. Second, the highest good that’s promoted is to serve and advance one’s self, rather than living a life of sacrificial selfless Christ-like love. Third, sex is seen as primary to what we do, with the pursuit of my own pleasure as foundational to my identity. And finally, there’s the screen, which serves to attract our undivided attention, distracting us from reality and thereby undermining our humanity. Will we allow ourselves and our children to become slaves to the machine, or followers of Jesus Christ?

The Holy Spirit and Parental Influence

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 9 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Now that all of my children have moved out of adolescence, I’m realizing they didn’t come equipped with a switch or button that could be tripped or pushed to make them accept, embrace, and believe everything we told them about faith and life. Instead, I needed to allow them to grow just as I was allowed to grow. Our kids intellectual, physical, and spiritual development are all ongoing processes. They don’t happen instantaneously or overnight. Our role is to consistently model and speak truth into their lives. Then we must allow the Holy Spirit to do the work that only he can do. We serve to guide and direct. God’s Spirit works to bring about change and growth at just the right time, and does so over the course of time. We can’t do what only God can do. Always remember they’re in process. Prayerfully expect God to open their eyes at just the right time, a time that may, in fact, be pretty far down the road. In the meantime, be faithfully growing and living out your faith before their watchful eyes.

The #1 Parent-Child Argument

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 6 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I was recently going through some old family photos from back when I was an elementary-aged boy. I came upon one picture that brought back memories of certain summer days that I just didn’t like at all. There I was, sitting in front of a flower bed with a bucket by my side as I was making my way across the front of the house pulling weeds. I was glancing at the camera as my dad snapped the shutter, and truth be told, my glance was really a glare. There were two arguments I remember having regularly with my parents. One came when they instructed me to do my chores, including weeding. The other came when they told me to do my homework. In today’s world, those parent-child arguments still exist, but there’s a new number one argument at the top of the list. Can you guess what it is? It’s over screen time. As parents, we need to nurture our children from a young age into limits on screen time. Christian discipleship includes navigating our devices to God’s glory.

Your Kids Hunger for God

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 5 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Blaise Pascal described a universal hole in the soul as a Godshaped vacuum. Alister McGrath describes Pascal’s model as “a God-shaped emptiness within us, which only God can fill. We may try to fill it in other ways and with other things. Yet one of the few certainties of life is that nothing in this world satisfies our longing for something that is ultimately beyond this world.” Teenagers are no different from anyone else. Their great need is to have this God-shaped emptiness filled by God. If you listen and look closely, you’ll see and hear that their music, films, social media, and very lives are crying out for spiritual wholeness. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of teenagers. I can’t remember a single one who didn’t exhibit this thirst for God. Each of us can look directly into the eyes of the teenagers we know and love and be certain this is their reality, too. Even when they don’t recognize it as such, we can rest in the assurance their hunger is for heaven.

Your Kids and Porn Exposure

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The folks at Defend Young Minds have released some new data telling us that social media is now the most common way that kids are exposed to porn. Six out of ten minors now say they were exposed to porn by accident on social media. This is up from almost four out of ten in 2023. Thirteen is the average age of first exposure, with reports of first exposure even at six years old. And the four most common social media sources for exposure are X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. The report also states that even if your kids are not searching for sexual content, the algorithms will deliver it to them. Defend Young Minds tells us that the best way to protect your kids from pornography, predators, and other harmful content is to, in their words, delay, delay, and delay your kids access to social media. In addition, we need to teach our kids that pornography is a form of sexual immorality, which takes God’s good design for sex, and destroys it through encouragement to sin.

Students Scared of AI

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 3 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is all the buzz right now. It’s come on the scene quickly, and so many are enamored with what it can do. For those of us who have engaged with AI through the growing number of apps that are out there, we are generating songs, videos, images, and even text in literally a split second, and what we see is so amazing that it can draw us in just as quickly as it responds to our prompts. Dartmouth University professor Scott Anthony has been watching his students to discern what they’re feeling about a future saturated with AI. In an article in Fortune Magazine, titled “They’ll lose their humanity: the professor says he’s surprised just how scared his Gen Z students are of AI”, Anthony says he’s noticing that his students fear losing their critical thinking skills to the AI Machine. The late media philosopher Marshall McLuhan saw this coming. He said this, “We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.” Parents, exercise caution in how you embrace AI in your life and home.

Parenting Trials - Count it All Joy

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 2 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Raising children in the Christian faith is not an easy job. In fact, the more intentional we are about pointing our kids to Christ and equipping them to live to His glory, the more we become a threat to the enemy of God and his kingdom of darkness. Spiritual oppression, opposition, and trials will come. Satan does not like what intentional Christian parents are doing. I was thinking about this recently while reading James one, two to three: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for your know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Notice that James does not say “if you meet trials.” Rather, he says “when you meet trials.” Family turmoil and difficult situations with kids are realities for all Christian parents. We are told to “count it all joy” when we face these trials. The joy we are to feel is not happiness, but the assurance that God will use these things for our good and His glory. Parents, God is at work parenting you, while you parent your kids.

Pushing Back on Materialism 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

As we finish up our week-long look at nurturing our kids away from materialism, here are some practical guidelines to help you address this issue in your home. Sit together as a family and read through the Sermon on the Mount. As the passage is read aloud, have each family member jot down anything from Jesus’ words that offer insight into how we are to view and manage money and wealth, along with insights into where one finds true meaning and satisfaction in life. Take time to discuss your observations. Tell your children about times in your own life when you had your hopes dashed by something material that did not fulfill as you imagined it would. Evaluate any hopes and expectations for your children and teens that might be pushing them into a lifestyle of materialism. Adjust your hopes and expectations based on this definition of success: “True success in life is faithfulness to God and obedience to his commands, whether your net worth is 10 cents or 10 million dollars.”

Pushing Back on Materialism 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today we continue our week long look at steering our kids to the Lord, and away from the idolatrous trap of materialism. There is no quick way to survey the Bible’s exhortations and warnings regarding money, wealth, and materialism. The Bible is clear that while God does bless many with abundance, it is the love of money and wealth that is sinful and idolatrous. The 10 Commandments forbid the worship of any god other than the one true God, along with coveting things that belong to others. Jesus tells us that one cannot serve both God and money, and that money can blind us to our need to worship and serve God. We are called to put our hope in God alone and to be content with what we have. God’s people are to see themselves as stewards rather than owners of all they’ve been given. We are to honor the Lord with our wealth, giving freely and generously to the work of the Lord. Money and things cannot heal the brokenness in our lives as a result of sin. Only Jesus can!

Pushing Back on Materialism 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at how to help our kids see and run from the idol of materialism. We need to teach them that the accumulation of things will never satisfy their deepest yearnings and desires. They need to know that they have been created by God for a relationship with God. Sin has broken that relationship, leaving us all spiritually empty and hungering for redemption and restoration. The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us that we have eternity in our hearts, which means that our yearnings can only be answered and filled by God. Only God can fill the hole in our souls. God cares deeply about our attitudes towards money and wealth. Did you know that more is said in the New Testament about money and wealth than about heaven and hell combined? Five times more is said about money than about prayer. And sixteen of Christ’s thirty-eight parables deal with money. All of us need to realize that the love of money and and things can consume us, keeping us from living to God’s honor and glory.

Pushing Back on Materialism 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at how to push back on the idol of materialism. Materialism is fed by a marketing machine that it is estimated now spends seventeen billion to twenty billion dollars on marketing to children and teens, a number that is projected to increase significantly on an annual basis over the coming years. It’s conservatively estimated that by the time they reach the age of eighteen, our kids will easily have seen over a million ads. We must consider the fact that as materialism, marketing, and spending power has been on the rise, there’s been a parallel decline in the mental health and well-being of children and teens. Anxiety, stress, body-image issues, depression, loneliness, suicide, and a host of other mental health problems are being fed by the combination of a desire to have more, and the realization that your gnawing emptiness means you will never have enough. Listen in tomorrow as we look at what God’s Word says about the idol of materialism.

Pushing Back on Materialism 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

All of us, parents and kids alike, are swimming in a cultural soup which promotes materialism. We are encouraged hundreds of times a day to hinge our happiness and fulfillment in the ongoing accumulation of as much as we possibly can. As Christians, we need to not only recognize this fact, but we need to take steps to understand how we are drawn to this pervasive idol so that we might smash it to pieces, and raise our kids to love and serve Jesus Christ above all else. Materialism is defined as “the belief that money, possessions and physical comforts are more important than spiritual values”, and “a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things”. In today’s world, the pervasive presence of marketing has coupled with spiritual emptiness to convince us that it is through the accumulation of money and possessions that one finds the pathway to happiness, satisfaction, security, and joy in life. Listen all week as we look at how to push back on materialism.

Sermons - Teaching Kids to Listen, Learn, and Apply

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

One of the most effective ways to get our kids to look critically and Christianly through eyes of faith at their rapidly changing culture is to help them understand and apply the truths of God’s Word. In fact, this ranks right up there as job number one as we take on our responsibility to nurture our children and teens in the faith. One particularly helpful practice is to sit together in church in order to listen to the Word of God preached in the sermon. The practice of taking notes is one we should both model and teach to our kids. Then, each and every week, use the drive home or a time together later in the day to ask a question or two of everyone in the family. Here are some basic questions to get you started. What’s one new thing you learned about Jesus or God? What was the big idea that the pastor was communicating? Was there anything you didn’t understand or found confusing? What does what we heard in the sermon mean for our lives? Do your kids a favor, and help them to listen, learn, and apply.

Media Content and the De-formation of our Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Here’s a warning to parents from Union University’s Phil Davignon. In a Touchstone article on increased secularization, he says we should be concerned about the influence of media content on our kids, but at the same time we let our kids watch all kinds of things online. He writes, “It is an open secret that the design for these apps relies on the same principles as casinos do. Psychologists suggest that using the language of addiction is no mere metaphor, since apps such as TikTok efficiently deliver a dopamine hit, leaving people craving more. Christian parents may prefer content-neutral social media to films with foul language, but doing so fails to recognize that form matters. Christians are people of the Word. To love God means to cultivate a mind that attends to God’s presence in the Word of Scripture and the Logos of Creation. The TikTok generation is losing the capability to attend to anything of substance, as their minds become accustomed to a steady stream of online diversions.”

The Cost of Youth Sports

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

When we can’t act responsibly, behaving ourselves in ways that don’t risk danger to others and ourselves, outside intervention is needed so that the most vulnerable are protected. For several years now we’ve been talking about the out-of-control idolatry of youth sports, a reality that puts incredible pressure on our kids, costs vast amounts of time and money, and can lead to all kinds physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual problems. While sports is a good thing when experienced as one part of a child’s balanced life, we’ve made them an ultimate thing, and it’s costing our kids, our families, and our culture dearly. Kids feel the anxiety from the pressure to perform, while parents allow themselves the anxiety of paying exorbitant amounts of money for kids to participate. Now Congress is intervening to stop what’s being labeled as a crisis in youth sports that is exacting great costs both now and in the future. Parents, let’s remember that the most important thing is pointing our kids to Jesus.

Can We Trust Online News?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I just don’t know who or what to believe anymore! Have you ever found yourself thinking or saying this out loud regarding what you encounter or social media. With advances in AI generated content and the ways in which we as individual users can create content on social media, those of us who are concerned about the accuracy of what we see oftentimes leaves us scratching our heads while muttering, “Is that true?” The reality is that we are living in a world where the prevalence of falsehood is on the rise, as well as the chances for each of us to be scammed or duped. A new report from the Pew Research Center tells us that a fifth of U.S. adults now regularly get their news on TikTok, a figure which is up sharply since 2020. In fact, forty-three percent of adults under the age of thirty say they regularly get their news from TikTok, which is up from nine percent in 2020. While we can’t tell you where to go to find trusted truth online, we can tell you to beware, and to warn your kids to do the same.

Valentine's Day - What is Love?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

We just celebrated Valentine’s Day, that holiday that’s traditionally filled with red hearts, cupid’s arrows, rose bouquets, and chocolates. Many of our younger kids had the opportunity to share those cute little Valentine’s Day cards with their classmates. I remember bringing home a bag filled with twenty to thirty cards every year when I was a kid. And while Valentine’s Day was all about love, I have to admit that my young mind really didn’t understand what romantic love actually was. How about taking some time this week to throw out these questions at the dinner table in order to give all your kids an opportunity to truly understand romantic love. How did God lead you to the person you married? What is one piece of marriage advice that you think it’s important for kids to hear? How does the Bible define love versus what we see in the movies? How does a married couple stay together through difficult times? And what does God want us to know about marriage?

Are You a Burdened Parent?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I remember being a young kid and singing these words in church: "Are you weak and heavy-laden? Burdened with a load of care?" As parents, there have been times when all of us have had to honestly answer "Yes". At other times, the "Yes" comes from dear friends who are locked into periods of unimaginable burden-bearing. Difficulty is to be expected as we are all sinners living in a broken world. If you take the time to read Hebrews 12 you will find words on sonship and the Lord's discipline. God disciplines those He loves. We are reminded that while we may be feeling crushed by the weight of our present burdens, God is present and at work. Remember the words of Hebrews 12:11 - "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Parents, remember that while you are parenting your children, God is parenting and forming you, especially during the hard times.

Muscle Dysmorphia

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

In the past, you’ve heard me talk about the epidemic of body dysmorphia which is spreading like wildfire thanks to social media. Body dysmorphia is defined as a mental disorder marked by an overwhelming and all-consuming preoccupation with a perceived flaw in one’s appearance. One new subset is what’s called muscle dysmorphia, a belief that one’s body is too small, too skinny, and not muscular enough. This has also been called bigorexia, megarexia, and reverse anorexia. Mental health and medical experts are now warning that this is the latest eating disorder affecting our teens, as more and more teenagers, particularly our boys, are struggling with bigorexia. Much of this is being fueled by the presence of social media and the comparison it fosters, while promoting muscularity as a measure of one’s value. We must help our kids understand that their identity is not to be found in what they look like. Rather, it’s the value they already have in God’s eyes that counts.

Do Our Kids Want Jobs or a Family?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The Genesis creation narrative tells us that after creating humankind both male and female in His own image, God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” This creation mandate reveals God’s intentions for His image-bearers. New research conducted by the Pew Research Center indicates that for today’s teenagers ages thirteen to seventeen, getting married and having kids is not a top priority. In fact, eighty-six percent of the respondents say that it’s extremely or very important for them to have a job or career they enjoy and which brings financial success when they reach adulthood. Only thirty-six percent said that they cared about getting married, and just thirty percent say it’s important to have children. With the cultural tide moving in this direction, perhaps we need to do a better job of teaching about God’s heart and design for the family, teaching them that having and raising children is a high privilege and high calling!

The Gift of an Encouraging Parent

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Do you remember your own middle school years? For most of us, it seemed brutal. Some things never change. Young peers can create, find, and point out all kinds of negative things in ways that are now sometimes defined as “bullying” or “harassment.” But if your home is place of refuge from that craziness, you will be instilling a healthy sense of resiliency that can sustain your kids through the pressure. One way to do this is to take the opposite approach of their peers. . . who are all too quick to point out and celebrate deficiencies. Look for and encourage your teen to develop their God-given gifts and abilities. Complement them on their successes. Point out their strengths. We need to be parents who are encouragers rather than discouragers. And, as we encourage our kids to develop their gifts, remind them of the importance of excellence. Exercising and developing one’s gifts and abilities is ultimately an act of worship. See and celebrate the uniqueness God has placed in your kids.

Teaching Kids to Walk with God

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 9 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

It is not enough to see our kids come to Jesus. Rather, our goal should be to lead them into walking with Jesus, both now and for the rest of their lives. Some three hundred and seventy five years ago, the Puritan pastor Jeremiah Burroughs wrote about what it means to walk with God. He wrote, "Walking with God is when we make God's will the rule of our will. The soul does what God does. What's the way of God but the way of holiness and righteousness, when the soul makes the will of God to be its own rule? I will not act on my own will. I will not act on anything but the will of God. What is it that God wills? Then I will the same thing. The soul walks the way God walks when it suits itself with God, when it sets the Lord as an example before it. This is to walk with God: to do as God does, to imitate God." Parents, God has willed that you be the one to nurture your children in the faith. You do so through your words and your actions. And there’s not substitute for the example of your walk with God.

The Influence of Bible Reading

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Recent research from Lifeway tells us that “the single greatest influence over spiritual health is regular Bible reading while growing up. Plainly put, the parents of young adults indicate that regular Bible reading as children yields the greatest influence over spiritual health.” Any of us who are Bible readers know this to be personally true, as the Holy Spirit works to change us, conforming us to the image of Christ as we read God’s Word. And what could serve as a better example to our children than our time spent reading and studying the Bible, along with the time we spend reading the Bible together as a family. As an adult, I realize now that my greatest and most treasured memories are not those of family vacations or other family activities. Yes, those are great memories, but they don’t hold the same value as those memories of habits and times that shaped my faith and who I am today. I’m grateful to my parents for their example as Bible readers who took God’s Word seriously.

Kids and Electronic Addiction

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 5 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

As parents called by God to nurture our children through childhood and into a spiritually healthy adulthood, we have the responsibility to be keenly aware of and sensitive to electronic addiction in all of its forms. We must understand its threat, presence and impact. Consequently, we must be diligent in preparing both ourselves and our children to understand, process and live with electronic media in ways that bring honor and glory to God. UK communications regulation firm Ofcom says that we might not be doing a very good job in preventing electronic addiction. Their data shows that among five to seven year olds, sixty five percent are making voice or video calls, fifty percent are watching livestream apps and sites, forty one percent are gaming online, and thirty eight percent are using social media apps or sites. Parents, our habits are formative. Good habits form us, and bad habits deform us. Lead your kids into God’s Word and World, rather than into electronic addiction.

Hope for Hopeless Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 4 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

In her helpful book, Teens and Suicide, Recognizing the Signs and Sharing Hope, Christian counselor Julie Lowe lists ten reasons we should give our teens for why life is worth living. They are ten messages rooted in the Gospel that each of us need to hear on a regular basis. What are they? You are not alone. You have value. You are greatly loved. You can find help. Your life has purpose. You will not always feel this way. There is a good way forward, even when life is hard. You are more than your outward appearance. God is up to good in your life. And finally, you will not be put to shame. Julie tells us that we want to help our kids see that the Bible speaks of far more than correction and rules. The bible speaks of life, freedom, and personal relationship with a God who knows what is going on in their lives. We must winsomely and convincingly speak these truths into the lives and experiences of our children and teens. Fill their wells with the Good News about Jesus Christ and His love.

Bible Reading, Paper or Screens?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 3 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

In a recent article from the folks at Lifeway, I was reminded of the importance of training our kids to use physical paper Bibles rather than depending on our smartphones and other screens. We do know that when we read on a screen, we read differently than we do on the printed page. Screen-reading does not facilitate the kind of line-by-line deep reading that occurs on the printed page. In the article, Tim Pollard from Lifeway offers up some helpful reasons for using a paper Bible. He says it makes the Bible physical and tangible. It minimizes distractions. The text is prevented from changing. A paper Bible doesn’t run out of battery. It reinforces the sanctity of the Scriptures. Memory is enhanced. Readers can see how the canon of Scripture is organized and how the books of the Bible are structured, which provides context for what we are reading. In addition, it facilitates focus and note-taking. Here at CPYU we encourage you and your kids to use a physical, ink-on-paper Bible!

What is Telephobia?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 2 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I’ve had numerous conversations over the years with parents who have received troubling phone calls where they are given bad news about a child. Some parents have told me that after a few of these calls, they become like Pavlov’s dog, being triggered into anxiety and fear by the ring of the phone, even though there’s no reason to believe that the caller is calling with more bad news. Mental health professionals are now reporting on a similar trend among young people that’s been labeled “telephobia”, which is a fear of phone calls sparked by social anxiety. Counselor Stephanie Wiijkstrom explains it this way: “In our digital age, texting and online messaging serve as our primary modes of communication, and we often feel less vulnerable and more comfortable than in a live conversation or phone call.” Parents, this is a consequence of our digital age, and we need to reverse this by involving our kids in verbal interactions and conversations with others from the time their born.

Preventing Anxiety 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

With anxiety off the charts as a growing epidemic among children and teens, we’ve spent all this week looking at strategies you can employ to prevent anxiety in the kids you know and love. Today I want to share a strategy that can push back against social anxiety, which is one of the most prominent forms of anxiety we hear about in the youth population. While it's essential that we all involve ourselves in Christian fellowship with other members of the body of Christ, it’s especially helpful for our kids to be assimilated into two specific groups. First, involvement in a caring Christian youth group community provides shelter from the pressures of the larger real-life peer group and the virtual peer group found on social media. And second, our kids need to be integrated into the larger body of Christ where they can interact with a variety of caring adults. Never underestimate the power of Christian community to foster healthy spiritual growth and development. Your kids were made for it.

Preventing Anxiety 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

With anxiety off the charts as a growing epidemic among children and teens, we’re spending all this week looking at strategies you can employ to prevent anxiety in the kids you know and love. Research is showing that one of the greatest catalysts for anxiety is immersion in social media. The use of technology has created an expectation that things should happen fast, in fact, immediately. When technology slows or we don’t get an immediate response we become anxious. Social media also sets up unrealistic standards for physical appearance and beauty. Consequently, kids and adults anxiously fabricate and curate images of self that aren’t even close to being honest. We become anxious if we can’t hit the standard. And, we fear being found out and seen for who we really are. Finally, when our kids have their faces constantly buried in their devices, they miss out on the flourishing that comes with living in the real world. Social media is not all bad. But too much leads to anxiety.

Preventing Anxiety 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

With anxiety off the charts as a growing epidemic among children and teens, we’re spending all this week looking at strategies you can employ to prevent anxiety in the kids you know and love. One of the best ways to prevent anxiety is to stop overscheduling your kids. Research on today’s culture points to the fact that our kids are so over-involved and feeling such incredible pressure to achieve at the highest levels in all of their activities, that they are crumbling under the pressure. One way to push back is to be sure that your kids are eating right, getting enough exercise, and sleeping nightly for the nine hours and fifteen minutes of uninterrupted sleep that’s necessary for healthy growth and development. In addition, we must recognize the fact that God made us for a rhythm of work and rest. This includes the need for a Sabbath. What would happen if we recovered the practice of taking one day a week to rest? I’m sure we would see a decline in anxiety.

Preventing Anxiety 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

With anxiety off the charts as a growing epidemic among children and teens, we’re spending all this week looking at strategies you can employ to prevent anxiety in the kids you know and love. One important step we can take is to teach our kids that the nature of living the Christian life is like running a race. The writer of Hebrews tells us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. And, as we run and struggle and even stumble at times, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the pioneer and perfector of our faith. In my own life, one of the greatest causes of anxiety is the tendency to take my eyes off of Christ and to place them onto the temporary matters of life that can consume my thoughts and energies. Instead, we are instructed to look away from these idols and focus our gaze straight ahead to the one who waits for us at the finish line. Teach your kids to keep from looking side to side in the comparison game that only leads to fear and anxiety.

Preventing Anxiety 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

With anxiety off the charts as a growing epidemic among children and teens, I want to spend this week offering some strategies you can employ to prevent anxiety in the kids you know and love. Perhaps the most effective strategy is to teach them to preach the Gospel to themselves. Teach them to speak to their hearts, telling their hearts to follow the Gospel rather than allowing their hearts to speak to them. You see, our feelings are not trustworthy. They can lead us astray. They are especially dangerous during times of emotional highs and lows. While the mantra of today’s culture is “follow and trust your heart,” the mantra for the Christian should be “follow and trust the Gospel.” I have found the words of this old hymn to be helpful: “God is God, he sees and hears, all our troubles, all our tears. Soul forget not, ‘mid your pains, God o’er all forever reigns. Fear not Death nor Satan’s thrusts, God defends who in Him trusts. Soul, remember in your pains, God o’er all forever reigns!”

Your Kids Need God

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I often find that when I’m with a group of parents teaching them about today’s youth culture, many wonder if their kids have any interest at all in talking about the Christian Faith, the Bible, and Jesus Christ. There’s a commonly held belief that with all the attractive things the world has to offer, kids just don’t want to have anything to do with conversations about God. But because we know that all of these other distractions offered by the world can never fulfill one’s created purpose to know God, our kids are left feeling empty. I often say that a youth culture landscape littered with brokenness is a landscape ripe for the Gospel. New research from the Barna group should be encouraging to parents who want to see their kids come to know and serve Jesus Christ. In fact, seventy-seven percent of teens are to open to having conversations about God. Should we be surprised? A child’s spiritual hunger will continue to grow if they are not filled by experiencing new life in Jesus Christ!

Social Media - The Problem Is Us

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I recently read an editorial piece written by Steve Rosenbaum of The Sustainable Media Center. The title of his piece caught my eye: “Snap, Shame, Repeat: Inside the New Adolescent Reality.” Rosenbaum writes these words: “Social media hasn’t just reshaped adolescence – it has reprogrammed it. And we are only now starting to realize how deep the damage goes.” He recounts reading a headline in The Guardian which he says stopped him in his tracks. The headline? “If there’s a problem with boys’ behavior, it’s because of us.” Rosenbaum goes on to say that the “us” are adults, the platforms, the regulators, the educators, the media architects, and the investors. These are the people and institutions which have built social media into the destructive force that it is. But I would add one more group to that list of problem-makers. It’s us, the parents. If we fail to see the dangers out there and then take steps to protect our kids, we have not lived up to our God-given parental responsibilities.

How to be a Happy Parent

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

One of the biggest mistakes we make as parents is basing our happiness and emotional well-being on our kids’ happiness and emotional well-being. When we do this, we’re just setting ourselves up for disappointment. We’ve learned that even though we began our parenting adventure with a wonderfully written script that included no difficulties, bumps, or bruises, God had a different script for us to live. His script wasn’t 100% percent happy like ours. While it was difficult for us, we learned that God gives us and our kids the opportunity to struggle through life so that we might grow and mature. If we were all to base our happiness on how well things were going with our kids. . . well, we’d all wind up spending time being miserable people. The Apostle Paul laid out a better way. . . in fact, it’s the right way. He writes in Romans 12, “Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently, steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer”

What is a Wedding Really About?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

In today’s world, generally speaking, the exorbitant amount of time and money spent on wedding preparations are not funneled into getting a couple ready for everything that comes after the ceremony and reception, but rather on things that are what might be called “showy”, like rings, dresses, flowers, food, photos, bands, etc. The trend seems to be to spend everything on the day, rather than the lifetime that follows. This cultural trend is one that needs to be reversed. In a social media saturated world where we see ourselves as performers and function as such, even marriages have paid a steep price. And, if this is what our kids grow up believing a marriage really is, then we’ve done them a huge dis-service as we’ve nurtured them into either a rude awakening for which they are not prepared, or even marital failure. Parents, youth workers, and pastors, we need to do better. Teach your children about God’s design for marriage, conflict-resolution, and life-time commitment.

Put Down the Phones

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

With loneliness off the charts for kids in today's world, we can reasonably conclude that more time looking at screens means less time with others. In her new book “the extinction of experience: being human in a disembodied world”, Christine Rosen writes, “A decade ago, a book about how technology is changing us would offer solutions for a more balanced relationship with our devices, such as take a digital Sabbath, avoid multitasking, and put those phones away at the dinner table! These are no longer enough.” Rosen suggests an Amish approach to technology, where we work to cultivate a robust skepticism about each new device and app, even if most of us will not be as strict as the Amish in rejecting them. She writes, “The Amish asked the right questions before embracing something new: how will this impact our community? Is it good for families? Does it support or undermine our values?” Parents, Are you asking these questions as you think about the role technology will play in your family?

The Church's Call to Love Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ are called to bear each others burdens. We are to pray for each other. As friends, we are to love at all times and be there for others during their times of adversity. One thing I’ve learned as I’ve spent time with Christian kids is that so many of them battle with loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Even though they are followers of Christ, their adolescent struggles seem to be no different than the struggles faced by their non-believing peers. We are being told that the mental health crisis among our kids is reaching epidemic proportions, and almost two in five teens say they are not getting the support they need. Of course, those of us who are parents need to be more diligent in our efforts to nurture our kids in the faith and support them in any way we can. But there’s a role the larger body of Christ must play. You may not have teens of your own, but you can and must endeavor to support the kids in your church through your prayers and presence.

Take an Interest in their Interests

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Parents, today I want to encourage you to take an active interest in those things that interest your children and teens. This is an easy one if you and your teen share the same interests. But what happens if you’re a left-brained parent raising a right-brained kid? We once heard a parent complain that his son didn’t share his love for canoeing. Consequently, he didn’t think there’d ever be anything he could do with his son. Sadly, it never crossed the frustrated father’s mind that he could enter into his son’s world and life by pursuing one of his son’s interests. Maybe we should all think about putting some of our own interests aside for a few years, so that we have more time to pursue the interests of our kids with our kids. Taking an interest in their interests not only allows us to spend much-needed time with our kids, but opens up opportunities to communicate, builds our relationship, and lets us discover and celebrate their gifts and abilities. Take an interest in their interests!

When they are Left Out

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Most of us can remember those pit-in-the-stomach times we experienced as teenagers when we realized we had been left out. I remember a summer day in the neighborhood when I couldn’t find any of my friends at home. I couldn’t figure out why they were all gone until somebody spilled the beans later, telling me that they had all been invited to go to a home in another neighborhood to swim in the families’ pool. Truth be told, I felt like a loser. The journal Frontiers in Digital Health reports that for kids living in today’s social media world, the feelings I felt on that one summer day occur far more frequently, as our kids see visual and story content recounting activities and gatherings of friends from which they’ve been excluded. This ramps up feelings of exclusion, jealousy, and rejection. Researchers say this is feeding emotional stress and creating interpersonal conflict. Let’s use these moments to teach our kids to handle disappointment and conflict with the kindness and grace of Jesus Christ.

When Should I Seek Counseling?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Sometimes the circumstances in our own lives and the stresses of raising and living with teens in today’s rapidly changing culture can become overwhelming, paralyzing, and detrimental to our spiritual and emotional wellbeing. When that happens, we’re not doing anyone any favors if we continue to spiral down out of control. If our normal support systems aren’t enough to carry us through, then it’s time to seek some outside help. . . maybe even some professional counseling. One or two sessions with a trained and competent Christian counselor may be enough to provide you with the guidance and support you need to get back on the right course. Perhaps long-term counseling is needed. Ask your pastor or a trusted friend to recommend a Christian counselor. Going to counseling isn’t an admission that you’re weak. A counselor can offer an unbiased perspective, and give you guidance that will lead to wholeness and healing.

YouTube Wisdom and Discernment

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The latest report from the Pew Research Center not only helps us understand where our teens ages thirteen to seventeen are spending time online, but should light a fire under us to exercise diligence and regularity about helping our teens practice what we call digital discipleship. It’s not surprising that YouTube is hands down the most used online platforms for kids, with nine out of ten saying they use the site. Seventy three percent of our thirteen to seventeen year olds say they visit YouTube daily. Six in ten say they visit the TikTok video site daily. With our kids consuming so much video content on a daily basis, we need to teach them to use wisdom and discernment regarding what they see, along with limiting the amount of time they spend scrolling through videos. Ask them about what they are seeing. Ask them to share what they see with you. And train them to embrace content that furthers their faith, while avoiding that which is not good, true, and honorable.

Feelings and God's Truth

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 9 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

If they would be honest with us, our kids would tell us that their feelings and emotions serve far too often as their guide for life. Not surprisingly, today’s culture encourages this kind of feeling-driven living. To be honest, being driven by feelings and emotions is not just an issue for our kids. What a shame it would be if history remembered our generation of Christian parents as people who didn’t do anything to help their kids listen to God instead of their windblown emotions. Feelings should never eclipse God’s truth. We must walk our teens through the Scriptures to show them examples of people who allowed their emotions to eclipse the truth, and then suffered the consequences. This includes people like David with Bathsheba, Lot’s wife, and Ananias and Sapphira. One way that we can help our kids see the dangers of feelings is by walking them through the stories of our own lives by sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding the feelings-based and truth-based choices we’ve made.

Delayed Driver's License

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 8 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The moment I turned sixteen years-old, my top priority in life was to get my driver’s license. Armed with my brand new learner’s permit, I couldn’t get enough practice time in on the road. And when I passed my driver’s test on the first try, there was a feeling of freedom and liberation I experienced that I look back on as a major rite of passage. As I think back, I don’t remember one high school peer who didn’t think as I did, and we all were eager to get that signifier of being one-step closer to full-fledged adulthood. But something’s changed. Researchers tell us that almost forty percent of teens delay getting their license by one or two years, and thirty percent are delaying by more than two years. What’s driving this shift? (No pun intended!). Today’s kids say they’re overscheduled and too busy, they are staying home and socializing online, and some are too depressed and anxious to drive. If your kids are holding off for any of these reasons, take steps to ease the unwarranted pressures which they find paralyzing.

Screen Time and Sleep

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 7 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

One of the questions we often hear from parents relates to the appropriate amount of screen time which they should allow for their kids. Generally speaking, research, surveys, and the observations of parents themselves indicate that our teens spend way too much time focused on their screens. This means that they are spending less time on what once were the normal activities of childhood, including things like outside play, socializing with friends, and spending time with family. Researchers in Sweden are reporting that kids ages twelve to sixteen who spend excessive time engaged with their screens experience multiple negative impacts on sleep, including decreased duration of sleep, decreased quality of sleep, delayed sleep until later hours, and greater incidence of depression. Let’s be responsible parents who set and enforce strict time limits on screen time so that they will get the amount and kind of sleep for which God has made them.

The Greatest Inheritance

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 6 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

As a father and now grandfather, I often think about the wise words of instruction found in Proverbs twenty-two, six. “Train up a child in the way he should go; and even when he is old he will no depart from it.” Training our children is not a once and done task. Rather, it is an ongoing project that in many ways lasts a lifetime. Neither is the training we are called to only verbal in nature. While the verbal instruction is necessary, equally necessary is the example we pass on to our kids. Let me share with you some great wisdom from the Puritans on the power of example. John Boys writes, “If both horse and mare trot, the colt will not amble.” Consider these words from Thomas Brooks: “Example is the most powerful rhetoric.” If we are to raise and train our children to follow the Lord, we must be eagerly following Him with every ounce of our lives. Remember, Jesus has called us to deny ourselves and follow Him. A heritage of faith is the most valuable inheritance we can pass on to our kids.

Pushing Back on Body Dysmorphia

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 5 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Fifty years ago there was little or no knowledge among teenagers about eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. In today’s image-obsessed and social-media saturated world, the great majority of our kids not only stress over their appearance, but many are struggling with body dysmorphia, which is defined as a mental health condition in which you can’t stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance. New data from a study of thirty-nine-thousand adolescents ages fourteen to eighteen reports that the dominant factor raising the risk of self-harm, including suicide, is one’s perception regarding their weight. Our kids are being hammered by a constant diet of marketing images and social media posts which leave them feeling inadequate and less than. As Christian parents, we must affirm their standing as loved divine-image bearers, emphasizing the fact that God looks on the inside, not the outside. Our identity is not to be found in appearance.

The Parenting Power of Asking Questions

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 2 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Even though we were once adolescents ourselves, the cloudy nature of those memories combines with a teenage world that’s very different from the one we grew up in to leave us. . . well. . . pretty clueless. We need to go out of our way to learn about the uniqueness of living and growing as a teenager in today’s world by asking good questions. . . . over and over and over again. Here are some questions to get you started: What changes is my child facing as he grows from a child into an adult? How can I support, love, and lead my teenager through these changes in a way that brings honor and glory to God? What must I do to build bridges into my teen’s life that keep the lines of communication open? What makes my kid tick? What is their world like? What does my child find confusing at this point in her life? Why does she think and act the way she does? When it comes to our kids and their culture, what we don’t know, don’t want to know, or refuse to know, can hurt them.

An Important Resolution

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 1 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Parents, here’s a challenge to adopt a new years resolution that has you bent on gaining weight. No, I’m not encouraging you to go against conventional new year’s resolutions and decide to eat more so that the scale in your home goes on overload. Rather, I’m encouraging you to resolve to weigh yourself down each and every day with the life-giving good weight of ingesting more and more of God’s Word into your mind and heart. As the great J.I. Packer once wrote, “Wisdom is divinely wrought in those, and those only, who apply themselves to God’s revelation.” The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:16, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom.” What we need to do is soak ourselves in the Scriptures on a daily basis. As you do that, God will form and conform you more and more into His image. And, not only will you be changed, but you will be better equipped to nurture you children and teens in the faith through your words and your example.

Going Deep in the Faith as Parents and Children

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Parents, our God-given high calling and privilege is to raise and nurture our children in the Christian faith. Nothing is more important than that! The word “Catechesis” captures the reality of what it means to fulfill this responsibility. Catechesis is about teaching sound doctrine for sound living. In their book about catechesis, Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old Fashioned Way, J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett write, “Because we have lost the practice of catechesis today, superficial smatterings of truth, blurry notions about God and godliness, and thoughtlessness about the issues of living – career-wise, community-wise, family-wise, and church-wise – are all too often the marks of evangelical congregations today.” Parents, what would happen if we would take these words seriously, prompting self-examination about how deep we are endeavoring to grow in the faith, so that we might in turn raise up children who know the truth, and serve the Lord with passion?

Dangerous Adolescent Dieting

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

If you were an alien landing on earth with a mission to find out what’s most valued in North American culture, you would have to write the terms body image and appearance near the top of the list in your field notebook. The pressure marketing and social media put on all of us is significant, and its even more potent for our kids. Body dysmorphia, disordered eating, and dangerous dieting habits have become epidemic due to this pressure. Recently, the Canadian Pediatric Society released a report titled, “the Dangers of Dieting in Adolescence.” The writers report that by the time they get to high school, about fifty percent of young people have tried to change their bodies through dieting, a trend that has increased over time. What the report calls for is what’s called a “health at every size” approach which is designed to help kids eat, exercise, and sleep in healthy ways. Adolescent dieting can have many unintended consequences. Teach your kids to find their identity in Jesus Christ, and not their appearance.

Parenting Difficulties and the Caring Hands of God

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Today, I want to pass on a message of hope for any parent who finds themselves in the midst of a struggle of some kind with their child. More of us than you know are familiar with your pain. I once had a friend tell me that whatever difficulties we face with our children should be seen as God’s curriculum for us, as God is parenting and growing us at the very same time we are parenting our children. I love these words from Pastor Philip Ryken: “For the faithful who believe in Jesus Christ, the hand of God is an image of comfort and assurance. We know that the hand of God is a hand of love. We know this because we know that the hands of Jesus were pierced for our transgressions when he was nailed to the tree. This gives us the hope and the faith to leave everything in God’s hands – all our burdens, all our trials, and all our cares. The Savior who loves us and died for us will also take care of us.” Jesus says to all of us, “come to me all you who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.”

The Power of God's Word

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

These words from musician Lacey Sturm in the forward to Rut Etheridge’s book God breathed, are wonderful words about the power of Scripture. “Whenever I find truth in any place I immediately know that it is guaranteed to be a biblical principle in display. As a smart aleck atheist who met God on the day I planned to commit suicide, I was not one to take people’s word for what they said about God. I wanted to know for myself. What I found in the Bible when I read it for myself was staggering. In the Bible I found Truth. The most profound, living, mind-blowing truth after truth after truth. I have always been a lover of truth. To find that the Bible was a book of truth was crazy enough, but then to find that it was alive and word-for-word breathed from the mouth of God, words which God intended for me to read and understand and learn so I could actually know Him – are you serious?! This is still absolutely astounding to me.” Parents, where else can we turn?

The Best Gift a Parent Can Give

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Today is Christmas day, and I want to take a minute to tell you about the greatest gift that I ever received from my parents. Yes, over the years I received many Christmas gifts from my folks. But as the glory, shine, and initial excitement over so many of those gifts has faded over the years, there is that one gift that actually has increased in value for me. I remember my dad regularly telling me that his most fervent prayer for me was that I would grow up to love and serve Jesus Christ, and then marry someone who did the same. God graciously answered that prayer. Because of that, I am able to tell you today that the greatest gift passed on to me by my parents was the gift of their faith in Jesus Christ. Through their words and example I was regularly told about the coming of the Messiah. As you celebrate the coming of our redeemer, Jesus Christ, into the world on this Christmas Day, remember to pray for your kids, that they would hear and answer his invitation to come and follow.

Something to Ponder this Christmas Eve

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

On this Christmas Eve, I want to share with you one of my favorite Christmas scripture passages. Perhaps you can share it around your table tomorrow. In the Gospel of Luke, we are told that eight days after his birth, Jesus was brought by Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem to be circumcised. While there, they took Jesus into the temple where an upright man by the name of Simeon took the infant in his arms. God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ with his own eyes. As he looks upon the Messiah, Simeon says, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” I can only imagine the joy that Simeon felt. This Christmas, our desire for you and your family is that you will all rejoice with great satisfaction in the coming of your Savior.

The Dangers of Fake Piercing Magnets

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

One of the great blessings of YouTube is that you and I can go to it to find out how to fix just about anything. I’ve successfully consulted YouTube to find ways to fix among other things, our washing machine, our car, and our lawnmower. Our kids can go to YouTube to learn as well, and one type of tutorial they can find relates to fake piercings, and how to use powerful little magnets to mimic actual nose, lip, tongue, and ear piercings. One concern related to this practice are the growing reports of kids accidentally swallowing the tiny magnets. This came to our attention when it was reported that a thirteen year old boy had somehow swallowed almost two hundred of these high powered magnets, which proceeded to attach to each other, causing abdomen pain. Surgery was required, and the boy had part of his bowel removed. Parents, we are called by God to protect our kids from harm. Train your kids up to steward their bodies with care. And, be sure to issue a warning about these magnets.

The Power of an Involved Father

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

If you have watched the compelling Netflix series, Adolescence, you are familiar with Stephen Graham. He not only was the show’s writer, but he played the part of Eddie Miller, the father of 13-year-old murderer, Jamie Miller. In the show, Eddie was blindsided by his son’s actions. There’s no doubt that the show offers a strong message to today’s parents, that we need to be active and involved in the lives of our kids. Graham is now following up the series with a new book that offers a collection of letters written by fathers to their sons. His goal is to convince dads to close the gap in their relationships with their boys so that they can talk openly about what it means to be a man. We applaud this project and look forward to seeing it when it’s done. In the meantime, those of us who are Christian fathers need to take stock of our relationships with our children. The years of childhood and adolescence fly by. Don’t miss the opportunity to be with your kids, nurturing them in the Christian faith.

Wise Parenting

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

When I first got started in youth ministry I was a young single man who, truth be told, thought he knew a whole more than he actually did. One of my most arrogant moves was to somehow believe that I knew more about the kids in our youth group than even their parents knew about them. And, embarrassing truth be told again, I look back and can see that my younger self had a clear sense of how to raise children, and this, long before I had children of my own. Having children of my own along with having several decades of experience under my belt, I hope that this older version of myself is far more wise than that young fool I once was. This all came to mind recently when I read these words of wisdom from John Stott: “It is always best to respond to God’s call neither with extreme self-confidence nor with complete self-doubt, but with humble trust in the living God who equips those He calls.” Parents, I’ve learned that we’re always learning, and that our strength and wisdom comes from God.

Sports, Fitness, Screens and the Teen Brain

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Recent research published in the Journal, Neuroscience, reports on the effects of physical activity, physical fitness, and screen time on the brain developments of adolescents. We already know that the childhood and adolescent years are marked by brain development, which is according to God’s good design. We also know that since we are created as integrated beings, what we put into our bodies coupled with our behaviors influence brain development for better or for worse. Not surprisingly, this new research is summarized by researchers with these words: “Our new findings highlight the importance of an active lifestyle, good physical fitness and moderate screen time for brain development in adolescence.” Parents, we are responsible to steward the development of our kids bodies and brains to the end of their good and God’s glory. Are your kids getting outside to play and move around? Are they engaging in sports activity? And, are you limiting their time with screens?

Moms, Daughters, and Appearance Pressure

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Our kids are always learning from us. Our words and our example shape who they will become, a reality established by God as he has created individuals and families. This means that for better or for worse, our kids are watching, and what they see in us and from us will play a powerful role in shaping who they are. The Journal of Health Psychology is hammering this point home. They’ve found that there’s some kind of connection between a mother who is frequently engaged with social media, specifically taking, editing, and posting selfies, and a daughter who is interested in having cosmetic surgery. It’s believed that these daughters have adopted a kind of dissatisfaction with their appearance that they inherited from watching their mom’s own dissatisfaction. Parents, we live in an appearance obsessed culture. Your obsessions will influence your kid’s obsessions. We urge you to find your identity in the rock, Jesus Christ, and not in your appearance.

Soccer and Brain Trauma

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Recent research from the Journal of the American Medical Association serves to remind us of our need to be diligent in protecting our kids from experiencing trauma to their brains while playing sports. Using new imaging techniques, researchers at Columbia University have discovered that the area of the brain behind the forehead – known as the cerebral cortex – suffers the most damage from repeatedly heading a soccer ball. The practical result of this damage is a decline in cognitive function. In the past, you’ve heard us talk about the growing body of research regarding CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition leading to cognitive decline. If you want to learn more about CTE we suggest you check out the website of the concussion legacy foundation. Parents, we are called to steward the physical, mental, and spiritual health of our kids. Are you taking steps to insure that they won’t engage in activities that put the gift of their God-given brains at risk? If not, take steps now.

Smartphone Use and Declining Test Grades

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

At the start of this year’s school year, we were hearing reports about more and more schools nationwide that were taking steps to get the smartphones out of their student’s hands during the school day. This a great move that every school district should take. But there’s still concerns about how much time our kids are spending with their smartphones and social media during their out-of-school hours. Some new research, that’s not at all surprising, should push you as a parent to set limits on smartphone use in your home. It seems that social media is effecting test scores. For kids ages nine to thirteen, just one hour on social media per day can lower test scores by at least one or two points. Kids who spent as high as four hours a day on social media saw up to a five point drop on their test scores. Our students should be pursuing a love of the Lord with all of the capacities of their minds. Let’s help them do this well by setting clear borders and boundaries on smartphone use.

Does Social Media Do More Harm Than Good?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’ve been looking at some of the latest data from the Pew Research Center on how parents of children ages twelve and under are managing the realities of life in a smartphone saturated world. One finding that should cause us to pause in our parenting steps is this: parents overwhelmingly think using social media does more to harm than benefit their kids. In fact, eighty-percent of parents of kids twelve and under say that there are more harms than benefits from social media. This begs a question: If, in fact, there are any harmful aspects related to social media use, why are we allowing our kids to engage with social media through their smartphones and screens? Parents, the Apostle Paul tells us in the book of Ephesians that our high calling is to nurture and raise our children in the admonition of the Lord. We need be about the work of protecting our children from harm and providing for their well-being. Remember this as you think about your kids and social media.

What Kids See on YouTube

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some of the latest data from the Pew Research Center on how parents of children ages twelve and under are managing the realities of life in a smartphone saturated world. One finding deserving our attention is this: that even for the youngest of our kids, the YouTube video platform is widely used. Eighty-five percent of parents say their child ever watches YouTube, with half of those watching on a daily basis. Sixty percent of parents report that their child under two watches YouTube, and it’s at eighty-four percent for kids ages two to four! Parents, are you aware that your kids are being marketed to through YouTube? Are you aware that there are a variety of messages and worldviews being dispensed and promoted, many of which are contrary to the Gospel and a Christian world and life view? Two necessary responses come to mind. First, limit their time with smartphones. And if they are watching YouTube, watch wisely with them.

Too Young for Smartphones

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some of the latest data from the Pew Research Center on how parents of children ages twelve and under are managing the realities of life in a smartphone saturated world. Researchers found that about one in four parents of kids ages birth to twelve have a smartphone of their own. Did you hear that? We’re not talking kids who have access to someone else’s smartphone, but kids who have a smartphone of their own! Of course, we would expect but not applaud the fact that well over half of our eleven and twelve year olds would have a phone of their own. And the numbers diminish as the ages get younger. But twenty nine percent of eight to ten year olds, twelve percent of five to seven year olds, and eight percent of children under five have their own smartphone. As Christian parents, we need to question the practice of putting a device that’s addictive, distracting, and full of roadways into unbiblical worldviews into the hands of our impressionable kids.

The Dangers of Young Screen Use

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 9 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some of the latest data from the Pew Research Center on how parents of children ages twelve and under are managing the realities of life in a smartphone saturated world. The survey found that screen use is starting young. Ninety percent say their kids interact with the TV screen. Almost seventy percent have kids who interact with a tablet. Sixty-one percent interact with a smartphone. Half of the twelve and under cohort of kids engages in gaming. Just under forty percent use a laptop. And at this point, eight percent of five to twelve year olds are currently engaging with an AI chatbot. Paul in his letter to the Colossians says to “set your minds on the things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” CPYU Research Fellow Mike Terry writes, “With screens, it’s increasingly likely that their minds are being brought lower into fragmentation, and not lifted higher into focus on the things of God.” Parents, your calling is to point them to Christ.

How Many Kids are Using Screens?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 8 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

One of the youth culture realities all of us need to understand is what’s called “Age Compression.” Simply stated in layman’s terms, Age Compression means that the things today’s parents needed to navigate during their own teenage years are now things our pre-school and elementary-aged kids need to navigate. This means that pressures, problems, choices, and opportunities exist for kids who are at the most vulnerable of young ages. One area of concern is navigating life with our kids on what’s called “the Digital Frontier.” Today’s parents are called on to manage things like smartphones and social media that weren’t an issue for them at that young age. The folks at the Pew Research Center recently surveyed over three thousand parents of kids ages twelve and under. Almost seventy percent say their kids use a tablet, and sixty-one percent a smartphone. So, what’s a parent to do? Stick with us all this week as we look at the research from Pew, and parental response strategies.

Parents and the Need to Say No

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 5 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Why do so many parents tiptoe gingerly around their children in today’s world? More and more parents are afraid to step up, take the reins, and assume their God-given position of authority. Instead, parents have become like butlers, available to wait on and serve their kids’ every desire and whim. Fearing rejection, we sometimes go against our better judgment and God’s design to say yes when we should be saying no. God established the family with a pecking order. Those who are older and wiser are charged with the duty of raising, nurturing, and protecting those who are young and not-so- wise. In other words, parents are to parent their children. Dad, mom: you have a God-given responsibility to love your teenager, to guide them through life, to protect them from harm, and to provide for their well-being. This means that there are times when you will have to teach your kids God’s will and way by saying no. Parent your teenagers to the glory of God!

Obnoxious Parents and Youth Sports

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 4 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

It doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to see that there’s been a decline in parental sideline behavior over the course of the last few years. I recently watched a viral video where a referee had to stop a girls’ soccer game to address a parent who was allegedly heckling him over his calls. The video caught him saying this: “Do I look like I should be doing seven games in twenty-four hours. No I don’t. You know why I’m doing seven games in twenty-four hours? Because there are fewer and fewer people who are willing to do this. Do you understand that? And most of the time people that are unwilling to do it is because of you people.” He ended with this: “So why don’t you just grow up.” Parents we need to take seriously the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans twelve eighteen: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Are allowing the good gift of youth sports to become an idol in your life? If so, take steps to change your priorities!

How Teens Use AI

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 3 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Truth be told, I’ve been having some fun with AI. I’ve especially been having a good time with AI’s ability to create songs, and to manufacture photos. And of course, I’m not alone. I’m not surprised that today’s kids know a lot more about AI and how to leverage it than I will ever know. The Future Report Study found that in Europe, forty percent of teenagers us AI daily or almost daily. Many of their schools allow the use of an AI tool. In school, teens say they use AI to explain hard topics, get instant answers or feedback, make learning more fun, and to strengthen their ideas and problem solving skills. Out side of school, they are using AI to write and edit, to produce visual art, to create videos, and to design and build projects. We must remember that AI is not a neutral or benign tool. It will reshape its’ users over time. We have to wonder if our kids will lose their creative thinking skills and ability to discern. Keep an eye on this parents. And, be sure to set limits on where your kids can go online.

A New Drug Alert - Kratom

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 2 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Today, I want to warn you about a dangerous substance abuse trend which centers around an increasingly popular herbal drug which is available online and in stores, including gas stations and vape shops. Known as Kratom – K-r-a-t-o-m – the drug comes from the tree of the same name that is native to Southeast Asia. Users chew the tree’s leaves, brew the leaves, or create a liquid extract. Users who ingest Kratom in low doses report that the effects are like those of a stimulant which increases alertness and energy. When used at higher doses, it works as a sedative to calm one’s nerves and anxiety, and to reduce pain. The drug takes effect in minutes with the effects lasting a few hours. The physical side effects are many, and there also side effects on one’s brain and nervous system, including hallucinations, and in some cases, death. Our kids are at risk, and we must warn them about the dangerous effects of this and all other drugs. Protect your kids by learning more about Kratom.

Celebrate Advent

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 1 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Yesterday was the first Sunday in advent. Advent is the church season leading up to Christmas that’s all about expectation, waiting, and preparation. It’s a time to focus on the coming of the King and his Kingdom into the world. It’s a time to think about how God through his mercy and grace is restoring the world we’ve broken to its original purpose and glory through Jesus Christ. Sadly, its such a busy time of preparation for meals, gatherings, decorating, and gift-giving that the real meaning of Christmas gets lost in the rush. Let me encourage you to start slowly and keep moving slowly through the season of advent this year. Focus less on the doing, and more on the waiting. Each one of us, including our kids, needs God to burst into our life to do for us what we in no way can do for ourselves. Salvation, redemption, and new life come through Christ alone. It’s not earned or deserved. This year, talk to your kids about advent. Then, wait with great expectation and celebrate the King with great joy!

Doritos or a Gun

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

When sixteen year old Maryland high school football player Taki Allen ate a bag of doritos following practice earlier this year, he crumpled up the bag and stuffed it in his pocket. All Allen was doing was waiting for a ride along with several of his teammates when several police cars showed up. With guns drawn, police instructed Allen to put his hands up and get on the ground. After getting handcuffed, police searched Allen for a gun, which he did not have. The sixteen year old was surprised by it all and wondered why this was happening. It seems that the school uses a video security system which relies on Artificial Intelligence to detect threats, including the presence of guns. In this case, the AI detection system failed miserably, as it mistook Allen’s Dorito bag for a gun! This story could have ended quite differently due to an AI mistake. This goes to show that our move into this new AI world is going to be fraught with unexpected consequences. We need to tread carefully onto this new frontier.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Prompts

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Today we celebrate Thanksgiving. Many of us have gathered to enjoy a day filled with conversation, an abundance of food, and perhaps some football. If you’re like me, many of these long-held holiday traditions could wind up filling the day so full that we actually forget to pause and give thanks to God for His many blessings. This year, I’ve resolved to spend some time alone to pause and give thanks to God. I encourage you to do the same. I’m going to go outside and look around. I am grateful for my eyesight and for the all the beautiful things he put in the world for me to see. I will thank God for the people he has placed in my life. I will thank him for the luxuries of life that I tend to take for granted as if I deserve them. Finally, I am going to thank God for the difficulties of life. Perhaps your circumstances have you focused on your difficulties. If so, give thanks. It is through difficulties that God leads us to a deeper faith and dependence on Him. Thanks be to God for His kindness and grace!

Our Kids and Homemade AI Porn

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

A current lawsuit case hitting the courts is one we need to be aware of if we love and lead kids. A seventeen year old New Jersey teenager is suing the company that created an AI app that will manipulate any photo, allowing app users to remove the clothing of the person in the picture. When she was fourteen and posting photos of herself on social media, a male classmate manipulated one of those photos using the app, which kept the young girl’s face recognizable on a body that was not clothed. The fake image, as expected, was widely circulated among classmates and friends through social media. The suit is asking the courts to require the company to remove all fake images, to remove the app from the internet, and to provide financial compensation for loss of privacy and emotional harm. These tools in the hands of anyone of any age can be incredibly destructive. Warn your kids, and teach them to respect the privacy and image of God in all humans. Real or fake, it’s pornography.

The Jam Jar Pulse Jet Challenge

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Sometimes it’s the emergency room doctors who are the first to warn us about the latest online challenges kids are engaging in at the risk of death and injury. Without going into too much detail, there are several reports of burned and injured teens who have engaged in what’s called “the jam jar pulse jet” challenge. Thanks to several online tutorials, kids are pouring regular household rubbing alcohol in a jar, and then engineering the lid in ways that allow them to ignite the dangerous and potentially deadly device. Kids are not aware of just how risky this is, as the jars are prone to explode, which then throws the fiery fuel along with glass shards onto anyone nearby. Burns, vision loss, cuts, lacerations, and other injuries can result, along with potentially fatal bleeding. Parents, be aware of this trend. Talks to your kids about risky behavior and online challenges. Monitor their use of smartphones and social media, and be sure to teach them to honor God by honoring their health.

Teens and Sports Gambling

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

It’s been a few weeks since the initial arrests involving an FBI investigation into a widespread gambling network which included several people involved with the NBA. This story reminds us of just how prevalent gambling is, including sports gambling, which involves many of our kids who use online betting apps. For example, the New York Council on Problem Gambling is reporting that over the course of the last year, a large majority of high school aged kids have placed at least one bet. In addition, the number of kids ages twelve to seventeen who meet the standards for problem gambling has been on the rise. The rash of advertisements, along with smartphones and peer pressure have contributed to the teen gambling problem. Parents, we need to realize that gambling is both fueled by and fuels the love of money, which is a thirst which the Bible tells us will never be satisfied. In addition, Jesus warns that in an attempt to gain the whole world, a person may lose their soul.

Kids and Viral Social Media Trends

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In today’s digital age, viral social media trends are often seen as harmless fun, but they can pose significant spiritual and physical dangers to our children. These trends, driven by likes and shares, often encourage behavior that clashes with biblical values. They can lead our teens to seek validation from an online audience of their peers rather than from God, who created them uniquely in His image. The Apostle Paul warns us in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Many of these trends encourage conformity to the ways of the world. They can lead to comparison, anxiety, and even recklessness, pushing our children to prioritize a moment of online fame over their safety and spiritual well-being. It’s our duty to guide our children through this digital landscape with wisdom and discernment. By discussing these trends openly and grounding our conversations in Scripture, we can help them to stand firm in their faith.

A Prayer for a Wandering Child

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Today, I want to share with you a prayer for a wandering adult child, included in Kathleen Nielson’s wonderful book, “Prayers of Parents for Adult Children”: “Lord God, I do not know and cannot see her heart, but all her steps appear to turn away from you, away from light and life found in your Son. I know, Lord, that you see into the darkest heart; your perfect wisdom lays out all our paths. Please turn her feet and move her heart toward you, toward life in Christ, I pray. I do not know just how you might ordain to call her to yourself to find eternal life and life abundant, through believing in your Son. I know that you have given your breathed-out Word, the writings that can make us wise for salvation as we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the living Word made flesh to save us. Please, by your Spirit and your people, speak your Word of life into her heart, I pray. I trust in you, even as I daily ask, please lead her to believe in Christ your Son, I pray.”

Testosterone-Maxxing

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Thanks to the continued rise of body-image pressure that has been fed and fueled by marketing and social media, our teenage boys are being encouraged to engage in what’s called “Testosterone-maxxing”, or “testmaxxing.” The practice involves attempts to increase male hormone levels through the use of hormone medications. A host of social media influencers have been building their following of teenagers young and old alike, some barely into puberty, feeding the narrative that to be a real man you must have bulging muscles and washboard abs. This trend is fueling a rise in unrealistic body expectations, dissatisfaction with one’s body, and dangerous medication trends. And thanks to the algorithms, our curious kids who seek information on bulking up in this way will continue to receive more and more information, thereby driving them deeper and deeper into this dark hole. Parents, monitor your boys, and teach them that their identity is not to be found in their muscle tissue, but in Christ.

The Idol of a Perfect Family

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

From the time that our first parents chose to follow their own desires rather than God’s guidelines in Genesis three , our world and everything in it has been marred by sin. Consequently, our families are populated by broken people living with broken people. Because of this, our marriages are at times very difficult. And, parenting is difficult as well. We are broken parents raising broken kids. Yes, there are times and seasons of great joy, but there will be bumps in the road. We make a huge mistake if we expect to have a perfect family with perfect kids. We may even base our contentment in life on having a perfect family. If that’s the case, we are only setting ourselves up for disappointment. One reason for this is that we have set a perfect family up as an idol. And like all other idols, the idol of family can never and will never deliver what we hope it will. Parents, just like you and me, our kids are broken and in need of redemption. Look for your source of happiness in Jesus Christ.

Chatbot Dangers for Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Parents, are you aware of the online chatbot service known as character.ai? Users can create virtual characters and personalities they can then interact with in a variety of ways. While users can engage with the chatbots to play games or assist with writing projects, the folks at Parents Together Action and Heat Initiative are telling us that when they engaged with character.ai while posing as teens under the age of eighteen, the AI chatbots conversed with them in ways that are best described as sexual exploitation and emotional manipulation. They also gave harmful advice, including offering drugs and even recommending armed robbery. Parents, this calls for increased diligence on your part, as according to the researchers, character.ai allows kids as young as thirteen on the platform, and they don’t require age or identity verification, which means kids even younger can join. Set online time limits for your kids, and always monitor their use of digital devices.

Overcoming Fear of Man

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In Proverbs twenty-nine twenty five we find words that speak volumes of truth which we need to hear in our social media-saturated world. “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” All of us struggle at times with making a good impression while wondering what other people think about us. This, according to Proverbs, is a snare, as it can become an obsession, trapping us into the vicious and spiritually deadly whirlpool of making every effort to seek man’s approval, rather than living to the glory of God. Tim Keller says that “if we look to human beings more than to God for our worth and value, we will be trapped by anxiety, an over-need to please, by the inability to withdraw from exploitive relationships, by the inability to take criticism, and by a cowardice that makes us unable to confront others.” As Christians, we must push back on our bent towards fear of man, as we learn to live to God’s glory alone. And, we need to lead our kids to do the same.

'Are You Saved?' Might Not Be the Right Question

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

I recently heard a theologian say that he has stopped trying to discern whether people he meets and knows are believers by asking them, “Are you saved?” Instead, he asks them this question: “Is Christ living in you?” He explained this switch by saying that many people today look back on a particular church service or camp experience where they raised their hand or went forward at the invitation to commit their lives to Christ. Sadly, while they no longer pursue a relationship with Christ, they believe that they are indeed Christians. Rather than falling on the good soil we read about in the Parable of the Sower, these are seeds that have fallen on the stony soil where the initial joy fades quickly and withers under pressure. This distinction should drive us to nurture our kids into understanding that the Christian life is not captured in a momentary decision, but is marked by a life of sanctification, where every square inch of their lives is lived with gratitude to the glory of God!

Is AI Truthful?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

If you are thinking about helping your kids navigate the world of Artificial Intelligence in regards to research and gathering information, I want to read you some helpful words from professor, Dr. Thomas Fowler in a recent edition of Touchstone Magazine. “Do the chatbots add any value with their search capability? Basically, no; the behavior of chatbots is completely at variance with the methods of research done by a real person, who finds sources and then critically filters and analyzes them, seeking to extract the most important and best-justified conclusions in light of the subject and of reality. This process we call “truth seeking,” but it is not what AI does: It does not decide what is true and what is not. AI systems are “built to be persuasive, not truthful,” says an internal Microsoft document. We need to lead our kids away from sources that lie. Parents, teach your kids how to engage in the process of using the Bible as the basis for developing skills in wisdom and discernment.

When Kids Say Chopped

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

There’s a scene in the 1986 movie “Wildcats” that was oft-imitated by kids trying to be funny back in the late 1980’s. A group of cheerleaders dance and chant at the other school’s cheerleaders, “U-G-L-Y you ain’t got no alibi! You ugly!” While the scene was intended to be funny, the real-life sentiment is still being dished-around as a biting criticism among the teenage population. In today’s social media saturated world, it’s the word “Chopped” that’s trending among kids. While we adults are largely ignorant to teen slang, we need to be aware that when teens call someone “chopped”, they’re issuing a put-down about that person’s appearance or social status. We need to respond with the kind of support that builds resilience if our kids are being labeled as “chopped.” And, for those kids who call others “chopped” either face-to-face or online, we need to correct them, reminding them that the Scriptures call us to treat others with Christ-like love, kindness, and humility.

Redeeming Bad Parenting Situations

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

How will you respond to your children when they make a mistake or do something wrong? What will you say if your daughter turns her back on all that you taught her and winds up sexually active and pregnant? What will you say if your son gets suspended from school for fighting? What will you do if you find drug paraphernalia in your teen’s room? What will you do if your daughter gets arrested for shoplifting? Remember that just like you and me, your teen’s sinfulness is the greatest problem they face. All teens will encounter temptation and all teens will make sinful choices. The determining factor in whether or not a bad choice turns into a situation that gets better or worse will depend on your response. Let me suggest that your goal should be to redeem these situations by turning a mistake into an opportunity for your teen to become a more Godly and Christ-like person. Treat them with the same grace your Heavenly Father treats you when you are the offending party.

Binge Gaming

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 7 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Recent research coming out of Hong Kong assessed twenty-six hundred school children regarding video gaming and mental health. The research looked at what’s called binge-gaming, defined as spending at least five hours in a row playing computer games. They found binge-gaming to be associated with poor sleep, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and depression. Three in ten kids surveyed reported spending so much time on video games that they would classify as binge-gamers or to be dealing with what’s called internet gaming disorder. Specifically, this applied to four in ten boys and around one-quarter of the girls. Researchers also found that these habits result, not surprisingly, in a drop in school performance. Parents, we have been entrusted by God to care for the spiritual, emotional, and physical health of our kids. Our parenting must bring glory to God by setting screen-time limits for our kids, and by teaching them to steward everything they and have to His glory!

Boast Not of Your Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 6 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Earlier this year I ran across an opinion piece written in The Sydney Australia Morning Herald by author and mother of three, Kerri Sackville. The title of the piece was quite blunt, but it does capture our need to rethink how we as parents are using social media. Sackville’s title reads, “Nobody wants to read those posts about how brilliant your kids are.” Sackville goes on to remind us that nobody likes to read a boast. Still, we are living on a social media landscape where we are prone to use pictures and text to boast about how smart and talented our kids are, especially when it comes to athletics, academics, and extracurricular activities. Christian parents are by no means immune to this, and I’ve even seen some boast about their evidences of their kids’ faith. Parents, teach your kids to let their actions speak for themselves as they pursue excellence. And, with the Apostle Paul in second Corinthians ten seventeen, we all must say, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

What Happens When We Don't Read

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 5 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

For the last twenty or so years, educators, parents, and researchers have lamented what they believe is a decline in reading for pleasure among adults. The concern is that the increase in daily screen time, including time with TVs, computers, and smartphones, would cut away at the practice of reading. A new study published in iScience found that leisure reading, also known as reading for pleasure or fun, had declined by forty percent from 2003 to 2023. More specifically, the percentage of people who daily read for pleasure dropped from twenty-eight percent, to sixteen percent. We can assume that adults who are not readers will mostly raise kids who aren’t readers. We applaud the growing movement to get our kids reading more, which requires that we adults be reading more as well. Reading improves literacy skills and prevents cognitive decline. For the Christian, reading the Bible, both alone and together, feeds our spiritual growth. Is your family reading?

Pushing Back on Teen Online Gambling

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 4 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Parents, the world is full of distractions for our teens, and some can be more dangerous than they appear. While we teach them values rooted in faith, we must also be aware of the modern cultural challenges they face. One of those is gambling. Aggressive and pervasive marketing for online platforms along with social media and peer pressure are making it easier for young people to be drawn into sports betting and gaming with real money. This can quickly spiral into addiction, leading to financial hardship and compromising the integrity we strive to instill. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 13:5, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” Let’s have open, honest conversations with our teens about the financial, addictive, and moral risks of gambling, grounded in the wisdom of biblical truth and a desire to be obedient followers of Jesus Christ. Remind them that true contentment isn't found in placing bets, but in the blessings God has already provided.

Teaching Teens to Spend Time Wisely

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 3 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Don't Jump Into The Digital Landscape

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

With artificial intelligence spreading like wildfire through the digital landscape and into the lives of our kids, we would be mindful to tread carefully and set limits knowing that jumping into new technologies is sure to bring a mix of the good and the bad. In a recent article in First Things magazine, Mary Harrington offers these words: “The end of print culture is already upon us. With it’s end, we are already witnessing the disintegration of modernity’s load-bearing foundations, including the valorization of facts and objectivity, and a conception of the individual subject as a universal model of human personhood. This reality-picture, which crystallized in the seventeenth century, is already well on its way to dissolution in the solvent bath of digital media, a process radically accelerated by the spread of AI.” Parents, our high calling and privilege is to train our children up in the nurture of the Lord. Don’t let cultural change drive your kids away from experiencing their full humanity as a follower of Jesus Christ!

Recovering Baby-Sitting Culture

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In a recent edition of the Kids Today online newsletter, correspondent Anna North asked, “What do we lose when teens don’t babysit?” In her article, North tells us how the teenage baby-sitting culture has changed over the years, with fewer and fewer teens actually baby-sitting, and fewer and fewer parents hiring teen baby-sitters. With a smaller amount of teens engaging in this once widespread rite of passage, North argues that kids are missing out on a formative experience that can build a teenager’s confidence level as they learn to exercise responsibility. Kids who babysit others are given the opportunity to learn social skills, they learn to deal with problems, and they develop in their critical-thinking abilities. In a day-and-age when kids are tethered to their phones, and phones are even used as baby-sitters, why not encourage your kids to take a baby-sitting course and take on the baby-sitting responsibility. This is one more way to nurture our kids into a healthy adulthood.

The Dangerous Door Knock Challenge

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Because I was a typical kid who was doing typical mischievous things in my neighborhood, one of our regular childhood after-dark activities was to play “ring and run.” You may have called that “ding-dong ditch” where you grew up. You ring a random doorbell then run and hide, leaving the homeowner befuddled as they look around to figure out who was at the door. Of course, this was long before the advent of the video doorbell. But even in this video doorbell world, a viral TikTok trend has kids engaging in a new and dangerous version of the prank, this time known as the “Door Kick Challenge” or the “Door Knock Challenge.” Because it is a trend marked by aggressiveness and oftentimes property damage, Police have been warning parents of the legal ramifications. In addition, there are concerns that residents might take violent action against what they perceive to be an intruder. Parents, warn your kids are the dangers, risks, and potential fallout of this foolish viral trend.

A Story of Self-Less Teen Sportsmanship

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

What would you do if you were running the last cross-country race of your high school career and that race was the state championship meet? Now I’m not a cross-country runner, but I imagine that I would be racing to not only win, but to do the best I had ever done. I recently ran across the story of Kaylee Montgomery, a high school senior who set out to beat her personal best in the Arkansas state championship cross-country race. Just forty yards from the finish line, Kaylee came up on a rival runner, who had collapsed from exhaustion. Kaylee stopped, helped Julia Worthington up, and supported her body as they moved together slowly to the finish line, while all the other runners passed. When interviewed, Kaylee said that she was encouraging Julia, praying that the Lord would give Julia strength to finish. In a world where winning is increasingly seen as everything, we applaud this kind of Christ-like service from a teen. Let’s encourage our kids to do the same.

A Lesson on Teen Development from a Dog

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I recently watched a video posted by the owners of a female black labrador retriever who they took to an outdoor restaurant where they were grabbling a meal. The video showed the dog choosing to sit on a separate couch, all the way at the end, facing the opposite direction from it’s owners while acting like she didn’t want to have anything to do with them. The owners posted, “Our moody teenager who sat herself as far away as she possibly could from her parents. The nerve of this girl.” I chuckled a bit as we all remember our own teenage years and our desire, from time to time to NOT be seen with our parents. It’s known as individuation, which is a normal developmental process where our kids want to develop their own sense of self and independence from their parents. But parents, realize this, they are still watching you. Your presence and influence are more important than ever, as you model and teach what it means to live as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.

Smartphone Cautions

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As debates continue to rage regarding the effects of smartphones on the physical, spiritual, emotional, relational, and cognitive health of our kids, we need to exercise caution. One caution is this: Don’t put a smartphone in the hands of a young child. In fact, we need to be cautious about doing the same with our older kids, with many experts saying that we should wait to do so until the age of sixteen at the earliest. Listen to this first-person testimony from Matthew Gasda that was published in a Brooklyn-based underground magazine: “I’m aware that my flip phone is holding the line for me. That if I bought a new iPhone, I would spiral into levels of depravity and stupidity, hitherto unknown, in that over time, I would lose even the ability to be aware of this, and that is really the danger of the smartphone. You stop being aware of what you could have been. You lose the mythic hope of being a fully-fledged human being, and you start to crave submission to the digital Oversoul.”

Are Your Kids Prepared to Handle Finances?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

A recent survey by Wired Research, asked one thousand parents of kids ages fourteen to eighteen if they thought their children were prepared to manage their finances in adulthood. The survey found that only eight percent of the parents surveyed believe their teenagers are “extremely prepared” to handle their finances in adulthood. What’s interesting is that this is a ten percent drop from last year, when eighteen percent of the parents reported the same. This declining confidence reminds us that as Christian parents, we need to go out of our way to teach our kids biblical principles of good financial stewardship, to teach them about saving, to teach them about tithing, and to teach them to recognize and push back on the constant flow of marketing messages seducing them to spend, spend, and spend. First Timothy six ten tells us that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Will Your Kids Go Pro?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

According to the Aspen Institute, the youth sports industry here in the United States is a forty billion dollar a year business. About sixty million kids are playing youth sports, with the average family spending just over a thousand dollars a year on a child’s primary sport, which is a forty six percent increase since twenty-nineteen. Sadly many parents are pushing their kids to achieve in sports as a way of addressing their own unfulfilled dreams, and to live vicariously through their kids. Twenty percent of sports parents believe their child could play a Division One sport, and ten percent hold on to the unrealistic dream that their child could go professional. But the reality is quite different. For example, only one in six hundred and ten high school baseball players will get drafted by a major league team, and one in ten-thousand- three-hundred and ninety-nine high school basketball players will go pro. Parents, have you made sports an idol, prioritizing your child’s success over their spiritual growth?

Loving Like Jesus in a Hate-Filled World

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Our current cultural climate is one that is marked by hatred and divisions. If our kids follow the lead of what they are seeing and learning on social media, they will be nurtured into something other than what Jesus commands in John fifteen twelve. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” In his book “Mere Morality”, the late theologian Lewis Smedes tells us that the way Jesus loves us is the norm for how we are to love others. His life is our authoritative model. Smedes goes on to share four truths about how Jesus loves. First, love moved Jesus to help people. Second, love moved Jesus to help all people. Third, love moved Jesus to help all people for their sakes. Specifically, he humbled himself and suffered the agony of human life and the cross for our sakes. And finally, love moved Jesus to help all people for their sakes without regard for cost. This is what we must model and teach if we want our kids to love others as Jesus has loved them.

Kids and College Pressure

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

School has been back in session for a couple of months now and you can be sure that there are a host of high schoolers thinking about where they are going to attend college. Members of SheKnows Teen Council were surveyed regarding their approach to college applications. When asked to use one word to describe how they were feeling about the application process they used a variety of words, including uncertain, overwhelmed, anxious, nervous, stressed, competitive, terrified, ready, excited, and restless. We have found that our culture along with peer and social media pressure has made the college application process stressful for both students and their parents. As Christian parents, we need to lead our kids into understanding that college acceptance is not to be pursued as a mark of their identity. Rather, they are to lean into the peace given by God as He directs the process, and they are to approach college as vocational prep for a lifetime of serving and glorifying God.

The Latest Teen Slang

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Once again, I want to give you a little update on the slang words that are trending in today’s world of children and teens. I do this as a service so that you can overcome your chronic parental ignorance in order to understand your kids, and even use these words yourself in a fun-loving effort to embarrass your kids! The word Aura refers to someone’s cool level. At times kids will give aura points to someone who has shown a high level of cool. If someone has crashed out they have lost their temper. Kids are glazing when they engage in overrating or hyping something up too much. Tuff, spelled T-U-F-F, is a synonym for awesome or excellent. The words bussin and smacks are often used to describe food that is very good. And if you are wondering how to refer to something that’s good rather than bad, well, throw baddie, straight fire, or gas into the conversation. I know, it all sounds very confusing, but just like we did during our teen years, our kids are inventing and using slang.

The Financial Cost of Youth Sports

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last summer, I checked off a long-standing bucket list item by spending a day at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Experiencing it for myself was awesome, and it was made even better by taking my three oldest grandsons along with me. While the baseball was good, there was much more than the games to experience. As would be expected in today’s marketing saturated world, a variety of companies from sporting goods stores to those who make sunscreen had experiential booths set up. My grandsons, being young baseball players themselves, were especially drawn to the Easton bat display, where all the attention was placed on the Easton Hype Fire bat, which retails for anywhere from three hundred to four hundred dollars, which is actually cheaper than their five hundred dollar Dub bat. This got me thinking: why do we spend so much on youth sports? Is this really good stewardship? And what are we teaching our kids about spending to God’s glory?

The Dangerous Benadryl Online Challenge

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Today, I want to warn you about yet another viral teenage TikTok video challenge, this one that’s been around for awhile, but has seemed to find new life resulting in some dangerous practices, hospitalizations, and even death. Social media’s Benadryl Challenge hit the news again last month when the parents of a thirteen year old girl found her hallucinating with an elevated heart rate of almost two hundred beats per minute. Her parents rushed her to the hospital where she was treated and recovered. When doctor’s asked if this was a suicide attempt, the girl said that she had learned from online videos and a friend that taking enough Benadryl would lead to a high. Upon looking through her daughter’s phone, the mother found videos promoting the Benadryl challenge all over her feed. Parents, our kids are impulsive and they are prone to taking risks. But they benefit from warnings that stem from your knowledge, warnings to guide them into caring for their God-given bodies.

Chatbots, AI, and a Teen Suicide

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Many parents have been playing catch-up when it comes to understanding and setting boundaries around emerging technologies. One such technology is the growing prevalence of online Artificial Intelligence chatbots, a technology which we can all interact with to get answers to our questions, to create photos, and to do research, among other things. Here at CPYU, we have many concerns about AI, chatgpt, and chatbots. Yes, they can be used for good, but there are many stories coming out about teenagers who have interacted with the technology in search for guidance, direction, and answers to their questions. Recently, the family of sixteen-year old Adam Raine filed suit against OpenAi for the role that ChatGPT played in their son’s suicide. Raine was able to bypass some of the safety features to get information about methods of suicide. Parents, our kids are navigating the confusing years of adolescence with many questions. Are you listening and giving biblical answers?

Teen Spending and Brands

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The kids have been back in school for a couple of months now, which has allowed plenty of time for marketers to collect their data on the spending preferences and habits of our kids. The folks at TeenVoice tell us that this year kids were excited about shopping. Using a scale of one to five, the excitability factor averaged about three-point-six, with girls and boys being equal, and younger kids more excited than those who are older to go shopping. When it comes to who is influencing their purchases, social media and parents hold equal influence. You won’t be surprised that this year’s in-demand shoe brands are Nike, Adidas, and Jordans. Preferred backpack brands are Nike, Jansport, and North Face. And what about skinny jeans? Well, they are “out” this year. As Christian parents, we need to mindful of our need to counter the constant onslaught of marketing messages that convince our kids that they are what they wear. Instead, we need to teach them principles and practices of biblical stewardship.

Praying for our Children and Teens

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The prayers we find in the Scriptures are prayers that we can pray for our children and teens. In II Thessalonians 3:5, the Apostle Paul follows up his statements on God’s faithfulness and promised protection from the evil one with this prayer: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” First, Paul prays that God would “direct,” or “make straight” the paths of their hearts. We too should be praying that God would remove all the obstacles the evil one throws in the paths of our kids. Second, he prays that their hearts would be focused on the love of God and on Christ’s endurance. Like Paul, we should pray that our kids would not only be focused on God’s love for them, but on pursuing their own love for God. And, just as Christ steadfastly pursued and endured earthly trials and the suffering of the Cross, so too should we desire that our kids would grow in their faith to the point of persevering for Christ in the midst of great challenges.

God Shouts to Us in Our Pain

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 9 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

C.S. Lewis once said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, but shouts to us in our pains.” Those words capture a truth that the Scriptures put forth from Genesis to Revelation. It seems that whenever God would do his greatest work in the lives of those he loved, he would bring about great spiritual growth and increased faith through the gift of pain. In today’s world, we are taught to avoid pain and pursue pleasure. In addition, we’ve been led to believe that if we are experiencing the pain of difficulty and difficult times, God must be absent. But the Bible teaches us the exact opposite. God is present in our sufferings. How is it that we miss this truth so easily? As parents, there will be times of great hearthache, pain, and difficulty. Never forget that these are the times where God is parenting us, where he is doing great work, and where he is nurturing us into people who are totally dependent on him and on nothing else. Consider it all joy when you experience God’s love in pain.

VR and Metaverse - Use Caution

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 8 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Parents, today I want to give you a heads-up and issue a warning which I hope motivates you to track with the latest developments in digital technology and the way in which these developments might undermine the well-being of our kids. You’re no doubt aware that Virtual Reality and the Metaverse here to stay and will be advancing quickly in the years to come. Based on the fact that online victimization of children and teens is a well-known reality in today’s digital world, experts are now working to catch and address what victimization will look like in the metaverse and through virtual reality. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University has found that a significant percentage of teens who engage with these technologies have reported encountering hate speech, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, grooming behaviors from predators, and unwanted exposure to violent or sexually explicit content. Parents, you are the gatekeepers. Always monitor use, educate for safety, and set limits.

Do Your Kids Have Friends?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 7 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Because we have been made for relationships, it’s important that our kids develop healthy friendships where they learn how to relate to others, how to play together, and how to solve conflicts. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health recently asked the parents of six to twelve year old children about their children’s friendships. Nineteen percent of parents report that their child either has no friends or not enough friends. In addition, seventy-one percent of parents say that they’ve taken action over the course of the last year to help their child make new friends, including setting up playdates and befriending other parents. There is an epidemic of loneliness among today’s emerging generations, and we need to do what we can to encourage them into positive friendships, especially with those who will encourage them to grow in their relationships to the Lord. Parents, Proverbs tells us that he who walks with the wise, grows wise.

Girls, Fragrances, and Precocious Puberty

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 6 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Precocious puberty, also known as early puberty, takes place when a child’s body begins to change into an adult body too soon. In today’s world, puberty usually begins for girls around age eight, and around age nine for our boys. In recent years, there has also been research showing that in general, our kids are reaching puberty at earlier and earlier ages. There have been lots of different theories put forward regarding what’s causing this. Researchers tell us that one factor which triggers early puberty in girls are the fragrance producing chemicals that are in the commercial beauty and skin-care products that flood the market, and that have become especially popular among pre-teen and younger girls in recent years. Research indicates these fragrances have the potential to stimulate parts of the brain that trigger early puberty, risks of psychological problems, heart disease, and breast cancer associated with early puberty. Parents, keep an eye on the products your kids are using.

Cultivating Life Long Faith 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 3 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’ve been looking at David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock’s book Faith for Exiles, and the five ministry practices churches and families must pursue to lead kids into life-long faith. The research done by Kinnaman and Matlock indicates that in order to form a lasting faith, we must curb the cultural tendency toward entitlement and self-centeredness by getting our kids engaged in counter-cultural mission. This does not mean that we need to be sure they get involved in a missions trip once or twice a year. Sure, those experiences can be valuable for our kids. But engaging in countercultural mission means living as a faithful presence wherever we are, by trusting God’s power and living differently from cultural norms. This means that we bloom for God as His ambassador wherever we are planted. We need to teach our kids to play to his glory, study to his glory, conduct themselves in relationships to his glory, and live every moment to his glory. Let’s pray that our kids grow to embrace and live the faith!

Cultivating Life Long Faith 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 2 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock’s book Faith for Exiles, and the five ministry practices churches and families must pursue to lead kids into life-long faith. The research done by Kinnaman and Matlock indicates that in order to form a lasting faith, we must ground and motivate our kids through training for vocational discipleship. This means that they know and live out God’s calling on their lives, especially in the arena of work while conforming their ambitions to God’s purposes. In today’s world, the culture teaches our kids to pursue work and vocation as a passport to privilege. Rather than seeing work as a way to serve God and further His kingdom, our work is about making money, pursuing fame, and building up the kingdom of me, myself, and I. One of the key opportunities facing the twenty-first-century church is to help kids learn that they have been made for something, and that something is a life where faith is integrated into their work.

Cultivating Life Long Faith 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 1 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock’s book Faith for Exiles, and the five ministry practices churches and families must pursue to lead kids into life-long faith. The research done by Kinnaman and Matlock indicates that in order to form a lasting faith, we must work to create a church and family culture where rather than separating the generations, meaningful intergenerational relationships are formed with fellow believers who live and model a deep faith in Jesus Christ. Our culture is marked by isolation and mistrust between different generations. Some specific ways to make this happen include starting a mentoring program at your church where an older believer is paired with a young person. Our worship services should be inter-generational rather than generationally-segmented. And our homes should be places where our kids are exposed to older Christians as we practice hospitality. Endeavor to give your kids the gift of sitting under the wisdom of those who are older.

Cultivating Life Long Faith 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock’s book Faith for Exiles, and the five ministry practices churches and families must pursue to lead kids into life-long faith. The research done by Kinnaman and Matlock indicates that in order to form a lasting faith, we must lead our kids into developing the muscles of cultural discernment. Exercising cultural discernment means that we all must take part in a robust learning community that seeks, under the authority of the Bible, to wisely navigate today’s rapidly changing culture. This means that we must develop their ability to compare the beliefs, values, customs, and creations of the world we live in with those of the world we belong to, which is the Kingdom of God. And once that comparison has been made, we need to anchor our lives to the theological, ethical, and moral norms of God’s Kingdom. Parents, in order to lead your kids into living counter-culturally to the glory of God, you must be doing the same.

Cultivating Life Long Faith 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

With so many of our young adults graduating from high school and walking away from the faith, what can we do to lead them to embrace a lasting faith? All this week we’re going to look at David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock’s book Faith for Exiles, and the five ministry practices churches and families must pursue to lead kids into life-long faith. The research done by Kinnaman and Matlock indicates that in order to form a lasting faith, we must lead our kids into experiencing intimacy with Jesus. This is best done by clearing what they call the religious clutter that so easily sidetracks us. We’ve been complicit in presenting a Jesus to compete at the same level as our other affinities and affiliations. In addition we’ve expected way too little from our kids. They are more willing to be challenged than the church is willing to challenge them. And, parents must be living a life of spiritual vitality where they give everything they have and are over to Jesus. Let’s lead our kids into a deep and lasting faith.

Praying that our Kids Come to Themselves

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Here’s an interesting strategy to consider as you think about how to lead the teenagers you know away from a culturally-influenced self-centered lifestyle, to a God-centered lifestyle: pray for crisis to enter their lives. Self-centeredness with no room for God plays and advances well in a youth culture that feeds the beast of self-absorption from a deep well of luxury and wealth. Sometimes it’s not until the well runs dry through poverty, want, or crisis that our kids understand their thirst for what it really is – a longing not after self, but after God. While our kids might not see it as such, it’s a blessing when the clay feet on which a self-centered lifestyle is built crumble to dust. Sadly, that’s oftentimes what it takes for them to reach out to their heavenly Father. As John Stott reminds us about the prodigal son, “he had to ‘come to himself’ by acknowledging his self-centeredness, before he could ‘come to his father.’” While we hate to see our kids hurt, sometimes that hurt helps!

The Worship of Youth

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

From time to time I tell you about the power that marketing has over our kids. Marketing not only peddles products, but it also sells and promotes a world view. Yes, marketing shapes the way that our kids look at and live life. But our kids aren’t the only targets that marketing so effectively hits. Marketing also shapes us adults. It’s for that reason that I want to sound a warning that relates to one message marketing so effectively is sending to us as parents. That message is this: don’t grow old. It seems that we’re listening as we older folks have become obsessed over our appearance, our clothing, our complexions, our body shapes, and more. We spend billions and billions of dollars trying to stop something that just can’t be stopped. Ultimately, this is idolatry. And in the process, we’re teaching our kids to grow up to worship the idol of youthfulness as well. Parents, consider what it is that you worship, and the message you’re sending to your kids about what’s most important in life.

Hypocritical Parents and Their Devices

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

“I had a simple rule for my kid. I now realize what a hypocrite I am.” That’s the headline over an article about kids and device usage written by Molly Mulshine, a young mother of a one-year-old. Mulshine begins by proudly telling readers that she never puts her phone in the hands of her child for the admirable reason that she doesn’t want her spending time on or getting addicted to a device. But Mulshine was surprised when that little one-year-old got ahold of mom’s phone, and in Mulshine’s words, “started scrolling and swiping with the muscle memory of a bored teen.” Mulshine soon realized that it was the example of her own addiction to her phone that was modeling exactly what she didn’t want to see happen to her own child. Mulshine offers up this question that all wise and concerned parents should be asking themselves: Will my excessive phone use make my daughter long for the sweet, lobotomizing glow of a high-tech rectangle, despite any screen limits I place on her? Parent, think about it.

Why do they Vape?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

There’s some new data on teenagers and vaping that deserves our attention. Published in the journal Pediatrics, the data looks at trends in vaping behaviors among our eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders. Near daily vaping was admitted by one-point-seven percent of eighth graders, four-point-two percent of tenth graders, and almost eight percent of twelfth graders. When asked why they vape, the three top reasons are these: to relax and relieve stress was number one, cited by over seventy percent of those kids who vaped daily. Second on the list was experimentation, and coming in at third was vaping to relieve boredom. Other reasons cited include the taste, feeling good, convenience, and to have a good time. Parents, be aware that there are numerous health issues related to vaping. It is not safe. Take the time to raise your awareness of the consequences of vaping, warn your kids, and direct them to the Lord who promises to minister to them in their stress and anxiety.

The Relational Power of Thank You

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

“Be sure to look them in the eye and say please and thank you.” If you grew up in home like mine, you constantly heard those words from your mother as she was training you to be kind and polite in social situations. I learned that lesson well and hope that we were successful in passing it on to our own kids. New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has found that when family members show appreciation and gratitude to each other through saying “thank you”, relationships are strengthened and mental health improves. For married couples, showing gratitude to your partner improves relationship satisfaction and mental health. When a child expresses thanks to a parent, parenting stress is actually reduced. As Christian parents, we want to be sure to teach our kids that all good things come from God, including the gift of salvation. Point them to I Chronicles 16:34: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Sextortion

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Parents, are you aware that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning parents, educators, caregivers, teens, and children about the growing tide of online dangers that they say may lead to the solicitation and enticement of minors to engage in sexual acts. Known as “sextortion”, this danger involves a perpetrator coercing a minor to create and send sexually explicit material. If the perpetrator gets the sexually explicit material, they will then threaten to release those pictures online unless the victim produces more of the same, or unless the victim sends a payment often in gift cards, wire transfers, mobile payment services, or cryptocurrency. Sextortion victims are most often males between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, but anyone of any age or gender can become a victim. Parents, teach your kids to never engage in online communication with someone they don’t know, and teach them God’s good design for the sacred gift of their sexuality.

Teens and the Need for Relationships

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

One of the most beautiful and telling aspects of the Genesis Creation narrative relates to the importance of relationships. In Genesis one twenty-six we read these words, “Then God said, ‘Let US make man in OUR image.” The God who created human beings as the crowning point of creation is a trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And out of that divine relationship comes the creation of those who God said later in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good that the man should be alone.” Relationships are a key part of our humanity. We are made for them, and it is reasonable to assume that without them, our flourishing and well-being are undermined. Because of that, it’s not surprising that scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered that teens who spend time alone in their rooms, even while relating to others online, are actually isolated in ways that lead to excessive worry, feeling unsafe, and lonely. Your kids need flesh and blood social interaction. They’ve been made for it.

Can we Flourish without Biblical Christianity?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Russell Kirk was a twentieth century social critic who back in 1992 said something very important regarding the changes taking place in culture as it slides further and further into secularism, and what needs to take place. Kirk said, “If a culture is to survive and flourish, it must not be severed from the religious vision out of which it arose. The high necessity of reflective man and women, then, is to labor for the restoration of religious teachings as a credible body of doctrine. America as we know it cannot survive without biblical Christianity. The rights we cherish, the freedoms we enjoy, the ideals we all love together – all are rooted in and sustained by the tradition of the Bible. Christianity is the electric current of our national life. Turn it off, and the light will fade.” Parents and youth workers, it begins with all of us studying and knowing the truths of God’s Word. Then, we must be committed to teaching and telling the truth to our kids, all the time!

Cannabis and Cancer

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As the recreational use of marijuana has become more widespread, socially acceptable, and even legal in many states, the notion that smoking or ingesting cannabis products is actually harmless has spread as well. But a growing body of research is reporting on a variety of harmful effects from the use of cannabis. A new study published in the journal, Addiction Biology, is suggesting that using cannabis causes damage to cells, which in turn increases one’s risk for developing cancerous tumors. Specifically, researchers found that cannabis use damages the genetic information in a cell, which can lead to cancer and accelerated aging. And, with the modification of the DNA in a cell, a parent can pass on altered or damage DNA to their offspring, thereby increasing the risk of premature aging and cancer for that child. Parents, we need to raise our children well, doing all we can to enable them to steward the health of those bodies to God’s glory!

Am I an Adult?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As a baby boomer, I’m part of a generation that believed that adulthood began at age eighteen, which usually coincided with the time a teenager graduated from high school and went into the work force or off to college. For generation z – those born between 1997 and 2012 – there’s the belief that adulthood doesn’t begin until sometime around the ages of twenty-seven to thirty. Researchers found that only eleven percent of Gen Z-ers say they feel like adults. One reason for this is that they don’t have the financial stability they believe they need to be considered adults, including being able to pay all their own bills, contributing to a retirement account, and having a life insurance policy. In fact, forty percent of those surveyed don’t think they’ll ever be financially stable. Perhaps we need to be more intentional about raising our kids to take on responsibility, coddling them less, requiring them to learn the value of work, and teaching them principles of biblical stewardship.

Entrusting Children to God 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Today we conclude our week-long look at what it means to entrust our children to God. To entrust our children to God is to completely entrust our children to God! While yes, we have been given the aforementioned responsibilities to tend, teach, and train, we cannot drag, push, or pull our kids screaming and kicking into the Kingdom of God. There is no guarantee that we will see the results that we want, in the way that we want, or in the time that we want. No, “salvation belongs to the Lord!” It is only the Holy Spirit, working in His way and His time, who will call our children to faith. We need to constantly remind ourselves of what I heard R.C. Sproul say on many occasions: “God has entrusted the ministry of the Word to us, not its results.” Our high calling is to be faithful and obedient. . . and to leave the rest up to God. Let me remind you once again, that there is no higher parental calling or privilege than to focus your time, energy, and prayers on leading your kids to love and serve Jesus.

Entrusting Children to God 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at what it means for us as Christian parents to entrust our children to God. In First Timothy four, six to ten we learn that to entrust your children to God is to train them in righteousness. Knowing sound doctrine is a worthless pursuit if that doctrine is not translated into everyday living. Our parenting should be directed to the end of not just honoring God with our lips, but glorifying Him with our lives, as we learn in Mark 7:6. One way parents can teach this is to look for those everyday opportunities to employ what I call the World-Word-Walk paradigm. It starts with keeping your ears and eyes open to the current cultural narrative. What is the world teaching our kids? We point these things out and then examine them with our children under the light of God’s Word. Finally, we think and pray with them about how God’s Word is calling them to walk obediently to God’s glory in the midst of a world that teaches them to live contrary to the Gospel.

Entrusting Children to God 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at what it means for us as Christian parents to entrust our children to God. To entrust your children to God is to teach them doctrine. Our children and teens are seeking answers to two basic developmental questions: “Who am I?” and “What do I believe” Thanks to smartphones and social media, culture is catechizing our kids around the clock. While they turn to their devices to make sense of life in the world, we must lead them into the life-giving Word of God, which is the only source of Truth. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 reminds us that we are to be intentional about constantly and diligently teaching them God’s Word, showing them how it speaks to all of life. Our approach is to be multi-sensory as we talk, sit, walk, lie down, and rise up with God’s Word on our lips and our lives. We teach sound doctrine by enlisting the tools of age-appropriate Catechisms, family devotions, and the everyday teachable moments that offer opportunities to pass on the truths of God’s Word.

Entrusting Children to God 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 9 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at what it means for us as Christian parents to entrust our children to God. One of the most important things to remember is that to entrust your children to God is to tend to yourself. I love Tedd Tripp’s definition of parenting as “shepherding the hearts of your children in the ways of God’s wisdom.” It follows that the only way we can effectively nurture our children in the ways of God’s wisdom is to be constantly nurturing ourselves. The Apostle Paul’s words to the Colossians tell us that “therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving”. We can only lead our children to where we are. If you want your children to walk the road of discipleship and to love Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, we have to do the same ourselves. Take stock of your life, and ask God to show you where change is needed.

Entrusting Children to God 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 8 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

My fourteen-year-old self had gone to bed at my usual 9pm time. Two hours later, I woke up to use the bathroom. While walking undetected past my parents darkened room, I not only heard my dad whispering, but I heard him whispering my name. It was at that unforgettable moment that I learned that my parents’ bedtime routine included intercession on behalf of their three children. I had been blessed with parents whose only stated hope for me was that I would grow up to love, follow, and serve Jesus Christ. As Christian parents, our hope for our children should be the same. The good news is that parents always exercise the greatest influence on the spiritual lives of their children. God has established the home as the primary arena for spiritual nurture. This influence is effectively exercised as we entrust our children to God, which includes certain responsibilities that He has entrusted to us. Listen in all this week as we talk about how to entrust our children to God.

Too Young for Social Media

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 5 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I recently read through the report on teens and media from the University of California and found some thought-provoking data. The report is titled “Reality Bites: Teens and Screens 2024.” As I was reading through the survey there was one bit of data that caused me to pause, and I want to pass it on to you. This question was asked to the ten to twenty-four year olds who participated in the survey: “At what age did you start using social media?” Now remember that the major social media platforms require users to be at least thirteen years old to create an account. The reason for this is compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Remember too, that there is growing movement to keep kids off social media until the age of sixteen. So, how did respondents answer the question regarding when they started using social media? Fifty-one- point-five percent, over half, started using social media under the age of thirteen, with many at or under age ten. Parents, what about your kids?

The Benefits of Walking to School

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 4 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Today, I want to talk about a research finding that might make your kids angry, but it might also help your kids perform better in school. A study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that a student’s cognitive performance may be improved if they walk to school, rather than be driven to school in a car or on the bus. It seems that God has wired our bodies in such a way that teenagers who engage in physical activity early in the morning wind up stimulating their brains in ways that contribute to increased cognitive performance during the school day. And because adolescent females are typically less active than their male peers, that early morning walk is especially helpful to our girls. While researchers do say that there are actually a multiplicity of factors that could be at work here, one thing is sure: this research reminds us that God made us as integrated beings. To be balanced, our kids need to get enough exercise. Make sure your kids are active and not dormant.

Who's Getting Bullied?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 3 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looks at the issue of bullying in the lives of our twelve to seventeen-year-olds. The report defines bullying as occurring when “a person is exposed to aggressive behavior repeatedly over time by one or more people and is unable to defend themself.” More than a third of the kids surveyed say they’ve been bullied over the past year. Over thirty-eight percent of twelve to seventeen year old girls report being bullied, and just under thirty percent of the boys surveyed report being bullied. The report also found that bullying is more prevalent among twelve to fourteen year olds, at just over thirty-eight percent, and less prevalent among fifteen to seventeen year olds, at just under thirty percent. With bullying prevalent in today’s teen culture, we need to teach our kids to show the love of Christ to their divine-image-bearing peers, and we need to minister well to our kids who have been victimized so that we might build their resilience.

Grind Culture

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 2 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Imagine a factory where the workers come in for eight hour shifts. At the end of each shift, a whistle blows to signal that it’s time to pack up and go home. It’s eight hours of work and then time to punch out. There’s a new and different working trend among young adults that’s been labeled as “grind culture” or “hustle culture.” Works days are marked by a work hard and don’t go home mentality, all in an effort to increase production and climb the ladder. The World Health Organization reports that four hundred and eighty-eight million people around the world are putting in more than fifty five hours a week at work. As Christians, we are to work as unto the Lord. We are to be hard workers who pursue excellence. But if the motivating factor to our hard work is about bringing glory to something or someone other than God, then we are engaging in idolatry. Teach your children to see work as an act of worship, without sacrificing time with family, and time with the Lord.

The Dangers of Kids and Caffeine

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 1 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As Christian parents, we are called to raise our kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We must be doing what we can to lead them into an adulthood that is spiritually, emotionally, relationally, intellectually, AND physically healthy. Their physical health depends greatly on how we teach them to steward their God-given bodies during their childhood and teenage years. One aspect of this that’s related to today’s youth culture regards caffeine intake. Are you aware, for example, that your local quickmart drink coolers are filled with aggressively marketed caffeine-infused energy drinks that appeal to teens? And, are you aware that ER visits due to eating or drinking too much caffeine have doubled among middle school kids, and almost doubled for our high schoolers between 2017 and 2023? Parents, we need to educate our kids on God-honoring matters of health and on the dangers of caffeine intake, along with setting borders and boundaries for their consumption.

Facing Satan's Strategies 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some four-hundred year old guidance and advice from the Puritan writer, Thomas Brooks. Specifically, Brooks has listed five remedies to the enemy of the soul’s strategy to get us to see following Jesus as a dangerous, losing, and suffering-filled way of life. Brooks offers great insights for us to share with our kids as they face opposition in this world. Today, Brooks tells us to consider that we gain more in our service of God and by following God as we face troubles and afflictions, than we can ever possibly lose by following God. Jesus said it this way: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet forfeit their soul?” Thomas Brooks uses the metaphor of money when he says that for every penny a Christian might lose in the service of God, he in turn will gain a dollar. Our light afflictions will result in the weight of glory. Life as a follower of Christ in today’s culture is difficult. Still, it is the path to flourishing now and for eternity!

Facing Satan's Strategies 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some four-hundred year old guidance and advice from the Puritan writer, Thomas Brooks. Specifically, Brooks has listed five remedies to the enemy of the soul’s strategy to get us to see following Jesus as a dangerous, losing, and suffering-filled way of life. Brooks offers great insights for us to share with our kids as they face opposition in this world. Today, Brooks tells us to always remember that difficulties and troubles in this world are actually a way that God grows us in our faith. Specifically, Brooks writes these words: “God knows how to deliver us from troubles by troubles, from afflictions by afflictions, and from dangers by dangers. In my own life I’ve seen this to be true. Sometimes God saves us from ourselves and our foolishness through times of difficulty. While these times have been hard, I would not, in hindsight, trade them for anything. God’s curriculum for our growth and flourishing often-times comes through difficulty.

Facing Satan's Strategies 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some four-hundred year old guidance and advice from the Puritan writer, Thomas Brooks. Specifically, Brooks has listed five remedies to the enemy of the soul’s strategy to get us to see following Jesus as a dangerous, losing, and suffering-filled way of life. Brooks offers great insights for us to share with our kids as they face opposition in this world. Today, Brooks tells us to remember that all of the troubles and dangers we will face as followers of Jesus are only temporal and momentary. And, we must also remember that if we waver and walk away from faith because of these troubles and dangers, we open ourselves up to a host of other temporal, spiritual, and eternal dangers. In other words, following Jesus will result in contempt and opposition from others while we are on this earth. But choosing to please men rather than God will result in our loss of our relationship with God. We must always remember that faithfulness to God is our calling.

Facing Satan's Strategies 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some four-hundred year old guidance and advice from the Puritan writer, Thomas Brooks. Specifically, Brooks has listed five remedies to the enemy of the soul’s strategy to get us to see following Jesus as a dangerous, losing, and suffering-filled way of life. Brooks offers great insights for us to share with our kids as they face opposition in this world. Today, Brooks tells us to never, ever forget that great cloud of witnesses who precedes us in the faith who are now with Christ. We read about these saints in Hebrews, chapter eleven. God has given us a rich history of sisters and brothers in Christ who, while they were living, endured tremendous troubles and hardships because of their faith in God. Yet, they remained faithful to God, pushing forward and shining as bright lights in their dark cultures and times. Whether we are adults, children, or teens, God calls us to faithful living in spite of cultural opposition. Let’s be sure to teach this to our kids.

Facing Satan's Strategies 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Almost four hundred years ago, the Puritan writer Thomas Brooks wrote a book about the strategies Satan uses to derail us from Christian growth. I’ve found his words to be very timely for life in today’s world. One devilish strategy that I consistently see in my own life and in the lives of kids is the tendency to be convinced that following Jesus is way too dangerous, risky, and filled with the promise of suffering. Brooks then goes on to list five remedies to this strategy of Satan. I want to share one of these remedies with you each day this week. And, I want to challenge you to teach these remedies to your kids. The first remedy is this: remember that God has promised that even though you will encounter troubles and difficulties in this world, those troubles and difficulties will not harm you. God is with us. He looks on us with favor. We are in union with Him. And, he’s promised that no one and nothing can take these things away because our souls are secure in our Father’s hands.

Handling Parenting Fear

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Do you ever look at your kids and get scared? Be assured, you’re not alone. We’ve been there. It is sometimes paralyzing to think about parenting kids who are growing through unbelievable amounts of change, at the same time that they’re engaging with a rapidly changing and frightening world. In some ways this is nothing new. Did you ever hear what Mark Twain said about teenagers? "When a child turns 12 you should put him in a barrel, nail the lid down and feed him through a knot hole. When he turns 16, plug the hole!" While parents should be cautious, watchful, and discerning, we can’t allow ourselves to fall victim to fear. The Jesus we serve has conquered fear and sent His promised Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. As the parents of teens, we’ve learned that the comforting words the angel of the Lord spoke to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night are words for us: “Do not be afraid.” Parents, find your rest and refuge in Christ.

What Kids Say about Smartphones and Sleep

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last year, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of almost fourteen hundred teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, to come to an understanding of our teenagers’ experiences and attitudes around social media and their mental health. One of the most interesting findings is one that really isn’t that surprising, especially if you’ve been tracking with the data on how digital devices are interrupting our kids sleep patterns. Forty five percent of the kids surveyed said that social media sites hurt the amount of sleep they get. Only four percent of kids say social media sites help their sleep, while thirty two percent are neutral. As you’ve heard us say here many times before, God made us for a rhythm of work and rest, and our kids need over nine hours of uninterrupted sleep each night for healthy growth and development. Parents, one of the first and most helpful parenting steps you can take is to get the phones out of their rooms. Doing this will contribute to their health and flourishing.

Do You See Teens in Positive or Negative Ways?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

“Teenism” is a term I first encountered in Ellen Galinsky’s book, “the Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Approach to Raising Thriving Teens.” Galinsky says that teenism occurs when we as adults stereotype the teenage years and those going through them in negative ways. She says that teenism can not only harm our kids, but can harm us as well, by putting us in an interactive posture with our kids where we assume negative things. When asked to describe the stereotype of an adolescent, researchers used negative terms, including moody, overly emotional, makes risky decisions, selfish, self-centered, impulsive, wild, rebellious, lazy, and awkward. When asked to describe the teens they studied, researchers used positive words like motivated, creative, fun, curious, social, excited by life, and hardworking. As Christians, let’s begin by looking positively on our kids, as at their core, they are divine image bearers.

The Word of God and Parenting

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Now that I’m older, I’ve got enough of a history to know that life is a journey that can be pretty intimidating and confusing. Having kids brings that reality home. As one parent once half-seriously said to me, “There are the parenting years that go real well. And then, there are the years of parenting teens.” To be honest, it’s the gift of difficulty and confusion that we need to redirect our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts to where they should be aimed. In a world where it’s easy to look for guidance and direction in all the wrong places, we’re prone to follow a host of “guiding lights” that wind up leading us in the wrong direction. In a world where there are many “experts” sharing conflicting opinions on how to parent our kids through the teenage years, it’s good to know there’s a light we can trust. And the One who created life, children, teens, parents, and families offers that light to us. That light is the Word – both the incarnate Word Jesus Christ and the written Word of the Bible.

What Kids Say about Social Media and Productivity

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last year, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of almost fourteen hundred teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, to come to an understanding of our teenagers’ experiences and attitudes around social media and their mental health. One of the most interesting findings is that after all these years of adults noticing the drop in kids’ productivity due to so much time spent on social media, the kids are now beginning to realize this themselves. Four out of ten thirteen to seventeen year olds say that social media platforms hurt their productivity. This makes sense as we know that social media is distracting, with notifications interrupting whatever it might be that our attention should be focused on. In the past, research has shown that the human mind can not multi-task with optimal productivity for either task. Teach your kids to focus their minds on the task at hand, putting their phones aside so they might do their best at whatever it is, all to the glory of God.

Responding to Sexual Abuse 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Today we complete our week long look at childhood sexual abuse and how our churches should respond. Today I will issue a warning – don’t ever let down your guard. Over the course of the last few months our internet feeds and news sites have been filled with a steady streams of abuses revealed. Our temptation is to always point the finger and to shake our heads in pious disapproval, all the while denying that we’d ever think or do anything like that. Don’t buy the lie. We are sinful and fallen human beings. Each of us could easily cross the line into anything from inappropriate emotional enmeshment to sexual abuse. Surround yourself with accountability. Set boundaries and hold to them. Don’t take advantage of vulnerable young people in any way, shape, or form. And, if you’re struggling, step away and get the help that’s needed. Paul wasn’t joking when he said, “Flee from sexual immorality”

Responding to Sexual Abuse 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at how our churches should respond to the epidemic of childhood sexual abuse. Today’s advice? Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you have the knowledge and ability to intervene and do what needs to be done from start to finish. Trained and competent counselors must be employed to work with the victims and the perpetrator. Law enforcement officials must be informed immediately. Harvest USA, a ministry dealing with the scourge of sexual sin and brokenness, has a list of goals for the redemptive process. First, protect the minor child. Second, honor the laws of the state. Third, begin to repair the damage. Fourth, enable the perpetrator to face the consequences of his or her actions. Fifth, maintain the purity of the Church if the person is a part of the church. And sixth, maintain the purity of the witness of Christ in the community.

Responding to Sexual Abuse 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Today we continue our look at how to respond when childhood sexual abuse visits our church or someone we know. Never forget to focus on the victim. Believe it or not, they are oftentimes forgotten and blamed. What’s wrong with us? We must go out of our way to affirm young victims who come forward. Not only does this promote the process of healing for the victim, but it fosters a climate where other victims too scared to speak come to see the church as a safe place from which to launch on to the road to restoration. Realize that young sexual abuse victims need you to walk with them every step of the way. . . and that journey begins the moment they reveal their abuse. Being victimized by sexual abuse is a monumental faith-rattler. How we choose to respond – or not respond – to young victims will shape their concept of God, their relationship to the church, and their faith for the rest of their lives.

Responding to Sexual Abuse 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re looking at how to respond to the epidemic of childhood sexual abuse. Sadly, one of the complaints heard most often about Christians and the church is that we ignore the problem of sexual abuse, or sometimes even deny its existence. The consequences of our ignorance and irresponsibility are great. We wind up ignoring the need to develop effective and responsible preventive and redemptive responses. Fortunately, the growing pervasiveness of sexual abuse has caused many churches to wake up and establish protective policies for the church, their children’s ministry, and youth group. What, is your church doing? Work to implement policies and training that will reduce the risk of making it easy to put kids into the hands of sexual predators. Screen your volunteers. Require interviews and background checks. Implement oversight and accountability standards.

Responding to Sexual Abuse 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we will look at what the church can do in response to sexual abuse. First, talk about sexual abuse - over and over again. Make sure that everyone in your church understands the reality and pervasiveness of childhood sexual abuse. Not only does this paint sexual abuse as a very real social and spiritual problem, but it fuels a mentality that leads to the development of healthy preventive and redemptive responses measures. Talking about it with your kids helps them more readily recognize it as sinful and immoral behavior. Consequently, those who have been victimized will be more prone to come out of the shadows of secrecy and into the light that leads to liberation. And, you will be preparing kids to move into a spiritually healthy adulthood with an established sense of right and wrong. . . especially in a world that sends confusing sexual messages that only feed the mindset of the abuser.

Opening Your Home to Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 8 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Life for teenagers is difficult. When their hands hit the doorknob at your house, do they feel like they are stepping out of a difficult world into a place of even greater heartache, brokenness, and difficulty? Or are they able to breathe a sigh of relief as they step over the threshold into the loving, safe, and comforting place they call home? Be sure your home is the latter. And once it is, why not open the doors to your child’s peers, providing them with a safe and welcoming place too? Chances are good that your teenager has friends whose homes are anything but peaceful. Don’t see the presence of these kids as a burden. Rather, embrace the opportunity to love a young person who may not experience love anywhere else. If this is what you hope for your home to become, why not refinish your basement or furnish another room, then fill it with teenagers? Fill your refrigerator with food and for these kids. The potential for making a positive impact in a teenager’s life is tremendous.

What Kids Say about Social Media and Friendships

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 7 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last year, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of almost fourteen hundred teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, to come to an understanding of our teenagers’ experiences and attitudes around social media and their mental health. One of the most interesting findings is related to how social media affects one’s friendships. Teens say that there are positive effects on friendships, including being more connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives, finding it to be a place to show their creative side, finding people to help them during difficult times, and making them feel more accepted. But they also site negative impacts, including being overwhelmed by all the social drama, feeling the pressure to create content that others will like, feeling like their friends are leaving them out of things, and making them compare in ways that makes them feel worse about their own lives. Parents, this mixed bag is one reason why many experts are advising no social media until the age of sixteen.

Should I Tell My Kids about My Past?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 6 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

“How much should I tell my kids about my life as a teenager?” Ever wonder about that one? You have if you’re conscious about the mistakes you made during your teenage years and you’re dreading the day one of your kids starts asking those probing questions. Answering with age appropriate honesty is the best policy when kids are considering their own actions and wondering about what you did when you were their age. Our kids have asked us some very frank questions over the years. And, we’ve given them some very frank answers. At times, we’ve been able to espouse the virtues of God’s ways by speaking from the experience of embracing those ways during our own teenage years. At other times, we’ve been able to espouse the virtues of God’s ways by talking openly about the sins of our past and the resulting consequences of those sins. Telling your story with honesty is not only helpful for your kids, but your vulnerability makes you a real and credible person in their eyes.

Navigating the Pressure to Fit In

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 5 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The hallway of my junior high school seemed less like a passageway from class to class, and more like a gauntlet. Walking that hallway was painful business as my self-conscious self wondered where – if anywhere – I fit in to that mass of same-aged students known as my “peers.” As children move into the early stages of adolescence, peers become increasingly important. Kids feel more secure when they are accepted by a group of friends. Hiding in the confines of a group offers safety to an insecure and self-conscious teen. Peer acceptance is sometimes pursued with reckless abandon. . . and what they often abandon are the beliefs and behaviors you’ve instilled in them as decent, good, and right. Because rejection is feared and to be avoided at all costs, many kids will compromise these standards of right and wrong if that compromise will facilitate peer acceptance rather than rejection. Parents, talk to your teens about peer pressure, decision-making, God-honoring choices, and the nature of healthy friendships.

What Kids Say about Social Media Time

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 4 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last year, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of almost fourteen hundred teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, to come to an understanding of our teenagers’ experiences and attitudes around social media and their mental health. One of the most interesting findings points to the fact that our kids themselves are starting to see the downside of all this time spent on social media. Back in twenty twenty two, thirty six percent of kids said they spend too much time on social media. A year later, that number had dropped to twenty-seven percent. But in twenty-twenty-four, just one year later, the number jumped up to forty-five percent. We are hearing about more and more kids who are initiating steps on their own, by taking social media fasts, getting rid of their smartphones in favor of dumbphones, and getting off social media altogether. Parents, too much time spent on social media means too little time on other more important things, like the cultivating of a rich devotional life.

Teaching Kids to Walk with God 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 1 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’ve been looking at what we need to embrace for ourselves and in turn teach to our kids about what it means to walk with God. The guidance comes from the writings of the seventeenth century Puritan writer, Jeremiah Burroughs. Burroughs tell us that when we walk with God, we will experience his approval and blessing, and we won’t be looking for encouragement from the world. In today’s social media saturated world where everyone wants the likes and positive comments, this is a radically counter-cultural ideal. Burroughs teaches us to pray, “Lord, I depend on you for blessing, and however things seem to go, still Lord, I look up to you for your blessing and approval alone.” Parents, teach your kids that when they are truly walking with God, they will turn away from seeking the approval of others and the world, but look to God. Athletes often say it like this: “I am playing for the audience of one, for His approval, and for His glory alone.” May it be the same for our kids!

Teaching Kids to Walk with God 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at what we need to embrace for ourselves and in turn teach to our kids about what it means to walk with God. The guidance comes from the writings of the seventeenth century Puritan writer, Jeremiah Burroughs. Burroughs tell us that if we are walking with God, our lives will be marked by taking on the tasks we face not in our own power, but with the assistance of God. Parents, we can teach our kids to pray this prayer of dependence on God in all things: “Lord, this is the work you’ve called me to. Let me have strength from you to do this work. I can do nothing without you, Lord. Come, I pray, and assist me.” In this current age which celebrates individuality, our kids are being taught that they need to depend on nobody but themselves. They are being told the lie that all you have to do is put your mind to it and you can anything. But the Scriptures tells us that it is God who is our refuge and strength, and it only through Him that we do anything. Teach this to your kids.

Teaching Kids to Walk with God 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at what we need to embrace for ourselves and in turn teach to our kids about what it means to walk with God. The guidance comes from the writings of the seventeenth century Puritan writer, Jeremiah Burroughs. Burroughs tell us that when we set ourselves to walk with God, we depend on God for protection as He takes care to watch over us in whatever we do. Our kids need to learn that the pathway of discipleship, which is the pathway of self-denial, is one where we will experience difficulties, dangers, and even opportunities to enter into the sufferings of Christ. We should teach our kids to pray this prayer from Burroughs: “Lord, I am in the way into which you have guided me. I may meet with much trouble and affliction. But Lord, protect me, defend me in this way of yours.” Parents, as we walk with God, let us echo these words of the Psalmist: “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Teaching Kids to Walk with God 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at what we need to embrace for ourselves and in turn teach to our kids about what it means to walk with God. The guidance comes from the writings of the seventeenth century Puritan writer, Jeremiah Burroughs. Burroughs tell us that when we are walking with God, we will depend on God for direction. In today’s world, so many cultural voices are calling out to our kids, inviting them to come and follow. If they assent, they will find themselves on what the Bible calls the wide road that leads to destruction. But if we are Christians, we are called to ignore those voices, instead looking to and depending on God over the course of our lives. We must teach our kids to pray, “Lord, lead me, guide me.” Burroughs says that wicked hearts avoid listening to and following the guidance of the Lord. We must teach our kids that rather than listening to the voices in the world or their own untrustworthy thoughts, we are to seek to hear God speak in His Word and walk in His ways.

Teaching Kids to Walk with God 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

If you are familiar with your Bible characters you know that there are two individuals mentioned in the early chapters of Genesis who, we read, “walked with God.” Both Enoch and Noah are described in this way, indicating that they had a close and intimate relationship with almighty God. What is indicated by this descriptor is that they both lived obediently as they worshipped, prayed, and sought God’s guidance. All of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, young and old alike, need to make walking with God our top priority in life. As parents, we need to walk in total dependence on God, and we should pray that the children and teens we are raising will grow up to do the same. I have recently been reading a series of writings from the seventeenth century Puritan preacher Jeremiah Burroughs, which are all about what it means to walk with God. Listen in for the rest of this week, as I will be passing on good guidance and advice from Burroughs that can shape how we lead our kids.

Peer Pressure and Your Kids' Friends

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Because the teenage years are filled with so much change and uncertainty, your kids yearn for stability and normalcy. Their search for a safe place to belong leads them to the haven of friendships with peers. These friendships are important and necessary as our kids begin to move towards the independence of adulthood. This means that they’ll face peer pressure. That pressure can either be positive - influencing them to make good choices - or negative. . . something most of us remember all too well from the impulsive peer-influenced decisions we made during our own teenage years! Getting to know your teen’s friends opens a wide window into understanding the unique blend of peer pressures your teen is facing. That knowledge allows you to respond to those realities with Godly wisdom, direction, and boundaries. But that’s not all. You’ll be opening the door to other kids who will benefit from - and might even desperately need - your friendship, Godly wisdom, and guidance as well.

How Depressed and Anxious Kids Experience Social Media

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt muellerc, cpyu) — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

New research from the University of Cambridge offers up some noteworthy information on the relationship between teen social media use and mental health conditions. Researchers found that kids who struggle with anxiety and depression report higher rates of being negatively affected by social media. Those with anxiety and depression have a higher rate of comparing themselves to others on social media, having a lack of self-control over the time they spend on social media, and experiencing changes in their mood in response to the comments or likes they receive on social media. While the study doesn’t say that social media use causes these mental health conditions, it does say that those who have them use social media differently, including spending an average of almost an hour more per day on social media than those who aren’t anxious or depressed. Parents, monitor your kids use, and if they need help, get them to a qualified Christian counselor.

The Parenting Power of Good Questions

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I’ve become known around my house as the guy who asks too many questions. To be honest, I think I get a little annoying. One thing I’ve learned is that I need to ask good questions. Our tendency is to talk at, rather than listen to our kids. The bad news is that this approach is a communication killer. Asking good questions serves to open the floodgates of communication by encouraging your kids to express themselves. Asking questions lets your kids know you want to hear what they have to say. Good questions asked at just the right time helps teens think through their actions, process the decisions they’ve made, and consider the resulting consequences. Good questions give kids the opportunity to be treated like an adult, rather than a child. And remember, good questions are differentiated from bad questions because they can’t be answered with only one word or a grunt. Good open-ended questions start with words like “how,” “why,” and “what.”

What Does Porn Do To Kids?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Online pornography is an ever-present reality in today’s world. I recently asked Google this question: “What percentage of the internet is pornography.” I was told it’s estimated that around twelve percent of the internet is dedicated to pornographic content. In a recent letter to First Things journal, reader Isabel Hogben wrote these compelling words about the power of porn: “Online porn shatters human dignity by reducing an extraordinary, singular personhood to a pixelated consumable, rather than recognizing each and every human being as an embodied soul and remarkable phenomenon. Porn presents a child, the ultimate moral work in progress, with a deficient and depraved account of the self, love, and how we ought to treat each other. It teaches kids that a person is something to view from afar, commodify, and objectify, and its accessibility to children is an excellent way to spawn a generation of media-obsessed, atomized, hyper-consumerists.”

The Power of Reckless Words

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As a dad, I’ve learned over and over that I need to choose my words carefully. I’m usually reminded after moments of being very careless with my words. Proverbs 12:18 tells us that “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” I read that and can only respond with one word. . . . “Guilty!” I’ve thrown reckless words around my relationships with abandon, especially with those who live under my roof. Reckless words are not only harmful to our communication, but to our relationships with our kids. Stuff that mindlessly rolls off our tongues in a rage-filled or careless moment can stick with them forever. Taking the time to habitually think before we speak is an investment that will pay great dividends in strengthened parent/teen relationships and positive parental influence. A necessary mark of healthy relationships is that we are dads and moms who always take the time to think before we speak.

Our Kids' Mistakes and Our Shame

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Remember what used to happen to the teenage girl from the Christian family who got pregnant? Maybe you don’t, because you never heard in the first place that the girl was even pregnant. She just disappeared. . . usually halfway across the country to Aunt Martha’s farm. Then, a year or two later, she’d reappear and life would go on as if nothing happened. That’s the way it used to be in the church when a family was in crisis. If other people found out, a family was surrounded by judgment rather than grace. We deal with the fallout of that way of life when we find ourselves in crisis and our first thought is “What will other people think??” or “Who knows??” Consequently, we do all we can to cover up the crisis, deal with it quietly, and move on. But that’s a horrible way to live and it’s not the least bit helpful to our kids. It exposes the idolatry of our own hearts, sending the message that we’re more concerned about what other people think of us, than the well-being of our kids.

Who Teens Hope Will Listen on Mental Health

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last year, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of almost fourteen hundred teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, to come to an understanding of our teenagers’ experiences and attitudes around social media and their mental health. One of the most interesting findings is one that I also find encouraging. Teens were asked about who they are most comfortable talking about their mental health with. The options included parents, friends, a mental health therapist, a family member other than a parent, and a teacher. Fifty two percent of the kids said they are extremely or very likely to talk to their parent. However, sixteen percent did say they are not too or not at all likely to talk to a parent. No matter what, we can always exert greater effort at building the kind of relationships with our kids that encourage good communication and a willingness to open up. Be sure your kids know that along with God, you are always available whenever they want to talk!

Raising Genuine Christians

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

It’s been twenty five years since Nancy Pearcey and the late Chuck Colson published their book, titled with this question: How Now Shall We Live? The book is still relevant, as it offers us an understanding of how to confront and navigate the cultural narrative in ways that lead Christians to live counter-culturally to the honor and glory of God. There are a couple of sentences in the book that can set us straight as we endeavor to live as followers of Jesus Christ and encourage our kids to do the same. They write, “Genuine Christianity is more than a relationship with Jesus, as expressed in personal piety, church attendance, Bible Study, and works of charity. It is more than discipleship, more than believing a system of doctrines about God. Genuine Christianity is a way of seeing and comprehending all reality.” Parents, are you teaching your kids that Christianity should direct all their decisions, all their beliefs, all their lifestyle choices, and all their actions?

Are our Kids Losing their Hearing?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I love listening to music. As a music lover, nothing enhances my own listening experience as much as a good set of ear buds and a volume setting that I’m sure is higher than it should be. Lately, my difficulty hearing conversations when there’s ambient noise have me wishing I could rewind to turn down the volume that I’m sure now effects my hearing as I’ve gotten older. The World Health Organization tell us that globally, thirty-four million children have deafness or hearing loss, of which sixty percent of the cases are due to preventable causes. As you might expect much of this could be mitigated if we would intervene when our children are younger, teaching them to practice safe listening habits, such as using headphones or earbuds less frequently, and turning down the volume. Parents, you are responsible for stewarding your child’s health, including their hearing, to the glory of God, so that they might make choices now that lead to life-long hearing health.

Chatbot Relationships

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Listen to these heartfelt words of warning from Megan Garcia, the mother of a fourteen year-old boy who died by suicide in February: “There is a platform out there you might not have heard about, but you need to know about it because, in my opinion, we are behind the eight ball here. A child is gone. My child is gone.” Her son, Sewell, had logged on to a site known as Character.AI. The site allows users to create and interact with fictional chatbot characters. Kids who are lonely are especially vulnerable to going deep into these so-called relationships with chatbots. But the risks are many, including exposure to hate speech, sexually explicit content, security issues, and privacy violations. In Garcia’s case, she is now suing the company, since in a conversation where he said he was considering suicide, the chatbot did not dissuade him. Parents, shield your kids from these ai companion sites. What our kids really need are healthy real-life relationships with family and friends.

Phone Free Schools 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’ve been looking at the thought and planning that went into the Philadelphia area’s Delaware County Christian School’s establishment of their well-received and highly successful phone free school policy. The school wanted to address a rise in mediocrity. Administrators write, We are far too easily pleased with superficial counterfeits for the good, the true, and the beautiful, mediated through a five-inch rectangular smartphone screen. We are far too easily pleased with half-hearted intellectual effort on school assignments, though we are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The question was then asked, What steps can we take to overcome mediocrity and steward what God has given us, to pursue excellence throughout the day for His glory? We applaud the Delaware County Christian School for thoughtfully and theologically creating a path we all must walk, managing our smartphones, rather than allowing them to control us and our kids.

Phone Free Schools 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week I’m looking at the thought and planning that went into the Philadelphia area’s Delaware County Christian School’s establishment of their well-received and highly successful phone free school policy. One pattern of life in today’s world that the school wanted to address was the ever-present reality of interruptions. As an introduction to their policy, the school shares these words: the average American checks his or her phone one-hundred and forty-four times a day. Research indicates that there is an addictive component to the dopamine rush in our brains associated with smartphone notifications and multi-tasking. As a result, any deeper learning, critical analysis, problem solving, or creative process that we undertake is almost always interrupted, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. The policy writers than ask this question which we all must consider: What steps can we take to limit these interruptions and increase students’ capacity for protracted focus?

Phone Free Schools 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 9 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week I’m looking at the thought and planning that went into the Philadelphia area Delaware County Christian School establishment of their well-received and highly successful phone free school day policy. The first pattern of life in today’s world that the school wanted to address was noise. As an introduction to their policy, the school shares these words: “The modern age is filled with noise everywhere we turn. Teens and adults alike fill almost every quiet moment with earbuds, music, podcasts, news, doom-scrolling through social media, and even emails. As we encourage young people to carve out even ten to twenty minutes of sustained quiet time with God and His Word in their personal lives, the practice seems arduous at best and impossible at worst.” The school then asked this question that all of us should ask ourselves: “What steps can we take to limit the noise and cultivate windows of quiet in the lives of our school community members, especially our teens?”

Phone Free Schools 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 8 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week I’m looking at the thought and planning that went into the Philadelphia area’s Delaware County Christian School establishment of their well-received and highly successful phone free school day policy. Administrators took seriously the Apostle Paul’s call in Romans twelve to no longer conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. They recognized that the current smartphone pattern of this world was undermining the flourishing of their students in their homes, their friendships, their family lives, their educational experience, and their personal faith. Technology was playing a role in impeding student’s abilities to connect deeply and authentically with loved ones and friends, with teachers/coaches/and other mentors, with the academic curricula and important ideas, and with the person of Jesus Christ, His word, and His will. Come back tomorrow as we look further into the patterns of this world that administrators sought to address.

Phone Free Schools 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 7 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In his book “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt offers a series of recommendations for how to stop the epidemic of youth mental health issues. One of those recommendations is straightforward and blunt: no smartphones in schools. Fortuneately there’s a growing movement among schools, parents, and even some students themselves to make this necessary move. I’ve had conversations with administrators at the Delaware County Christian School just outside of Philadelphia regarding the decision they’ve made to take phones out of students’ hands for the duration of the school day. The move by DCCS was made thoughtfully, with reflection on cultural realities along with practical and theological reasons for establishing a phone-free school policy. As expected, this new policy has been widely applauded in the school community, and resulted in several positive outcomes. Listen in all this week as we talk about why we need phone-free schools.

Do Kids Think Social Media is Harmful?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 4 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last year, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of almost fourteen hundred teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, to come to an understanding of our teenagers’ experiences and attitudes around social media and their mental health. One of the most interesting findings is our teenagers’ shifting attitudes on whether or not social media is harmless, or harmful. Back in twenty twenty-two, thirty-two percent of our thirteen to seventeen year olds said that social media sites have a mostly negative effect on people their age. At the end of twenty-twenty-four, the percentage of kids saying the same thing had risen significantly to forty-eight percent. Parents, when our kids themselves are self-reporting that social media is harmful, we need to interpret that as a cry for help. God has given you the responsibility to raise and nurture your kids to spiritual maturity. Perhaps it’s time we realize that we must take steps to help them peel away from social media harm.

Where Do Kids Turn for Mental health Info?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 3 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last year, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of almost fourteen hundred teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, to come to an understanding of our teenagers’ experiences and attitudes around social media and their mental health. One of the most concerning findings to me is that thirty-four percent of our kids say they go to social media to get mental health information, with sixty-three percent of the kids surveyed saying that social media is an important source for information about mental health. My concern is fueled by the fact that even though one can find good advice on social media, it is also a source of misinformation, and even the kind of bad information that can encourage kids to embrace and lean into things like gender confusion, immoral sexual practices, and body dysmorphia. Parents, prepare your kids with warnings about what they might find on the internet, along with constant encouragement to come to you so that together you might get the proper needed help.

Parents, Are You Listening?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 2 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All too often I’m the guy who’s described in Proverbs 18, verses two and thirteen. I’m the fool who “finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions” and the shameful fool “who answers before listening” . I’ve had to learn the hard way that when I’ve been thrust into conversations with my kids where we don’t see eye-to-eye, it’s sometimes best to bite my tongue, shut my mouth, and open my ears. We have to remember that our kids are not yet adults. Therefore, we can expect a mix of developing and not-yet-there thinking ability tainted by immaturity, impulsivity, inconsistent logic, and a lack of the kind of wisdom that comes with age and experience. Speaking quickly to point out that they have no idea what they’re talking about, to tell them that they’re wrong, and to quickly pass on the right answer. . . well, all those approaches can actually stifle communication. Listen first. And when our kids know they’ve been heard and respected, they’ll be more prone to listen to us.

looksmaxxing or looksminimizing

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 1 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

We all know that social media has fueled a trend known as looksmaxxing. This online movement encourages men and boys to live up to body-image and fashion standards through working out obsessively, spending on clothing, and even going so far as getting cosmetic surgery. It’s one more evidence of our culture’s obsession with finding our identity in outward appearance. In a strange effort to push back on looksmaxxing, a nineteen-year-old boy has gone onto tiktok and is posting videos under the name Trap Man and the hashtag looksminimizing. His videos show the results of working out only one trapezius muscle on his body, and nothing else, resulting in a massive left side and a more normal-sized right side. The pushback on looksmaxxing is needed. Perhaps the best way for us to do this is to remind our kids that while the culture tells us to place value on their outside, God looks on and desires the developments of our inside spiritual lives.

Success in School vs Success in Life

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

It’s been almost forty years since I tried to intervene in some decisions a group of teenage girls were making on a day off from school. I was a youth pastor at the time and my station wagon was one vehicle in a convoy of several that were driving a couple of hours away for a day of youth group skiing. Three of the girls in the way back seat were buried in their books. I asked,“Do you ladies have a test tomorrow?” “No, we just want to keep up so that we can get A’s in this class.” “Come on, let’s enjoy the day together,” I said. Sadly, those girls avoided the slopes, sitting in the lodge all day with their faces in their books. While studying is a good thing, these girls were obsessed by the pressure to finish at the top of their class. They were finding their identity in their school accomplishments and class rank. David Brooks writes: “Success in school is not the same thing as success in life.” Parents, teach your kids that success in life comes through glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.

Parenting and Soap

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I once heard it said that raising teens is like holding a wet bar of soap: too firm a grasp and it shoots from your hand: too loose a grasp, and it slides away. A gentle but firm grasp keeps it in your hand. One of the greatest gifts we can give to our kids is the gift of reasonable and loving boundaries. Boundaries help our kids to recognize right from wrong, to stay safe within the confines of God’s will and way, and to teach them the self-control that will serve them well as they take on responsibility for themselves for the rest of their lives. When your kids look back on their growing-up years, they will thank you that you took the time to teach them that there truly is right and wrong in a world that works so hard to teach them otherwise. But you must also remember that one of the greatest teaching tools is experience. As they grow older, hold them more loosely, allowing them to make mistakes and to learn by suffering the consequences of those mistakes. Remember, you are preparing them for life.

Digital Eugenics

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Eugenics is defined as the study of how to arrange reproduction within a human population to increase the inheritable characteristics regarded as desirable. Perhaps the most recognizable example from history is the horrific and deplorable work in eugenics performed by Hitler’s Nazi’s. These efforts were put into effect in order to create a master or aryan race, believing that entire groups of people should be eliminated because of their undesirable characteristics. I was thinking about how life for our kids in today’s social-media-driven world leads them into deep self-assessment that typically leaves them feeling as if they are somehow less than because they don’t look like those they’ve been led to believe are most desirable. Could it be that the use of filters and photo-shopping tools to alter their photos could actually be a kind of digital eugenics? Our kids need to realize that they are filled with the utmost value and worth, created by a loving God as individuals with unique dignity.

Where Do Kids Go to Find Happiness?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

With so much of the news focusing on the decline of adolescent mental health, Charley Lock of the New York Times recently asked dozens of young people from across the United States to share, in their own words, what type of things they do to find happiness. The answers ran the gamut from watching jellyfish videos, to falling asleep while on the phone with a friend, to going fishing alone, to waking up during the night to turn on international soccer games. One of the answers that caught my eye was this: I listen to gospel music. This came from seventeen year-old Isaiah Gregory, who says, “When I feel weary or experience doubt, I listen to Gospel music. One of my favorite songs is “Deliver Me” by Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City singers.” Isaiah goes on to say, “I’ve experienced some mental-health issues, and gospel has helped to bring me back.” Thanks Isaiah, for reminding us all of the life-giving power of the message of new life in Jesus Christ.

Your Kids and Surveillance Capitalism

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Here’s a term that I just heard that all of us must be aware of: “surveillance capitalism”. The term and the practice is one that is especially prominent in our current online digital age. Simply stated, surveillance capitalism is about monitoring people’s online behavior, including that of our kids, in order to capture data about one’s preferences and habits in order to take that data and use it to target that person with carefully curated marketing and advertising, all in the name of getting that person to buy, buy, and buy some more. The data that’s collected is personal info, personal interests, the websites you visit, and your social preferences and lifestyle habits. Recently, Facebook was accused of tracking when adolescent girls deleted their selfies. Believing that these girls were emotionally vulnerable in that moment, Facebook then fed them a beauty ad. All marketing targets our hopes for redemption. Help your kids see that buying stuff doesn’t meet their need for Jesus.

Walking Through Adolescence with our Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The amount of change and questioning our kids face makes teenagers more vulnerable to stress than any other age group. Things that would never bother us as adults can be devastating to a teenager. The stuff we might write off can be monumentally difficult for them to handle or overcome. When you’ve seen a teenager stress out over a “wardrobe crisis,” mediocre test grade that has no bearing on eternity, or facial blemish. . . you have to wonder what might happen if they would ever face problems of a more severe and significant nature. We can’t forget that the adolescent years are a time of change, pressure, crisis, and even impulsive overreaction. While we might be tempted to simply say “get over it” (and there are times where that response might be justified!), it’s better to walk through the crisis with them and allow them to express themselves, all the while offering support and the benefit of a more mature perspective.

Kids, Parents, and Appearance Pressure

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Remember the amount of time you spent looking in the mirror when you were going through your teenage years? We wondered what was happening, wondered where it was all going, and usually lamented the fact that we weren’t “shaping up” the way we thought we should. It’s still the same for today’s teens, but also very different. When they look in the mirror, they’re also looking over their shoulders at the images of the perfect people the media throws at them thousands of times a day – actors, actresses, supermodels, sports stars, and their photo-shopped peers on social media. Somewhere along the way, our kids believe the lie that if you want to be valuable, worthwhile, lovable, and acceptable then that’s what you’ve got to look like. By being loving, sensitive, and resistant to these pressures in your own life, you can serve as a buffer in the midst of a pressure-filled media and peer culture that relentlessly hammers your kid with these dangerous and impossible to achieve standards.

What Happens When Kids Unplug?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Pastor Seth Hedman is a millennial who has done something very un-millenial-like with technology and social media. He has led his family through a process of incrementally unplugging from technology and social media to focus more on their spiritual lives. In an article in a recent edition of Touchstone Magazine, Hedman reminds readers that social media and our smartphones are designed to grab our attention, thereby distracting us away from the things that matter most, like fostering our relationship with God and with each other. He writes, “Social media is inherently designed to capture and hold your attention in order to sell advertisements. Through carefully crafted feedback and reward mechanisms, social media is designed to trigger the same dopamine release and addictions as slot machines. . . You become what you give your attention to. Endless scrolling and streaming are filling us with darkness.” Let’s remember Hedman’s warning, and lead our kids into the light of the Gospel.

Are We Concerned about Teen Mental Health?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last year, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of almost fourteen hundred teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, and their parents, to come to an understanding of our teenagers’ experiences and attitudes around social media and their mental health. One of the most interesting findings is that both parents and teens have concerns about teen mental health these days. Only twenty-three percent of teens reported being not too or not at all concerned about teen mental health, which means that seventy-seven percent of teens report being extremely, very, or somewhat concerned. For parents, the concern was more widespread, with almost nine out of ten parents being extremely, very, or somewhat concerned about teen mental health. Parents, there are ways in which you may know your teens even better than they know themselves. If you are concerned, ask questions, pay attention, eliminate unnecessary pressures, and where needed, secure the help of a qualified Christian counselor.

Kids and Cursing Culture

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The headline of a recent New York Times article caught my eye. It reads, What Teenagers Are Saying About Cursing. This question was posed to teenagers: Is there too much cursing these days? How did the kids respond. Among other things, many of the kids surveyed said that cursing is an ever-present reality in today’s world, and it is problematic. Others wrote cursing off as being just the way people talk these days. Still others are concerned that the use of profanity was too widespread and commonplace, especially in the online world. One girl even said that what she calls “cursing culture” is everywhere. Parents, we need to raise up children and teens who heed Paul’s words to the Ephesians, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”

What Kids Say is Impacting Them Negatively

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last year, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of almost fourteen hundred teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, to come to an understanding of our teenagers’ experiences and attitudes around social media and their mental health. One of the most interesting findings is one that helps us to understand that the world has changed since we were kids, and that there are aspects of their lives that are foreign to us. When asked to list the one thing that they think most negatively impacts teen mental health, the top five things teens listed are these: twenty two percent said social media. At number two, was bullying, mentioned by seventeen percent. At number three was pressures and expectations, mentioned by sixteen percent. Coming in at four was general technology, at eight percent. And finally, only five percent mentioned school. It’s interesting that every one of these pressures is ramped up by spending time online. Doesn’t it make sense that we establish time limits for social media use?

Father's Day 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’ve been looking at the powerful role Dads play in their teen’s lives. Our kids will mess up. For some, their poor decisions will result in consequences that last a long time. Others may enter into a rebellious period that leaves you hoping and praying that like the prodigal son, they’ll return home. It’s at these times when we need to realize that loving our kids, means being committed to our kids. Teens living in today’s culture face incredible pressures. Because they are sinful human beings, they will from time to time give in. We need to continue to love them when they mess up, are unreasonable, make mistakes, and don’t deserve it. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate the great advice given by Christian psychologist Dr. John White, who himself dealt with a rebellious son. His basic rule for parenting is is this: “As Christ is to me, so must I be to my children.”

Father's Day 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re discussing what teens need in a dad. When my son Josh was still in his preschool years, he opened my eyes to the power of my example. While riding together in the car I had to swerve and skid to avoid an accident. As we screeched to a halt and the other car went whizzing past us, Josh looked out his window in the direction of the other driver. While raising and shaking his fist, he yelled, “You Idiot!” It didn’t take long to realize where my mild-mannered little boy had learned such hostile behavior. Our kids become like us. They learn from our example. The things we do and say model who they are to become. The power of a dad’s example is captured in the old saying, “Like father, like son.” Dad, what kind of example are you providing for your kids? And, if you want your kids to grow up to be followers of Jesus Christ, are you doing the same?

Father's Day 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re focusing on Fathers. Sadly, the experience of many teens indicates their fathers fail to listen. Research shows that mothers are far more likely than fathers to discuss problems and have close personal talks with their teenage children. As a result, both teenage boys and girls say they feel freer to go to their mothers, rather than their fathers, to “talk about anything,” to “talk openly,” “and to “tell her my problems.” When asked to choose the most likely option out of the four choices of mother, father, close male friend, or close female friend in response to the statement “This person and I always talk openly to each other,” only four percent of teenage sons and one percent of teenage daughters chose “father.” Teenagers want desperately to talk with their dads. Psychologist Paul Tournier wrote, “Every human being needs to express himself. Through lack of opportunity for it, one may become sick.”

Father's Day 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re talking about fathers. In his book The Seven Secrets of Effective Fathers, Ken Canfield tells Dads that the first secret to fathering effectiveness is commitment. Commitment involves much more than claiming your child as your own. This commitment requires a conscious choice to be your child’s father, along with resolving to work for your child’s benefit. Fathers who choose not to commit are opening the door for someone or something else to raise their children. In today’s youth culture, there are a variety of fathering surrogates stepping in to assume the role of Dad. It could be social media, the school system, the government, or your daughter’s boyfriend. Consider these two facts: If you don’t choose to father your children, someone else will. Ask God to help you do those things a dad should do for his children. Your investment in your kids will pay great dividends.

Father's Day 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 9 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

This week I want to talk about fathers. Research indicates that tonight, 40% of America’s children and teens will go to bed in a home where their father does not live. Countless millions more will go to bed in a home where their father is physically present, but emotionally or spiritually detached. Father absence is a contributing factor to virtually every social problem and pressure facing our teenagers today. An absent dad invites the presence of pain. Substance abuse, peer pressure, premarital sexual activity, depression, and suicide are just a few of the issues that are more likely to be present in a teenager’s life if Dad is out of the picture. God has created us to live in families with both a mom and a dad. This Sunday, as you’re opening your father’s day gift, think long and hard about giving your kids the gift of a loving and involved dad.

Preventing Anxiety 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 6 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

With anxiety off the charts as a growing epidemic among children and teens, we’ve spent all this week looking at strategies you can employ to prevent anxiety in the kids you know and love. Today I want to share a strategy that can push back against social anxiety, which is one of the most prominent forms of anxiety we hear about in the youth population. While its essential that we all involve ourselves in Christian fellowship with other members of the body of Christ, it’s especially helpful for our kids to be assimilated into two specific groups. First, involvement in a caring Christian youth group community provides shelter from the pressures of the larger real-life peer group and the virtual peer group found on social media. And second, our kids need to be integrated into the larger body of Christ where they can interact with a variety of caring adults. Never underestimate the power of Christian community to foster healthy spiritual growth and development. Your kids were made for it.

Preventing Anxiety 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 5 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Preventing Anxiety 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 4 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

With anxiety off the charts as a growing epidemic among children and teens, we’re spending all this week looking at strategies you can employ to prevent anxiety in the kids you know and love. One of the best ways to prevent anxiety is to stop overscheduling your kids. Research on today’s culture points to the fact that our kids are so over-involved and feeling such incredible pressure to achieve at the highest levels in all of their activities, that they are crumbling under the pressure. One way to push back is to be sure that your kids are eating right, getting enough exercise, and sleeping nightly for the nine hours and fifteen minutes of uninterrupted sleep that’s necessary for healthy growth and development. In addition, we must recognize the fact that God made us for a rhythm of work and rest. This includes the need for a Sabbath. What would happen if we recovered the practice of taking one day a week to rest? I’m sure we would see a decline in anxiety.

Preventing Anxiety 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 3 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

With anxiety off the charts as a growing epidemic among children and teens, we’re spending all this week looking at strategies you can employ to prevent anxiety in the kids you know and love. One important step we can take is to teach our kids that the nature of living the Christian life is like running a race. The writer of Hebrews tells us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. And, as we run and struggle and even stumble at times, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the pioneer and perfector of our faith. In my own life, one of the greatest causes of anxiety is the tendency to take my eyes off of Christ and to place them onto the temporary matters of life that can consume my thoughts and energies. Instead, we are instructed to look away from these idols and focus our gaze straight ahead to the one who waits for us at the finish line. Teach your kids to keep from looking side to side in the comparison game that only leads to fear and anxiety.

Preventing Anxiety 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 2 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

What are Your Kids Doing this Summer?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 30 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In Ephesians 5, Paul tells us to look carefully about how we walk, “not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” With the summer months approaching and the kids soon getting out of school, we want to encourage you to work with your kids to get off their screens, get out of the house, and make the most of the time rather than wasting their time on foolish pursuits. Here are some suggestions. For those who are old enough, have them secure a summer job. All of our kids should be required to perform daily and weekly chores around the house. Have them engage in outside yard work. Help them look for opportunities to volunteer. If they are too old to participate in your churches vacation Bible School, have them volunteer as helpers. Guide them to develop a short list of books to read over the summer months. Encourage them to develop a daily exercise plan. Teach them how to get into the habit of having daily devotions. Encourage your kids to have a wise summer.

Screen Time and Sleep

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 29 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The Influence of Bible Reading

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 28 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Fentanyl Dangers

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 27 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid drug that is approved by the FDA for use as a pain reliever and anesthetic. It is approximately one hundred times more potent than morphine, and fifty times more potent than heroin. It carries with it a high risk for addiction and dependence. When taken in high doses or when combined with other substances like alcohol or heroin, it is known to cause respiratory distress and death. Chances are, all of us know of a family that’s been impacted by fentanyl addiction and or overdose. These stories are alarming enough, but adding to our concerns over Fentanyl is the fact that fentanyl poisonings among teens ages thirteen to nineteen were up over fifteen-hundred percent. In 2023, forty-five percent of these poisonings were life-threatening, meaning that these kids could have died without treatment. Sixty-six percent of these occurred when kids were using the drug to get high. Parents, this is a drug use trend we need to notice and address.

Social Media - The Problem Is Us

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 26 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The Church's Call to Love Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 23 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Kids, Screens, and Addiction

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 22 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I was recently walking through a local retail establishment and passed a mother pushing her young son in a shopping cart. The boy, who I guessed to be either two or three years old, was not sitting up in the normal spot where kids sit, but down in the cart with a small amount of merchandise. As we passed, the little boy, sitting cross-legged, never looked up. Instead his eyes were focused on an ipad as he was continuously swiping at the screen with his fingers. A few seconds later, he loudly yelled, “Oh my!” And then a few seconds after that, he let out a loud “Kill him!” I have no idea what he was playing, but his focus never left the screen. What I do know is that this young and impressionable boy was getting an education of some sort that was not only shaping him now, but most likely for the rest of his life. It’s reasonable to assume that if this continued, he would soon be addicted to technology. Parents, exercise wisdom and protect your kids from digital harm.

The Secret to Parental Happiness

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 21 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Have you ever found yourself basing your mood and happiness on your teenagers mood and happiness? I’ve learned that that’s not a good thing to do. If you do, you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment. We’ve learned that even though we began our parenting adventure with a wonderfully written script. . . a script written by us that looked quite a bit like a Norman Rockwell painting. . . God had a different script for us to live. His script wasn’t 100% percent happy like ours. While it was a struggle for us, we learned that God gives us and our kids the opportunity to struggle through life so that we might grow and mature. If we were all to base our happiness on how well things were going with our kids. . . well, we’d all wind up spending time being miserable people. The Apostle Paul laid out a better way. . . in fact, it’s the right way. He writes in Romans 12: 12, “Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently, steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer.”

When they are Left Out

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 20 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Deepfake Nudes

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 19 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The story I’m about to share is not unique in today’s online digital world. USA Today recently reported on what happened to fourteen-year-old Elliston Berry in October 2023, when she received a text telling her that nude images of her were being passed around at her high school. A classmate had used artificial intelligence to create deepfake photos by putting a nude body on pictures of Berry that had been found on her Instagram account. The reality is that one in eight thirteen to seventeen year old teens know someone who has been victimized by photo-shopped deepfake nudes. One in seventeen kids say they have been personally victimized. Parents, since this technology is readily available, we need to warn our kids about the moral issues involved in not only creating and distributing pornography, but the way that digital sexual trafficking, which is clearly illegal, compromises and devalues the image of God in each of His unique human creations.

Teaching Kids to Walk with God

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 16 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

What 73 Percent of Parents Think about Kids and Screens

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 15 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Parenting in today’s world can be difficult and exhausting. One of the go-to’s for parents seeking rest and reprieve is to redirect our kids away from making demands on us and our time by putting a screen in their hands or setting them down in front of the TV. Because Christian parents are to live counter-cultural lives where we focus on raising our kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, allowing the cultural narrative to entertain and educate our kids is not a good choice. In addition, experts tell us that too much screen time delays and even derails healthy cognitive development, feeds anxiety and depression, and disrupts sleep. A recent Harris Poll has found that sixty percent of parents admit to allowing their children to use technology before they could read. Seeing what this has done too their kids, seventy-three percent believe their kids need a technology detox. Parents, limit screen time, monitor their use, and don’t put screens into the hands of young children.

Bible Reading, Paper or Screens

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 14 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Delayed Driver's License

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 13 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Muscle Dysmorphia

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 12 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Mother's Day Truth 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 9 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, I thought it would be good to spend our week looking at some helpful parenting truths. Today’s truth is this: Our teenagers were made to be in a relationship with God. Because our rebellion has severed our relationship with God, there remains a deep yearning inside each human being to have that relationship restored. Blaise Pascal described this universal hole in the soul as a god-shaped vacume. Teenagers are no different than anyone else. Their great need is to have this God-shaped emptiness filled by God. If you listen and look closely, you’ll see and hear that their music, films, books, magazines, and very lives are crying out for spiritual wholeness. Each of us can look directly in the eyes of the teenagers we know and love and be certain that this is their reality. Each one hungers for heaven. Parents, this should spur us on to constantly and consciously serve as signposts, pointing kids to the cross and their true home.

Mother's Day Truth 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 8 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, I thought it would be good to spend our week looking at some helpful parenting truths. Today’s truth is this: Any kid, anywhere, anytime. Sadly, there’s an assumption flying around that Christian kids are somehow immune from being vulnerable to the growing tide of negative influences in today’s rapidly changing culture. Many of us have bought the lie that “those things don’t happen in Christian families,” or “to Christian kids.” Believing this lie can lull us to sleep, keeping us from realistically recognizing and addressing the pressures that all kids face in today’s world. A variety of factors are combining to make the voices of the world far more compelling and attractive to kids. It doesn’t matter where they live, who they live with, or what kind of school they go to. Any kid, anywhere, can be influenced by any of the negative and dangerous aspects of our culture at any time. No church, school, family, or child is immune.

Mother's Day Truth 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 7 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, I thought it would be good to spend our week looking at some helpful parenting truths. Today’s truth is this: there are no perfect parents or kids. The Bible teaches us that sin is present in every human heart. At the root of problems in our families and homes is the sinful and selfish nature of children and their parents. At our house, there have been far too many times to even count where we’ve fought, bickered, argued, gotten irritated, and lacked patience. Parents who hope and expect to raise perfect kids and have a perfect family are biblically unrealistic. To embrace such expectations only burdens us and our children with the sense of failure that accompanies the albatross of not being able to measure up. We must never forget that we are all imperfect and finite beings who are touched by sin and incapable of perfection. While we should never minimize or overlook sin, we must realize that perfection won’t ever visit our parenting, our children, or our homes.

Mother's Day Truth 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 6 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, I thought it would be good to spend our week looking at some helpful parenting truths. Today’s truth is this: being a parent isn’t always easy. No matter how much time and effort we put into preparing for parenthood, there will always be unexpected surprises. Raising and relating to children is difficult for everyone, and it tends to become more so as children reach the teen years. Each of us will experience a different set of highs and lows, jolts and joys, thrills and spills. If you are struggling as a parent, rest assured that you are not alone. You, me, and all other parents stand together. The reality is that it’s not easy. But we can approach our parenting as a glorious challenge and opportunity. Dr. Paul Tripp reminds us, “the teen years are often cataclysmic years of conflict, struggle, and grief. They are years of new temptations, of trial and testing. Yet these very struggles, conflicts, trials and tests are what produce such wonderful parental opportunities.”

Mother's Day Truth 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 5 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

When Should I Seek Counseling?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 2 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The Online Gore Trend

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 1 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The dictionary defines the word gore as blood that has been shed, especially as a result of violence. Keep that definition in mind as you think about the fact that the attorney general of South Carolina, Alan Wilson, recently issued a warning to parents regarding online groups which are issuing invitations to our children and teens to create and share gorey videos online. One such group is known as the 764 organization, which is a decentralized online network of individuals who approach vulnerable kids, encouraging them to record acts of self-harm, cruelty to animals, child sexual abuse, bestiality, and even suicide. The attorney general says that these groups encourage and even threaten kids through online video games and chatrooms to become the victims themselves, and to victimize others. Parents, this gore trend offers one more reason to keep your kids safe by limiting their screen and online time. God calls us to protect our kids from harm, and to provide for their well-being.

Teen Slang

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

If you’ve ever found yourself alone in a foreign country where you can’t understand or speak the language, you’ve got some sense of what it’s like to enter into today’s teenage world where slang words make up so much of the conversation. Today, I want to do you a little service by passing on some of today’s latest and most popular slang common among the teen population. If you ask someone to “spill the tea,” you’re asking them to share some gossip. Someone or something that is “sus” is suspicious, shady, and not to be trusted. To “throw shade” is what “dissing” used to be, and it means to disrespect or trash-talk about someone. If someone talks about their “body count” they are speaking about the number of people they’ve slept with. To “smash” is to engage in casual sex. If something is “no cap” it means it’s totally true and not a lie. It’s hard to keep up with, I know. As adults, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb if you use the slang, but it is good to be in the know!

Do Our Kids Want Jobs or a Family?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Incel Culture

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

With so many people watching and talking about the Netflix four-part drama series, Adolescence, one of the issues raised by the series is what is called incel culture. Incel, spelled i-n-c-e-l, stands for involuntary celibate. In the show, parents and adults working to understand what’s behind the murder committed by thirteen-year-old Jamie Miller partially attribute his actions to incel culture. As he is bullied online by both male and female peers, Jamie describes himself as ugly, and is grappling with the fact that he is destined for a life without a girlfriend and will likely remain a virgin. Because this not what he desires, he sees himself as an incel, and the moniker is used negatively by others as a way to bully him. Jamie himself is radicalized by the online incel culture which propagates hatred, misogyny, and self-pity. Parents, you need to know that these things exist in the unseen underbelly of youth culture, and we need to answer all these matters with the truths of the Gospel.

How to be a Happy Parent

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Transgender and Identity

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Listen to these words from detransitioner Laura Perry Smalts in a recent Salvo Magazine article: “If I had known in 2007 that God’s creation of male and female was not only good but impossible to alter, I would have saved myself a tremendous amount of pain and suffering. At the time, I would have repeated the typical cultural catchphrase that I was born this way. I believed I was a man trapped in a woman’s body and that the only way I could be myself was to transition from female to male.” Laura Perry Smalts goes on to tell her story of transition, and how she came to the realization that she had been wrong, leading to a detransition. Her words are so helpful: “God said to me, “You cannot love me and yet reject my creation. Then I heard him say, Let me tell you who you are. In that moment, my whole idea of identity shifted from what I wanted to be, to who wanting to know who I was created to be.” Thank you Laura Perry Smalts, for reminding us of where to find our identity!

Pushing Back on Body Dysmorphia

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Kids and Self-Worship

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Biola University theology professor Thaddeus J. Williams has written a great book on living in today’s culture titled, “Don’t Follow Your Heart: Boldly Breaking The Ten Commandments of Self-Worship.” Williams enlightens readers, young and old, on how to identify the cultural lies we so easily believe, all of which are cultural lies that point us in the direction of worshipping and serving ourselves, rather than worshipping and serving God. Share these timely words from Williams with your kids: “ The more you worship yourself, the less you become your self. You become a shadow, a specter, and unself. The longer and deeper you stare into the mirror, looking for answers, the more it will feel like looking at Edvard Munch’s “the Scream.” This is the strange paradox of self-worship. Why? It’s simple. You were not designed to be the center point of your own psyche. You are not God. Self-deification is a bust.” Teach your children that have been made to worship God.

Kids and Pimple Patches

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I remember one of the great heartaches of my own adolescent years was a battle with face acne. I was raised in family where time and regular face-washing was seen as the remedy to something I dreamed I would one day grow out of. In today’s social-media-fueled image and appearance conscious world, teenagers have a host of preventive and treatment options at their fingertips. I recently discovered one of those remedies while making small talk with a twenty-something ticket agent at an airport. I asked her about the bright blue star sticker she displayed prominently on her cheek. “Oh!” she said without hesitation. “That’s a pimple patch!” Chances are you’ll see more of these medicated decorative accessories. Now you know what they are! Bear with me here when I suggest these patches offer us a teachable moment. From a theological perspective, we can reference these as remedies to deal with the effects of human sin and brokenness that appear even on our skin.

Feelings and God's Truth

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Why College Kids Can't Read

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The title of a recent article in Atlantic magazine caught my eye. It reads, “the elite college students who can't read books to read a book in college it helps to have read a book in high school.” In the article, Rose Horowitch writes that many students no longer arrive at college, even at highly selective elite colleges, prepared to read books. In her research she found that it's not that students don't want to do the reading. It's that they don't know how. Middle and high schools have stopped asking them to. She writes that in 1976 about 40% of high school seniors said they had read at least six books for fun in the previous year, compared with 11.5% who hadn't read any. By 2022, those percentages had flipped. It's reasonable to assume that one reason for the decline in reading and reading aptitude is the smartphone. One maxim that I heard years ago is this, readers are leaders and leaders are readers. Parents, we encourage you to get your kids to put down the phones and pick up a book.

Your Kids Need God

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Are You a Burdened Parent?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Put Down the Phones

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The Gift of an Encouraging Parent

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

What Does Lala-bop Mean?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Over the years, teen culture has seen many slang terms come and go as negative references to girls who it is assumed promiscuously sleep around. Now, there’s a new derogatory term that’s being used to bully and shame someone for engaging in allegedly promiscuous behavior. The term is “lala-bop”, or simply “bop.”. It originated in a 2021 sexually explicit song from rapper Almighty Rexxo. Social media bullies will use the term on TikTok and X as a way to label and demean girls, accusing them of sleeping around and being passed from guy to guy. The trend has become so common that schools are now taking steps to inform parents of the trend. In years past this trend has also been termed “slut-shaming.” We all know that our girls can be especially unkind to each other, especially during the middle school years. We would do well to warn our kids that this is not a behavior they should engage in, nor should they bully others. Instead, they are to treat each other with Christ-like kindness.

Exposed to Porn

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 9 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

A recent article in the first things journal, parents can't fight porn alone, tells the story of a 19 year old girl named Maddie and how she got wrapped up in a pornography addiction. Maddie grew up in a faith-based home and she had parents who were constantly paying attention to the dangers of technology, while monitoring where Maddie was spending her time. Her parents had put filters on her devices and they asked her to hand in her phone every night. Still, Maddie found pornography for the first time on her social media feed when she was only 13 years old. Curious about what she saw, she continued to dig further into the world of porn and learned how to bypass the parental controls her parents had put on the phone. This led to an addiction that lasted five years. Why did Maddie tell her story to first things? She wants parents to wake up and understand that kids are seeing porn on their phones all the time. Parents are you taking steps to monitor your children and warn them about porn?

Hope for Hopeless Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 8 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Kids and Chatbot Romances

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 7 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I recently logged onto the replica.com website and was greeted by a smiling AI created female face, and an invitation to create my own personal AI friend. The opening screen asked me if I was a woman, a man, or a non-binary person. Answering these questions is the first step on the journey to have Replika create a virtual chatbot friend. Users who remain on the free version of the platform can create a virtual friend, while those who opt to pay a subscription fee are offered a partner, spouse, sibling, or mentor. Sixty percent of the paid subscribers report having a romantic relationship with the chatbot. There are many reasons for us to not only know about these chatbot relationships, but to be concerned. With loneliness, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues on the rise, more and more of our kids have been and will be opting into these virtual relationships. This reminds us of our need to point kids to a relationship with Jesus, and real human relationships with friends and family.

Take an Interest in their Interests

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 4 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Bird-Watching Teens

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 3 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I recently read an interesting article about teenagers in central florida who have become interested in bird-watching. Now if you’re like me, you have never assumed that bird-watching would become a hobby growing in popularity among teenagers. But it appears that for this group of kids, taking walks outside during the Covid epidemic had them paying more attention to the world of nature, with many of them accumulating notes and photos on the birds they were seeing. This sounds to me like a positive outcome from Covid, as kids were spending less time inside with their eyes focused on screens, and more time outside looking at the created order. Perhaps all of us need to provide opportunities for our kids to get outside to see and understand what Psalm nineteen one tells us: “that the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the works of his hands.” God’s glory is all around us, screaming the reality of His presence, mercy, and love. Let’s encourage our kids to see it!

Kids and Cosmetic Surgery

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 2 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

“What has Jane Fonda done to her face?” Someone asked that question on social media after the eighty-seven year old actress was featured prominently in photos and videos from the screen actors guild award show. Fonda did not look like your average almost ninety year old woman. She was one of many high profile celebrities who have had cosmetic surgery of a variety of types in an effort to thwart the effects of time on the human body in order to maintain an appearance of youthfulness. Have you noticed the growing number of people who appear, as they say, to look like they’ve had work done? This trend will only continue as we seek to find our identity not in who we are in terms of our inward character, but in outward appearance. Reports show that more and more teens are opting for non-surgical and surgical cosmetic procedures. Friends, if we are to be new creations, as Paul says in second Corinthians, it is only through being born again through faith in Jesus Christ.

What is a Wedding Really About?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 1 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

This cultural trend is one that needs to be reersed. In a social media saturated world where we see ourselves as performers and function as such, even marriages have paid a steep price. And, if this is what our kids grow up believing a marriage really is, then we’ve done them a huge dis-service as we’ve nurtured them into either a rude awakening for which they are not prepared, or even marital failure. Parents, youth workers, and pastors, we need to do better. Teach your children about God’s design for marriage, conflict-resolution, and life-time commitment.

Kids Embracing a Smartphone Sabbath

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

What happens when a group of teenagers go without their smartphones for four weeks? Journalist Decca Aitkenhead found out when she devised an experiment to ban her two sons and eight of their friends from using their phones for four weeks. Initially, as you might imagine, there were protests. “You’ve got to joking” said fourteen year old Jake. But after the four weeks of allowing only one hour a day on a smartphone and the other twenty-three hours on a call and text only Light Phone, you need to hear what the kids had to say. One of the teens said, “Thank you so much for including me in this. It was way better than I expected it. I’m really glad I did it.” Another 14-year -old, admitting that he struggled at first, said, “But then, you begin to notice things. You start to see what’s going on on your smartphone doesn’t matter. You’ll never say on your deathbed, I wish I’d spent more time on my phone.” Parents, why not arrange a smartphone sabbath for your kids?

The Greatest Inheritance

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

When Do I Get My Kid a Smartphone?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

A couple of years I heard some very challenging words from the parents of a ten-year-old girl. They were part of a roomful of parents attending a seminar where I was speaking about kids, technology, and social media. At the end of the evening I asked if anyone had any questions. The young father raised his hand and said this. “A year ago we got our ten-year-old daughter a smartphone thinking that we were being good parents by protecting her from danger. But we have realized that we weren’t protecting her from danger, but actually putting a greater danger in her hands.” The parents were now thinking about how to pull back and remove the device that had very quickly become a time-consuming distraction and addiction. I’m sharing this father’s words with you for you to think about as you consider if and when you will put a smartphone in the hands of your child. Proverbs 27:12 tells us, “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”

All Teen Work Matters to God

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

While on a recent speaking trip down south, I got up early on a Saturday morning and walked to the only restaurant open for breakfast at that time in the morning. I was greeted by the teenage clerk with a loud and hearty “Welcome!”, something you don’t hear much at five am from anyone anywhere. A few pleasantries were exchanged with him and I ordered my food. Thinking I was going to pay with a card, he pointed down to the terminal where I was being asked about adding a tip. “Oh, I’m paying with cash,” I said. I handed him a ten dollar bill and said, “Keep the rest for you and your crew.” He was overjoyed. Oops. I then realized that I hadn’t given him a ten, but a twenty! There was no back-pedaling on my part. He called the entire crew out and they thanked me effusively for the two hundred percent tip! Their joy gave me joy, and I was reminded that all work matters to God. There is no such thing as menial work, and we must value everyone, regardless of their job or status.

What is Looksmaxxing?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Have you heard about the social media fueled appearance trend known as “looksmaxxing”? That’s spelled l-o-o-k-s-m-a-x-x-i-n-g. The term originated in online communities centered around what’s known as the involuntary celibate, or “incil” for short, cohort of young males. Incels would like to be in romantic and sexual relationships, but they blame women for their celibate status, primarily caused by the fact that women don’t find them attractive. So they engage in looksmaxxing, which is the process of maximizing their own physical attractiveness. Softmaxxing efforts include hair care, skin care, diet, and exercise. Hardmaxxing involves more radical interventions like plastic surgery. Parents, appearance pressure is real. Help your kids understand that nobody can meet these narrow and unrealistic standards, and that they must rest their identity in who they are as adopted sons and daughters of God. God is a God who looks on the heart, not on the outward appearance.

Kids and Electronic Addiction

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Demi Moore on Body Image

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

All truth is God's truth, and sometimes that truth comes across in places where we don't expect it. In a recent cover story in Elle magazine, actress Demi Moore talked about the struggle she's had with her body image. This is a struggle that's shared by all of our girls who are growing up in a social media saturated world where standards of beauty are put before them 24/7 through the images they see on their screens. Seeing all these images, most girls feel like they don't measure up and never will. Moore told Elle magazine, “I changed my body multiple times through different roles and I think I chose those roles whether it was conscious or not for the very opportunity to find some peace and self love. And when I did find that, it was only by really surrendering and letting go of what the outside was going to look like.” Parents, we need to instill in our daughters the truth of God's word, That their value and worth comes through the fact that they are divine image bearers who are to find their identity in him.

What is Telephobia?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

What is Shifting?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

There’s a concerning new trend among the emerging generations that offers up evidence of their deep search for meaning and purpose in life. It’s known as “shifting”, and it encompasses efforts by young people to escape their earthly presence and reality by transporting their consciousness into alternate realities. Reports from those who track with the trend online tell us that some want to escape into the world of Hogwarts or the Marvel Universe. Practitioners will oftentimes lie on the ground counting backwards while they visualize a desired reality, hoping to transport themselves into that world as an escape from the difficulties of this world. We need to be aware of this trend which not only fosters a desire to escape from the embodied reality we’ve been given by God, but is a supernatural foothold for the enemy to exploit. What shifters are ultimately searching for is a relationship with God, which should motivate us all the more to point them to Jesus.

YouTube Wisdom and Discernment

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Financial Sextortion and Suicide

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Late last month, an article appeared on the USA Today website under the headline, “These teenage boys were blackmailed online- and it cost them their lives.” Above the headline was a collage of photos of smiling, happy teens, each of whom had died by suicide after getting caught up in an online trap called financial sextortion. It’s a cybercrime that occurs when an online predator cultivates a friendly relationship with an unknowing young person who grows to trust the interactions, thinking that this person is a friend. Eventually the predator engages in sexually explicit conversation with the victim or convinces the victim to send a nude photograph. Immediately, the victim is threatened with exposure or jail time unless they send a large amount of money, sending message upon message stating such, which leads the victim to panic, which leads many to see no way out but suicide. Parents, the message here is clear: warn your kids to never engage online with someone they don’t know.

An Encouraging Word for Parents

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Today, I want to take a minute to offer some encouragement to parents who are enduring difficult times with their kids. If you’re currently struggling as a parent, you are not alone. All of us are broken people raising broken kids. But there’s another way in which you are not alone. The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm fifty-five of God’s never-ending presence and faithfulness, even when it seems like he’s not there. We read, “I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress and he hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Parents, when God seems silent, His work in your life is moving forward in powerful ways. Don’t decide to be fooled by what seems like silence. God is always at work for His glory and our good. So even though the burden is heavy today, be encouraged.

Marijuana Use

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

“We did it, and we turned out ok.” Perhaps you’ve heard that line of reasoning from other parents regarding today’s teens and marijuana use. In fact, a government survey indicates that since 2015, the number of parents who believe there is a risk of harm from using marijuana has dropped, from just over thirty percent of parents, to just over twenty percent today. But researchers and medical professionals will tell you that we should actually be more concerned about the risks from marijuana use, as the impact of smoking today’s marijuana is actually greater on the developing and vulnerable brains of our kids. Experts report that in the 1960’s, the THC content of marijuana was two to three percent. Today, it is twenty percent or more, making it ten times more potent. Doctors are seeing increased psychotic events attributed to this increased potency. Parents, monitor your kids, and don’t approve of the use of marijuana or any other substances kids are choosing to abuse.

Teaching Discernment

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to develop the skill of knowing, understanding, and applying the truths of God’s Word to all of life, so that we might distinguish truth from error, wisdom from foolishness, and right from wrong. And, as we develop discernment, we must also guide our impressionable young children and teens into doing the same, teaching them a skill which is desperately needed in a world where the winds of culture are furiously blowing our kids around in ways that so easily lead to shipwreck. The Psalmist prays these words: “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments”. Parents, look for and use the teachable moments everyday life brings to practice biblical discernment with your kids. When they become teenagers, we need to respect their developing cognitive abilities by thinking with them, so that we are preparing them for a lifetime of thinking with biblical discernment for themselves.

Sowing Seeds in a Child's Life

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

One of the best guides for how to pray for our kids is the parable of the sower, which can be found in Mark four. As Jesus is teaching about the power of Gospel to transform lives, he uses this well-known agricultural parable to explain the different responses people have to the Gospel, based on the condition of their heart. You see, just as good soil is needed for a seed to take root and grow, so it is with our hearts. As we think about our children and teens, we must be praying that their hearts would be like good soil, softened and prepared in ways that will receive the seed of the Gospel, which in turn will result in the spiritual fruit that marks a regenerate life. And while we are to trust in God’s Spirit to do the work of faith in our kids, we have been given the parental responsibility to nurture our kids in the truths of God’s Word so that the soil is ready to receive and grow the seed. Pray for your kids, that their hearts would be soft, rather than hard, rocky, or filled with weeds.

Parents and Youth Sports

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

If you’ve got kids who play youth sports, and that’s true for the majority of parents these days, I want to share with you some words from Linda Flanagan in her excellent book, “Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania are Ruining Kids’ Sports, and Why It Matters.” Flanagan writes, “Travis Dorsch heads a team at Utah State University that looks at how spending on sports affects families. His research found that the more money parents devote to a child’s sport, the less the child enjoys it, and the more pressure he or she feels. At the same time, the more parents pay, the more emotionally invested they become in the outcome of their child’s games. Children who understand that their parents might seek a return on the investment they’ve made lose their athletic verve. The intrinsic delight of playing gets squashed by parental pressures.” Parents, are you listening? There’s nothing wrong with youth sports. But when we idolize sports and our kids success, we are in the wrong, and it hurts them.

Helping Kids See Their Sin

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 7 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Advances in neurological science point to the amazing complexity of our God-made brains. Because their brains are still developing, our children, teens, and even young adults have what is called an underdeveloped impulse control. This makes them less prone to resist behavioral impulses and more prone to engage in risky behaviors perceived to bring some kind of immediate benefit, but which could also bring long-lasting negative consequences. In spiritual terms, this not only means that our kids are likely to lack wisdom and discernment, but more readily fall into sin. We need to teach them that as sinners, their default setting is to follow their sinful hearts more readily than they are to follow God’s Word. Which means that we must nurture them into knowing God’s good, life-giving Word, helping to expose sin. As their frontal lobes are still developing, they need parents who serve to train them in Godly decision-making and living.

Is Life Getting Harder?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 6 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

When you were growing up, how many times did you hear your parents begin a sentence with these words: “When I was your age. . .” What usually followed was some kind of revelation comparing the relative ease of teenage life in your world, with the unimaginable difficulties your parents faced during their own adolescence. This includes the stereotypical account of walking ten miles to school in sub-zero weather and three feet of snow. Recently, Pew Research asked parents, “compared with twenty years ago, do you think being a teenager today is harder, easier or about the same?” Nearly seven out of ten parents say that it’s harder today, than it was twenty years ago. When asked about what has made it harder, it’s not surprising that social media and technology are what sit at the top of the list. It’s good that we’re waking up to this fact. It will be even better if we fulfill our God-ordained parenting responsibility by establishing borders and boundaries on all things technology.

Youth Pastors and Self Promotion

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 5 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Today, I want to mention a youth culture trend that is not only shaping the lives of children and teens, but adults as well. Specifically, I’ve seen this trend take root and grow among many who lead and guide kids, and who should know better. I’m talking about youth pastors. Just as our kids are pushed to promote themselves and pursue fame and a following through social media, the same pressure pushes on us. Youthworkers, Jesus spent his life pursuing faithfulness rather than fame. How would things change if we did the same? Are you caving to the pressure to build an online following and recognition? I think our ministries would thrive if we would stop this kind of nonsense. Wouldn’t it be freeing if we weren’t always worrying about and wasting time developing a following? I’m reminded of the words of my friend and youth ministry veteran Rich Van Pelt, “You take care of the depth of your ministry. Then, let Jesus take care of the breadth of your ministry.”

The Benefits of Free Play

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 4 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In this day and age where we are hearing more and more about the declining mental health of our kids, we need to come to an understanding of how changes in the nature of childhood are contributing to this epidemic. One of the clear causes has been the move from kids engaging in what’s called “free play,” to kids engaging in only adult-supervised organized sports, or remaining sedentary by spending so much time on screens. The Aspen Institute tells us that the benefits of childhood play are immediate and long term. Kids who physically play are physically and mentally healthier, they perform better in school, they are less likely to engage in drug use and other risky behaviors, and wind up being more productive as they move into the adult years. Additional research tells us that going outside to engage with friends in free play leads to greater resiliency for kids, as they learn how to relate with others and solve problems. Make it possible for your kids to play in this way.

Situationships

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 3 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

“Are you in a relationship?” “do you have boyfriend?” “Do you have a girlfriend?” “Are you dating anyone?” These are all questions from curious friends and relatives that teenagers have historically had to navigate as part of the adolescent and young adult experience. It’s not unusual for the answers given to leave members of the older generation scratching their heads. You see, the nature of romantic relationships and how they are navigated by kids has changed over the years. Now, let me confuse you even more with a new term that’s being used: situationship. A situationship is defined as a romantic relationship that lacks any kind of commitment or traditional norms. If you’re in a situationship, it can include spending time together, affection, and sexual activity. It’s been described as more than a friendship and less than a committed relationship. This new reality must prompt us to teach what God’s Word says about friendships, dating, sexuality, and the beauty of covenantal marriage.

Faithfulness to God's Word

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Parents, today I want to encourage you to step back and take stock of the preaching ministry at your church. You see, we are living in a day and age when the cultural agenda is shaping the content of many sermons, when it should be the Word of God faithfully interpreted and preached that should be shaping our response to the culture. In his excellent book, “Faithful Leaders and the Things That Matter Most”, Rico Tice tells leaders that the preacher God approves of, according to second Timothy two fifteen, is the one who correctly handles the word of truth. Tice says that the faithful preaching of God’s Word will feed souls, while false teaching feeds on souls. He writes, “False teaching dazzles, then it distorts, then it diverts, and finally it destroys.” In order to faithfully fulfill our nurturing responsibilities as Christian parents, we need to be regularly fed as we sit under the faithful preaching of God’s Word. Are you at a church which upholds biblical authority?

Parents, Kids, and Smartphones

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

One of the questions I’ve been asked by parents most often over the last few years is this: How old should my child be before I get them a smartphone? Of course, most kids are pressuring their parents, playing into the guilt of raising kids who they fear will be left out of what everyone else is doing. But we need to push that pressure aside in order to make wise and Godly decisions that are not based on our kids’ desires, but on what constitutes God’s best for them. Recently, more and more news stories are popping up reporting two very positive trends in this area. First, a growing number of schools are considering and implementing no-smartphone policies during the school day. A second positive trend involves parents in schools, communities, and churches who are banding together and committing to signing pledges to not give their children smartphones until after middle school. Parents, joining forces in this way is sure to benefit our kids in more ways that we can imagine.

Pushing Back on Parental Stress

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The recently released U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents tells us that forty one percent of parents say that most days they are so stressed that they cannot function. Did you hear that? That’s four out of ten parents! At the end of the report, there is an action section which lists what parents and caregivers can do to reverse this trend. Three of the suggestions struck me as things that can happen in the context of our church ministries. First caring for yourself is a part of caring for your family. Are you sitting under the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, attending worship, and engaging in daily times with the Lord? Second, the report encourages nurturing connections with other parents and caregivers. Are you connecting with other parents in your church for fellowship, prayer, and support. Finally, empower yourself with information about mental health care. Are you going to the Scriptures to find rest and encouragement for your soul?

A Compelling Witness for our Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In his book, “The Patient Ferment of the Early Church”, Alan Kreider offers an explanation of how Christianity took root and grew in the Roman Empire, even though the church was marginalized, despised, and discriminated against. The parallels to the world we find ourselves inhabiting as Christians today is remarkably similar. Kreider explains that four things happened to advance the faith, and I believe we can and should enlist all four in our Christian parenting. First, there was patience. They didn’t hurry or push things along. Rather, they patiently trusted God to do His work. Second, they developed habitual behaviors of Christian commitment and character that not only grew their own faith, but offered a compelling witness to the surrounding culture. Third, they were committed to Christian education and worship. And finally, there was a kind of ferment happening as their faith bubbled up out of their inward lives. Let’s offer the same kind of compelling witness to our kids.

Nicotine and our Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The American Lung Association is reporting that while smoking conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes is on the decline among our children and teens, the use of non-combustible tobacco products known as “smokeless and spitless nicotine pouches” is growing in popularity. Thanks to marketing efforts and the viral nature of social media promotion, there has been a 641% increase in sales of products like Zyn, On!, Rouge, Velo, Juice Head, Zone, and Lucy. Research on these addictive nicotine delivery systems indicates that over a quarter of those who use them are under the age of 21. With nicotine sales limited by law to those over the age of 21, we must teach kids that God has given them the responsibility to obey the laws of the government. Finally, teach them that in First Corinthans 6:19 to 21, we learn that stewarding the health of their God-given bodies is not only their responsibility, but an act of worship.

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Today, we come to the end of our week-long long look at researcher Ellen Galinsky’s new book about teenagers, “The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens”. In it, Galinsky lists five things teens wish their parents and other adults knew about them. As Christian parents, we should pay special attention to the fifth message she heard from kids: “We want to learn stuff that’s useful.” Galinsky lists these skills as understanding other’s perspectives, how to communicate effectively, how to work with others, and how to set goals. While these skills are all good, we need to make sure that the way our kids understand and use these skills is rooted in the Gospel and a commitment to live a faithful life of Christian discipleship. In other words, these skills must not be used to advance the kingdom of me, myself, and I. Rather, these skills should serve the higher goal of bringing glory to God. Parents, nurture your kids in the Christian faith!

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Researcher Ellen Galinsky has released a brand new book about teenagers. It’s called “The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens”, and it includes five things teens wish their parents and other adults knew about them. All this week, we’re looking at what Galinsky heard from teenagers. The fourth message she heard is this: “Understand our needs.” Obviously, we have a parental responsibility to provide food and shelter for our kids. But from the biblical perspective, we learn that human needs extend far beyond those that promote and protect physical growth and safety. As Christians, we know that our greatest and most pressing need is for salvation, and we know that God in His grace has provided a way for our redemption through the cross of Jesus Christ. Of course, it most likely that the teens Galinsky researched did not mention salvation as a need. But this is where we as parents come in, as we nurture our children in the Lord.

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Researcher Ellen Galinsky has released a brand new book about teenagers. It’s called “The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens”, and it includes five things teens wish their parents and other adults knew about them. All this week, we’re looking at what Galinsky heard from teenagers. The third message she heard is this: “Don’t stereotype us.” Just like us, our teenagers don’t want to be pigeon-holed into stereotypes. For example, not all teens are anxious. Not all teens are addicted to their phones. And not all teens are entitled. If we label our kids in these ways we are setting the table for them to live into those stereotypes. As Christian parents, we need to not only recognize the unique ways in which they’ve been created and gifted by God, but their potential to live into God’s glorious and grand design for their lives, rather than some stereotype. Parents, get to know your kids for who they are as unique individuals.

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Researcher Ellen Galinsky has released a brand new book about teenagers. It’s called “The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens”, and it includes five things teens wish their parents and other adults knew about them. All this week, we’re looking at what Galinsky heard from teenagers. The second message to parents is this: “Talk with us, not at us.” As our kids develop through the adolescent years, their brains are moving from thinking in black and white terms, to being able to think more abstractly, which means their on the pathway to having fully wired-up adult brains, sometime during their mid-twenties. As parents, we need to avoid the temptation to continue to think for them, as if they are still children. Rather, we need to think with them so that we might then train them to think for themselves. As Christian parents, we want to prepare our kids for a lifetime of thinking in ways that lead them to glorify God in all areas of their lives.

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Researcher Ellen Galinsky has released a brand new book about teenagers. It’s called “The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens”, and it includes five things teens wish their parents and other adults knew about them. All this week, I want to look at what Galinsky heard from teenagers. First, teenagers say they want parents to “Understand our development.” I agree. We need to understand the different stages our kids go through as they grow. As Christians, we can see God’s grand and glorious design for human growth and development as amazing sequence of stages where kids mature physically, emotionally, cognitively, relationally, and spiritually. Gaining a working understanding of each stage gives us the ability to set realistic expectations for our kids, informs our approach to discipline, and gives us insights into how to most effectively nurture them in the Christian faith in age-appropriate ways.

Young Kids and Skin Care Products

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

If you don’t think that marketing to kids and concerns about body image aren’t having an impact on children when they are of elementary school age, think again. Thanks to kids using smartphones and gaining access to tiktok and youtube influencers, even pre-pubescent girls are concerned about the effects of aging on their skin. Consequently, many are spending large amounts of their parents’ money and huge amounts of time on high-end skin care products and routines including moisturizers, masks, mists, and cleansers. It’s gotten to the point that this is what a growing number of our pre-teen girls are asking for on their birthday gift lists. We should be concerned about their susceptibility to marketing and preer pressure, the promotion of vanity, and the resulting cost both financially and in terms of stress and anxiety. But we also need to be concerned about the growing body of evidence showing that these things are causing short and long term damage, including burns, rashes, and other allergic reactions.

Building Our Own Little Worlds

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The Genesis eleven story of the tower of Babel is one we need to pay attention to in our social media saturated world. In his book, This World is Not My Home, Mark Johnston writes that man’s motive behind the vast tower of Babel efforts was, as we read in Genesis eleven four, “to make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” Johnston continues, “the Babel instinct in the human psyche has lingered on through the entire history of our race. From man’s attempts to literally build a name for himself by constructing great works of architectural genius, to his efforts to establish kingdoms and empires, human beings have tried to secure themselves in their world through all manner of tangible means. We try to build our own little worlds without God through our careers, achievements, families, and other things in the hope they will provide the security and sense of identity we crave.” Parents, teach your kids to find their identity in Jesus Christ alone.

God, Sex, and Gender

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

As our culture continues to promote ideologies that leave so many questioning their gender and sexuality, it’s important that we as parents and the church continually remind our kids of God’s good and glorious creational design as put forth in Genesis one and two. God made humanity in His image, and He made us male and female, which is the gender binary so many dispute and deny today. Why should be keep reminding our kids of God’s Truth? A recent analysis of national survey results has found that one in four grade nine to twelve adolescents here in the United States report their sexual identity as non-heterosexual. Friends, don’t ever forget that the period known as adolescence is a stage filled with physical changes and lots of questioning. In today’s world, our vulnerable growing and changing kids are now given options beyond heterosexuality, or the gender binary of male and female. Provide the kids you and know and love with Godly guidance and direction.

Our Parenting Opportunity

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

One starting point in the process of leading our teenagers to faith and spiritual maturity is to face the truth about who teenagers are and the uniqueness of their life stage. We must constantly seek answers to these questions: What is their world like? What makes them tick? What changes are they experiencing? What questions are they asking? Why do they think and act the way they do? And while we ask those questions, we must never forget, as Eugene Peterson says, that “there are no well-adjusted adolescents. Adolescence is, by definition, maladjustment. And getting adjusted is a strenuous and often noisy process.” In addition, we must approach our task as parents of teens not as punishment, a problem, or a cross to bear, but as a wonderful opportunity to depend on our Heavenly Father, while teaching our impressionable teens to do the same. Parents, never forget that you have been stewarded by God with the gift of your children, and that you are an instrument in His hands!

The Technological Torrent

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

I recently read a sentence in the First Things monthly journal that stopped me in my tracks. I went back and read it several times over. Eventually, I pulled out a pen and underlined it, knowing that it was worth going back to over and over again. I spotted the sentence in an article that regular columnist, Liel Liebovitz, had written about what it’s like to be a young person in today’s world. Liebovitz wrote, and I quote, that this is “a generation whose minds, hearts, and souls, are ravaged by a technological torrent that thrusts upon them more audiovisual stimuli per minute than the human brain can possibly process.” Let me read that again: this is “a generation whose minds, hearts, and souls, are ravaged by a technological torrent that thrusts upon them more audiovisual stimuli per minute than the human brain can possibly process.” Parents, what goes in through the ears and eyes of your kids will play out in their beliefs and behaviors for the rest of their lives. Are you paying attention?

The Effects of Social Media on Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 7 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

There’s a growing amount of research pointing to the fact that smartphones and social media are undermining the well-being of our kids when borders, boundaries, and safeguards are not enacted. Recently, the American Psychological Association released a report on the science of how social media affects our youth, specifically looking at the risks associated with content, features, and functions. One of the opening paragraphs of the report says, “Platforms built for adults are not inherently suitable for youth. Youth require special protection due to areas of competence or vulnerability as they progress through the childhood, teenage, and late adolescent years.” The report warns that chronological age is not directly associated with social media readiness. In other words, just because a platform requires a child to be thirteen in order to download the app, that doesn’t mean it is safe and harmless. Parents, are you tracking with the data that will help your parent wisely?

Modeling the Faith

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 6 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The office of the United States Surgeon General recently released a report entitled, “Parents Under Pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents.” In his introduction to the report, Surgeon General Murthy writes these words: “Raising children is sacred work. It should matter to all of us.” Of course, those of us who understand God’s design for the family and the role we are to play in the nurture of our children know this to be true. Murthy goes on to write these words: “The work of parenting is essential not only for the health of children but also for the health of society. Additionally, we know that the well-being of parents and caregivers is directly linked to the well-being of their children.” Murthy’s words capture the truth of a principle we all must understand: that our role is primary, and that we pass on to our kids who it is that we are. Parents, if you desire your children to be faithful followers of Jesus, you must be that yourself!

Kids and the Compassion of Christ

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 5 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

When Jesus told his followers the parable of the Good Samaritan, he wanted his listeners to know that if they had embraced their purpose in life to follow him, they would then view anyone in need as a neighbor. They would follow in the footsteps of the Samaritan who gave everything in response to the wounded man’s need. Those who are followers of Christ are called to self-sacrificing lives of compassion. The message of today’s market-driven world is the exact opposite. Instead of looking out for others, we are to look out for number one. In this kind of world, there is a decrease in generosity and an increase in selfishness. In this kind of world there is less concern for neighbor and more concern for self. In this kind of world there is a decline in civility. In this kind of world we do anything and everything possible – including using people as means to our ends – to get ahead of anyone and everyone else. This is not who we are called to be. Lead your kids to show the compassion of Christ.

Should Phones Be Banned in School?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 4 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In his recent book, “The Anxious Generaton,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recommends that our schools ban smartphones. It’s a common-sense move that at the very least would answer the concerns of just all about all teachers regarding how smartphone presence has diminished the willingness and abilities of our kids to pay attention in class and to each other. In Norway, the ban on smartphones in schools has allowed researchers the opportunity to gauge whether or not a ban is helpful. The results are compelling. Banning smartphones has led to a significant decline in seeking out treatment for psychological symptoms and diseases. In fact, it’s a sixty percent drop! Educational performance improves. And, bullying has decreased significantly, with a drop of forty-six percent for girls, and forty-three percent for boys. While our smartphones are great tools when used correctly, we need to limit their use in terms of time and place, in order to facilitate our kid’s health.

What to do with our Sinful Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 3 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

All teenagers face great temptation. All teenagers make sinful choices that are at times devastating to themselves and to others. It’s who we are as broken human beings. But here’s some great advice for parents: The most important factor in determining whether that bad choice turns into a situation that gets better or worse is parental response. What would happen if your goal would be to redeem these situations by turning a mistake into an opportunity for your teenager to become a more Christ-like person? I am constantly reminded of my responsibility to treat my sinful children the way my heavenly Father treats me when I’m the offending party – because there isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not. I learned a great lesson from Dr. John White when he was asked how he’d learned to relate to his own son’s rebellious and sinful choices. Dr. White said he’s learned to live his life according to this simple and profound principle: “As Christ is to me, so must I be to my children.”

Pushing Back on Fake News

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Living in a world where information comes at us at breakneck speed makes it almost impossible to know what to believe and what not to believe. This has been pounded home to us over the course of the last several months as we continually hear about fake news. As parents and youth workers, we must teach our kids how to discern what is true from what is false. We must also communicate the truths of God’s Word in ways that help them to walk the narrow road that leaves to life, while avoiding the wide road that leads to destruction. The Apostle Paul uses the word “trustworthy” several times in his New Testament letters. In each case, his use of the word is in reference to a saying that is true, and that is to be completely accepted and believed. Are you searching the Scriptures in order to know the truth that is not only to be accepted and believed, but that gives life? Then, are you sharing that with your kids? Teach your kids the trustworthy Word of God.

VR and Metaverse - Use Caution

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Praying for our Children and Teens

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Hypocritical Parents and Their Devices

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Fantasy and the Good News

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

I recently read through the report on teens and media from the University of California and found some thought-provoking data. The report is titled “Reality Bites: Teens and Screens 2024.” The survey found that when asked what adolescents most want to see in terms of content, the top content choice for ten to twenty-four year olds was fantasy, with over thirty-six percent ranking fantasy highest on the list. This desire to see fantasy increased from 2023’s twenty percent. When given a list of specific content topics, the number one choice was fantasy and other content that was hopeful and uplifting, showing people beating the odds. As I pondered these top-ranked desires of our kids, I couldn’t help but think that our kids are leading lives where there is a deep and desperate need to hear and see good news. And where else will they ultimately find what they are looking for than in God’s revelation of Himself in the Bible, and in a restored relationship with God through Christ.

Who's Getting Bullied?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Teen Smartphone Driving Dangers

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The other day I was driving down our local interstate highway and I found myself stuck behind a car that wouldn’t move out of the left lane. The driver was not only driving under the speed limit, but drifted to the left and over the line several times, then quickly catching themselves and making a course correction. When I finally had an opening to pass them in the right lane, I looked over to see if the driver was ok. While the driver was conscious, had a hand on the wheel, and their eyes were open, their other hand was texting on the smartphone that was holding their attention. I’m sure all of us have not only seen this from time to time, but have been tempted to do the same ourselves. Recent research from the University of Pennsylvania reminds us that we need to teach our kids to put the phones away while they are the wheel. Teens who use their phones while driving are more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors, including hard braking and rapid acceleration. We must all drive to the glory of God.

Cannabis and Cancer

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

They've Banned Social Media

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Australia has recently enacted some legislation that not only makes good sense, but models steps that should be taken by the rest of the world to protect our kids from harm and to provide for their well-being. What exactly has Australia done? They’ve passed a new law that bans kids from using social media until they reach the age of sixteen. The new law won’t go into effect for another year, but it’s rooted in the growing body of evidence, both from research and anecdotally, that the use of social media and technology is harming our kids by undermining their mental health and relationships in ways that cannot go unnoticed or unaddressed. Of course, there are many details yet to be worked out before the ban goes into effect. As Christian parents, laws like these help set borders and boundaries, but ultimately we want to see our kids make these decision on their own as they flow out of heart bent towards the worship of God.

Escape into Social Media, or Christ?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

I recently read through the report on teens and media from the University of California and found some thought-provoking data. The report is titled “Reality Bites: Teens and Screens 2024.” The survey found that that the number one reason young people ages ten to twenty four report for using social media is to escape and take their minds off of things. This is not at all surprising in light of all the recent talk about the declining mental health of our children and teens. Of course, human beings have always looked for and found ways to escape their pain, with most of these strategies resulting in anesthetizing themselves from the realities of life. Sometimes these lead to addictions. As long as kids are running to social media, we can expect more and more to become addicted to their devices. Let’s remember that a landscape of hopelessness is a landscape ready and ripe for hearing the truths of the Gospel. Are you telling your kids about finding peace and purpose in Christ?

Entrusting Children to God 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Entrusting Children to God 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Entrusting Children to God 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Entrusting Children to God 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Entrusting Children to God 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Why do they Vape?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Social Media, Age Limits, and Truth-Telling

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 9 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

A recent article in the UK’s “Daily Telegraph” newspaper is reporting on an online behavior happening over the pond that it is very reasonable to assume is happening here in the United States at the same or a very similar rate. Researchers in the U.K. have found that the majority of children on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are lying about their age and date of birth in order to appear older and bypass age restrictions in order to get on the platforms. In fact, most children have never been asked by the platforms to prove or verify their age when signing up. The survey of children between the ages of eight and seventeen found that fifty-eight percent of kids on TikTok, fifty-two percent of kids on Instagram, and fifty-six percent of kids on SnapChat had a false date of birth on their profile to make them appear older. Parents, these age limits are there to protect our kids, and we must teach them to honor them. In addition, the Lord calls all of us to tell the truth and not bear false witness.

Teens and the Need for Relationships

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 8 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The Dangers of Kids and Caffeine

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 7 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Media's Influence on Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 6 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

I recently read through a report on teens and screens from the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at the University of California. I want you to hear these important words from the reports introduction: “An alarming proportion of today’s adolescents are facing unprecedented mental health challenges, and they are inundated with storytelling media that exerts a powerful influence. Media is more present than ever before, with many estimates indicating that youth spend up to nine hours on screens outside of school. Screens and the internet touch every aspect of a young person’s life – school, communication with friends, and leisure activities. Adolescents learn from these images and messages; thus, storytellers can and should be mindful of the social-emotional influence they have on the next generation.” Parents, are you listening? We have a responsibility to not only set limits, but to help our kids to bring God glory by thinking critically and Christianly about all the media they consume.

Some Good News on What Kids Want

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 3 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

I recently read through the report on teens and media from the University of California and found some thought-provoking data. The report is titled “Reality Bites: Teens and Screens 2024.” There’s some good news coming from the survey regarding what our kids think about friendship and sexuality. In 2023, over fifty percent of adolescents desired content that focused on platonic relationships and friendships In 2024, that number had increased to over sixty-three percent! In 2023, just over forty-seven percent of adolescents said that sex and sexual content are not needed to advance the plot of TV shows and/or movies. In 2024 that number increased to over sixty-two percent. We can assume that our kids are longing for relationships, and the content they seek reflects that desire. Parents, lets go out of our way to teach our kids about developing healthy relationships with friends, about living out God’s good design for sex and sexuality, and for glorifying God in all things.

The Consequences of Not Reading

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 2 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

With the New Year upon us and resolutions being made here, there, and everywhere, let me suggest a parenting and family priority that all of us can institute in our homes with our kids. In the past, I’ve shared some of the data regarding the decline in reading among children and teens, much of that occasioned by time spent doing other things like scrolling through their phones or playing video games. You’ve also heard that there are negative outcomes related to reading less, including a decline in critical thinking skills, knowledge retention, and comprehension. New data from UNESCO reports that nearly half of kids ages twelve to fifteen globally cannot read with comprehension. They are unable to connect main ideas, understand the author’s intentions, or draw reasoned conclusions. Of course, this includes kids who do and do not attend school. Reading develops our God-given minds. Reading our Bibles grows us. Facilitate more reading for your kids in 2025!

A New Year Encouragement

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 1 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

A blessed and happy New Year to you! 2024 is now in the past and we look forward with great expectation and perhaps a bit of trepidation to 2025. Today is a perfect day for you to sit with your kids and talk about the days in which we live, the reasonable expectations we must have, and where to find our hope. I’ve gotten into the habit of using each and every New Year’s Day to pause and pray. I thank the Lord for another year. I ask his blessing on my family. I ask Him to protect us from harm and to provide for our well-being. And, because our world is filled with brokenness, there will be unexpected bumps in the road during the coming year. I ask the Lord to prepare me to handle whatever may come. Perhaps today you can share these words from Psalm thirty-three with your family: Our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

The Relational Power of Thank You

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Too Young for Social Media

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Kids and Grandma Sweatshirts

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

It’s been said that when it comes to fashion and style, what goes around comes around. And, in one of the most mind-boggling recent fashion trends, today’s teens are proving this to be true. In a recent article in of all places Country Living Magazine, writer Katie Bowley throws this headline at us: “Cracker Barrel’s Grandma Sweatshirts Are The Newest Gen Z Trend.” Yes, you heard that right. Teenagers are heading to the Cracker Barrel gift shops and buying those sweatshirts embroidered with nature scenes and animals which arepopular with older. Thanks to promotion of the trend through TikTok videos hawking the sweatshirts as stylish for the younger set, Cracker Barrell has seen a seven-hundred percent increase in sales of the sweatshirts since the early fall. This sounds very similar to what happened a couple of years ago when the old school Stanley water bottles suddenly became stylish. This is a refreshing trend, as the sweatshirts are costing our kids the relatively low price of thirty dollars.

Brain Rot

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

One of the best tools at your disposal for tracking changes in youth culture is the dictionary. That’s right, the dictionary. I say this because the rate of cultural change is now so fast that those who publish dictionaries are constantly removing words deemed irrelevant and no longer usable, while adding words that reflect cultural change. Earlier this month, the folks at the Oxford Dictionary actually named one of these new words, brain rot, as the word of the year for 2024. Oxford defines brain rot as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material, usually online content, considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” The word was chosen to reflect what our consumption of excessive amounts of low-quality online content is doing to our brains, our relationships, and our lives. Parents, stop your constant scrolling and teach your kids to do the same. Let’s promote heart for God flourishing.

A Christmas Message

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Since today is the day that we celebrate Christmas, I thought I would take some time to share one of my favorite Christmas scriptures. In the Gospel of Luke, we are told that eight days after his birth, Jesus was brought by Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem to be circumcised. While there, they took Jesus into the temple where an upright man by the name of Simeon took the infant in his arms. God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ with his own eyes. As he looks upon the Messiah, Simeon says, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” I can only imagine the joy that Simeon felt. This Christmas, our desire for you and your family is that you will all rejoice with great satisfaction in the coming of your Savior. Have a very blessed Christmas!

The Christmas Story That Matters Most

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Some of my greatest and most treasured childhood memories revolve around Christmas eve. In our house, Christmas eve was a time of great anticipation. Yes, we would be opening presents the next morning so there was certainly plenty of excitement about what would show up under the tree. The house always smelled great as my mom would be already working on preparing our Christmas feast by baking cookies and pies. We would play with the train set that only appeared in our house during the month of December. All of those memories are wonderful. But what I remember most about Christmas Eve was going to our church for the annual Christmas Eve service. It was there that we were once again reminded of the story of God’s incredible gift of salvation through his son, Jesus Christ. As you gather to celebrate Christmas, remember that your kids are bombarded by all kinds of life-shaping stories in today’s youth culture. Take time to tell them the one story that matters.

Will You Attend Church on Christmas?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In just two days we’ll be gathering with family and friends to celebrate Christmas. This is the day when we celebrate the amazing grace of God in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer. I’m assuming that most of us will benefit from the reminders to not allow all the distractions of the season to keep us from understanding and truly celebrating the Incarnation. I know that I need to hear those reminders. And based on some recent research from the folks at Lifeway, we increasingly need to think about celebrating Christmas by gathering with others in our local churches to worship the God who became man. Lifeway has found that while nine out of ten Americans do something to celebrate Christmas, less than half now plan to attend church to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Forty-seven percent say they typically attend church, forty-eight percent say they do not, and five percent are unsure if they will. Make sure you and your family gathers with others to worship the newborn King.

The Power of Marketing 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Today, we’re concluding our look at marketing’s influence on our kids. One result of the marketing push is that we’ve got a culture of kids locked into consumer debt. The message they get from advertising is that life is about consumption, and whether it’s their money or a credit card company’s money they are borrowing, they are entitled to spend whenever the urge hits them. Many of today’s kids will be buried deep in consumer debt long before they marry and start a family. Advertising and the materialism it fosters steers us away from the one true God and towards idols. They steer us away from Jesus Christ, the one and only source of redemption, to the false promises of other “messiahs” and redeemers. Today’s marketing blitz encourages our teens to create, pursue, and worship false gods, all the while leaving our kids more and more empty. Parents, what are you doing to point your kids to the cross?

The Power of Marketing 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Today we’re continuing to look at marketing’s powerful influence on children and teens. The glut of advertising to kids can lead them to understand life in economic terms. Each and every one of us, including our kids, has been created by God, for God, and to be in a relationship with God, living His will and His way under his reign. But advertising consistently sends the message that “it’s all about you.” Consequently our kids get it all wrong regarding who should reside at the center of their worldview and who should be in control of their lives. In addition, marketing’s materialistic messages have led to the virtue of compassion being replaced by competition. God calls us to self-sacrificing lives of compassion. The message of today’s market-driven world is the exact opposite. Instead of looking out for others, we are to look out for number one. In this kind of world we are most concerned about our selves. And that’s a shame.

The Power of Marketing 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Today we’re continuing our look at how marketing influences children and teens. As materialism takes root and grows, kids become more impulsive, buying without evaluating or thinking about the difference between wants and needs. Kids wind up wanting to acquire products they really don’t need, but they want them for the perceived emotional and quality of life benefits they promise. Marketing has also influenced kids to work more in order to have more. Those who have jobs are working longer hours, making it difficult to stay involved in other activities including church youth groups, school activities, service projects, and family time. While some kids work to save money for future educational needs, a growing number are working long hours in order to fund and sustain large luxury items including cars, audio systems, and cell phones. Parents, are your kids working for the right reasons?

The Power of Marketing 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Today, we’re continuing our look at how marketing influences our children and teens. As I’ve studied teen marketing over the years, it’s clear that there are short and long-term effects and results of advertising. Parents must think about how these results and effects square up to who our kids should be as followers of Christ. One result is that materialism is becoming more deeply embedded in our teenagers’ lives. Because they are being marketed to with increasing frequency and depth, vulnerable kids find it easier to believe advertising’s messages and promises. They define themselves by their possessions, seeking happiness, satisfaction, meaning, and redemption in the accumulation of things. Kids buy into a live to consume rather than a consume to live mentality. Talk with your kids about marketing’s messages, and how these messages agree or disagree with what Jesus has to say about money and materialism.

The Power of Marketing 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Take a look around and you’ll quickly notice that advertising is everywhere. It’s especially pervasive in the lives our teenagers, who are, by the way, the most targeted market segment in the world. Consequently, marketing functions as a map that sits unfolded in the laps of vulnerable teens who are looking to find their way from childhood, through adolescence, and into adulthood. Advertising’s 24/7 presence takes advantage of the fact that more and more kids are growing up in broken families, thus making them more hungry for the guidance and direction that they aren’t getting at home. Marketing is telling our kids what to think, what to value, what to believe, what to worship, and how to spend their money and lives. Listen in over the next few days as we look at how marketing’s shaping our kids, along with a Christian response.

Technoference

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Several decades ago, media and communication theorist Marshal McLuhan was warning us that the technological tools we create and embrace have long-term effects that are not always positive. He said, “first we shape our tools, and then our tools shape us.” Now that the smartphone has been present in our culture and lives for over seventeen years, we are seeing how our lives and relationships are changing. A college professor named Brandon McDaniel coined a term that describes one such negative effect. The term is technoference. Simply stated, technoference occurs when our attention to screens disrupts our personal communication or time spent with others, including our family and friends. We constantly check our screens when we are in the presence of others or in conversation with others. Recent surveys tell us that more and more kids are complaining about the technoference that comes when parents spend too much time on their phones. Do you need to change your habits?

Can we Flourish without Biblical Christianity?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Sextortion

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What Gen Z Wants

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Our friends over at the First Things Journal recently passed on some interesting words from Gen Z writer, Freya India, that she had posted on her Substack online newsletter. Her take on Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, is insightful. “It’s hard to put this into words but I think, in some ways, what we actually want is to be humbled. People say we crave belonging and connection, but what if we also crave commandments? What if we are desperate to be delivered from something? To be at the mercy of something? I think we underestimate how hard it is for young people today to feel their way through life with out moral guardrails and guidance, to follow the whims and wishes of our ego and be affirmed by adults every step of the way. I’m not sure that’s actual freedom. And if it is, I’m not sure freedom is what anyone of us actually wants.” India’s words help us understand that our kids are longing for redemption. And the answer is found only in following Jesus Christ.

Do Your Kids Have Friends?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 9 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The Benefits of Play

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 6 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

I recently read an article in Scientific American by Melinda Wenner Moyer, all about the role of unstructured play in setting kids on a course for healthy child development. Moyer cites the story of twenty-five year old Charles Whitman, who back in 1966 climbed to the top of tower on the campus of the University of Texas and proceeded to shoot forty-six people, killing seventeen. The killing sparked an effort to understand why anyone would do such a thing. Mental health professionals interviewed Whitman along with twenty-six other convicted Texas murderers. Most of the killers had two things in common: they grew up in abusive families, and they never played as children. The takeaway here is not that playing as a child will prevent one from engaging in criminal behavior. Rather, further studies since then have confirmed that letting kids engage in free, imaginative play is a crucial factor in health social, emotional, and cognitive development. Parents, let your children play!

God Shouts to Us in Our Pain

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 5 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Telling the Truth on Sex and Gender

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 4 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

I’ve been reading with great interest some articles in Salvo magazine that have been written by Dr. Bruce Woodall. In his encounters with young patients who are questioning their sexuality and gender, Dr. Woodall carefully and compassionately addresses their questions and confusion by pointing them to God’s good design for sex and gender. He writes, “I am concerned that youth are receiving a cultural message that sexual attraction is purely a subjective and private feeling experience that can legitimately go any direction, rather than something rooted in the created order and made for the purpose of procreation as possible only in the union of an XX female and XY male. Such thinking opens the door not only to dangerous sexual experimentation, but to a failure in developing the strength of character necessary for impulse control, setting youth on a path that can lead to a life lost in hedonistic nihilism or sexual addictions.” Parents, we need to tell our kids the truth.

The Worship of Youth

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 3 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Is College for Everyone?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 2 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Today I want to talk to you about how my beliefs have changed over the years regarding high school graduates and higher education. When I graduated from high school, I lived in a culture where it was assumed that the next step for anyone who hoped to be responsible was to go immediately on to college, and then to graduate in four years. But a changing culture, economic realities, college debt, and a more clear understanding of work and calling have led me to a new understanding of what happens after high school. We no longer live in a one size fits all higher ed environment. I believe that far too many of our kids head straight off to college with no idea regarding their giftedness and calling. Parents, maybe we should require our kids to hold off from college enrollment. Pray with them regarding their giftedness and calling. Then, send them in the right direction, to the right place, at the right time in order to prepare them for a lifetime of service to God.

Chroming

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Inhalants are a class of drugs which are easy to obtain, inexpensive, and popular, especially among younger teenagers who have difficulty obtaining alcohol and other drugs. They’re one of the most widely used classes of drugs among our middle school kids, and even those who are younger will experiment with them. Known for years as “huffing” and now known as “chroming”, sniffing common household products like solvents and cleaners is extremely dangerous. Not surprisingly, there’s been an uptick in the practice thanks to the presence of social media. Researchers looked at over one hundred chroming videos, many of them on TikTok, which have garnered over twenty five million views. We need to warn our kids about the dangers of inhalant use, letting them know that dizziness, brain damage, addiction, and even death can occur. Parents, we’ve been given the high calling and privilege of teaching our kids to steward their bodies to God’s glory. Warn them about the dangers of substance abuse.

Thanking God for Difficulties

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Girls, Fragrances, and Precocious Puberty

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Am I an Adult?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Praying that our Kids Come to Themselves

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Cultivating Life Long Faith 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Cultivating Life Long Faith 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Cultivating Life Long Faith 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock’s book Faith for Exiles, and the five ministry practices churches and families must pursue to lead kids into life-long faith. The research done by Kinnaman and Matlock indicates that in order to form a lasting faith, we must work to create a church and family culture where rather than separating the generations, meaningful intergenerational relationships are formed with fellow believers who live and model a deep faith in Jesus Christ. Our culture is marked by isolation and mistrust between different generations. Some specific ways to make this happen include starting a mentoring program at your church where an older believer is paired with a young person. Our worship services should be inter-generational rather than generationally-segmented. And our homes should be places where our kids are exposed to older Christians as we practice hospitality. Endeavor to give your kids the gift of sitting under the wisdom of those who are older.

Cultivating Life Long Faith 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller, cultural discernment) — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock’s book Faith for Exiles, and the five ministry practices churches and families must pursue to lead kids into life-long faith. The research done by Kinnaman and Matlock indicates that in order to form a lasting faith, we must lead our kids into developing the muscles of cultural discernment. Exercising cultural discernment means that we all must take part in a robust learning community that seeks, under the authority of the Bible, to wisely navigate today’s rapidly changing culture. This means that we must develop their ability to compare the beliefs, values, customs, and creations of the world we live in with those of the world we belong to, which is the Kingdom of God. And once that comparison has been made, we need to anchor our lives to the theological, ethical, and moral norms of God’s Kingdom. Parents, in order to lead your kids into living counter-culturally to the glory of God, you must be doing the same.

Cultivating Life Long Faith 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Allocishet

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Concentrate hard as I tell you about a new word that’s appeared in the always changing lexicon regarding sexuality and gender in today’s world. The word is “allocishet.” It’s spelled A-l-l-o-c-i-s-h-e-t. It’s actually a combination of three words. Allo, which means other describes those people who experience romantic attractions to others. Cis is short for cisgender, which indicates a person whose gender identity aligns with his or her biological sex. Het is short for heterosexual, which indicates someone who is attracted to the opposite sex. Combine cis and het and you have a word describing someone who is not LGBTQ+. The word allocishet describes what used to be seen as someone normal because they lived into their biological gender as a heterosexual. According to the current cultural narrative, anyone who is allocishet is seen as an oppressor. We need to teach our kids it’s a label used negatively for those who embrace God’s good design for sex and gender.

Gender, Sex, and the Scholastic Book Fair

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

One of my own kids favorite events during their elementary school years was the annual book fair. A section of the cafeteria would be set up with a huge display put on by the folks at Scholastic Books. On their website, Scholastic Books tells us that just last year alone, twenty-eight million kids attended school book fairs, and that one hundred million books got into kids’ hands from the fair. If you click around on the Scholastic Books website you’ll soon discover that the company is now promoting a “read with pride” campaign, as they are, and I quote, “proud to celebrate LGBTQIA+ stories with new and award winning books for kids and teens!” Scroll down the page and you will learn about pride-themed books for young adults, for kids ages eight to twelve, and for readers as young as three to five. Our kids are forming their beliefs and behaviors all through their childhood and teen years. And with so many voices teaching them about sex and gender, it’s imperative that we teach them God’s design.

Grind Culture

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The Benefits of Walking to School

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

TikTok Addiction

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Last month, a bipartisan group of attorney generals from the District of Columbia and thirteen states came together to file lawsuits against TikTok, a social media platform popular among kids which they say was designed to be addictive to young users, and which harms the mental health of the developing young people who use it. At issue is the algorithm TikTok uses to customize which video content is sent to a user’s feed, all based on the user’s past preferences. This not only takes kids down into seemingly endless rabbitholes where they watch and watch and watch, but the suit alleges this leads to addiction. California attorney general Rob Banta says, “TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits. TikTok intentionally targets children because they know kids do not yet have the defenses or capacity to create healthy boundaries around addictive content.” Parents- do you know who can and should create healthy boundaries? It’s you!

Parental Patience

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 8 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

How easy it would be if adolescence were an overnight phenomena. But the process of moving from childhood to adulthood takes time. In today’s world, the assumption that the adolescent years cease and a teen becomes an adult at the age of 18 is no longer valid. New discoveries regarding the human brain, along with a host of cultural forces, like later marriage, extended college education, massive debt, living at home, and delayed maturity have fueled things like extended adolescence and emerging adulthood. Some are even wondering if adolescence extends to the age of 30! This process can be grueling and frustrating for those parents who desperately want to see their kids make good choices on the road to adulthood, and arrive at the destination sooner rather than later. The tables turn and we become the ones asking over and over, “Are we there yet?!?” Remember, God is at work and the process may take some time. Be patient with your children as God is at work in their lives.

The Roller Coaster of Teen Emotions

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 7 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

If you remember back to your own adolescent years, you probably remember how your emotions were at times like a roller-coaster. One minute you were happy. The next minute you were sad. Sure it differs from person to person and day to day, but those of us who work with or are raising kids know that teenagers can be up and down. A new survey from the Gallup organization has looked at the emotions of today’s ten to eighteen year olds, specifically asking them about the emotions they felt during the prior day. Overall, ninety-four percent say they had experienced happy emotions at some point during the prior day. Forty-five percent said they had felt stress. Thirty-eight percent report feeling anxiety, and twenty-three percent experienced sadness. Not surprisingly, these percentages were all higher for our girls than for our boys. Parents, be aware that your kids are experiencing a spectrum of emotions, and before giving them guidance and direction, take time to listen and to understand.

Teachers on Kids and Screen Time

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 6 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

A Reddit user recently threw out this question to school teachers: “What screams ‘I have unlimited screen time’ in students?” Their answers give insights and warnings parents should hear and heed regarding digital addiction, distraction, attention deficit trait, relational breakdown, cognitive decline, the power of influencers, desensitization, and more. One second grade teacher responds, “I hear kids saying ‘my hand hurts’ while they are trying to write just one paragraph or cut out a square with scissors.” Another teacher says, “The kids don’t know what to do with themselves without an iPad.” Finally, one teacher says, “Watch how they act when their access to computers, phones, and ipads is cut off. We had a major internet outage, no signal, no wifi. The kids with decent parents groaned, pouted for a minute, and found something else to do. The kids with unlimited screen time had a complete meltdown for hours.” Parents, take note. Be a decent parent who sets borders and boundaries.

The Latest on Kid's Sports and Brain Injuries

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 5 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in those who have had repetitive brain trauma, which cannot be diagnosed accurately until one’s brain is examined after death. Looking back over the histories of deceased athletes, researchers have discovered that there are cases of CTE in athletes who never experienced a concussion. A connection has now been made between higher odds of developing CTE as a result of the number and strength of non-concussive head impacts experienced over one’s lifetime, also known as subclinical traumatic brain injuries (TBI), which typically show no immediate signs or symptoms. It’s not a single injury that causes the disease, but instead accumulation of microtrauma from thousands of hits over years. Parents, many of these unseen TBI’s take place in youth sports where the brain is developing and most vulnerable. Parents, you are called to steward the God-given safety of your kids bodies and brains!

Digital Switching - Boring!

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 4 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

One of the many new time-taking activities afforded to us by our ever-present smartphones is scrolling through online videos and reels. If you only take into account the YouTube video platform, about three-point-seven million new videos are uploaded every day. Talk about a rabbit-hole! Add to that Instagram and tiktok videos, and we could spend a lifetime looking at people scaring other people, people trying to back boats down boatramps, and cats doing whatever silly stuff cats do. A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology has found that swiping through online videos to relieve boredom may actually make people more bored and less satisfied or engaged with the content. This is caused primarily by our habit of digital switching, or watching only short snippets rather than complete videos. What would happen if rather than engaging in this digital switching, we invested our time engaging with real-life family and friends? Would that relieve our boredom?

What to do with our Sinful Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 1 Nov 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Young Kids and Skin Care Products

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

If you don’t think that marketing to kids and concerns about body image aren’t having an impact on children when they are of elementary school age, think again. Thanks to kids using smartphones and gaining access to TikTok and YouTube influencers, even pre-pubescent girls are concerned about the effects of aging on their skin. Consequently, many are spending large amounts of their parents’ money and huge amounts of time on high-end skin care products and routines including moisturizers, masks, mists, and cleansers. It’s gotten to the point that this is what a growing number of our pre-teen girls are asking for on their birthday gift lists. We should be concerned about their susceptibility to marketing and peer pressure, the promotion of vanity, and the resulting cost both financially and in terms of stress and anxiety. But we also need to be concerned about the growing body of evidence showing that these things are causing short and long term damage, including burns, rashes, and other allergic reactions.

Balancing Faith and Works

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about how to best teach your kids about the proper balance between faith and works? In First Peter two ten we read that God has shown us great mercy and grace by giving us new life in Christ and calling us into God’s family. But we tend to forget that as God’s people we are now sojourners and exiles in this world, Peter goes on to tell us to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against the soul. Our commitment to good works and God-honoring behavior is to flow out of the gratitude we have for the gift of our salvation. Perhaps these words from Charles Spurgeon are words you can absorb into yourself, and pass on to your kids. Spurgeon writes, “Good works must be in the Christian. They are not the root, but the fruit of his salvation. They are not the way of the believer’s salvation, they are his walk in the way of salvation.” Parents, nurture your kids in ways that lead them to understand that true growth bears good fruit!

Does Botox Fix What's Really Wrong

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In a recent article in USA Today, dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffy talks about the recent obsession among Gen Z with getting Botox injections to correct perceived cosmetic flaws. Concerned about starting to look old, these young people are getting hammered with social media posts and videos that are fueling their anxiety about aging, and promoting Botox as a remedy for their concerns. Dr. Jeffy says that it’s mostly not necessary and just a real source of anxiety. She continues, “Oftentimes they’re moving their face and we don’t even see wrinkles, but this is what they’re afraid of.” A recent survey by the American Academy of Facial and Plastic Reconstructive Surgery says that close to three out of four plastic surgeons report an increase in the number of patients under the age of thirty requesting these treatments. The reality is that aging is a consequence of humankind’s sin, and no injection can fill a facial wrinkle or hole in the soul in ways that satisfy. Only Jesus can.

The Top Cool Brands

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The folks at emarketer.com recently released their list of Gen Alpha’s top coolest brands. Gen Alpha is that cohort of kids born between 2013 and now. These are the kids we call digital natives, as they have never known life without smartphones, and as a result, they are heavily influenced by the marketing and content they encounter online. The streaming services YouTube and Netflix come in at number one and two. At number three sits Amazon, which is also a place to stream content, but more importantly offers handheld access into the world of finding and purchasing just about anything, along with all the marketing that goes with that. While there are good things to be accessed on YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon, we also know that there is content we need to supervise, moderate, and even limit. And because each of these platforms market all kinds of product, we need to use them as an opportunity to nurture kids into stewarding their time and money to God’s glory.

Good News on Bible Reading

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Earlier this year, the American Bible Society released their fourteenth annual State of the Bible report, which is put together to track cultural trends in the United States regarding spirituality and engagement with the Bible. This year’s report shows some encouraging trends regarding Gen Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 – and their relationship with the Bible. The folks at the American Bible Society rightly report that we live in a busier and busier world, which leads many to put their Bible’s aside or never engage in bible reading at all. This has led to a decrease in Bible reading among the younger generations in recent years. However, this year’s report tells us that fifty-four percent of Gen Z adults, ages eighteen to twenty-seven, agree that the message of the Bible has transformed their lives. That’s up from fifty percent in the prior year. Parents, this trend is sure to continue if we each make regular time to read the Bible with our children, thus fulfilling our calling to nurture our kids in the faith.

Modeling the Faith

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Is Life Getting Harder?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Social Media Addiction

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, Kelsey Hansen writes about social media addiction as something that her younger self struggled with, even though at the time she didn’t realize just how addicted she was becoming. She confesses to noticing that her attention span and mental capacity were suffering. She’d be working on her school assignments, but constantly and repeatedly interrupting her work, checking on her social media accounts. She cites Max Fisher’s book on the designed addictiveness of social media, titled “the Chaos Machine: the Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World”: Fisher talks about how social media platforms are designed to trigger a dopamine release in our brains. He writes, “Dopamine creates a positive association with whatever behaviors prompted its release, training you to repeat them.” This applies even to self-destructive behaviors. Parents, set borders and boundaries, and teach your kids to redeem their time.

The Benefits of Physical Play

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Much of the research on kids and play indicates that our children and teens are spending more and more time involved in sedentary activity, and less time engaging in active play. It should come as no surprise that engaging the God-given gift of play will result in good outcomes both now and for the rest of their lives. The folks at project play tell us that the benefits of childhood physical activity are many. Kids are one-tenth as likely to be obese. They score up to forty percent higher on test scores. They are less likely to smoke, use drugs, and get pregnant. They are fifteen percent more likely to pursue higher education. They experience fewer mental health problems. As adults, they will grow up to experience fewer health issues including heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. And, they will be more productive at work. Parents, God has given you the responsibility to raise children who are spiritually, relationally, emotionally, and physically healthy. Get them playing!

Parents and Stress 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’ve been looking at some strategies for reducing the stress you may be feeling as a parent. This comes in response to the recent Surgeon General’s advisory on Parents Under Pressure, and the fact that forty-one percent of parents say that they are so stressed they cannot function. My suggestion for you today is this: develop habits and rhythms of running to God and His Word. Do you realize that God is your faithful protector? We know that there are many challenges and problems facing our kids today, and these do cause us stress and anxiety. But Jesus tells us in Matthew 28 that he is always with us. In Hebrews 13 we read that God will never leave us. In I Peter five seven we are told to “cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” The Psalmist says, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” Counselor Ed Welch reminds us that our stressors and fears tell us that we are alone. But faith says “I am with you.” Trust in the Lord, and teach your kids to do the same.

Parents and Stress 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some strategies for reducing the stress you may be feeling as a parent. This comes in response to the recent Surgeon General’s advisory on Parents Under Pressure, and the fact that forty-one percent of parents say that they are so stressed they cannot function. My suggestion for you today is this: make sure that you and your family take a regular weekly Sabbath. Take a few minutes to read the Genesis account of Creation. In Genesis chapter two we read that when God had finished his work of creating all things, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had done. We read that God blessed this seventh day and made it holy, a day set apart from work. In Exodus we read the fourth commandment which instructs us to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Our word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word for rest. God has made us for a rhythm of work and rest. Break that rhythm and you and your family will begin to break down. Practice a regular sabbath.

Parents and Stress 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some strategies for reducing the stress you may be feeling as a parent. This comes in response to the recent Surgeon General’s advisory on Parents Under Pressure, and the fact that forty-one percent of parents say that they are so stressed they cannot function. My suggestion for you today is this: stop facilitating a family lifestyle where you are running around, as my grandmother used to say, like a chicken with its head cut off! I continually hear parents lament the fact that they aren’t able to even sit down for a quiet family dinner because of activity schedules, many of those activities being focused on sports, extra-curricular clubs, and a host of other time-takers. While these things are good things when held in a healthy balance, the way we schedule our families now is wearing us out! Much of what feeds this insanity is comparison, as we don’t want our kids left behind. But when good things become ultimate life-directing things, we’ve moved into the sin of idolatry.

Parents and Stress 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at some strategies for reducing the stress you may be feeling as a parent. This comes in response to the recent Surgeon General’s advisory on Parents Under Pressure, and the fact that forty-one percent of parents say that they are so stressed they cannot function. My suggestion for you today is this: pull back on the amount of time that you and your children spend each day looking at screens. TV’s, computers, and smartphones have been around so long that we now know while there are good aspects related to the use of these tools, they are among other things addictive, they lure us into wasting time, they lead us into the unhealthy practice of comparison to others, they leave us feeling lonely, and they make us anxious. All of these aspects and others combine to fuel stress that’s toxic, while keeping us from those things that are most important. Quiet times with the Lord are sure to suffer. Parents, peel back in ways that release the steam that’s built up in your life.

Parents and Stress 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

A United States Surgeon General’s advisory “is a public statement that calls the American people’s attention to an urgent public health issue and provides recommendations for how it should be addressed. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action.” In the past, you’ve heard us cite advisories related to issues facing our children and teens. But the most recently released Surgeon General’s Advisory calls attention to the current crisis of stress and mental health issues among parents! This new advisory tells us that forty-one percent of parents say that most days they are so stressed they cannot function, and forty-eight percent say that most days their stress is completely overwhelming compared to other adults, and this before the Covid-nineteen pandemic. I want to invite you to listen in all this week as we offer some strategies and suggestions for dialing down on the stress that you may be feeling in your home.

Kids and Self Sovereignty

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

One of the most quoted figures in the world of the occult is Alistair Crowley, an early twentieth century writer and self-proclaimed prophet whose anti-Christian influence continues to this day. Perhaps Crowley’s most popular phrase is this: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” Crowley taught and lived out a lifestyle marked by living under the sovereignty of one’s self, rather than under the sovereignty of God. In today’s world, Crowley’s dictum is made manifest in so many different ways, and it’s been adopted by those who have no idea who Alistair Crowley even was. Today, our kids are being encouraged to “be true to yourself”, and told to “you do you.” Is that really any different? Parents, your kids are growing up saturated in a cultural narrative that trumpets the self as sovereign. Teach your kids that a rightly ordered life is described by Jesus in Mark 12:30 where we read, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.”

Nicotine and our Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The American Lung Association is reporting that while smoking conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes is on the decline among our children and teens, the use of non-combustible tobacco products known as “smokeless and spitless nicotine pouches” is growing in popularity. Thanks to marketing efforts and the viral nature of social media promotion, there has been a 641% increase in sales of products like Zyn, On!, Rouge, Velo, Juice Head, Zone, and Lucy. Research on these addictive nicotine delivery systems indicates that over a quarter of those who use them are under the age of 21. With nicotine sales limited by law to those over the age of 21, we must teach kids that God has given them the responsibility to obey the laws of the government. Finally, teach them that in First Corinthians 6:19 to 21, we learn that stewarding the health of their God-given bodies is not only their responsibility, but an act of worship.

The Technological Torrent

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 9 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Kids and Gender Confusion

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 8 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are aware that debates have been raging regarding children and teens who say they are struggling with gender dysphoria. Thanks to social media and peer influence, more and more kids are announcing that their gender identity is something other than their biological sex. We can’t forget that all kids go through the process of identity formation, and with the transgender identity being touted as a legitimate identity option, more and more kids will choose to lean into that, especially those who are lacking in guidance and direction from loving adults. The good news on the secular front is that the research indicates that both the truly gender dysphoric and those who are choosing their identity thanks to the social contagion, will come to terms with their biological sex as they move through adolescence. Parents, don’t be quick to jump on the affirmation band-wagon. Instead, teach your kids that God in his love has created them either male or female.

The Beauty of a Rule of Life

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 7 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

My friend Luke Bobo recently wrote an article in which he encourages all of us to establish what’s known as “a rule of life.” Luke tells us that establishing a rule of life helps us to develop intentional habits that lead us to living a life of purpose and virtue. Luke gives us six recommendations that we can enlist and teach our kids regarding what it means to live by a rule of life. First, think God’s thoughts. We need to focus daily on reading God’s Word and journaling our thoughts and reflections. Second, work and rest. Do your work to the glory of God, and take a weekly Sabbath. Third, we need to feed our imaginations. Luke recommends reading two fiction books for every non-fiction book we read. Fourth, steward your body. We all could improve our diet and exercise routines. Fifth, take a sabbath from social media. And finally, cultivate your heart by doing a disordered loves inventory, seeing where you are worshiping idols and repenting of this sin.

Sowing Seeds in a Child's Life

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 4 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Back to School Must-Haves

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 3 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I grew up as part of a generation that didn’t get excited about back to school shopping. All we wanted to do was make the most of each day of summer vacation, and a day or two dedicated to back to school shopping was an unwelcome and protest-sparking interruption. In today’s world, the great majority of kids love to back to school shop, as their clothing, water bottles, notebooks, and pens can be an avenue to fitting in with the peer group by sporting what’s most popular. Of course, this should always spark us to talk to kids from a Christian perspective about materialism, stewardship, identity, and marketing. But considering some of what’s being seen in the hallways now that our kids have been back to school for several weeks, you might want to laugh regarding today’s must-haves. The list includes old school 1970s era bic four-color pens, the 1980s trapper keep notebook, Crayola crayons, black marble composition books, and old school Texas Instruments calculators.

Drew Barrymore's Parenting Sense

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 2 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Do you remember cute little seven year old actress Drew Barrymore and her role in the 1982 blockbuster movie, ET. The Extra Terrestrial? Now a forty-two year old mother of two girls, Olive, age twelve, and Frankie, age ten, Barrymore is working like all of us to figure out how to navigate the world of smartphones and social media with her kids. After weighing the pros and cons, she decided to take away her daughter’s phone. A few weeks ago, she posted this on an Instagram post entitled, Phone Home. “I am writing in a very vulnerable way to put myself out there as a parent. And well, it’s personal for me. I wished many times when I was a kid that someone would tell me no. I wanted so badly to rebel all the time, and it was because I had no guardrails. I had too much access and excess.” Barrymore goes on to describe how she wound up institutionalized, which served her as a hard-core reset. Parents, are you willing to step in to cut down on digital access and excess?

Pushing Back on Parental Stress

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 1 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Water Bottle Identity

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Back in the school days of today’s parents and grandparents, one’s thirst was quenched by a visit to one of a school’s many wall-mounted water fountains, and you sometimes had to wait in line! While bottled water has been around in some form since the sixteen-hundreds, it wasn’t until 1994 that Pepsi began test-marketing it’s filtered water brand, Aquafina. Now, single use plastic bottles are everywhere, and many schools have shut down the communal drinking fountain. Now, kids see their water-drinking habits as an opportunity to make an identity statement through personalized fifty dollar water bottles. Last year it was Stanley that reigned. Now, Stanley is so yesterday, with the Owala, Hydro Flask, and Lululemon bottles bringing the status. Parents, the water-bottle craze offers you a great opportunity for spiritual nurture, as you help your kids understand the push and pull of peer pressure, the influential power of marketing, and the need to find identity in Christ, and not a water bottle!

The Power of Parental Example

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In his classic old book, “With Christ in the School of Prayer”, Andrew Murray offers us some sage advice that should spark our own regular self-reflection. It’s also advice we can pass on to our kids as we teach them to engage in self-reflection, both now and for the rest of their lives. Murray writes this: “The tone of my life during the day is God’s criterion of what I really am and desire.” What Murray was saying is that how I live moment by moment – the choices I make, the things I say, how I spend my time, and how I spend my money – all of those things speak loudly about who and what I worship. Regardless of what I might say, my life offers clear and unmistakable evidence of who I am and what I worship. I don’t know about you, but that causes me to pause and really consider whether I am truly endeavoring to follow Jesus Christ. Parents, your kids are watching you, and the tone of your life during the day will become their guideline for who they should be and what they should really desire. All of us must take up our cross and follow Jesus daily.

Moms and Body Image Pressures

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Today I want to speak to the mothers who are listening. If you know anything at all about today’s youth culture, you are aware that your daughters are facing tremendous body image pressure. As a result, all kinds of disordered eating have reached epidemic proportions among children and teens. If you’ve watched television, been on social media, or seen magazine covers you have a pretty good idea where much of this body image pressure comes from. But what many moms forget is that they can be a source of body image pressure as well. Every mother out there has been hammered by the body image pressure present in our culture. Consequently, your own words and example can actually fuel the same pressures in your daughters. In fact, experts at the Mayo Clinic say that Moms are probably the most important influence on a daughter’s body image. Mom, where do you find your identity? By finding your identity in Christ, you will help your kids to do the same.

Kids and Hearing Damage

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Several years ago I began to notice ringing in my ears. Known as Tinnitus, I would describe my experience as souding like someone is blowing a never-ending high-pitched whistle in my ears. My issues come, I think, from listening to loud music earlier in my life. My concern for today’s children and teens has been fueled by a recent article in the BMJ Public Health Journal. A review of available evidence is showing that video gamers may be risking irreversible hearing loss and persistent ringing and buzzing in their ears due to exposing themselves to unsafe sound levels as they play their games. Wearing gaming headphones increases the risks. Research points to the fact that anything over eighty-five decibels can lead to hearing damage. Some video game sound levels can reach bursts of one hundred nineteen decibels, which is as loud as a bulldozer or motorbike. Parents, teach your kids to steward their bodies and hearing to God’s glory by turning down the volume.

How Much Money Does It Take To Be Happy?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

How much money would you need to be happy? That’s the question The Harris Poll asked over two-thousand Americans over the age of eighteen from multiple generations, and the results are surprising, or maybe not. The survey found that almost six out of ten respondents think that happiness can be bought, and that the average person believes that they would have to have one-point-two million dollars in the bank to be truly happy. In addition, the average respondent thinks they would need to earn – fasten your seatbelt! – two-hundred-and-eighty-five-thousand dollars a year to be happy. What was most surprising to me was that Millennials, the generation born between 1981 and 1996, believe they would need to earn five-hundred-and-twenty-five-thousand dollars a year to be happy! Experience tells us the truth: that those who have a lot, are never happy and always want more. Ecclesiastes five ten reminds us, “Those who love money will never have enough.” Let’s tell our kids to pursue Christ and not money.

Faithful Self Examination

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

As he closes out his second letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul writes this: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” Paul’s desire for the Corinthians is the desire we should have for ourselves, that we are constantly working to be sure that we are staying on course as we progress in our growth in the Christian faith. I recently read this great suggestion from Donald T. Williams. He writes, “Whenever I am tempted to think that my sanctification is progressing rather well, I ask myself the following questions. Do I yet obey Jesus the way he deserves to be obeyed? Do I yet trust Jesus the way he deserves to be trusted? Do I yet love Jesus the way he deserves to be loved?” As Christian parents, we need to constantly be looking into the mirror as our lives are illuminated under the truths of God’s Word. These questions are so helpful, and they are questions we must teach our kids to ask of themselves for the rest of their lives.

Teens and Sports Gambling

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Not a day goes by when I don’t hear or see one advertisement for an online sports gambling platform. With the Major League Baseball season gearing up your local broadcasts will mention not only what’s happening on the field, but the odds on a host of things occurring in the game along with an invitation to put money on anything and everything. Add to this the promotions and bonuses for signing up, and it’s no surprise that our kids are drawn into online sports gambling through the apps. And, while there are age restrictions, there’s nothing stopping kids from lying about their age and getting involved. Parents surveyed regarding their concerns about the risks of online betting for teens ages fourteen to eighteen put debt, gambling addiction, a ruined credit score, and drug and alcohol abuse at the top of their list. Teach your kids that God has promised to provide for our needs. He doesn’t instruct us to gamble to get it. Rather, we are to work to meet our needs and to bring glory to Him.

Adolescent Drinking and Brain Damage

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Besides warning our kids about the spiritual and legal issues related to underage drinking, we must also warn them about the damage that underage drinking does to their still not-fully-formed brains. In today’s world, more and more kids are engaging in binge drinking. That is, consuming five or more drinks in a period of two hours. Researchers have now found conclusive evidence that drinking during adolescence can lead to structural damages in the brain that can easily result in memory and cognitive deficits that can persist into adulthood. In other words, drinking as a child or teen can effect the brain even if the person stops drinking as they go through life. Parents, talk to your kids about the dangers of drinking, and encourage them to be good stewards who care for their God-given bodies. Warn them about the dangers of exposure to high doses of alcohol during their adolescent years. What they choose to do now can and will affect them for the rest of their lives.

What Parents Need to Know about the Porn Industry

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Kristen Jenson at defendyoungminds.com wrote an article entitled, Today’s Porn Industry: Five Things Every Parent Needs to Know. Parents, as you engage in continued conversations with your kids about the dangers and sinful nature of this horribly broken and addicting expression of God’s good gift of sexuality, keep in mind these warnings from Jenson. First, the porn industry is complicit with the sex trafficking of minors, rape, and pedophilia. Porn has become synonymous with sex crimes. Second, the pornography industry makes hard-core pornography available for free. If it doesn’t find your kids, your kids will find it. Third, pornography normalizes incest, racism, and violence to women. Fourth, the porn industry is a mainstream big corporate business. Yes, computer scientists, lawyers accountants, and HR execs are all a part of the scheme. And finally, the porn industry is doing all they can to deny the truth, to disinform, and to defame their critics. Parents, protect your kids from pornography.

Sleepovers vs Sleepunders

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite memories of childhood was reaching the age where from time to time, my parents would allow me to sleep over at a friends house. I remember the joy of staying up late, watching movies, and eating pizza with a group of buddies. My kids experienced sleepovers as well. In today’s world, there’s a movement away from sleepovers that I think is warranted. We live in a world where we’re learning more and more about predators and sexual abuse. When a child is a victim of sexual abuse, ninety percent of them know their attacker. Half of those known abusers are family members, and the other half are acquaintances and friends. Prudence should cause us to err on the side of caution. The truth is that once kids are asleep, they are doing something they could also be doing at home. Now parents, are okaying what’s called “sleepunders”, where the kids get picked up at bedtime, or when their parents are done visiting together. Parents, don’t live in fear, but exercise wisdom.

Teens Driving Drowsy

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism is this: “What is the chief end of man?” I have found that the answer informs all that we are and everything we do in our lives. The answer is this: “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Everything we do in life is an act of worship, and everything we do in life should be done to glorify God. This includes how we drive. This should cause us to think about the speed we drive, how we react to and interact with other drivers, and how we respond to traffic jams and slowdowns when we are in a hurry. Parents, as the one’s who train our kids to drive, it’s about more than how to operate an automobile. New findings from the 2023 Drowsy Driving Survey from the National Sleep Foundation found that one in six teens report driving drowsy during their first two years behind the wheel, and most believe that drowsy driving is not as dangerous while driving drunk or distracted. Parents, this is an aspect of driver training we mustn’t avoid.

The Downsides of Screen Reading

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In the past, you’ve heard me mention the results of initial research regarding the difference between reading text on a printed page, versus reading text on a screen. Researchers found that there is a fundamental difference between the two, as eye scans show that those who read on the printed page read line by line, and those who read on a screen tend to skip over text while looking for keywords. A new study looked at screen and print reading differences among children ages ten to twelve, that three year period which is most critical in reading development. This is the time when students shift from learning to read, to reading to learn. The initial findings indicate a greater depth of processing when reading from the printed page. Deeper comprehension and deeper learning occur. Since more and more kids are reading off screens, this could indicate the declines in text comprehension skills of thirteen year olds. Parents, don’t throw out the books. And most of all, keep your kids reading printed Bibles.

Parents and Saying No

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Girls and Pornography

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

With the advent of the internet and online pornography, the male to female gap on pornography exposure and use has been closing. The latest research indicates that fifty-seven percent of females ages fourteen to eighteen have viewed pornography. Pornhub states that over one-third of their global viewership was female in 2022, which is an increase of fifty-one percent since 2014. A survey conducted by the she recovery.com pornography support site for women offers up some sobering statistics on age of first exposure. Over eleven percent of the female respondents said they were first exposed to pornography at seven years old or younger, and forty-seven percent said their first exposure was between eight to twelve years old. By the time they were seventeen, over three-quarters had viewed pornography. We need to teach our kids to avoid the undoing that comes with viewing fallen expressions of God’s good gift of sex and sexuality. Parents, teach your kids from a young age.

Teaching Kids to Live with Hope

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

There are two phrases in Scripture that we must pay attention to, understand, and teach to our kids. They are, “In this life”, and “In the end.” These two phrases are so helpful in giving us a proper perspective on the difficult things we will face in this world. When we read the Bible we learn that in this life there will be pain, sorrow, disease, discord, decay, death, and a host of other realities. This life is filled with all kinds of things as a result of human sin and the world not being the way its supposed to be. Be we do not live as those who have no hope. You see, in the end will be the glorious restoration of all things to the way they are supposed to be. And so, we will find ourselves living now with both heartache and hope as we groan with all creation for that day when our mourning will be turned into dancing! Are you teaching your kids to live their lives in light of eternity? Or, are you leaving them to a cultural narrative which encourages them to live as they wish for the moment?

The Power of a Father

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 9 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

One of the greatest gifts I received in my life was the gift of an active and involved father. My father not only took the time to be around and spend time with me, but to teach me about Jesus and what it means to live with Christ as the Lord of my life. Those were great benefits to having a loving and involved father. But there’s more! Researchers tell us that when a dad gets involved in his child’s life, that child will learn more, perform better in school, and exhibit healthier behavior. Children with involved dads have fewer emotional and behavioral problems in adolescence. Teens who feel close to their dads grow up to have healthier marriages. And girls who have a strong relationship with their dad during their teenage years move into adulthood without as many psychological issues and distresses. Dads, your heavenly father has given you the gift of your children. He has also given you to them as a gift. Love your children as you’ve been loved by your heavenly father.

Parenting and Suffering

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 6 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The Bible speaks from beginning to end about the presence and benefits of suffering. James tells us that we’re to “consider it all joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance,” which then leads to maturity. The teenage years bring difficulty for both teenagers and their parents. As a result, we can experience the joy of going deeper with God and depending on him during the challenges of adolescence. We’ve learned that the harder the difficulty, the deeper God is taking us. He wants us at the place where we drop our arms to our sides, look to him in desperation, and then confess, “Ok Lord, I’ve got nothing.” Suffering is a process God uses to refine us and our kids into His image and likeness. If we had to do it all over again as parents, would we change the circumstances that led us to suffering and helplessness? Absolutely not! It’s been a gift that’s taken us deeper in our dependence on Him.

LGBTQ Bullying

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 5 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In our good and necessary efforts to teach our kids God’s good creational design for sexuality and gender, I’m afraid that we can oftentimes unintentionally leave our kids less than compassionate towards those who are struggling with sex and gender confusion, or who are choosing to believe and live into the current cultural narrative. One of the things I tell parents is that we do not have a good history of treating those who believe and behave differently in ways that Christ would treat them. A recent survey found, not surprisingly, that self-identifying bisexual, gay, and lesbian Americans report higher rates of bullying than those who are heterosexuals. Thirty-five percent of heterosexuals report being bullied during their teen years, while fifty-six percent of gay or lesbian, and sixty-two percent of bisexuals report being bullied as teens. We must teach our kids to recognize sin, but to also be compassionate to all of God’s divine image-bearers.

Kids, Fentanyl, and Overdose Deaths

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 4 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Ever since teenage drug abuse ramped up in the nineteen sixties, schools, mental health professionals, the government, and parents have all been working to stem the tide of abuse and addiction. One of the greatest concerns has been the very real risk of death from drug overdose. I’m guessing that all of us have been touched by overdose death, perhaps in our families or circle of friends. Sadly, the latest research tells us that drug overdose deaths among teens more than doubled between twenty nineteen and twenty twenty, and this, in spite of the fact that there was also a decline in teen drug use. We also know that Fentanyl is now involved in at least seventy five percent of teen overdose deaths. With drug suppliers now mixing fentanyl in with other drugs, we need to exercise greater diligence in warning our kids about drug abuse. Pray that your teens would have a heart bent on following God, and that He would spare them from the scourge of illicit drugs.

What is Gen Z Thinking and Doing?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 3 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I’ve always been fascinated by reports that deliver data on how values, attitudes, and behaviors have changed from one generation to another. The American Enterprise Institute recently released a report that had some discouraging and some encouraging news. For my generation of baby-boomers, fifty-four percent, reported drinking alcohol or smoking pot or cigarettes occasionally during their teen years. For Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, that number has decreased to thirty-two percent. This is encouraging news that should drive us to keep our prevention efforts moving forward. The discouraging news is that while seventy one percent of Baby Boomers attended religious services during their teen years, that number has dropped to fifty-two percent for those from Gen Z. Parents, our greatest desire for our kids is to see them grow up to become faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Being an active member of a church should be part of their teen experience.

Gender Transition and Lawsuits

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 2 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Over the course of the last couple of years, I, like you, have seen countless television commercials for law firms inviting viewers to engage in lawsuits for a variety of causes, many times because of exposure to contaminants at Camp LeJeune, or for illnesses like Mesothelioma. I’ve often times turned to my wife to tell her that we are not far from seeing the same kinds of ads pop up for those who were encouraged and perhaps forced into gender transitioning steps by parents, medical doctors, educators, and others. The reality is that several suits are now in progress, and there are law firms working to announce their willingness to represent detransitioners who want to sue those who lied about the dangers of these medical interventions. Parents, this reminds us of our need to not only advocate for our kids with sensibility, but to do so from a biblical perspective. At creation, God made two genders, and he has created all people to live into the gender that was given at conception.

Kids and Weight Loss Products

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

For our kids, especially our girls, there is an ever-present pressure causing them stress and anxiety that is undermining their mental and physical health. The pressure I’m talking about is the pressure they feel to conform their body shape and weight to appearance standards that value thinness as the passport to acceptance. Because this pressure is so strong during adolescence, our teens are vulnerable to not only feeling the pressure, but trying to answer the pressure by enlisting the dangerous practice of using weight-loss products. Over six percent of American teens report using a weight-loss product in the last thirty days, with instances that are higher among girls. Researchers say there’s a correlation between the use of these products in girls with low self-esteem, parental influence to lose weight, self-body dissatisfaction, and peer groups that value thinness. Parents, buffer the pressure by helping your kids value the development of their insides, rather than their outsides.

Body Image and Quitting Sports

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In the past you’ve heard me say that roughly seventy-percent of our kids who play organized sports drop out by the age of thirteen. One of the main reasons cited is the pressure they feel from parents and coaches, a pressure that becomes unbearable and which drains the fun out of playing the sport. Now that we live in a social media saturated world, there seems to be a new reason for our kids to drop out of sports. A recent survey found that kids are dropping out due to the fact that they don’t think their bodies measure up to the idealized athletic body types they are seeing on social media. Researchers found that kids who had concluded they didn’t have the right body were defining the right body by what they saw on TikTok and Instagram. Not surprisingly this reason for dropping out was cited more often by our girls than by our boys. Parents, we need to promote the value of Godly character over body type, and we need to encourage our kids to play and have fun.

Parenting by Social Media

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I remember what a qualified parenting expert I used to be. In fact, I was at my best in knowing how to parent correctly before I even had kids. And then our kids came. I had a lot of repenting to do, and I also needed to know where to look for the best advice. My bookshelf is filled with Christian parenting books that helped us along the way as we were raising our own kids. We also went to our parents for advice on many of the everyday tasks of parenting that sometimes left us confused and looking for help. Researchers at the University of Michigan are reporting that parents are now bypassing advice from their parents along with parenting books. Instead, and not surprising, they are going to social media for guidance on potty training, sleep issues, and child discipline. Here’s the rub: you can find anything on social media, and how do we know it’s trustworthy? We recommend that you navigate social media with caution, and filter any advice you receive through the lens of God’s Word.

Smartphones in School

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I recently had to double-back to my office after leaving for the day. I found myself in a bit of a panic as I had left my smartphone on my desk. Truth be told, there was a part of me feeling that if I was not reunited with my phone, things could go bad very quickly. When I came to my senses, I realized that I had spent roughly two-thirds of my life without a smartphone, and the reality was that life was fine, and even better, in those good old land-line-only days. While our smartphones are helpful, there are so many ways in which they undermine our well-being. One such issue in today’s world is the issue of phones in school. One school district in Virginia found that about a third of the district’s teachers were telling kids to put their phones away five to ten times during a class period. Fifteen percent had to do so more than twenty times a class. Our kids physical, mental, and academic health is suffering. How is it affecting their spiritual health? Parents, we need to set limits!

Puberty Earlier and Earlier

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

As a dad, I remember the concern I felt as my daughters started to enter puberty and transform according to God’s good design, from little girls into women. I knew that with the shift through adolescence they would face new pressures in a world that puts a premium on body image, sexuality, and appearance. We worked hard to prepare them, buffer them, and guide them through this stage, all the while endeavoring to lead them more deeply into a relationship with Jesus Christ. According to the latest research, those of you raising girls need to be on high alert at earlier ages, as the new data shows that puberty is starting earlier, with girls developing breasts as young as age six or seven. While not all the reasons are known, researchers have seen links with childhood obesity, exposure to environmental chemicals, and stress. While it might make you uncomfortable, we need to be having conversations about Godly sexuality and body image at younger and younger ages.

Some Family Time Ideas

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

One of the best lessons I learned from my parents is that there is more to life than sitting around and doing nothing. My parents were available to us on those quiet evenings when it would have been easy to plop down in front of the tube. But they always had something fun to do. We would play board games or cards, wrestle or box with my dad, build models, work in the basement woodshop, etc. Sure we watched TV, listened to the radio, and played records. But those voices were tempered by the involvement of our parents in our lives. We even learned to enjoy listening to our parents; there was good communication taking place. Because I had such fun-loving parents most of the neighborhood kids wanted to spend time at my house. In today’s world, the two greatest distractions to family time and fun are first, a full schedule of organized activities, and second, everyone keeping their faces buried in their phones. Make an effort to connect by disconnecting from the distractions.

Telling Kids the Truth about Sex and Gender

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I recently read a Touchstone Magazine interview with Princeton University professor Dr. Robert George, where he warns Christians about buying into the concepts of sexual orientation and gender identity. He says that these categories are modern inventions. He goes on to say that it has very bad consequences if we enable Christians who experience same-sex desire or gender dysphoria, which as a matter of feeling is a reality”, that it actually is reality. He says that we should never ridicule those who struggle as they do deserve our care. He writes, “They need to be told the truth. And it’s not telling them the truth to say that, ‘well, your gender identity is female while your sex is male.” The ninth commandment tells us that we shall not bear false witness, or lie, to our neighbor. Parents, this couldn’t be more important for us to embrace as we interact with our children in a world of gender confusion. Tell them the truth about who God made them to be.

Targeting Kids with Vaping

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I recently read a piece in the New York Times written by Callie Holterman. The headline read, “In candy shades and eggy shapes, many of today’s most popular vaping devices look like toys. Experts worry they will hook a new generation of users.” After reading the article, I went online to look through one of the many online vape outlets that serve as clearinghouses for a host of vaping devices and supplies. I was greeted with everything Holterman’s article discussed, along with four hundred and twenty different products from which to choose. I was invited to shop by brand or type, along with an option for shopping by flavor, with flavors listed being too long to mention here, but including things like Banana, Grape, Lush Ice, and Blue Razz. . . all designed to attract new young users. Parents, you need to know that vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking conventional cigarettes. They are addictive and dangerous. Teach your kids to steward their bodies to God’s glory.

Phones and Aloneness

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The law of cause and effect is a universal law which states that for every single action in the universe, a reaction is produced no matter what. I’ve seen the principle of cause and effect active in my own life in so many ways. For example, when I eat more, I gain weight. And conversely, when I eat less and exercise more, I lose weight. As we approach the twenty-year mark since the advent of smartphones, we’re learning more about cause and effect as it relates to technology. New research from the dcdx marketing firm reports that seventy three percent of young people ages fifteen to seventeen report sometimes or always feeling alone. This rise parallels a rise in the amount of screentime. It’s not a stretch to conclude that more time spent with screens means less time with people, thereby leading to loneliness. The triune God has made us for relationships, first and foremost with him, and then with family and friends. Help your kids disconnect in order to reconnect with others.

Kids and Work that Matters to God

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In today’s world, one of the ways in which we divide people into groups and rate their value is according to their jobs. Parents, we have to teach our kids something different. I love these words of truth from Abraham Kuyper: "Preachers and plumbers aren't any different. What God requires of them each is the same: not a dime's less than everything. Missionaries are no more holy than factory workers or soccer players or the unemployed. Life, lived near unto God, is holy service. . . Whether you do art, bus tables, lay concrete, clean toilets, bring up kids, care for the elderly, perform brain surgery, pump gas, clean teeth, play football, or shine shoes - no matter what you do - do it to his honor and glory. After all, our life is a whole, the component parts of which - play, duty, leisure - must be wrapped in our love like a present, then laid at the feet of our God." Parents, God has gifted your children in unique ways. Teach them to live into their gifts, that all work matters to God, and all work brings him glory!

Building Our Own Little Worlds

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Situationships

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Family Time and Teen Sex

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Parents, there is some interesting news about teenagers and sex coming out of the University of California, San Francisco. Researchers asked four thousand adolescents from seven hundred and fifty one neighborhoods and one hundred and fifteen schools in Alabama, Texas, and California questions about the quality of their relationships in their homes and in their neighborhoods. Questions focused on how much time families and neighbors spend with one another. The research found that kids whose parents restricted their dating were fifty-five percent less likely to have sex by tenth grade. Other factors contributing to the decision to not have sex by tenth grade include spending less time at home alone, coming from a cohesive family, and living in a close-knit neighborhood. We shouldn’t be surprised that valuing and building up our families and relationships with our kids would have this result. God desires us to nurture our children in the faith, raising them in a Christian home.

Kids and Caffeine

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

If you attend a church that has coffee available on Sunday mornings, you might have noticed that there are more and more children and teens heading to the pots for a cup of the caffeine-infused beverage. Researchers at the C.S. Mott Children’s hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan are telling us that surveys of parents indicate that thirty-one percent of thirteen to eighteen year olds are drinking coffee regularly. We already know that our kids have been chugging down other types of caffeine infused drinks for years. It’s no surprise that average daily caffeine intake has risen among children and teens over the years. When asked why they are drinking more caffeine, kids cite the fact that caffeine is in many of the drinks they love, along with pressure from their peers. Last year, Starbucks earned twenty one million dollars from teens using their app. Too much caffeine is harmful to our kids. That’s why we need to teach them to steward their bodies to God’s glory.

Talking about Transgender

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In a recent edition of Salvo magazine, physician Bruce Woodall describes a conversation he had with one of his patients, a young middle school girl named Jessica. Struggling with how her body was changing Woodall had the opportunity to talk through Jessica’s sense that she was born in the wrong body, and that she was actually transgender. Woodall asked lots of questions, listened intently, and answered her questions with truth. He says Jessica is an example of how insecurity among the young is fertile ground for the transgender ideology. He concludes with these words: “For the kids to be alright, they need the presence and guidance of adults – caring, rational adults who are vigilant and ready to listen so that the young person feels heard and seen but who are also ready to provide calm, clear reasoning as to why they should doubt the whole premise of transgender ideology, rather than doubting the reality and goodness of their own bodies.”

Faithfulness to God's Word

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 9 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Youth Pastors and Self Promotion

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 8 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Parents and Youth Sports

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 7 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Detransitioners Speak

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 6 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In recent months, we are hearing more and more stories of detransitioners who are renouncing and speaking out about their prior self-identification of being transgender. Research in the journal, Archives of Sexual Behavior, reports on interviews with seventy-eight individuals from the United States, ages eighteen to thirty-three who had stopped identifying as transgender at least six months prior to the interview. Their average age for first identifying as transgender was seventeen point one years of age, and they had done so for an average of five point four years before detransitioning. Eighty three percent had taken steps to transition socially, and sixty-eight percent had taken at least one medical step. Most reported that they had embraced the ideology because of prior mental health issues and trauma. They report better psychological health since detransitioning. These stories are becoming more widespread, and we shouldn’t be surprised.

Getting it Right on Sexuality

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 5 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

David Adamovich is regarded as the worlds greatest knife thrower. He’s known as the “Great Throwdini,” and in his performances, he works with a “target girl’ who gets strapped to a spinning wheel. Adamovich then works to carefully throw his sharp and sparkling knives close to her head and body without hitting her. As I watched Adamovich do his thing, I wondered what was going through the head of his target girl. My guess is that she was thinking, “He’d better get this right!” And Adamovich had to be thinking, “I better get this right.” As parents we’d better get it right. This is especially true as we teach our kids about sex and sexuality in a culture where anything goes. The reality is that to get it right, we have to be true to the Scriptures interpreted correctly, and embraced and taught by the church over her long two-thousand year history. Parents, get it right by knowing and teaching the truths of God’s Word with accuracy and precision!

Kids and the Compassion of Christ

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 2 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Smellmaxxing

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 1 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

When I was in elementary school, I remember pulling a stool up to the medicine cabinet in my grandparent’s bathroom in order to grab my grandfather’s old spice decanter, from which I would splash on a healthy dose of the cologne. Of course, I never got away with it due to everyone smelling the evidence of what I had done. In today’s world, Old Spice and other cheaper cologne brands like it are now frowned upon by our kids. Thanks to a new viral TikTok trend, what’s called smellmaxxing has boys as young as ten spending large amounts of money on designer colognes. Piper Sandler reports that teen boys’ annual spending on fragrances jumped twenty-six percent last year. The trend is being fueled by people like the young TikTok influencer known as the cologne boy who has well over a million followers. And once some kids buy in, peer influence leads others to follow. This new trend offers parents an opportunity to talk about identity, financial stewardship, and the trap of coolness.

Kids and Porn

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

It’s no secret that the arrival of the internet, the smartphone, and social media have made pornography easily accessible to all kids. Perhaps you’ve already seen and heard the evidence about the addictive nature of visual pornography, among both our boys and our girls. The folks at defendyoungminds.com are now sounding the warning about the proliferation of pornographic literature among our teenage girls, and what it’s not only doing to their minds, but to their beliefs and behaviors regarding God’s good gift of sexuality. The exposure to and use of erotic lit and lit porn is a gateway into pornography and the desensitization and sexualization that is taking place in our young girls. Parents, we encourage you to monitor what your kids are reading, along with what they are looking at online. Talk to your kids about the addictive and destructive nature of pornography, along with God’s good and glorious design for their sexuality. They are sexual beings, so nurture them properly.

Some Truth about Marriage

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Recently, my wife and I were having a conversation with a couple of single young women who were lamenting the fact that they were not yet married. We certainly didn’t want to discourage them, but we also didn’t want to encourage the cultural notion that in order to be happy and fulfilled, one must be married. We also didn’t want to encourage any false ideas that suggest that once you are married, you are in for smooth sailing. After our conversation, I got to thinking about our need to help our kids understand two things about marriage. First, God has designed and ordained marriage. He wants a man and a woman to commit to each other. But there’s a second side. We have to let our kids know that marriage is not a cure-all. In fact, when two broken people come together, they commit to living with the brokenness of another. But with God as the cement that keeps them committed and moving forward, marriage will be a blessed, yet sometimes difficult road.

Kids and Hypertension

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Parents, as you help your kids learn how to steward their God-given bodies to His glory by maintaining their health, you need to keep in mind some new research findings from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia regarding our kids and high blood pressure. Hypertension is a health issue here in the U.S., and you might surprised to learn that it’s not just a problem for adults. One in seven kids ages twelve to nineteen have hypertension. Traditionally, doctors have blamed being overweight and a lack of physical exercise as causal factors. But now, they are citing an additional cause: lack of adequate sleep. Did you know kids under the age of six need ten to thirteen hours of sleep per night for healthy growth and development? Kids ages six to twelve need nine to twelve hours a night. Those ages thirteen to eighteen need eight to ten hours per night. Take stock of how much sleep your kids are getting, and be sure that their phones are removed from their rooms overnight.

Engaging Culture 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Today we conclude this week’s look at strategies for engaging the soul of today’s youth culture. The strategy we need to address is one that is difficult, simply because it’s employed in times of deep family pain and hurt. It’s our need to respond redemptively to our kids’ sin, failures, and mistakes. All teens – like us – face temptation. And all teens – like us – will make dangerous and sinful choices. Your goal should be to help the kids you know and love redeem these situations by turning a sinful mistake into an opportunity for the teen to experience God’s grace, and become a more Christlike person. Don’t ever write off a teen or a difficult situation as irredeemable. Rather, treat your teen as you know your heavenly father treats you when you are the offending party. Difficult times will come. Parents, we are called to love and lead our kids to wholeness through repentance and restoration.

Engaging Culture 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re looking at strategies for engaging the soul of today’s youth culture. One important strategy is to respond preventively to the negative cultural forces your kids face. As the parent of four children, I knew enough about young kids to know that they might wander into the street, talk to strangers, or reach for hot objects. As a result, I did my best to help them learn not to. Likewise, if we care about the spiritual health of our students, we should answer any faulty directions given by the map of today’s youth culture in a preventive fashion. We need to pass on valuable information we’ve learned about life so that our kids adopt values, attitudes, and behaviors that keep them from harm and provide for their well being. Parents, God has given you the responsibility to provide sound preventive guidance and direction to your kids. Think with them about how God wants them to live in His world.

Engaging Culture 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re looking at strategies for engaging the soul of today’s youth culture. Make an intentional effort to look for and seize opportunities to speak biblical truth into their lives in response to the realities that exist. In effect, you are preaching the truths of the Gospel to your kids. Looking in the soup of youth culture will reveal the realities that exist. Spending time with Jesus in his word will shape your biblically faithful response. At times, you will find yourself affirming that the map of culture is sending students in the right direction. At other times, you’ll challenge the map when it sends them down the wrong road. If you’re a youth worker, look for every opportunity to point kids in the right direction. And if you’re a parent, don’t ever forget that God has given you primary responsibility for the spiritual nurture of your children. Lead the kids you know and love to the truth.

Engaging Culture 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re looking at strategies for engaging the soul of today’s youth culture. To begin, we must continually work to know how the culture is changing. One theologian once said that “every Christian should start their day with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other.” This is great advice. Look at the changing soup of youth culture by listening to what they listen to, reading what they read, and watching what they watch. Keep your ears and eyes open for news stories about them, advertisements targeting them and artwork done by them. Observe kids and their posts on social media. Like the apostle Paul when he found himself in the pagan city of Athens, don’t open your mouth until you’ve opened your ears and eyes. The world of our children and teens is changing at breakneck speed. It’s our responsibility to know what’s happening so that we can effectively cross-cultures into their world.

Engaging Culture 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Culture is what we believe, what we do and how we live our lives from day to day. It binds us to those who think and live in similar manner. It’s the values, attitudes and behaviors that drive how we live our lives. I’ve always found it helpful to view youth culture as the soup our kids swim in everyday. Consequently, if we want to engage students for the sake of the gospel, we’d better take the time to know what’s in the soup. In one of my local restaurants, the soup bar features three selections. I’ve watched how people choose their soup. They lift the lid off the pot, stir the soup, lift the ladle, and examine the soup’s ingredients. If we are to effectively engage our students with the truths of the gospel, we must step up to their world, lift the lid and look carefully at the unique and ever-changing mix of cultural elements they swim in everyday. All this week we’ll be looking at ways to engage the soul of today’s youth culture.

An Encouraging Word for Parents

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Transgender Truth

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the demands made by those who embrace the transgender ideology are everywhere. Front and center over the last couple of years is the controversy surrounding whether or not biological men should be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports if they choose to identify as transgender. What the conversation needs from parents is a clear commitment to tell our kids the truth about gender and God’s good design. Salvo Magazine reports on Sage Steele, a former ESPN Sportscenter co-host who was told by the network to keep her opinions on transgenderism in sport to herself. Steele says, “I was like, no. And let’s stop living in this lie. I literally said, this is the hill I will die on one hundred percent because these are facts. This is science. Come at me. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me to stop supporting women. Go ahead, tell me.” Steele’s words remind us that God calls his followers to be strong and courageous with the truth!

Parents, Kids, and Smartphones

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Sadfishing

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Many of the new words that have entered into our English vocabulary in recent years are words that have come into existence thanks to the advent and growth of social media and technology. One of those words that has been sparked by a new trend, is sadfishing. Sadfishing is a growing trend among teenagers that offers insights into some of the pressures and mental health issues facing our kids. Sadfishing is a term referring to social media users who exaggerate their emotional state through their online postings with the goal of attracting the attention of others and generating their sympathy. Typically this is done through sad photos and quotes. We need to pay attention to the sadfishing efforts of the kids we know, as going online might be an effort to get somebody to listen, when nobody else is listening to them. In addition, the cry for attention reveals deep relational needs. Parents, build your relationships with your kids, so that they come first to you.

Does Online Time Undo Us?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In his book “Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age”, Samuel D. James describes how our liturgies, or the repeated habits we have developed in the way use technology, have served to deform us in five specific ways. First, our time online in digital environments fosters a kind of inauthenticity as we center on ourselves. Second, our growing amount of online time fuels outrage by constantly feeding us information and misinformation that polarizes us from others. Third, we can shame others, or be shamed ourselves, often resulting in getting canceled. We don’t discuss our differences anymore. Fourth, we are driven into a lifestyle of consumption, as the algorithms feed us more and more of the content that grabs our attention and focus. Finally, we get lost in the meaningless of the online world. We’re starting to see what happens when we spend time scrolling on our phones, rather than through the pages of God’s Word.

Our Parenting Opportunity

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The Surgeon General's Social Media Warning

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

As I’ve gotten older, it’s become more and more clear to me that my grandkids are growing up in a world that’s markedly different than the one I grew up in. Recently, I was looking back at some YouTube videos of talk shows and news broadcasts from the 1960s. I had forgotten just how common smoking cigarettes while on camera actually was. Then as the health risks became known, a Surgeon General’s warning was mandated for cigarette packs in 1965. By 1971, all cigarette ads were banned from radio and tv. Last month, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, in a New York Times opinion piece wrote this: It is time to require a Surgeon General’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. While there may be some debates moving forward, the message is clear: we as parents need to do our due diligence on monitoring, limiting, and even banning social media for our kids.

Bad Therapy

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Have you heard about Abigail Shrier’s new book, “Bad Therapy: Why The Kids Aren’t Growing Up”? In the book, Shrier helps us to understand parenting approaches and habits we’ve adopted in recent years which are believed to produce happy, healthy and well-adjusted kids. As Christian parents, we should desire first and foremost to raise kids who launch into adulthood with the overarching goal of living their lives to the glory of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But this kind of well-intentioned but bad parenting Shrier calls out can also be adopted by Christian parents. Shrier writes, “We adopted a therapeutic approach to parenting. Successful parenting became a function with a single coefficient: our kids’ happiness at any given instant. An ideal childhood meant no pain, no discomfort, no fights, no failure – and absolutely no hint of trauma.” Parents, are we or are we not prepping our kids for the life of discipleship that requires taking up one’s cross and denying one’s self?

Bum Bum Cream

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

A few years ago, we began to take notice of all the ads for Botox that were running on television. Botox promised to remedy our dissatisfaction with the wrinkles and creases we were increasingly seeing as we looked in the mirror. Stopping the aging process has become a cultural obsession, which reveals the deeper theological reality that none of us like the march we’re on through aging and to death as a result of human sin. A recent article in the New York Times reports that our teenagers are now engaged with a viral trend related to an anti-aging and expensive skin-smoothing product known as Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. Not only should we be concerned that our kids are now working to stop the effects of aging, but also about spending their money wisely. You see, an eight ounce jar of Brazilian Bum Bum Cream sells for forty-eight dollars. Parents, let’s teach our kids to find their identity in Christ, not appearance, and teach them to spend wisely.

Summer Smartphone Sabbath

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 8 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

There’s an old familiar song from composer George Gershwin that might serve to motivate you to take some action related to social media and smartphones if you’re heading out with your family for vacation in the coming weeks. The song is called “Summertime” and it was written ninety years ago for the opera “Porgy and Bess.” There’s one line from “Summertime” that starts echoing in my head every year when the calendar flips to July. “It’s summertime, and the living is easy” goes the song. But I’m not sure we’re too successful these days in our efforts to find much-needed rest and relaxation. One barrier is how tethered we’ve become to our phones. This is the case not only for our kids, but for us as adults too. So, here’s a strategy for increasing your chances for rest and relaxation this summer. Why not power down the phones and stay off social media so that you can focus your attention on the other members of your family? God has made us for rest and relationships!

Parents, Abide in Him

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 5 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In John fifteen, Jesus uses a gardening allegory to tell his followers about healthy and vibrant spiritual growth and development. Jesus explains that when we enter into a relationship with Him there is a life-giving connection along with a sustaining maintenance procedure that we must willingly and actively pursue if we are to bloom, grow, and bear fruit as He intends us to. In effect, he describes how we are to be “hitched” or connected to Him as a branch is to a vine. Our fruit-bearing and growth is increased by the sometimes painful process of pruning, which removes dead or overgrown parts so that we might become more productive. What is the secret to this kind of growth? Jesus says the secret is this: “Abide in me.” The word abide is used ten times in this passage. It describes a kind of “hitching” to our life-source, Jesus Christ. Parents, as we abide in Jesus, His life begins to permeate and transform us, keeping us spiritually vibrant, healthy, and fruitful.

The Gospel and Brain Development

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 4 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I recently ran across another clear example of how secular science confirms what we know as Christians to be most beneficial to our teens as they navigate the difficult years of adolescence. Researchers at the University of Southern California have been looking how a teenager’s thinking influences their brain development, for better or for worse. Using interviews, functional mri’s, and ongoing surveys, researchers found that teenagers who engaged in what they called transcendent thinking showed more brain development and greater amounts of happiness over time. Transcendent thinking is the thinking that is done which moves beyond the moment and the immediate context to think about the bigger story of life. When I read the report, I couldn’t help but think about the impact that thinking about the bigger story of the bible is the kind of transcendent thinking that not only encourages healthy brain development, but transforms our kids lives! Preach the gospel to your kids!

Releasing Kids Into God's Hands

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 3 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Adoniram and Ann Judson, were the first foreign missionaries from the U.S., departing for their work in Burma back in 1812. When young Adoniram approached Ann’s father to ask for her hand in marriage, he wrote these words: “I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure for a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and suffering of a missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death.” Ann’s father eagerly consented and released his daughter into God’s service for the sake of the spread of the Gospel. Fourteen years later, Ann died in Burma from smallpox. Are you willing to release your kids into into the hands of God for the sake of the spread of the Gospel?

Parenting Screentime Addicts

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 2 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

When we think about teenagers and addiction, it is important that we engage in preventive efforts in order to keep kids from getting addicted. This holds true when it comes to device and screen addiction, which will become more of an issue in years to come. Experts are telling us that if we would take time to set limits and borders now, we would prevent addiction and these marks of screen addiction: feeling uneasy or grumpy when you cannot use your device. Avoiding breaks while spending long periods of time on your device. Ignoring other activities including reading and going outside. Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Physical issues including eye, back, and neck strain. Gaining weight due to inactivity. And finally, having difficulty conversing and interacting socially. Parents, life in our smartphone world is a life primed for addiction, that is, unless we intervene now keeping phones away from young children, and limiting screentime for older kids.

How to Be Discerning

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 1 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

When difficult decisions. . . or even the little decisions of life. . . need to be made, what authority do you consult for guidance? All of us make thousands of choices a day, and every one of those choices is made based on some standard or authority. For the Christian, it is the authority of God’s Word that should form the basis of all of our decisions. The writer of Proverbs tells us that the discerning person deliberately “sets his face toward” or “focuses the gaze of his eyes” on wisdom. In other words, biblical discernment comes when we intentionally focus on the truths of God’s Word, trusting that God has given us those truths in order to provide guidance in every decision, either large or small. What motivates us to keep our eyes toward wisdom is our desire to love, serve, follow, and ultimately glorify God in all things. Bruce Waltke writes, “The eyes of the wise focus on wisdom, which in turn serves them well, but the fool’s focus flits from one godless, unattainable thing to another that does not profit him.”

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Researcher Ellen Galinsky has released a brand new book about teenagers. It’s called “The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens”, and it includes five things teens wish their parents and other adults knew about them. All this week, we’re looking at what Galinsky heard from teenagers. The third message she heard is this: “Don’t stereotype us.” Just like us, our teenagers don’t want to be pigeon-holed into stereotypes. For example, not all teens are anxious. Not all teens are addicted to their phones. And not all teens are entitled. If we label our kids in these ways we are setting the table for them to live into those stereotypes. As Christian parents, we need to not only recognize the unique ways in which they’ve been created and gifted by God, but their potential to live into God’s glorious and grand design for their lives, rather than some stereotype. Parents, get to know your kids for who they are as unique individuals.

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Researcher Ellen Galinsky has released a brand new book about teenagers. It’s called “The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens”, and it includes five things teens wish their parents and other adults knew about them. All this week, we’re looking at what Galinsky heard from teenagers. The second message to parents is this: “Talk with us, not at us.” As our kids develop through the adolescent years, their brains are moving from thinking in black and white terms, to being able to think more abstractly, which means their on the pathway to having fully wired-up adult brains, sometime during their mid-twenties. As parents, we need to avoid the temptation to continue to think for them, as if they are still children. Rather, we need to think with them so that we might then train them to think for themselves. As Christian parents, we want to prepare our kids for a lifetime of thinking in ways that lead them to glorify God in all areas of their lives.

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Researcher Ellen Galinsky has released a brand new book about teenagers. It’s called “The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens”, and it includes five things teens wish their parents and other adults knew about them. All this week, I want to look at what Galinsky heard from teenagers. First, teenagers say they want parents to “Understand our development.” I agree. We need to understand the different stages our kids go through as they grow. As Christians, we can see God’s grand and glorious design for human growth and development as amazing sequence of stages where kids mature physically, emotionally, cognitively, relationally, and spiritually. Gaining a working understanding of each stage gives us the ability to set realistic expectations for our kids, informs our approach to discipline, and gives us insights into how to most effectively nurture them in the Christian faith in age-appropriate ways.

The Effects of Social Media on Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

God's Plan for Gender

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

As followers of Jesus, we must go to and trust God’s Word as the spotlight that shines truth on our understanding of gender. God, the Creator of all things, pronounced everything He created as “good!” But when He finished creating humans He said “very good!’ And what He pronounced as “very good!” was male and female. . . the binary genders He designed and assigned. . . male and female only, that are both fully human and equal in dignity and value. This is the way things are supposed to be. Jesus affirms this in Matthew 19:4 when He says, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?” God desires that we never allow our feelings to dictate and misshape our understanding of truth. Rather, we need to submit our feelings and desires to God’s Word. Don’t ever forget, God in His goodness has created and given us each our gender, which is indicated by our anatomy, either male or female.

Parenting in Anti-Christian Times

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

When Christian missionaries go through training, they spend lots of time learning their message. Missionary training is centered on learning the Gospel so that it might be shared correctly. But the message is not the only thing they learn. They also go through lots of learning about the culture of those to whom they are being sent, along with how to best communicate in ways that can be heard and understood in that context. Parents, did you know that you are a cross-cultural missionary? As you raise your children in the Lord, your need to know their cultural context. Culture-watcher Aaron Renn provides some helpful information on our current parenting context. He tells us that since twenty-fourteen, we are now parenting in a world that has come to have a negative view of Christianity. We need to understand that this may create obstacles in sharing our faith with our kids, especially if they have adopted this view. Be sensitive to this reality, but faithfully speak and live out your Christian faith.

How to Talk about Sex and Gender

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

When one of our kids came home from school and announced that he learned on the school playground where babies come from, I asked him what he had learned and from who. Not surprisingly, what he had learned didn’t even come close to the truth, so it afforded us an opportunity to tell him the truth about God’s good design for sexuality. Parents, here are three essential elements to good and Godly teaching on sex if we want to lead them in the right direction. First, we must teach God’s creational design. We go to the Bible to look at Genesis one and two, the teachings of Jesus, and what the rest of the Bible teaches on sex. Second, we must teach God’s design continually. It’s not just one talk, but the talking. Culture is talking at them twenty-four seven, and typically leads them astray. We need to talk with regularity. And finally, we must take advantage of cultural prompts. When we see or hear a message on sex, talk about it with your kids, offering the biblical corrective.

Pushing Back on Teen Anxiety

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Last month, I read social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s new book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.” Over the past few years, I have found Haidt to be a trustworthy voice of reason regarding those issues that foster healthy growth and development in our kids, and those practices that are harmful. In his latest book, Haidt provides clear evidence of how smartphones have contributed in major ways to the teen mental health crisis. He offers these four common-sense rules that could change the narrative and help our kids. First, kids should not have a smart phone before high school. They are not ready for the addictive nature of smartphones. Second, no social media before the age of sixteen. It is addictive and fosters harmful comparison. Third, no phones at school. And finally, kids need more independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world. Our kids need to play without adult supervision.

Fathers As Leaders

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

On this weekend when we look forward to celebrating Father’s Day, I want to remind the fathers who are listening of their greatest responsibility in life. In Ephesians six four we read this: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” If we are taking the time to carefully, diligently, and correctly teach the Word of God to our children, we will have fulfilled our highest calling as parents. Writing back in eighteen eighty three, English pastor Robert William Dale has this word for dads that still rings true today. “Parents should care more for the loyalty of their children to Christ than anything besides, more for this than for their health, their intellectual vigor and brilliance, their material prosperity, their social position, and their exemptions from great sorrows and great misfortunes.” Dad, on this weekend when you are celebrated, ask the Lord to lead you into how to best lead your kids.

Fat, Sugar and the Young Brain

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

You’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “Garbage in, garbage out.” I remember my own youth pastor telling us that a car has been created with great care to run smoothly on the right kind of fuel. He used the illustration of what happens to car when someone maliciously pours sugar into the gas tank. It wreaks havoc on the engine, as it clogs the fuel filter and injectors. Of course, my youth pastor was teaching us about what we put into our minds. But I thought about his words when I read recently that researchers at USC are warning us that kids who feast on a high-fat, sugary diet run the risk of doing damage to their brains’ ability to remember. This is especially important for us to remember since our kids are growing through a period of life where their brain if forming and developing. While the researchers are basing their findings on studies done on rats, we can’t discount the potential dangers. Parents, you are called to teach your kids to steward their bodies to God’s glory.

Helping Kids See Their Sin

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

A Detransitioner Speaks

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In a world where our kids are hearing that there is no such thing as the creational gender binary of male and female, and where they are hearing that they have the power to choose their gender based on their personal feelings and desires, there are a growing number of young voices who hope to turn the tide including nineteen year old Chloe Cole. As a young self-described tomboy, Cole was introduced to the idea that she could become a boy through social media. Parents, take note. After being diagnosed with gender dysphoria at nine years old, she began transitioning at age twelve, took puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones at age thirteen, and had her breasts removed at age fifteen. By age seventeen, she was detransitioning. Now, she is calling out those who supported and pushed her into transitioning. Parents, what young child really knows who they are? We need to help our children navigate this confusion, pointing them to live into their God-ordained male or female bodies.

Youth Sports as Idol

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Earlier this morning, I went online and purchased a book with a title that grabbed my attention. The book is Linda Flanagan’s “Back in the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports – and Why It Matters.” While I have yet to read the book, the overview describes how Flanagan lists some ways that this frenzy and obsession is changing things for kids and our families, and not for the better. Kids are being funneled into specializing year-round in one sport. The risk of physical injury and mental health problems increases. Coaches and parents are engaging in egregious behavior. And due to the high cost of youth sports, there is reduced opportunity and access for low-income families. Youth sports are big business, and we need to realize that many of the invitations extended to our kids are being issued by individuals and companies desiring to make a quick buck. Parents, this trend takes youth sports, a good thing, and is turning it into an idol.

Marijuana Use

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 7 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

God's Rainbow and Human Pride

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 6 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In the story of Noah, a righteous man who walked blamelessly with God, we see God’s grief over humankind’s sin. And while God chooses to cleanse the earth through a flood, he also chooses to make a covenant with humanity to never again destroy the earth through a flood. The mark of this gracious promise is the rainbow. As a sign of God’s promise of grace, the rainbow should point us to exhibit a response of humble gratitude marked by obedience to God’s will and way for our lives, rather than a pride-filled life where we follow our own will and way for our lives. In today’s world, the image of the rainbow is used as a symbol of pride. Sadly, this steals the rainbow away from what it was originally established to symbolize. Whenever you see the rainbow. . . in the sky, on a flag, wherever. . . don’t think of it as a sign of pride and human autonomy, but as a sign of humility and dependence on God who has offered up his own son to redeem us from our sin and pride.

A Compelling Witness for our Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 5 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Neurological Science and Screen Time

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 4 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Advances in neurological science point to the amazing complexity of our God-made brains, and inform us about how best we can parent our kids in ways that lead to their healthy growth and development. Recently, the American Psychological Association released a report which reminds us that starting around age ten and continuing until the mid-twenties, the human brain is hypersensitive to social feedback and stimuli. You and I see evidence of this in how our kids become invested and even obsessed with engaging in behaviors, both off line and online, that will help them get feedback, praise, and attention from their peers. Brain science is now telling us that getting likes and gaining followers on social media actually activates neural regions that trigger repetitive behavior, which can then lead to repetitive use of social media, and even addiction. Let’s raise up Godly children whose lives are directed at habitually bringing glory to God, rather than seeking the praise of their peers.

God, Sex, and Gender

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 3 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The Benefits of Free Play

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 31 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

How Music Has Changed

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 30 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

If you’re like me and you lament the decline in the quality of popular music since the days when you were a teenager, there’s actually some new research indicating that your lament is not simply based on your personal listening preferences. Rather, there has been a change in popular music that’s not something we should be celebrating. Europeon researchers recently took on the task of analyzing the words in more than twelve thousand English language songs from the years 1980 to 2020, all from a variety of genres including pop, R and B, country, rap and rock. What did they discover? Not only are songs becoming simpler and more repetitive in their construction, but there has been a decrease in positive messages, and an increase in lyrics that are self-centered, angry, and sad. Here at CPYU we say that music is both a map and a mirror. As a mirror, it tells us what’s happening in the lives of our kids. As a map, it tells them how to live. Once again, we learn that our kids need the hope of the Gospel.

Teaching Discernment

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 29 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Should Phones Be Banned in School?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 28 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In his recent book, “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recommends that our schools ban smartphones. It’s a common-sense move that at the very least would answer the concerns of just all about all teachers regarding how smartphone presence has diminished the willingness and abilities of our kids to pay attention in class and to each other. In Norway, the ban on smartphones in schools has allowed researchers the opportunity to gauge whether or not a ban is helpful. The results are compelling. Banning smartphones has led to a significant decline in seeking out treatment for psychological symptoms and diseases. In fact, it’s a sixty percent drop! Educational performance improves. And, bullying has decreased significantly, with a drop of forty-six percent for girls, and forty-three percent for boys. While our smartphones are great tools when used correctly, we need to limit their use in terms of time and place, in order to facilitate our kid’s health.

Remember and Tell

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 27 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

On this Memorial Day holiday, we are encouraged to remember those who have gone before us, sacrificing their lives so that we might experience life in a free country. As you speak to your kids about the meaning of Memorial Day, use it also as an occasion to remind them that it is important to engage in the regular practice of thinking about past history, and the need to remember. The Bible tells us that one of our greatest responsibilities of parents and those who are older is to recount the deeds of the Lord, teaching them what God has done not only in our lives, but throughout biblical history. In Psalm seventy-eight we read a great reminder for today and every day: “I will utter sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” Parents, this is our high calling and high privilege.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 24 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I remember my Dad uttering a saying that history tells us was already deeply entrenched in American culture in the late eighteen-hundreds. That saying was this: “Monkey see, monkey do.” While the saying pointed to the mimicry evident among monkeys as they would watch humans, the 1968 movie “Planet of the Apes” had the monkeys inverting the saying to “Human see, human do.” When it comes to parenting, the apes in the movie were spot-on. Our parental example will be imitated by our kids. A new study looked at parents and their eleven and twelve year old kids to see if parents who tell white lies, raise kids who are more prone to tell lies themselves. The study found, not surprisingly, that when parents tell white lies and the kids know what they are hearing is a lie, those kids are more prone to learn to lie themselves. Parents, teaching your kids God’s will and way requires truthfulness in all things. And we would do well to remember the ninth commandment, which forbids lying.

Teen Smartphones - Yes or No

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 23 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

A friend recently told me about a conversation about smartphones that happened at her family dinner table. She and her husband had established a wise policy for their son and daughter: you cannot have a phone until you turn fifteen. Their son, age seventeen, had had his smartphone for two years. Their daughter, age fourteen, was very much looking forward to her upcoming fifteenth birthday so that she could enter the world of the smartphone. At one point during the meal, the daughter excitedly share her anticipation: “I can’t wait until I turn fifteen so that I can get my own smartphone!” Before anyone else had a chance to respond, her seventeen-year-old brother turned to her, held up his phone, and very seriously said, “Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Since I got this thing two years ago, I’m more anxious than ever.” Parents, I’m sure you’re wondering when to put a smartphone in the hands of your kids. Take into account the wisdom this teenager gained from his own negative experience.

Be True to Who?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 22 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In his wonderful little book for teenagers, “Do Not Be True To Yourself,” Kevin DeYoung quotes a bit of advice Pulitzer Prize winning writer Anna Quindlen once gave to a group of graduating seniors. Quindlen said, “Each of you is as different as your fingertips. Why should you march to any lockstep? Our love of lockstep is our greatest curse, the source of all that bedevils us. It is the source of homophobia, xenophobia, racism, sexism, terrorism, bigotry of every variety and hue because it tells us that there is one right way to do things, to look, to behave, to feel, when the only right way is to feel your heart hammering inside you and to listen to what its timpani is saying.” DeYoung follows up Quindlen’s bad advice with this corrective which each of our kids needs to hear and embrace: “Do not follow your dreams. Do not march to the beat of your own drummer. And whatever you do, do not be true to yourself.” The Gospel calls us follow the way and will of Jesus Christ.

Wizz App

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 21 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Recently, the Canadian Center for Child Protection issued a warning to parents regarding an app called Wizz. . . that’s spelled W-I-Z-Z. The app bills itself as the ultimate online platform for connecting young people from all over the world. It’s a place of self-expression, camaraderie, and genuine human interaction. The app tells users that it’s a vibrant space to build new friendships, boost self-esteem, and embrace the joy of social interaction. Like the Tinder app, Wizz users swipe the screen to find new friends and stories. Users can engage in real-time conversations with new friends around the world. So, why the concern with Wizz? Even with all of Wizz’s efforts to make the app safe, Canadian officials are reporting that there have been over one-hundred-and eighty reports of child sexual exploitation, with ninety-one percent of those concerning sextortion, with male users being victimized the most. Parents, monitor you kids, and be sure to remove dangerous social media apps.

Am I Who I Decide to Be?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 20 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

When I was in college, I took as many Anthropology classes as I could. Simply stated, Anthropology is the discipline that studies the nature of humanity, including human biology and behavior. As Christians, we should be embracing a biblical anthropology, which is the study of our humanity as it relates to God. When we read the Bible, our understanding of who we are is rooted in the Creation narrative, where God differentiates us from everything else in Creation, making us in His image as male and female. Today, the trends in the secular world of anthropology tend to undermine the creation narrative, leading to the faulty assumption that we are who we feel, decide, and determine ourselves to be. In fact, the American Anthropological Association recently removed a session at their annual meeting that assumed the biological binary of male and female. This reminds us of our need to teach our kids the truth about who they’ve been created to be.

Helping Hurting Kids 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 17 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’ve been looking at some of Dr. Marv Penner’s strategies and skills for helping hurting kids. Marv has developed a set of skills based on the acronym L.O.V.E. The letter E calls us to quick action, by taking steps to eliminate immediate dangers. Many hurting kids are involved in behaviors and relationships that require early intervention. Furthermore, we need to empower adolescents as people with the power to choose. As long as they feel like helpless victims, they won’t move forward. But most importantly, we must expect God to do his part to accomplish what only he can do in the lives of kids. God will provide his presence, his comfort, and his healing. L – O – V – E. When it comes to hurting kids, we must listen to them, offer encouragement and support, validate what’s happening in their lives, and eliminate immediate dangers. That’s a good place to begin as we endeavor to lead hurting kids to the hope and healing that comes through Jesus Christ.

Helping Hurting Kids 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 16 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re looking at some of Dr. Marv Penner’s strategies and skills for helping hurting kids. Marv has developed a set of skills based on the acronym L.O.V.E. The letter V calls us to validate what’s happening in the lives of hurting teenagers. Many kids in pain have been told that their perspectives are inaccurate, their emotions are illegitimate, and they need to “get over it.” Our relational commitment validates them as people of worth. Our supportive words validate the courage it takes to face their own pain and share their stories. And our patience and gentleness validate the emotions they feel about the circumstances they share with us. The fear, confusion, shame, hurt, isolation, anger, and loss must be processed, not simply stuffed away. All of us know how difficult it is to begin to open up to someone and to be told in one of a variety of ways that what we’re experiencing really doesn’t matter. Let’s avoid doing that with hurting kids.

Helping Hurting Kids 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 15 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re looking at some of Dr. Marv Penner’s strategies and skills for helping hurting kids. Marv has developed a set of skills based on the acronym L.O.V.E. The letter O refers to what we offer students who choose to risk sharing their hearts with us. They’ve come to us because they believe we have something they need. It’s important for us to offer hope in what they often consider to be hopeless circumstances. Offers of encouragement, support, wisdom, and advice can all express this hope. Maybe the most important thing we can offer kids is the willingness to go deeper with them. Most adults want to keep things safe and shallow. What are your offering to hurting kids? The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm Forty-two that we are to put our hope in God. If we have placed our hope and trust in the one who has made us and not in the things he has made, hurting kids will see that reality. Hope is the greatest gift we can give to kids in pain.

Helping Hurting Kids 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 14 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week we’re looking at some of Dr. Marv Penner’s strategies and skills for helping hurting kids. Marv has developed a set of skills based on the acronym L.O.V.E. The letter L concerns listening, the most fundamental skill needed by anyone working with wounded kids. Many teenagers are convinced that no one is listening to them. Everyone is either too busy, preoccupied, stressed, or selfish to give kids the undivided attention they need. We must learn to listen beneath the words – at the level of emotions, non-verbal cues, and even silence. Listening must be active and responsive to what’s being said and left unsaid. And of course, it must be non-judgmental. Nothing will shut down a kid’s story more quickly than an adult pointing out where he’s wrong. Listening is a skill we desperately need to develop – not just for the sake of creating an environment conducive to good communication, but for the sake of the spiritual and emotional health of our kids.

Helping Hurting Kids 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 13 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week I want to talk about responding to hurting kids, and some great lessons that I’ve learned from my good friend, Dr. Marv Penner. For years, Marv has been equipping youth workers, counselors, and parents to understand and help kids who are experiencing brokenness in their lives. The fact is that a growing number of adolescents today are hurting deeply – often more deeply than they or many of the adults in their lives are willing to acknowledge. Most have nowhere to turn with their pain. Marv reminds us that helping these kids is as much about who you are, as it is about what you do. The most powerful instrument of ministry you have to offer a kid is your own life, lived transparently and honestly so they can see the difference the Gospel makes for you. It’s all about relationships. When kids trust you, that opens the door to helping them.

Honor Your Father and Mother

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 10 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This weekend we celebrate Mother’s Day. As Christians, this day should bring to mind the fifth commandment, which reads, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Over 40 years ago, Dr. John Huffman wrote this about the 5th commandment in book, “Liberating Limits: “God pity the society led by brash young people who have the answers but very little respect for their elders. Anarchy comes quickly. Allow young people to be alienated from their parents and you’ll observe a nation drift into moral and social anarchy. Family life is crucial to a healthy society. Children who grab hold of the household reins, pushing their parents aside, inflict a serious damage on a society. Young people who grow up without subjection to authority are programming themselves for unhappiness. A society as well as an individual pays an enormous price for weakening the honor paid to fathers and mothers.”

Phones and Loneliness

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 9 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Nearly half of today’s teenagers say that they are on their phones and online almost constantly. The Pew Research Center surveyed a cohort of teens, ages thirteen to seventeen, along with parents, back in the fall of last year. The findings are interesting and helpful as we consider how to best help our kids live to God’s glory on the digital frontier. You might be surprised to learn that seventy-two percent of our teens say that they often or sometimes feel peaceful and/or happy when they have de-tethered and disconnected from their smartphone. That’s a good thing, and it reminds us that we should encourage and even require time limits for our kids. But many kids also say that disconnecting makes them feel anxious, upset, or lonely. Take time to talk to your kids about how they feel when they detach, and encourage them to use their time wisely and to God’s glory. Build your relationship with your kids so that time spent with you is valued, time that will be a positive alternative to screentime!

Why Kids Say They Use Drugs

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 8 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

If you grew up through your own adolescence ten, thirty, or fifty years ago, you remember what it was like to encounter and try to navigate peer pressure. Throughout the decades, peer pressure was often a top or the number one reason teenagers gave for choosing to experiment with alcohol and drugs. Now, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are telling us that the number one reason today’s teens cite for using drugs and alcohol is to reduce stress, anxiety, and even depression. Almost three-quarters of teens say that their motivation for substance use is to feel mellow, calm, or relaxed. In addition, they want to stop worrying about a problem or to forget bad memories. Because we live in a sinful and broken world, we all face difficulties in life. Parents, from a young age, teach your children that substance abuse is not an avenue to fixing issues of stress and anxiety. Rather, teach them to go to Jesus Christ, and his promise to carry their burdens.

Parental Spiritual Progress

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 7 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I recently read these words from pastor Alistair Begg: “No church of Jesus Christ progresses beyond the spiritual progress of its leaders.” While those words are important for those in church leadership, I got to thinking about just how true they also are for leadership in the home. As parents, we can restate Begg’s words this way: “No family that hopes to disciple and nurture kids into following Jesus Christ, progresses beyond the spiritual progress of its parents.” As a father and grandfather, these words are not only convicting to me, but they force me into a process of self-examination. Parents, I would encourage us all to take an accounting of how and where we are spending our time? What is it that grabs and holds our focus? Ask yourself this, “Am I investing my time into my own spiritual growth and development?” The truth is that your kids are watching you and learning from you. Who you are is just as important as what you say. Your growth is a prerequisite to the spiritual growth of your kids.

Boys and Eating Disorders

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 6 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

A study published late last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that there has been sharp increases in the rates of hospitalizations for boys with eating disorders. This is news that we all must pay attention to, as historically, eating disorders have been portrayed as a disease of adolescent girls who desire to lose weight out of concern for their appearance. This is not at all surprising considering the body image pressure that marketing and social media continue to ramp up for our girls. But researchers are telling us that body image pressures on our boys convince them that they need to bulk-up with muscle. Medical professionals have labeled this as bigorexia. Not only is this a spiritual issue related to a misplaced sense of identity, and idolizing muscles, but it causes low heart rates, abnormal blood markers, and suicidal ideation. God calls us to have no other God’s before Him. This includes the idolatry of self. Teach your kids to honor God above all else.

Leading Kids Onto the Path of Life

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 3 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The famous theologian, Augustine, once said this: “This is the authentic happy life, to set one’s joy in you, grounded in you and caused by you.” After many years of wandering and struggle as a young man, God took hold of Augustine’s heart and called Augustine to Himself. It wasn’t long after that Augustine took to writing the volume that we know as his Confessions. This quote is one of the ancient gems we should be sharing with our kids. You see, in today’s world, our kids are led to believe that one’s joy can only be found in being true to one’s self. Authenticity and loyalty to self are the highest value in life. But sadly, this is not the path to joy. The writer of Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lordwith all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Parents, you have been called by God to lead your children onto the path to life. If you don’t lead them into finding their joy in Jesus Christ, they will most likely believe the culture’s lies.

You Want To Be What When You Grow Up?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 2 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I was recently thinking back over what I had planned to do when I grew up. Why? I was reading about what one survey calls one of the most desirable career options kids are thinking about in today’s world. Are you wondering what that job is? It’s a job that wasn’t even an option just two decades ago: Social media star or influencer. We now live in a world where there is what is called a “Creator Economy,” an industry now valued at over two-hundred and fifty billion, with some influencers making well upwards of six figures a year, just for posting videos and photos of themselves on social media while using certain products. Parents, kids are typically attracted to the fastest track to income. Let’s teach them to discover their God-given gifts and abilities, and use those gifts and abilities in a lifetime of faithfully serving the Lord. Point them to these words from the Apostle Paul: “So whatever you do, whether you eat or drink – do it all to the glory of God.” It’s not about us!

Delta-8 THC and Our Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 1 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Imagine walking today into a twelfth grade English class at your local high school. You stand in the back of the room, undetected, and look around at the twenty students who are seated at their desks. According to the latest research, you can correctly assume that two out of these twenty students have admitted to using what’s known as delta-8-THC in the last year. Delta-8 is a psychoactive substance that is derived from hemp, which is a variety of the Cannabis plant. Delta-8 products can be purchased online and over the counter, with products including oils, gummies, capsules, disposable vapes, and more. They are marketed aggressively to our kids, and the FDA reports adverse health issues related to this psychoactive substance. These Delta-8 products have intoxicating effects, and they are often manufactured using potentially harmful chemicals in order to increase the concentration of THC. Parents, monitor your kids, and warn them about the spiritual and physical dangers of substance abuse.

Puberty Blockers and Gender

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

As conversations in our culture continue over how to navigate the increased traction the transgender ideology is getting among our kids, we should be paying attention to what is happening across the pond in the U.K. The world’s largest gender clinic has been the Tavistock clinic in Britain. Health officials are closing the clinic this spring as more and more is being learned about the dangers to our kids regarding what’s labeled as “gender-affirming care.” Not only is the clinic being shut down, but the National Health Service of England has said that children who have or who identify as having gender dysphoria will no longer be given puberty blockers. The NHS says that there is not enough evidence regarding the safety or effectiveness of puberty blockers with children. We applaud this common-sense reality-based move, and hope that all of us will realize just how much life-long damage these supposed treatments cause. God has made us male or female, and gender is given, not chosen.

The Benefits of Suffering

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Parents, what are you teaching your kids about the presence of pain and suffering in their lives? Are you preparing them to face whatever difficulties life may bring by immersing themselves in what the Scriptures teach about the formative role adversity plays in our lives? In Psalm one-hundred-nineteen verse seventy one, the Psalmist writes, “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.” Theologian J.I. Packer writes these words about suffering: “The fact is that God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other sorts of affliction, as his chisel for sculpting our souls. Weakness deepens dependence on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away.” Those are good words that reflect the truths of Scripture, that we must not only embrace for ourselves, but teach to our kids. The fact is, suffering is redemptive.

Parents and Phone Distraction

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Ever since the smartphone debuted back in 2007, I have encountered a growing number of parents who lament how much time our kids are spending on their smartphones, and the way that time has undermined their teenager’s well-being. There’s a growing amount of data that supports these concerns, and which should cause us to wake up and pay attention so that we are more diligent in setting screen time limits, along with monitoring where are kids are spending their online time. But we’re now learning that’s it’s not just parents who are complaining about the effects of smartphones on our family relationships. The Pew Research Center’s late 2023 survey of teenagers found that nearly half of today’s thirteen to seventeen year-olds say they have a parents who is at least sometimes distracted by their phone when they’re trying to talk to them. Too much time looking at our screens takes away from the time we should be spending with each other. Are you spending too much time on your phone?

Seriously Serious Faith

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Every now and then I run across a challenging quote about the Christian faith from someone who does not embrace the Christian faith. And every now and then, these quotes serve as a wake-up call or much needed punch in the gut. That was certainly the case when I encountered this quote from author and agnostic, Julian Barnes. Barnes writes, “There seems little point in a religion which is merely a weekly social event. What’s the point of faith unless you and it are serious – seriously serious – unless your religion fills, directs, stains, and sustains your life?” Parents, what kind of faith is it that you embrace? Are you seriously serious about your relationship with Jesus Christ? That kind of seriously serious faith is the kind of faith that we’re called to. It’s also the kind of faith that we need to pass on to our kids. And the best way to pass on a seriously serious faith, is to live a seriously serious faith. Why don’t you take some time for some serious self-examination today?

Dangers of Drug Abuse

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Beginning way back in 1975, the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research has been surveying high school students on their behaviors regarding drug and alcohol abuse. The survey launched when it was recognized that the 1960s had brought a widespread epidemic of illicit drug use among U.S. youth. As that epidemic has evolved, the survey has added a host of new drugs as they have become available, and it began gathering data from eighth graders in 1991, as drug use was filtering down into the population at earlier ages. In the introduction to the 2023 version of the survey results, researchers write this: “Substance abuse is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality; it is in large part why, among seventeen high income nations, people in the U.S. have the highest probability of dying by age fifty. Parents, we need to monitor the behavior of our kids, and do all we can to educate them to the physical and spiritual dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

The Dangerous Lie of Making Yourself

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

What does the cultural narrative tell us and our kids about what we are to believe about who we are? How and where do we find our identity? Is who we are a given? Or is who we are someone or something we have the responsibility and privilege to create? In her helpful new book, “Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians”, Tara Isabella Burton traces the slow slide our world has experienced, into believing we are who we make of ourselves, rather than seeing ourselves as being made by God. She summarized the issue this way: “All of us have inherited the narrative that we must shape our own path and place in this life and that where and how we were born should not determine who and what we will become.” In effect, Burton is reminding us that in today’s world, we are to lean into self-sovereignty, rather than living under God’s sovereignty. Parents, this is one of the most dangerous lies our kids can believe. Are you telling them the truth?

Christ Our Passover

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

If you have a calendar on your wall that lists holidays, you will notice that today begins the Jewish remembrance of the Passover. This annual holiday celebrates the escape of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery, a story that is recounted in Exodus chapter twelve. The name Passover includes the sense of to spare from something. In this case, God looked on the blood-sprinkled houses of the Israelites, passing over them and sparing them from the way he smote the Egyptian homes by striking down all firstborn men and animals. If you read Exodus 12 you will see that the blood which was to be sprinkled on the houses came from a sacrificial lamb. In the New Testament, we learn that Christ has become our Passover, and that the blood he shed on the cross on our behalf offers a way out of our slavery to sin, delivering us into new life. Why not take some time with your family on this Passover day, to read Exodus twelve, to see the mercy and grace of God, and to thank Him for Jesus Christ, our Passover lamb.

Parenting for Deep Faith

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

My friend, youth pastor and writer Mike McGarry, offers some great advice to youth workers and parents on how to prepare students for a lifelong faith. This is important to consider as the research consistently points to the fact that far too many kids are not only graduating from high school, but graduating or walking away from the faith as they enter young adulthood. Here are Mike’s four best practices for facilitating a lifelong faith. First, apply the Gospel to everything. Help them see that Christ not only came to save them, but to lead them into faithful God-glorifying living in every square inch of their lives. Second, teach them to love the church. Engage them not only with their peers, but with the full spectrum of believers in your local body. Third, dream big biblical dreams for your kids. Pray that they would grow and mature in their faith. And finally, give kids the opportunity to lead and even fail. A deepened faith is the fruit of real-life struggles. Don’t coddle your kids.

Teen Abstainers

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The latest edition of the Monitoring the Future National Survey on drug use among our teenagers, cites good news that I would like to pass on to you today. The survey, which has been conducted annually since 1975, offers some encouraging data on what the survey labels as “abstainers.” Abstainers are defined as students with no use of alcohol, marijuana, or nicotine. Nicotine use is typically by cigarettes or vaping. Researchers report that in 2024, levels of lifetime abstention significantly increased among students in the two high school groups surveyed, that is, our tenth and twelfth graders. These levels of abstention are at the highest since they began getting tracked back in 2017. Researchers say that these increases in abstention have been driven by decreases in nicotine vaping and alcohol use. This is good news, and should encourage us to keep educating our students on the dangers of drug use, while point them to finding meaning and purpose in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Sports Idolatry

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

With March Madness now being over for about a week, it’s a good time to think about the place sports holds in our lives. Some recent data from the Pew Research Center offers five facts about Americans and sports. First, about half of Americans say they took part in organized, competitive sports in high school or college. This means that many of our kids grow up playing organized sports. Second, most Americans who played sports in high school or college say their athletic experiences improved their physical health and confidence. Third, our love for sports is also about spectating. Almost forty percent of American say they follow college or pro sports at least somewhat closely. Fourth, if asked to choose one sport as America’s sport, over half choose football. And finally, almost one out of five Americans said they had bet money on sports in the past year. Parents, sports are great. Teach your kids to love God first and foremost. To put anything in His place is idolatry.

Pop Stars and Abortion Pills

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Do you think that pop music has an influence on the values, attitudes, and behaviors of our kids? The truth is that it’s not just the lyrics that influence, but the high-profile lifestyles and stories of the pop stars themselves. Popular singer and Grammy award winner Olivia Rodrigo is one star whose music and lifestyle influence our children and teens. As part of her recent concert in St. Louis, Rodrigo did more than sing to the twenty-two thousand fans assembled at the Enterprise Center. With the help of the Missouri Abortion Fund, Rodrigo handed out free Plan B pills, or morning after emergency contraception pills, to her fans. Standing up for abortion rights is nothing new to Rodrigo as she’s been a vocal abortion advocate for years. Parents, we encourage you to listen to who and what your kids are listening to, and then talk about what they are hearing, affirming that which is line with God’s Word, and then challenging and correcting that content which advocates sin.

Kids and Government

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

If I remind you that today is known as tax day here in the United States, some of you will breath a sigh of relief that you have completed the tedious work of pulling your tax returns together. Others of you, if you’ve forgotten about today, might now be panicking over your procrastination. What I want to encourage you all to do is to use today as a teachable moment to share with your kids what Jesus and the Apostle Paul have to say about governmental authority. Both of them taught that we are responsible to pay taxes to the government. Jesus tells us in Mark twelve seventeen that we are to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are Gods. In Romans thirteen, Paul commands the church to pay taxes to those whom taxes are owed. While we have no higher authority that God, we must recognize that our government has been instituted by God, and we are to respect the government’s authority, unless the government commands something immoral.

Dangers of Porn 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Today, we wrap up our look at the categories of Pornographic Style of Relating, or PSR, that Dr. Andrew Bauman tells us undermine God’s good desire for our sexuality and human flourishing. After the first four categories of control, objectification, speed, and hunger, Bauman cites a fifth: isolation. With pornography, sexuality is experienced in sinful and fallen ways behind closed doors. This isolation fuels a secret life and very quickly breaks down our relationships, undermining our relating to our spouses, children, and friends. God’s design is for our sexuality to be shared with our spouse in a heterosexual, monogamous relationship, not with a series of images online. Finally, Bauman offers a sixth category of PSR: fantasy. He reminds us that healthy relationships live in the truth. It’s my hope that our discussions this week will motivate you to teach biblical sexuality to your kids, that you will warn them about pornography, and that the Lord would protect their vulnerable hearts and minds.

Dangers of Porn 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Today, we continue our look at the categories of Pornographic Style of Relating, or PSR, that Dr. Andrew Bauman says undermine God’s good desire for our sexuality and human flourishing. After the first two categories of control and objectification, comes a third category, speed. He writes, “the rapid pace of relationships comes to resemble the quick climax of intensity around pornography. Pornography desires speed, which is opposed to the kind of healthy relationships marked by faithfulness and long-lasting intimacy. Bauman’s fourth category of relating is hunger. In terms of sexuality, hunger is a frantic need that must be filled by the other. It is selfish. It consumes and devours others in a desire to fix something that’s broken inside of ourselves. Of course, we know that the hunger is ultimately for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Parents, are you going out of your way to continually teach your kids to live into God’s good design for biblical sexuality?

Dangers of Porn 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Yesterday, I told you about Dr. Andrew Bauman, a Christian counselor whose own experience and study on the effects of pornography has reported on the dire effects of pornography on young men and young women. Bauman has written about the development of what’s called a pornographic style of relating, or PSR, which happens when pornography becomes a child’s primary teacher and guide on sexual development. Today, I want to look at the first two of the six categories of PSR Bauman cautions us about. First, there is the category of control. God has given us sex as mutual experience for one man and one woman to share in marriage. Online pornography encourages solo sexuality that is non-mutual, putting sexuality in your own control and power. Its a straying from God’s good design. Second, there is the category of objectification, where others are not seen as people, but as objects to be used and cheaply discarded. Tomorrow, we’ll continue our discussion of PSR.

Dangers of Porn 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 9 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

It’s no secret that our kids are being misinformed and misshaped by the pervasive presence of online pornography in today’s world. Because they are sexual beings who are naturally curious about their developing God-given gift of sexuality, we should be instructing them in age appropriate ways about God’s plan for sex and gender. But if we choose to be silent, they are left to have their questions answered by a sexualized culture and peer group that’s been heavily influenced by exposure to pornography. The largest pornographic website in the world reports over ten billion visits per month, and this certainly includes our kids who go looking for porn, or who have encountered porn that has found them while they are innocently spending time online. Dr. Andrew Bauman is a Christian counselor who confesses that the church’s silence and his own consumption of pornography distorted his sense of his sexuality. He warns, the consequences are dire, and just coming to the surface.

Dangers of Porn 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 8 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

One of our greatest concerns about smartphone use among children and teens relates to pornography. With ninety-five percent of teens having access to a smartphone, we should be concerned about exposure to pornography, either intentional or unintentional, along with both the short and long-term effects of pornography on our kids. The average age of first exposure is between eleven and thirteen years old, with some studies finding that kids as young as nine years old are exposed. By the time our kids reach their teens, about eighty-five percent of our boys and sixty percent of our girls have viewed pornography, most-often through their smartphone devices. The greatest damage occurs as our kids see distorted, broken, and sinful expressions of God’s good gift of sexuality which can not only lead to addiction, but can twist and destroy their sexuality and so much more for the rest of their lives. Keep listening as we spend all this week talking about the dangers of pornography.

Sleepovers vs Sleepunders

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 5 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The Power of a Father

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 4 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Smartphones in School

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 3 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Teens and Sports Gambling

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 2 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Kids and Hearing Damage

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 1 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Several years ago I began to notice ringing in my ears. Known as Tinnitus, I would describe my experience as sounding like someone is blowing a never-ending high-pitched whistle in my ears. My issues come, I think, from listening to loud music earlier in my life. My concern for today’s children and teens has been fueled by a recent article in the BMJ Public Health Journal. A review of available evidence is showing that video gamers may be risking irreversible hearing loss and persistent ringing and buzzing in their ears due to exposing themselves to unsafe sound levels as they play their games. Wearing gaming headphones increases the risks. Research points to the fact that anything over eighty-five decibels can lead to hearing damage. Some video game sound levels can reach bursts of one hundred nineteen decibels, which is as loud as a bulldozer or motorbike. Parents, teach your kids to steward their bodies and hearing to God’s glory by turning down the volume.

Words of Wisdom 5

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All this week I’ve been passing on some great words of wisdom from one of my heroes of the faith. Dr. John Stott was a theologian whose writings have shaped the way I think about faith, life, and family. In his wonderful book, the Contemporary Christian, Stott describes who we have been called to be as the church of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, in an effort to protect our kids from the influence of the world, we fail to teach them what it means to truly follow Jesus. Stott writes, “the church is a people who have been both called out of the world to worship God and sent back into the world to witness and serve. These are, in fact, two of the classical marks of the church. According to the first, the church is holy, called out to belong to God and to worship him. According to the second, the church is apostolic, sent out into the world on it’s mission.” Parents, each of us is both called and sent. The same holds true for our kids. Are you modeling what it means to live in, but not of, the world?

Words of Wisdom 4

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All this week I’m passing on some great words of wisdom from one of my heroes of the faith. Dr. John Stott was a theologian whose writings have shaped the way I think about faith, life, and family. In his wonderful book, the Contemporary Christian, Stott writes about the need to listen carefully to the voices in our culture that express the deep, deep brokenness that exists. As one who studies youth culture, I can tell you that we hear those voices everywhere in the world of our young. Stott writes, “Unless we listen attentively to the voices of secular society, struggle to understand them, and feel with people in their frustration, anger, bewilderment and despair, weeping with those who weep, we will lack authenticity as the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. Instead, we will run the risk of answering questions nobody is asking, scratching where nobody is itching, supplying goods for which there is no demand. In other words, of being totally irrelevant.” Parents, let’s listen and listen intently.

Words of Wisdom 3

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All this week I’m passing on some great words of wisdom from one of my heroes of the faith. Dr. John Stott was a theologian whose writings have shaped the way I think about faith, life, and family. In his wonderful book, the Contemporary Christian, Stott reminds us of the need to listen, something I know I far too often overlook in my family relationships. Stott writes, “One of the most important, and much neglected ingredients of Christian discipleship is the cultivation of a listening ear. Bad listeners do not make good disciples. The apostle James was clear about this. His strictures on the tongue as a restless evil, full of deadly poison are well known, but he has no compatible criticism of the ear. He urges us not to talk too much, but seems to suggest that we can never listen too much when he says, ‘everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.’”

Words of Wisdom 2

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All this week I’m passing on some great words of wisdom from one of my heroes of the faith. Dr. John Stott was a theologian whose writings have shaped the way I think about faith, life, and family. In his wonderful book, the Contemporary Christian, Stott reminds us that because we are human beings created by God, we have been made with an insatiable thirst for God. This holds true for our kids. . . even those who don’t seem like they care about spiritual things. Stott writes, “All human beings are aware of an ultimate personal reality, whom we seek, and in relation to whom alone we know we will find our human fulfillment. Even when we are running away from God, instinctively we know that we have no other resting-place, no other home. Without him we are lost, like waifs and strays. Our greatest claim to nobility is our created capacity to know God, to be in personal relationship with him, and to love him and to worship him.” Parents, your teens, do indeed, long for God.

Words of Wisdom 1

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All this week I want to take time to pass on some great words of wisdom from one of my heroes of the faith. Dr. John Stott was a theologian whose writings have shaped the way I think about faith, life, and family. In his wonderful book, the Contemporary Christian, Stott challenges us to listen carefully to both God’s Word, and to the world. He writes, “We listen to the Word with humble reverence, anxious to understand it, and resolved to believe and obey what we come to understand. We listen to the world with critical alertness, anxious to understand it too, and resolved not necessarily to believe and obey it, but to sympathize with it and to seek grace to discover how the gospel relates to it.” Stott’s directive is especially helpful and necessary for those of us who want to share the Good News of the Gospel with the emerging generations. Like foreign missionaries, we need to know both God’s Word and the culture of our mission field. What are you doing to listen carefully to both?

Kids, Fentanyl, and Overdose Deaths

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The Freckle Craze

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

When my son was about seven years old, we went to see the Orioles play at the Camden Yards stadium. Our seats were next to the opening where the cameraman tasked with putting shots of fans up on the big video scoreboard was seated. Three times during the game he put the camera on my son’s face, projecting him up on the scoreboard for all to see. During the last time, which was rather extended, my son eventually turned to me and said, ‘I hate my freckles.’ They were bigger than life up on that screen. I had loads of freckles when I was a kid, and so did my wife. He was destined to have them. In today’s image-obsessed world, freckles are now a thing, so much so that there’s a new trend where people are getting semi-permanent freckle tattoos, with hundreds of millions of views of tiktok videos promoting the trend. This is one more reminder of our need to counter the culture’s emphasis on our outer image, with a keen sense of God’s desire for us to focus on developing our inward character.

Kids and Serving Others

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Both Luke chapter six and Matthew chapter seven record the words Jesus spoke which are now commonly referred to as The Golden Rule. “So in everything,” Jesus said, “do to others what you would have them tdo to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets.” I recently read a hand-written letter that my grandfather wrote to my mother upon her birth, ninety-years ago in 1934, expressing his deep hope that she would grow up to follow Christ and love others. He mentioned the Golden rule. In a day and age where our kids are encouraged to look out for number one and use others to their own advantage, we need to encourage our kids to engage consistently in service to others. New research even tells us that teens who volunteer in service to others not only benefit those others, but experience improvements in their own health and well-being, including the mitigation of feelings of isolation and loneliness that are epidemic today. Following God’s commands lead to our human freedom and flourishing.

Social Media - What Sites Do Teens Love?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The folks at the Pew Research Center have released new data that helps us understand how and where our teens are spending their social media time. The top most-visited and popular social media site among teens is YouTube, which comes as no surprise. More than nine out of ten teens say that they engage with YouTube, with seventy-one percent of all teens saying that they engage with YouTube on a daily basis. Sixteen percent say they are on YouTube almost constantly, thirty-eight percent are on it several times and day, and seventeen percent about once a day. The next three most popular social media sites are tiktok, snapchat, and Instagram. Parents, it’s no surprise that our kids are being shaped more and more by the life-lessons, perspectives, and worldview messages they encounter on social media. We need to not only limit their time, but help them learn to discern truth from error. Provide borders and boundaries for social media use, and encourage other activities.

The Downsides of Screen Reading

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Faithful Self Examination

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Telling Kids the Truth about Sex and Gender

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Phones and Aloneness

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Kids and Weight Loss Products

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Parents and Saying No

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Adolescent Drinking and Brain Damage

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 8 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Puberty Earlier and Earlier

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 7 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The Stanley Quencher Craze

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 6 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Depending on how old you are, you remember the specific have-to-have-it faddish items that you needed if you desired to fit in with your peers. For those who are baby-boomers, it was yo’s-yo’s, clackers, mini-skirts and bell-bottomed jeans. There’s a new fad for today’s kids that’s rather pricey and a bit surprising. It comes from the one-hundred and ten year old Stanley company that has long been known to make steel lunch boxes and vacume bottles favored by construction workers. Today’s fad among children and teens is the Stanley Quencher water bottle, that goes for forty-five dollars. I’ve seen elementary aged kids carrying them around, a boon for Stanley whose sales rose from seventy-three million in 2019, to seven-hundred-and-fifty-million in 2023. While fads like these are not ethically or morally wrong, they can reveal the idols of our children’s hearts if they believe that having a certain thing is the passport to happiness and acceptance. Teach your kids to love the Lord above all else.

What Parents Need to Know about the Porn Industry

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 5 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Sephora Tweens

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 4 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

We’re now hearing about what’s been labeled the “Sephora tween” that’s sweeping through the pre-teen population. Thanks to social media and our kids presence as both creators and consumers of things like TikTok videos, pre-teen girls who experts say have never heard their parents say “no” are heading to make-up and skincare Sephora stores to purchase high end products, and even sample them in the store, many times opening sealed product and making a mess. Some kids are not only using the products, but they are making videos to post on social media, all in the hope of gaining followers and becoming influencers. Not surprisingly, some of this can be traced back very recently to videos posted by the nine and eleven year old daughters of Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian. There’s plenty to warrant concern in this trend. Let’s add to that the fact that many of these products are not safe for a child’s skin. Parents, the culture promotes worldliness. Let’s lead our kids into Godliness.

The Authority Dilemma

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 1 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In today’s world, our kids are being taught that true freedom consists of being able to step out from under any kind of external authority, and to live only under the authority of one’s self. They are to rule over themselves, constructing their own identities, beliefs, and behaviors based on how they feel at any given time. This way of living is not an option for our Christian kids. Consider these words of Jesus from John eight: “If you abide in my word you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” If we are going to be faithful follows of Jesus Christ, we must abide and live in the truths of God’s word. Dr. John White has said, “True freedom does not consist in doing what I want to do but in doing what I was designed to do.” Parents, teach your children and teens that full and complete human flourishing come only when we find our identity in who we’ve been made to be and we live according to God’s will and way for our lives.

The Shifting Tide on Trans Ideology

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are aware of how the transgender ideology has been sweeping through the medical, educational, and legislative communities. This has created a growing sense, especially among our kids, that assuming a gender identity other than your birth gender is not only an option to explore, but an admirable thing to pursue. Salvo magazine reports that the trend may be taking a turn in the right direction, citing bioethicist Wesley J. Smith’s list of four signals that the tide might be turning against the cult-like push for trans-positivity. Smith says that first, European countries are back-pedaling on policies that allow medical transitioning for kids. Second, detransitioners are now speaking up to tell their horrific stories. Third, some are now suing those who influenced and helped their transition. And fourth, states are passing laws to protect minors from predatory medical practices. Let’s educate our kids on God’s design and his good gift of gender.

Social Media Advice from a Teen

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Our friends at Tim Elmore’s Growing Leaders organization recently chatted with a group of students between eighth grade and twelfth grade about their attitudes and practices regarding social media and screen time. It seems that many of the students interviewed realize that too much social media and screentime is harmful. One senior girl said this: “I was just on a trip with a group of friends, and a group of us girls sat down to make a list of the pros and cons of social media. The only pros we could think of were communication and how it helps you connect with people who you haven’t even met yet. It’s pretty convenient, but the cons way outweighed it so much. We mainly talked about how it was a waste of time and how easy it was to compare yourself to other people.” Those are some great insights. Parents, why not sit down with your kids and have them draw up a list of the pros and cons related to social media and screentime. Help them see the benefits of peeling back.

Media's Powerful Influence

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

I remember being in Sunday School as a child and singing a catchy little song about wisdom, discernment, and influences that has stuck with me until this day. Perhaps you remember the same song, which issued warnings like be careful little eyes what you see, and be careful little ears what you hear. That song oftentimes comes to mind when I think about the influence that mass media and social media has on us and our kids. What we watch and what we listen to communicates beliefs about life that shape and even misshape our worldviews. And for our impressionable kids, the power to shape and misshape is especially strong. Parents, consider these true words from Robert McTeigue: Mass consumer culture is more than a vendor. The range of its dynamics is greater than simply facilitating the transfer of wealth from consumer to merchant. Mass culture is a principal venue for propaganda, seduction, illusion, and addiction.” Parents, teach your kids to think Christianly about media.

300 Year Old Parenting Wisdom

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The great eighteenth century preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon way back in August of 1740 that included some words to parents, educators, and the church which ring just as true today as when he spoke them almost three hundred years ago. Edwards said this: “Children ought to love the Lord Jesus Christ above all things in the world.” Jesus said the same thing this way Mark 12:30: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Whether we are children or adults, love for God is the very thing for which we have been made. As you consider this, realize that the culture is educating your kids twenty-four seven to love and serve themselves above all else. Parents, take stock of how your example and words speak loudly to your kids about what’s most important in your life. Are you modeling the compelling lifestyle of Christian discipleship and loving Christ above all else?

Blocking Dangerous Follower Requests

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

One of the most dangerous aspects of today’s social media is exposure. Social media is a place where our kids will be constantly exposed, among other things, to dangerous ideas, addictive immoral content, and dangerous people. It’s not a matter of if, but when. And once it finds them, kids who are unprepared to respond according to guidelines you’ve communicated, they very easily could wind up looking for that same content that they never asked to see in the first place. One way this happens is with followers. It seems like each and every day, I run across notifications of new Instagram followers along with notifications of their “likes” of my photos and stories. It only takes a second to realize that many of these people are depicted in sexualized photos. They are fishing for followers, and who knows what else. Parents, teach your kids to guard their hearts and minds by blocking these requests when they get them. As the Scriptures say, we should put no unclean thing before our eyes.

Sexualized Music and Sexting

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Back when I was a teenager, there was a growing movement in the church to steer kids away from popular music that referenced things like drugs, sex, and violence. Many parents and youth workers were criticized for monitoring what their kids were listening to, as some believed that music lyrics were benign in influence. But research began to show that their concerns were justified, as what we listen to does influence our beliefs and behaviors. A new study measuring the associations between listening to sexual music lyrics and the influence on adolescent behavior has found that boys are more likely to participate in sexting in the future when exposed to sexual music lyrics. Parents, we need to be gatekeepers for the minds and hearts of our kids. Psalm one-hundred-one three says, “I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.” We need to teach our kids to have that same resolve. Our entertainment time should be, like all other times, about pursuing that which is good, true, right, and honorable.

Living Christianly in Today's World

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What should we be teaching our kids about what it means to live as a Christian in today’s world? Can they just live as they please, following the course of this world while believing if they raised their hand or walked forward during a church service or youth group meeting that they are going to heaven? The reality is that those who are committed to Christ are also committed to following Christ in this world. The Christian faith not only speaks to what happens after death, but it speaks to all of life before death. When we pray the Lord’s prayer we pray that God’s Kingdom will come, and that God’s will will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. As I once heard the late Tom Skinner say, “Our function is to be the live model of what is happening in Heaven. That is, we are to reflect the value system of the new order of things.” Skinner was reminding us that Jesus calls His follower to be the light of the world. Are you teaching your kids to follow Jesus and not themselves?

How Pornography Finds Our Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Our friends at protect young minds dot org are advising parents about five sneaky locations where pornography finds kids. Parents, be aware of these five locations. First, kids are accessing pornography through the wifi at their grandparents homes. The reason? Grandparents are less prone to install controls on their devices. Second, when kids are out from under your roof and at a sleepover, there are risks related to a lack of supervision. Many recommend that sleepovers are never a good idea. Third, when kids are together on the school bus and there are smartphones present, there is an unsupervised freedom that often leads to exposure. Fourth, several kids report that their first exposure to porn occurred when they were thirteen and babysitting in someone else’s home. And finally, eighty percent of exposure happens right in our own homes when our kids are behind closed doors. Parents, be diligent by warning your kids of the dangers, and then setting up safe borders and boundaries.

Overcoming Parental Ignorance

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

One of the questions I field from frustrated youth workers just about everywhere I go is this: How can I get parents to sit up and take notice of the many dangerous cultural trends influencing their children and teens today? They just don’t seem to care. They know these things are out there, but they believe that these things just won’t ever effect their kids. Truth be told, I share the frustration of these youth workers. I tell them that I typically find that parents sit up and take notice after something negative happens to their kids and they find themselves in crisis. It’s then that I hear parents ask, “Why didn’t we see this coming?” while saying “I didn’t think this would ever happen to us.” Parents, take note of what’s happening the world in terms of the pressures, challenges, and choices your kids are facing. Exercise prevention rather than ignorance. And heed the words of Proverbs 22:3: the prudent sees dangers and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.

Why Do Kids Drink Alcohol

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The folks at drugfree.org recently released a guide to help parents understand current trends among teenagers in regards to alcohol consumption. In the guide, parents are given four answers to the question, “Why do young people drink alcohol?” The first answer is not surprising at all: I drink alcohol because my friends do. All of us know the push and pull of peer pressure from our own teenage years. Of course, media and advertising contribute to this everybody does it reality through glamorizing alcohol consumption. The second answer given by kids is that they drinking as a normal part of being social. Again, media has played a role in this. Third, kids say that alcohol helps them feel less anxious or depressed. And finally, there’s a reason given that simply boggles the mind: my parents are ok with it. Parents, when you are lenient, permissive, hosting parties, and providing a bad example, your kids are more prone to drink. Let’s get wise and do the right thing.

Where Should Kids Find Their Identity

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

At one time or another, all of us were teenagers. And regardless of what generation you are from and when you went through your teenage years, you experienced having to navigate the developmental task of forming your identity. It’s during the teenage years that the search for the answer to the question “Who am I?” reaches it’s peak. In today’s social media saturated world in which our kids are encouraged to create your own authentic self, Identity is not longer seen as something we receive from outside of ourselves, but something which we choose and create for ourselves. In fact, in today’s world, our kids are always becoming rather than being. They are on a never-ending search for their true selves. This is evidenced in big ways in the way that kids are choosing rather than accepting their gender. What our kids need to know is that they have been created by God in the image of God, and when they are in Christ they are sons and daughters of God. That is where we are to find our identity.

Sex and Gender in the Beginning

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

We live in a world where conversations about sex and gender are all around us. According to the spirit of the times, each individual is sovereign over themselves, and therefore able to choose to live according to their feelings, desires, and preferences. But for the Christian, the foundation must be the Word of God. In his book Biblical Critical Theory, Christopher Watkin writes these words we must heed: “Genesis one is the single block on the bottom row of the Bible’s Jenga tower. If this one truth is removed or neglected, the whole edifice comes crashing down. The first verse of the Bible is really the foundation for everything else: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. If we can understand the implications of that single verse, we are well on our way to answer the ‘so what?’ question of the whole of the Scriptures.” Parents, we must teach our kids that God has created sex and gender. He is sovereign over all, and we must live into his design, not our own.

The Importance of Family Dinners

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

I recently had a youth worker friend lament what’s happening in the lives of her students as the result of some bad habits their families have adopted. She told me that after doing a quick survey of her students, she learned that only about ten percent eat dinner with their families every night. She went on to say that some of the families rarely ate dinner together. She told me that she had discovered that one of her students was using drugs. When she went to that student’s parents to share what she had learned, the parents were flabbergasted. When the parents wondered how they had missed this with their child, my youth worker friend was able to help them understand that their lack of time together as a family made it easy for them to miss what was happening with their teenager. A recent study of families in Britain found that families spend, on average, just six hours together a week. Parents, God has given you a relationship with your children. Nurture takes place when we spend time together.

The Dangers of Material Property

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Those of us who live here in North America have been deeply blessed in terms of material provisions and wealth. Relative to the rest of the world’s population, we are incredibly rich. Jesus warned about the dangers of money and wealth, and these are warnings we must heed ourselves, and teach our children to heed as well. In Luke sixteen Jesus speaks these words, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or her will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” I recently read these helpful clarifying words of commentary on this saying of Jesus: “Sin arises not when we possess riches but only when our riches possess us. To set our hearts on wealth is to turn away from God.” Parents, we need to model and teach a proper, God-glorifying perspective on money and wealth. We must warn our kids against idolatry, and to use all they have and will be given to God’s glory.

Social Media Safety

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 9 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The American Psychological Association has released a new set of recommendations regarding teenagers and their use of social media. Likening social media use to getting behind the wheel of a car, APA President Thema Bryant says that “just as we require young people to be trained in order to get a driver’s license, our youth need instruction in the safe and healthy use of social media.” The APA recommends that this training should not be a once and done thing, but rather something that is revisited from time to time to reinforce best practices in an effort to protect kids from potential harm. Parents should also be setting borders and boundaries, along with monitoring their child’s social media use. Parents, this is a wise step to take as you fulfill your God-given responsibility to nurture and parent your children. Taking these steps might limit their exposure to content promoting self-harm, disordered eating, bigotry, sexual license, and gender fluidity. Be diligent with your kids.

Dear Parents and Youth Workers

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 8 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

I recently ran across the transcript from an interview I conducted fifteen years ago with theologian and author, David Wells. My last question to Dr Wells was this: If you were to address a room full of youth workers and you had the opportunity to communicate one message to them, what one message would you communicate? Here’s his answer, and it applies to parents as well: It is time to get brave. Let’s stop the pandering. Kids see right through it. Let’s give them the real thing. They are looking for it. No one has demanded anything of them; let us tell them that if they come to Christ, he bids them die. No one has told them that they can know truth as something other than their own private perspectives; let us tell them there is Truth and those who know it, lose their lives. No one has told them that there is a different way of life. If we tell them that they can have Christ on their own terms, we are selling them down the river. They instinctively know that. So, let us not make fools of ourselves anymore.

Truth, Lies, and our Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyuc, walt mueller) — Wed, 7 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In her book, Live Your Truth and Other Lies, Alisa Childers says that there are endless ways that truth can be spun, manipulated, covered up, and even used to promote deception. Often, the lie is christened with religious-sounding language that makes it seem to feel right. Over my own years in ministry, I’ve come to understand that a half-truth is actually more dangerous than a complete lie. As Christians, we actually do a better job of spotting complete lies. But lacking well-honed skills of discernment, we also tend to jump right into half-truths. Childers issues this warning: Our culture is brimming with slogans that promise peace, fulfillment, freedom, empowerment, and hope. These messages have become such an integral part of our American consciousness that many people don’t even think to question them. They sound nice and carry an illusion of truth. The problem? They are lies. Parents, we need to teach our kids biblical discernment, and that begins with taking them into God’s Word.

How to Pray Patiently for Your Kids

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 6 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

As Christian parents, we must embrace the need to pray for our kids. But what should our expectations be regarding how we pray for our kids? Theologian J.G. Vos offers these helpful words: "We should expect and believe that God will answer our prayers in his own appointed time and way according to his holy will. That is, in all our praying we must be careful to maintain an attitude of submission to the sovereignty of God. We may never presume to dictate to God as to when and how our prayers are to be answered. If God in his sovereignty chooses to delay the answer to our prayers, we are not to become discouraged and give up praying; we are to exercise Christian patience, and keep on praying with 'perseverance, waiting upon him.' If God does not answer our prayers in the way we desired, we should realize that this is not an unkindness or lack of love on God's part, but because to grant our requests as we asked would not really be for God's glory and our own good."

Situationships

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 5 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Recently, there’s been a lot of conversation centered around the CDC’s latest edition of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The conversations are centered focused on of the findings related to teenagers and sexual behavior. The long-standing biannual survey continues to ask teens, “Have you ever had sexual intercourse?” The reality is that fewer teens are having sexual intercourse. But that does not mean that fewer teens are engaging in sexual activity. In fact, the kids themselves find the question to be out-dated, as there are many types of sexual activity and hook-ups that have become more and more common among our kids. For example, some kids talk about short-term hook-ups that are known as “situationships.” These are low commitment high-risk activities that might not be sexual intercourse. All this reminds us that our education regarding biblical sexuality is much-needed, perhaps now more than ever. Teach your kids God’s good design.

God's Marching Orders for Parents

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 2 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Today, I’d like to remind you of the passage in Deuteronomy six that’s known as the Shema. Listen carefully to these inspired words to parents. “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our god, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your head, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” As I read these words that remain as parental marching orders today, I am reminded of the need to consistently teach our children and teens the truths of God’s Word, in and through everything we do and everything we are. Are you consistently planting the seeds of God’s Word in your child’s life?

The Danger of the Divided Self

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 1 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The late Dr. Paul Tournier, known by many as the twentieth century’s most famous Christian physician, wrote a book back in 1954 titled “The Meaning Of Persons” that offers some very helpful insights for today’s world as we try to figure out how to best navigate social media in healthy ways. Tournier said that we all have to recognize the disparity that exists between who we know ourselves to be on the inside, along with how we decide to present ourselves to other people. He calls this disparity the difference between what we know to be our person, and the personage we present to the world. Because social media allows us to create, fabricate, curate, and present a false self to our followers, this disparity can be especially wide in today’s world. Tournier says we become contradictory beings. The further apart our persons and our personages are, the greater will be our problems with mental health, for part of our lives will be lie. Could it be that this is at the heart of our kids mental health issues?

A Prayer about Sexuality

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Today, I’d like to share with you a prayer from a little daily Scripture reading guide that I use titled “Seeking God’s Face.” This prayer is most timely for life in today’s world as each of us, young and old alike, works to navigate God’s good gift of sexuality to His glory and our good. Since sexual temptations are ever-present, this helpful short prayer is one that each of us can share with our kids. Here’s the prayer: “Covenant God, we know the well-worn path of sexual sin – a lingering look, a lustful desire, a wicked thought, a world of invitation, and finally the actual act. Single or married, keep us true to your intention for the bodies you gave, always honoring you and others in them. In Christ’s name. Amen.” Parents, I encourage you to help your kids understand not only the goodness of their sexuality, but the many ways in which our sinful and broken selves so easily go astray. Share with them the universality of sexual sin, and point them to the God who promised to give them a way out.

The Dangers of a Chaotic Home

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Sometimes some research comes along that confirms what we already know just from intuition. But we need to listen to that research as it reminds us of things that should be getting our attention. A new study published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that chaotic home environments have a negative influence on family communication, specifically leading to reduced conversations and sharing between teenagers and their mothers. A chaotic home is one that breeds the kinds of unpredictability and tension that leads kids to clam up and avoid conversations. Parents, the responsibility to maintain peace in our homes falls on us. We need to eat together, engage in fun activities together, attend worship together, and pray together as we nurture our children in the faith. Our prayers must echo the words of this benediction: the Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious to us. The Lord lift up His countenance upon us, and give us peace, this day and forever more.

Parents and the Bible

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Parents, do you struggle to figure out how to best guide your children and teens through the difficult realities of life in today’s world? If you do, you are not alone. Our rapidly changing world can leave our heads spinning. Dr. James Montgomery Boice offers up these words of advice and remedy that I have found to be personally helpful: Study the bible daily. We should discipline our lives to include regular periods of Bible study, just as we discipline ourselves to have regular periods for sleep, eating our meals, and so on. These things are necessary if the body is to be healthy and if good work is to be done. In the same way, we must feed regularly on God’s Word if we are to become and remain spiritually strong.” These helpful words from James Boice are a good guideline as we parent in today’s world. Only the regular study of God’s word can give us the perspective and wisdom we need to raise our kids in the midst of culture’s many pressures. Parents, point your kids to God’s unchanging word.

Smartphone Borders and Boundaries

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

One of the most difficult issues parents find themselves navigating in today’s smartphone and social media saturated world relates to setting proper borders and boundaries for their kids when it comes to devices and online time. Many parents I run into lament putting a smartphone in the hands of their children and teens. Most did it for a couple of reasons. First, to know where their kids are and to keep them safe. And second, they don’t want their kids to feel left out when their circle of friends are all on smartphones and social media. I recently heard some great advice from actress Jennifer Garner regarding how she has kept her three kids, ages seventeen, thirteen, and eleven, off social media. She says, “I just said to my kids, show me the articles that prove that social media is good for teenagers, and then we’ll have the conversation. Find scientific evidence that matches what I have that says it’s not good for teenagers, then we’ll chat.” Parents, this is a great way to navigate this issue with your kids.

Following the Bible or Culture

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In today’s world, our kids are encouraged by the cultural narrative to live their lives at the level of their experiences and feelings. If a decision needs to be made or a belief is embraced, those decisions and beliefs should be based solely not on some outside authority, but on the authority of one’s own opinions. For the Christian, the only trustworthy authority is God’s unchanging Word. In his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul reminds timothy to embrace the Scriptures, which are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” Paul continues, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Paul is telling all of us to submit our beliefs and behaviors to trustworthy authority of God’s Word. The late James Montgomery Boice says this: “We must evaluate our experiences by the Bible’s teaching, rather than the other way around.”

School Avoidance

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

I recently read about a group that is working to address a growing issue facing families and schools. The organization is called the School Avoidance Alliance and it exists to address the issue of school avoidance, which is when a child refuses to attend school or has difficulty remaining in school the entire day. The alliance tells us that child motivated refusal to attend school or remain in class is not uncommon. In fact, school avoidance affects anywhere from five to twenty-eight percent of youth at some time. The listed causes include phobias, anxiety disorders of all types, ptsd, learning differences, bullying, and mental health issues. Because school avoidance is a sign of deeper issues, we suggest that you seek out the help of a qualified Christian counselor if school avoidance is an issue in your family. Don’t overlook the fact that Pointing school avoidant kids to reassuring Scriptures about God’s provision and protection is one necessary intervention strategy.

The Dangers of Teen Alcohol Use

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Sadly, alcohol use and abuse has been seen as a normal rite of passage for kids over the course of several generations. But do you know that aside from the moral and spiritual reasons to be concerned, there are a host of other reasons to be concerned about kids using alcohol? The folks at drugfree.org list the following reasons for concern. First, alcohol does damage to a teenager’s developing brain. Second, alcohol use leads to risky behaviors. Third, teens run the risk of drinking and driving while impaired, a habit that can end lives and change families forever. Fourth, alcohol use contributes to poor mental health and is a significant factor in youth suicide. Fifth, alcohol use can lead to chronic health problems. Sixth, there is the danger of alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal. And finally, there is always the risk of addiction. Parents, you have the greatest influence on your kids beliefs and the resulting behaviors. Warn them about the dangers of alcohol use, and set up clear boundaries.

Training up Fools for Christ

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Those of us who embraced the Christian faith during our childhood and teenage years have memories of how hard it was to live faithful lives in a midst of a culture that encouraged us to do otherwise. Much of our difficulty came from the presence of negative peer pressure. This kind of difficulty is present in the lives of our Christian kids today, but is even more pronounced due to the changes taking place in today’s culture. We would do well to share these words from the late justice Antonin Scalia. “God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools and he has not been disappointed. Devout Christians are destined to be regarded as fools in modern society. We must pray for courage to endure the scorn of the sophisticated world. If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world.” Parents, share these words with your kids.

Fostering Godly Decision Making

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’ve been looking at Paul Tripp’s parenting book, Age of Opportunity, and the five signs that our teenagers have a heart for God. Today, we look at the fifth sign. Tripp says that teens who have a heart for God will endeavor to approach decision-making from a biblical perspective. A child who is pursuing God will have a heart for doing what is right. We can’t be content with raising teens whose decisions are impulsive, emotion-driven, and self-centered. We must hold a higher standard before them. We need to model and encourage what Paul Tripp calls a “Godward reference,” instilling in our teens a desire to do everything to the glory of God. The most important question in any situation is, “What does God want me to think, desire, say, and do?” And, we want them to embrace the Bible as their most important tool in making the critical and practical decisions of life. Parents, never stop praying that your children will develop a deep heart for God.

Teens and God's Guidance

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at Paul Tripp’s parenting book, Age of Opportunity, and the five signs that our teenagers have a heart for God. Today, we look at the fourth sign. Tripp says that teens who have a heart for God will be relaxed and open to discussions about spiritual things. We should not expect or accept our teenagers’ being closed and defensive to spiritual things. Paul Tripp says that we should seek to nurture our children to love the Lord and his word. Our kids need to grow up to understand that God’s word speaks to every situation of life, and they should be hungry to be guided and corrected by God’s Word. We want our kids to be humble and open to God’s guidance. They need to know that they need God’s help, and they should seek it. Parents, evaluate your teenager. How open is he or she to talking about spiritual things. Continually pray for your teen. Pray for their hearts and minds. Ask God to give them a hunger and thirst to talk about God and His word.

Our Teens Need Fellowship

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at Paul Tripp’s parenting book, Age of Opportunity, and the five signs that our teenagers have a heart for God. Today, we look at the third sign. Tripp says that teens who have a heart for God will pursue fellowship with the body of Christ. He will want to spend time with others who also love God. He will look for peers who share his faith and his desire to be involved in Christian community. This is the teenager who leaves for college and begins his time on campus by checking out the Christian fellowship opportunities. This is the teen who will seek out other Christians in his high school. And, he will value the help, prayers, encouragement, experience, insight, and wisdom of the older members of the body of Christ. Parents, our greatest desire should be to see our children grow up to pursue, love, and serve Jesus Christ. Ask God to embrace your teen and to create in your teen a desire to be in active fellowship with other Christians.

Teens and Corporate Worship

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

All this week we’re looking at Paul Tripp’s parenting book, Age of Opportunity, and the five signs that our teenagers have a heart for God. Today, we look at the second sign. Tripp says that teens who have a heart for God will have a desire to be involved in corporate worship and instruction. A teenager who is glad to go to church services and who does not need to be threatened to be there will be there for two primary reasons. First, he will enjoy worship because worship expresses his heartfelt love and thanksgiving for God and his work. Second, he will find enjoyment in being with people who share his desire to praise God. He will be there because he finds that corporate worship helps him focus on the most important thing in life, the existence of God and his glory. A teen who has a heart for the pursuit of God may not be able to put this desire for worship into words, but he will want to be in worship. Pray that your teen develops a heart for God and a passion for worship.

Teens and a Heart for God

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

There are so many voices in our culture that cry out to our kids, summoning their allegiance and defining what’s most important in life. Sadly, few of these voices encourage them to have a heart for God. All this week, I want to share with you the signs of a heart for God that Paul Tripp identifies in his wonderful parenting book, Age of Opportunity. Paul Tripp says that the first sign of a heart for God is an independent life of personal worship and devotion. A teen with a heart for God spends personal time with the Lord. He will want to read the Bible and spend time in prayer. She will carve out time in the midst of her busy and chaotic schedule to study the scriptures. Tripp says that it’s not likely that your teen will get up every morning at five a.m. to read and pray for two hours, but there will be a developing life of personal devotion. Parents, pray that your teen will develop a deep hunger and thirst to know God, to study God’s word, and to pray.

Teaching Kids to Live with Hope

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Body Image and Quitting Sports

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What is Gen Z Thinking and Doing?

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Why Girls Engage with Pornography

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Tue, 9 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The folks at Defend Young Minds have released a list of the three top reasons why more our girls are seeking out and engaging with pornography. To know the reasons is to know how to push back on this trend. First, our girls are feeling a growing pressure from boys to watch pornography. Girls are feeling compelled to conform to these expectations. We must respond by helping them understand the immoral nature of these expectations, along with encouraging them to feel the freedom to come and talk to us when they encounter the expectations. Second, may girls accidentally discover pornography, many times through social media feeds and chat groups. Borders and boundaries are needed, along with parental oversight, and again, the encouragement to talk openly with us as parents. Finally, they go to pornography out of curiosity. Parents, remember that your child’s sex education needs to be rooted in Scripture, along with what you are teaching them in the home.

The Power of Parental Example

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Mon, 8 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Paper or Digital Bibles

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Fri, 5 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

A professor starts his recent article in Christianity Today magazine with this sentence: “As I prepare to begin my tenth year as a seminary professor, I’m going to begin the biblical capstone class I’ll be teaching by recommending that my students consider taking up a habit they’re likely unfamiliar with: bringing an actual, physical, printed-and bound Bible to class.” Kudos to this professor for taking this step. The presence of smartphones and Bible apps, which are not bad things in and of themselves, has led more and more believers to never carry or read an actual paper Bible. Without a physical bible we can easily lose our sense of the Genesis to Revelation narrative of redemption. We are limited in our ability to understand context. It is more difficult to cross-reference passages. We don’t read as deeply on the screen. And, we are more easily distracted. With Christmas coming, why not set each of your kids up with the gift a good, old-fashioned, physical Bible?

Is Your Family Eating Together?

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 4 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Last Thanksgiving, our adult children all came to our house with our grandchildren to share the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Because our family has grown over the years, we had to get creative with moving furniture around in order to make one large table that would accommodate seventeen people. But it was all worth it as we were able to share a meal and conversation around the table. As I was looking around the table, I got to thinking about how eating together as a family is a disappearing reality for so many. A recent survey from the American Enterprise Institute found that seventy-six percent of the members of my baby-boomer generation say that having regular family meals was a part of their childhood experience. It was consistently a part of my own family experience. Now, only thirty-eight percent of the members of Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, report having regular family meals. Parents, make meal-time a valuable family time, and hold it sacred.

LGBTQ Bullying

cpyu@cpyu.org (cpyu, walt mueller) — Wed, 3 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Targeting Kids with Vaping

cpyu@cpyu.org (walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 2 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000