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Well now that we come to the book of Haggai and Zechariah, we find them writing in a time period when the 70 years of exile was ending and the people were returning to Jerusalem. What a time to have been alive, right?! Seeing God’s people be able to return to their homeland, the land God promised them surely had to be exciting. And it was! But Haggai and Zechariah wanted to warn them too. They tell the people that God has great things planned, His promises are still true, if the people commit to the Lord and His ways as they return to the land.

Haggai focuses on the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and how it’s important that they do it the right way so that it’s holy and honoring to God. Remember that the temple was where God’s presence would dwell, so it’s important to get it right! That’s what Haggai was communicating. And God cheers the people on through Haggai’s words by saying things like ‘be strong’ and ‘don’t fear, my spirit remains among you.’

And then there’s Zechariah….like any good prophet, Zechariah has all sorts of crazy dreams with crazy images. Things like horsemen and horns and a guy who has a measuring tape and a gold lampstand and olive trees and my favorite, the flying scroll…. but these dreams were like symbols and confirmations to Zechariah and the people of God’s plans for them. And while these dreams spoke of things that would happen Zechariah’s lifetime, they also pointed forward to when Jesus would come both as Messiah and Conquering King. Almost like setting the stage for God’s grand plan that He’s writing throughout history.

This classic episode helps us get excited for Easter where we celebrate Jesus' resurrection! The best news ever is that Jesus came to this earth, died for our sins, and rose to life again. He conquered sin and death and now offers us the victory and hope of eternal life! 

Listen to this podcast with your kids and get ready for Easter! 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect. 

 I bet you already know a lot about respect - you know, realizing that someone is in charge and therefore needs to be listened to and obeyed or maybe it’s just being polite to others and treating them well. Respect for authority is a big part of your life whether you realize it or not…..you respect your parents and grandparents, your teachers, your coaches and so many other adults in your life. And this isn’t just because it’s fun to do. It’s because that’s what the Bible tells us to do!

But, since we are talking about this presidential election coming up. What does the Bible tell us about respecting people in our government? People like the president? Are we supposed to respect the president like we do our parents or teachers? Great question! Let’s look to God’s word to find out what He has to say about it. 

Romans 13:1 lays out pretty clearly just WHY and HOW followers of Jesus are supposed to respect the human authority that governs them. Listen… “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”  There is no asteric, that says UNLESS the governing authorities aren’t who you or your parents voted for. No! It says there is NO authority except that which God has established.

And we know this is true because we just talked all about God’s sovereignty in the last episode. So, of course, it’s no surprise that God expects us to honor and respect those that He has put into a place of authority. In other words, we respect the President not only because he has a super important job and we are thankful for that person taking on the job of being in charge of running our country, but we also respect the President because GOD put that person there in that job. So, our respect for God Himself overflows to those He’s put in charge of us.  That means no matter who is president or no matter who our teacher is or who our coach is, they must be respected by followers of Christ. 

Now, I also have to tell you another piece of respecting human authority or those who God has put in charge over us. We respect them all the way until they ask us to do something that goes against God’s word. Remember our first episode talked about how we are citizens of God’s kingdom first. That’s our MOST important citizenship. And after that we are citizens of our country. So, we respect authority UNLESS they are asking us to do something that goes against what God has told us to do in the Bible.

A great example of this is Daniel. The king who was in authority over Daniel told everyone in the kingdom to bow down and worship the king each day. Well, clearly, God had already given the 10 commandments and said “you shall have no other gods before me.” So, this was directly against God’s word. And Daniel refused to do what the king said. He stayed true to God rather than the king and that was GOOD in this case. That’s what he should have done since he was being asked to do something against God’s word. Do you know what happened next?

Yep, that famous story of Daniel being thrown into the lions den and God closing the mouths of the lions. ALL because Daniel chose to show his respect to God over the human king.  

We must remember that we resect human authority that God put in place, but we respect God more than anything or anyone else. So, God’s ways first. Respect human authority second as we are told in Romans 13. 

Okay let’s get to talking about this.

1.     Why should we respect the President no matter who wins?

2.     How should we respond if our president asks us to do something that is opposite from what God tells us to do?

“He’s got the whole world in His hands” Do you know that song? It’s a good one that reminds us how our BIG God is in control of all things. The song says that He’s got the world in His hands, which is true, but He actually controls more than that! He is in control of the universe! .......

God created all of these things and put them in place with perfect balance. And He’s really good at it! I mean, we tried to make a solar system mobile recently and planets kept falling off. The whole mobile was heavy on one side and hung crooked. It was much harder than I thought it would be. And that’s just a silly mobile! 

Our creator God created the world we live in and He created YOU with such perfection that we can’t even understand all that He’s done. I mean, if I can’t successfully make a solar system mobile how would I ever start to try and create a human being. Yikes! But God did. And He doesn’t stop there.

He is still in control over all that He created. He didn’t just create things and then forget about them. 

He’s in control of His creation. Every thing from the solar system to the details of your life. He is in charge of everything that happens in the world. He decides what will happen in your life today, He decides what will happen to countries as they rise and fall, He decides what will happen with the weather, He decides what will happen at school, He is in charge of it all! There is nothing outside of His control.

There’s a big word for this. It’s sovereignty. Can you say that? Repeat after me. Sovereignty. You might hear someone say that God is sovereign. This means that God is in control of everything. And this should make us feel so safe and secure. 

But when I don’t believe that God is in control, I worry and get nervous and I feel like it’s all up to me to make sure that it turns out the way I want.

When I DO believe that God is in control, I am sure that no matter what happens He is involved and will take care of me. It doesn’t mean He will give me whatever I want or that it’ll even be clear what He’s doing. But I can be sure that His plan. And His way is the best way!

Think of something that you can hold in your hand. Like my kids love to catch lizards or worms. Or what about a roly poly. Have you ever caught someone like that and held it in your hand? That’s what God is doing for us right now. But He’s doing even more than just holding us. He’s making sure everything that happens in our world and in our lives is part of His plan. He has the power to make sure that everything that happens, happens for His good purposes and for His glory. And that doesn’t just mean the good things! He can make good things come out of even bad things that happen in this world. He is sovereign over it all!

Daniel 4:35b says, “He does as He pleases with the power of heaven. He does what He wants with the nations of the earth.” And this truth makes me take a deep breath and relax knowing He’s got it all under His control. And I can trust HIS control.

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and this is important! There’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     So what is God in control of? Name some things!

2.     How do you feel knowing that God controls everything?

3.     Would you rather be in control or would you rather God be in control?

One last time, let’s practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “He does as He pleases – with the power of heaven. – He does what He wants – with the nations of the earth.” Daniel 4:35b
*Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gluschenko

Hey, before we get started today, I wanted to give a shout out to my friend Ivy over at For Parents Podcast. We had a great discussion on her podcast last week about all that God is doing through Backseat Bible Nuggets. And parents if you’re looking for other practical tools and wisdom as you walk this Christian parenting road go check her out at For Parents Podcast. 

Okay, now to our topic for today. We absolutely love music in our family. Recently, we’ve been loving the new Cain album and especially one of their songs called “I’m So Blessed.” If you haven’t heard that song, I’ll put a link to it in the show notes: https://cain.lnk.to/RiseUpAlbumID!ISBVIZ 
Or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzrtLAj-RNw
In fact, you might want to pause right here, go listen to it, and then come back.

Alright, so there’s a few lines in the song where it says, “On my best day, I’m a child of God. On my worst day, I’m a child of God. Oh everyday is a good day, You’re the reason why.” And Hudson came to me the other day and said, “That doesn’t really make sense to me. They say that “on my worst day, I’m a child of God but then they say that everyday in a good day.” And that’s true! It might sound confusing but listen to this.

When we are a Christian, we are a child of God. Nothing can take that away from us. But does that mean we won’t have bad days? No! We will still have days where things don’t go our way. Or where someone is mean to us and hurts us. Or where we find ourselves grounded or in time out over and over again. We can expect bad days to happen from time to time until we get to heaven, in fact.

But like the song says, “on my worst day, I’m a child of God.” No matter what happens, at the end of the day we are a child of God and nothing changes that. Even if we’ve made the worst decisions that day.

Paul wrote in Romans 8:29 that “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Those are some big words! Think to yourself right now of the worst thing you could do. Like if you really wanted to make a bad day for yourself. You don’t have to say it out loud. Just think about it.

Okay, guess what? No matter what you thought about and how BAD it is, it doesn’t change the truth of what we just read. That NOTHING. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Will separate us from the love of God. On your best day He loves you just the same as He does on your worst day. Let that sink in. That’s hard to understand because that’s so different from any other kind of love that we know on Earth.

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and there’s not wrong answer to these. So don’t overthink it!

1.     When you make bad decisions and get in trouble, does that change God’s love for you?

2.     How is everyday a good day like the song said?

3.     The next time you’re having a bad day, what can you do to help yourself remember that you’re a child of God and that makes every day a good day since we cannot be separated from the love of God? How can you help yourself remember this truth?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. Romans 8:39 “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

*Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gluschenko

Today I have a guest here with me, Ethan! Ethan, how old are you?

Ethan: I’m 11 years old.

So at the age of 11, you’ve got something going on that has challenged and encouraged me and I think will for others too. Tell us what your morning routine looks like.

Ethan: Well, when I wake up in the morning I read my Bible, then pray. Next I get dressed for the day. After that’s done I eat my breakfast, and do pretty much everything you do to get ready for the day. 

And this routine is pretty important to you from what I hear! You’ve been doing this for a while, right? Tell us WHY you do this. Like does your mom and dad make you or do you have to for school or what makes you WANT to spend your mornings in this way?

Ethan: I’ve been doing this for a year and a half now. No, no one makes me do it; But it still means a lot to me because we serve a God of order and it is probably what God would do ( well, He would do it perfectly but you understand.)

Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.” This verse is fitting not only because you are a young man, like the verse mentions but because in order to keep our way pure, or in order to live God’s way which is the best way, it says we must live according to His word. Well, how do we live according to His word or how do we live the way He wants us to live? We have to KNOW His word! We can’t expect to live the way God would have for us to live if we never read the Bible, His word. 

So, Ethan, you’re setting an awesome pattern in your life every day by starting out spending time reading the Bible and in prayer and thinking about what God’s word means in your life. Guess who else set this example for us in the Bible?

Ethan: Jesus!

That’s right! LOTS of times we see Jesus going off by himself to spend time alone with the Lord. Jesus would even wake up while everyone else was sleeping in order for Him to get some time alone with God. And man, if Jesus needed that time alone with God and made this a part of His every day life, shouldn’t we?!

So, Ethan, if someone wants to start spending time with God like you do and like Jesus showed us to do, what would you tell them?

Ethan: I would suggest that you wake up 30 minutes prior to getting started for the day. Then begin reading two chapters of the bible a day and start in Genesis and end in Revelation. Then finish your time with God in prayer. I started off this way and I encourage you to do this as well. But, if this isn’t what’s best for you, you can always find a new way.

Okay last question. Since you’ve started spending time reading the Bible each morning, how has it changed you?

Ethan: It has changed me on so many different levels. Mainly though, this has helped me in knowing that God is with me and no matter what happens, He is on my side.

Awesome. Well, Ethan, I’m proud of you as a sister in Christ and want to encourage you to keep it up. As you grow up and life changes it’ll be hard to always keep this practice, but I pray the Lord continues to draw you to Himself and transform your heart for His kingdom.

Thanks for joining us today!

You've been listening to Backseat Bible Nuggets. A podcast for kids about God's great love for them and His written word. Parents you can check out more resources at BackseatBibleNuggets.com. We're honored you listened and pray deep roots grow in the lives of your backseaters as you go along the way.

*Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gluschenko

We recently took a road trip and when we finally got loaded up in the car we started to drive. The question was “which way,” though. We had plugged in the address of where we were headed and our phone suggested more than one way to go. We could go one way and avoid paying tolls. We could go another way, but it might have some dirt roads. We could go another way with bigger roads but it might have traffic. So many options that would get us all to the same place eventually. 

Think about somewhere that you go to in the car a lot. Maybe school or to a friends house or to your practice field. Is there more than one way to drive there? Usually there is!

Now, let’s think about heaven, where God lives forever. If being in heaven with God is where we want to eventually end up, is there more than one way to get there? That’s an interesting question!

Listen to what the Bible says in John 14:5-6. This is when Jesus had been telling the disciples that He was going to die and then be raised from the dead to then go back to heaven. But, here’s the thing… the disciples didn’t really understand what He was saying though. So what should we do if we don’t understand something? Ask a question! And that’s just what one of Jesus’ disciples, Thomas, did in John 14. He says in verse 5 and 6 “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

To Thomas and the other disciples, Jesus’ answer was “clear as mud.” Have you ever heard that saying? Clear as mud? That means it’s not clear at all. Mud is not clear is it? So Jesus’ answer might have confused the disciples even more.

But what Jesus is saying here is that there is only ONE way to God. One. Not zero ways, as if we can’t EVER reach Him. And not 2 or more ways, as if we should add anything to Jesus’ way. Only one way.

And that one way is Jesus. In John 14:6 Jesus said that, “no one comes to the Father except through me.” He can say that because Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life. The ONLY way.

This is an important truth in our world today. There are lots of different people who believe different things about who Jesus was and what the Bible commands us to do. A lot of times you will hear someone say that we can all go to heaven whether we believe in Jesus or not. Some people even believe in other gods or worship statues called idols. And some people might tell you that we actually do need to follow Jesus AND do other things in order for God to really love us or in order for us to go to heaven with Him one day. And it can be a number of OTHER things that they suggest. It’s like they are saying that there are many different ways to get to God, like different routes we could have taken on our road trip that would get us to the same place in the end. 

But this is not what the Bible, God’s true word tells us. Jesus’ teaching tells us that there’s only ONE way. And that’s to follow Him. Pretty simple! We don’t need to add any more to that. THE way is Jesus. 

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and there’s not wrong answer to these. So don’t overthink it!

1.     What is the one way to God?

2.     What did Jesus mean when He said He is the way, the truth, and the life?

3.     How does this change the way we live?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “I am the way - and the truth - and the life. - No one comes to the Father - except through me.” John14:6

Hey parents, don’t forget to click the subscribe or follow button to get reminders when new episodes are available each week! 

* Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gluschenko

Quick! Grab your tongue and listen to this from the Bible: “All of us get tripped up in many ways. Suppose someone is never wrong in what they say. Then they are perfect. They are able to keep their whole body under control. 

We put a small piece of metal in the mouth of a horse to make it obey us. We can control the whole animal with it. And how about ships? They are very big. They are driven along by strong winds. But they are steered by a very small rudder. It makes them go where the captain wants to go. In the same way, the tongue is a small part of a person’s body. But it TALKS BIG. Think about how a small spark can set a big forest on fire. 

The tongue is also a fire. The tongue is the most evil part of the body. It makes the whole body impure. It sets a person’s whole way of life on fire. And the tongue itself is set on fire by hell. People have tamed all kinds of wild animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures. And they still tame them. But no one can tame the tongue. It is an evil thing that never rests. It is full of deadly poison.” That’s James 3:1-8 

Okay, you can let go of your tongue now if you’re still holding it.

Did you know that your tongue can get you in to trouble? These verses say that our tongues are evil and full of deadly poison. Woah! Why so much hate for a tongue? Well it’s because with our tongue, we are able to talk. And you probably know by now that our talk, the things we say, can be dishonest and wrong or hateful and mean or even bring harm to others. You might think that something you say is not that big of a deal, but our words have POWER and we don’t always use it for good. In fact, these verses said our words can be like a spark that starts a forest fire. 

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 So what else? Well, Luke 6:45b says, “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

This means that what we say is actually overflowing from our heart. Think of a bucket full of water, that’s our heart. And when the water fills up so much it’s overflowing, those are our words. So whatever is in our heart, overflows in the things we say in our words with our tongue.

So how do we tame or control the tongue? We start with the heart. And that’s a job that only Jesus can take on. When we give our heart to Jesus and let Him be ruler of our life, He starts to change our heart. He does the work with His saving power! And when He changes our heart, it changes everything about us – especially our tongue and the things we say.

So instead of walking around all day holding on to our tongue to keep it under control, let’s ask the Lord to change our heart. Because when He changes our heart, then good, loving, life-bringing words will overflow and come out of our mouths.

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and there’s not wrong answer to these. So don’t overthink it!

1.     Tell about a time when your tongue or words got out of control. And this is a free zone answer time, parents don’t get your kids in trouble with their answer! Just listen!

2.     What does our heart have to do with our tongue or our words?

3.     How do we tame our tongue and get it under control?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “For out of the overflow of his heart - his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45b

You’ve been listening to Backseat Bible Nuggets. A podcast for kids about God’s great love for them and His written word. Parents you can check out more resources at BackseatBibleNuggets.com. We’re honored you listened and pray deep roots grow in the lives of your backseaters as you go along the way.

*Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gluschenko

Have you ever had something come in the mail just for you? Maybe a letter from someone or a fun magazine or maybe even a package! I, at the age of 35, still get excited about mail. Unless it’s a bill, which is another story, but when we see the mailman stop at our house, it’s usually a rush to the door to see who is going to get to the package or mailbox first. Even though my kids run to the mailbox, the mail is usually not for them….yet. But sometimes…sometimes…it says their name on it and it makes our day! A special package or note just to them. 

Someone took time to think of them, write a note or buy a present and then took time to send it to them. To makes sure it got there. And it wasn’t just the sender that made sure the package or note arrived safely, there were plenty of other helpers along the way that took it from one mailbox to another, loaded it on trucks, and then drove it to our house to deliver it. And because of that, the thought and effort that went in to the letter or package just for me, it makes it super special.  

God’s word, the Bible, is like a special package just for us! But it’s more special than any other package. Want to know why? Because it is what we call the “inspired word of God.” Now, this doesn’t mean that every word is a word that Jesus spoke. It means that the Holy Spirit actually told people what to write down at different times throughout history. In fact, there are actually 40 different human writers in the Bible. But, all the words came from ONE person and that’s God himself. 

And because it’s from God means it’s true, true, true. There is nothing in it that isn’t true. No lies. So we can know that whatever we read when we open the Bible can be trusted. Even if it might not make sense to us, we can always remember that it’s true whether we understand it or not.

.....

 But, that’s what the Bible is! A letter to us. From God. Thousands of years old and yet God has made sure that we still have His letter to us! He loves us so much that He has made sure that His words, the Bible, have not been lost or forgotten over time. 

He thinks you’re special enough that He wanted YOU to have His special letter that He wrote for YOU. So next time you read the Bible, let’s think about how awesome it is that God took the time to write us a letter. AND that He took time to make sure that it was delivered to us.

2 Timothy 3:16 says that “All scripture is God-breathed.” Meaning it’s His words! And the verse goes on to tell us how it’s useful for us. Because, hello, what could be more useful to us than God’s holy words?!  That’s some pretty powerful stuff!  

Now before we talk through our questions, I want you to know that not everyone in the world has a Bible. Think about that for a minute. Not everyone in the world has a Bible. What would you do if you didn’t have a Bible? How would you know and learn about God? If you’re listening to this you probably have a Bible. I’d bet you might even have more than one in your house! Ask your parents how many Bibles you have in your house…..

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and there’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     Who wrote the Bible? 2.     How would you learn about God if you didn’t have a Bible? 3.     How is the Bible like a gift?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “All scripture - is God-breathed.” 2 Timothy - 3:16a

You’ve been listening to Backseat Bible Nuggets. A podcast for kids about God’s great love for them and His written word. Parents you can check out more resources at BackseatBibleNuggets.com. 
*Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

QUESTION: "If I want to follow God, do I have to be a good person before I can become a Christian?"

That is a great question! I was actually talking to someone the other day that told me their daughter was asking questions about how to become a Christian and the lady I was talking to told her daughter “well, that’s something we need to talk more about because if you want to do that you have to start acting better and be a good person!”

The Bible tells us in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whoever believes in Him will not die, but have eternal life.” Now, did you hear anything in there about being a good person?

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That’s right. He offers for EVERYONE to live with Him forever in heaven, that’s what eternal life means. It’s not just for the good people or for people who look or act a certain way. Paul, a pretty important dude in the Bible, wrote in Romans 7:18 that “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” He goes on to write more about how he REALLY wants to be a good person and do good things, but he can’t ALWAYS be good not matter how hard he tries. And it’s the same with us! Do you ever feel that way, that you try to be good and it’s just hard to be a perfect person all the time??

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It’s so tough! Even for adults! Even for people who have had a relationship with Jesus for years! But at the end of the day, that doesn’t matter. Because God offers His free gift of salvation, or eternal life, a relationship with Him to ANYONE. Not just good people! BUT…each person has to accept His gift. Imagine if I were to give you a present wrapped in a big ole box, with awesome wrapping paper, tons of bows on top and it has YOUR name on it. What would you want to do with that present?

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You’d want to open it and tear in to it so that you could see and enjoy the present! When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, it’s like a present. A gift that allows us to have a relationship with Him forever and be saved from being punished for our sins. BUT we have to open and accept His gift. Lots of people have that gift sitting in their lap and they say “um, no thanks.” And they set it to the side. Never opening it. Never enjoying the gift that God has given them. The gift that God has given to each of us! He doesn’t just give gifts to the people who act the right way or wear certain clothes or even those who go to church every week. He offers His free gift of knowing Him and living with Him forever to EVERYONE. This is called salvation! And it’s awesome and life changing.

Will you help me practice our verse? You can repeat after me:

“For God so loved the world – that He gave His only Son – that whoever believes in Him – will not die, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss. Oh, and the point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     What is salvation?

2.     Who gets the free awesome gift of salvation from God?

3.     Why should you accept God’s gift to you? 

My dad has three names: he is Dad, he is granddaddy and he’s also Mike. He’s one person, but he has 3 names. To me, he is my Dad. To my kids, he is granddaddy. And to other friends or family members, he is Mike. No matter what name you call him, he’s still the same person.

Maybe you have different names too. Maybe you have a name that they call you on the first day of school and then you have the name that you actually want to be called. You might also have a nickname that your friends call you. 

This is the easiest example that can help us start to understand what it means when the Bible says that God is 3 in 1. Now, I can’t go any further without telling you that it’s NOT nearly a perfect example. It’s actually a mystery to us humans as to how God can be 3 separate persons while also being just one person. But God in His great power and creativity somehow has the ability to be 3 in 1. I don’t have to understand all the details of HOW that works, but I need to know and trust that God’s word is true when it tells us that God is 3 in 1. 

The 3 persons that I’m talking about are 1. God the Father 2. God the Son (who is Jesus) and 3. The Holy Spirit. 

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But actually the first story in the Bible, Genesis chapter 1, shows us that since the beginning of time, before the world even existed, all 3 have existed together. Isn’t that cool?! And all 3, God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, are all equal. No ONE is more powerful than the other because they are really all the same person, not different people trying to be more in charge or more powerful than the other.

When we talk about the 3: God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit this is also called the trinity. So when you hear people talk about the trinity you will know that they are talking about how God is one God with 3 different persons.

It’s kinda confusing. It’s not like anyone else that we know, right?! Because God isn’t like anyone else! He is God! So if He says He’s 3 in 1 then we can trust that He IS 3 in 1. He is God and we are not and so His ways sometimes blow our mind. Actually, His ways USUALLY blow my mind!

In John 10:30, Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” And then a few chapters later in John 15:26 He says, “I will send the Helper to you from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father.” So Jesus is telling us all 3 are actually 1. Remember, we can trust this truth even if we don’t’ fully understand how it works!

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and there’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     Who are the 3 in the trinity?

2.     What does it mean that God is 3 in 1?

3.     Why do you think God made Himself like this? Why would He make Himself 3 in 1?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice our two short verses together. You can repeat after me. “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30. And the next verse: “I will send the Helper to you – from the Father. – He is the Spirit of truth – who comes from the Father.” John 15:26

*Music: "Forest" by Vlad Gluschenko

Who’s ready for school to start back?! I am! And my kiddos are too! It’s always an exciting time of year but it’s also a very BUSY time of year. Lots of you listening will go back to your school schedule and start some kind of sport or other lessons.  And you’ll have… homework!

So it’s usually this time of year when I see all that activity coming up, starting in just a few weeks, that I stop to remind myself of something. It’s not complicated, but it’s just something that we forget a lot. Especially this time of year as we get busy. But, here’s the deal: God wants a relationship with you more than anything. Or in other words, He wants to hang out with you and have your attention more than anything else.

Obviously He’s a fan of us learning and growing our brains to genius status as we go to school. And I’m sure He loves sports and music lessons or any other extra activity you’re learning. But those all come in second place to us having a relationship with Him.

Relationship is a big word, but it simply means knowing someone and being known by them. You have plenty of relationships. You have relationships with your friends, your parents, your brothers and sisters and lots of other people. You talk to them and you listen to them; you spend time together; you know each other so well that you know what the other person likes and doesn’t like. See? It’s pretty simple but this is what it means to have a relationship. And the Lord also wants a relationship with YOU!

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So maybe you’re wondering, how DO I have a relationship with Him? It starts with asking Him to be IN your life. To be the one in charge of your life, actually. And you do this because you know that He DESERVES to be in charge since He is God and… we. are. not. 

In fact, Jesus is God’s son who came to save us from our sins when He died on the cross. We’ve talked before about how sin separates us from God, it pulls us away from Him or opposite from Him. But when we know and believe that Jesus died on the cross, we are pulled back to Him. Jesus’ death is so much stronger than sin that we say it defeated sin. It wins over sin all day, every day!  And this means that we can have a relationship with Him! It’s because of Jesus that we can even imagine having a real relationship with the Lord!

John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.” This means that because of God’s son, Jesus, we can have a relationship with Him FOREVER, that’s what eternal life means.

What an awesome thing! We can know and be known by the God of the universe! The King of all Kings! How cool!

So here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and there’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     What does it mean to have a relationship with someone?

2.     How can we have a relationship with God?

3.     Do you have any other questions about this? If you are thinking about something, ask the adult you’re listening with!

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice John 3:16 together. You can repeat after me. “God so loved the world - that he gave his one and only Son.  - Anyone who believes in him  - will not die - but will have eternal life.” John 3:16

*Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

I wanted take a time out and just talk to the parents for a minute. But, don't worry, we will have another regular episode later this week! 
Show highlights:
- We hit the milestone of over 1,000 downloads last week! Thank you for listening and telling others about it. To God be the glory!
- You aren't limited to listening in the car just because it's called  "Backseat Bible Nuggets." People are also listening as they eat a meal together, going to bed at night, on a family walk, etc.
- Message me on social media (@backseatbiblenuggets) or email me (backseatbiblenuggets@gmail.com) with any feedback, comments or ideas. I want to partner with you and the conversations that you're having in your house with your kids!

When we talk about anything and, well, everything in life, we have to remember God’s sovereignty. And this is especially true when we’re talking about a political election. Most people think that whoever gets the most votes will win and that’s true, but there’s more to the story than just number of votes.

When we say that God is sovereign that means He is completely involved in all things and He has complete control and rule over all things. He’s super involved and that’s great reassuring news for us! That means that no matter what the outcome is of our vote or no matter who wins to be the next President, we can always trust that God is in control. God is sovereign no matter what! No matter if it’s our favorite guy who wins or not!

Now, God’s sovereignty doesn’t mean that it’ll always work out the way I think it should or you think it should. If that was true, then life would be a lot easier and things would go my way more and I would get whatever I want and my teams would always win and so on.

But, rather, it means that we can TRUST that God is involved and we can TRUST He knows what He’s doing. Isn’t that the best news ever? It means it’s not all up to US to figure out this world and how everything should go and work together. It means He’s in charge and not me and goodness knows that’s a good thing!

When we think of God’s sovereignty it’s especially good news with something like a big presidential election. Listen to what Daniel 2:21 says: It says that God is the one, “who changes the times and the periods; He removes kings and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to people of understanding.” 

Since they didn’t have presidents back in bible times we can think of the word kings as another word for president. So this is telling us that God who is the one who removes presidents and HE’s the one who appoints or sets up presidents. It’s Him who’s doing it. Not an election. God is in control of all things. He alone is sovereign. 

Yes, each vote plays a role in the election. God likes for us to be involved too, but it doesn’t mean we have TOTAL control. Does that make sense? It’s kinda like we are on a team with God when we are following Him. He can direct us and tell us who to vote for. And He can determine who the best person is to serve as president. 

But, as we learn in God’s word, people CAN and often do choose to reject what God is telling them or how He’s leading them. People CAN choose to reject God. Remember how the Israelites wanted a king and God gave them king Saul? King Saul WAS God’s chosen man. God was sovereign in that choice and He certainly appointed Saul. BUT, Saul wasn’t a good king in the end. Did God mess up? Did God choose the wrong guy? 

No, God sometimes gives people what they want if they keep rejecting what God is telling them. 

Same thing is true today in our world! God’s sovereignty can be trusted to determine the election and He can be trusted to be working no matter what. And that might be the most encouraging news ever right now, Amen?!

In fact, Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Will you remind yourself of that truth today? Will you remind yourself that God’s ways often don’t make sense to us, but we can rest in His sovereign control? He is the one in charge here, just as He’s always been and will always be in charge of His creation.

1.     How do I know God is sovereign over our presidential election?

2.     What happens if I DON’T believe that God is sovereign and in control?

We recently saw the second Boss Baby movie in the theater. And one of the characters, Armstrong, asked a very good question during the movie. He said, “why do parents get to be in charge anyway?” 

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The Bible tells us in Romans 13:1, “All of you must obey those who rule over you. There are no authorities except the ones God has chosen. Those who now rule have been chosen by God.”

In other words, our parents, teachers, etc. have been put in charge by God. And that means that we must obey them! God chose your parents. He chose your teacher. He chose the people who are in charge. So we must respect them and honor them. We must listen to them and obey them. 

A few verses later in Romans 13 it says that those who are in charge or that “rule over you,” as the verse said, have someone in charge of them too. They are serving God! They are responsible to God, who has ultimate authority and rule over them and really over everything. 

 Two last thoughts on this:

1.     I actually WANT God to be in charge of everything. Life goes so much better than way! So whomever God puts in charge of me, I want to honor and respect because God put them there and His plan in the best plan.

2.     The earlier I learn to respect and obey those who are in charge, the earlier I learn to respect and obey God. And this is something that even adults struggle with! But, God gave us people on earth to help us learn authority. It’s all in a practice to teach us how to respect and obey God as the ultimate ruler of our lives.

So here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and this is important! There’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     Give some examples of people who are in charge of you or who have authority over you.

2.     How should you treat those who are in charge?

3.     Why should we respect, honor and obey those who are in charge? Or in other words, why do parents get to be in charge anyway?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice the first half of our verse. Romans 13:1a. You can repeat after me. “All of you - must obey - those who rule over you. There are no authorities - except the ones God has chosen.” 

*Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

Okay, I know it’s middle of summer and it’s HOT! But let’s talk about snowflakes. Have you heard that every snowflake is different? There are never two that are exactly the same. I always think that’s so cool to think about! But even cooler than snowflakes is the fact that there are never two people who are alike either. Our great God is such a magnificent creator that He never runs out of ideas and since the beginning of time has made each and every human unique. Not like anyone else. 

Think about that. There has never been anyone JUST like you. And there never will be anyone JUST like you. YOU are the only YOU that there will ever be! 

The Bible tells us that God knit us together in our Mama’s belly. I always love to think of God literally making me piece by piece in just the exact way He wanted me to be made. It’s like He’s sitting at His craft table with the supplies…paper and scissors and glue and glitter and crayons and …well, you get the point. ALL the supplies you could dream of! And He knows just where He wants each piece to go on each person. He doesn’t mess up and have to redo it. Even what WE might think of as a mistake, isn’t. He fully planned on making you in that way! No mess ups. No need for redos.

Even His timing of WHEN and WHERE He made you is unique. He didn’t make you 1,000 or 100 years ago, no He made you to be born on the EXACT day you were born. He wanted you to be alive in 2021 listening to this podcast just like you’re doing now! And ever further, He wanted you to live WHERE you are living in the world right now. Your exact neighborhood is unique – just for you! He makes no mistakes even in the details! 

Acts 17:26b says that “he decided exactly when they should live. And he decided exactly where they should live.” So this means that God, Himself, said I want YOU to live now and in this exact spot. The exact place you are now living. No mess ups. No need for redos.

But why would He go to all that trouble? I mean it’d be a lot easier if He just had one big God-sized cookie cutter to make people out of. And we’d probably all end up looking like gingerbread men and women. Then He could make people in big batches, right? 

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So when we think about God making us piece by piece when He was creating us in our Mom’s belly, He wasn’t just using a cookie cutter. He was taking His time putting each piece and detail together. You’re not just any ole cookie, are you?! How awesome and exciting is it that God created you piece by piece, uniquely YOU, to live today and put you in the exact place where you are right now? 

And if He went to ALL the trouble, then He has GREAT and EXCITING plans for your life. He’s got mighty adventures ahead of you! Adventures that can have eternal impact – that means your adventures could change things forever. Wow!

When you start to understand how He planned out and created every detail of your life, then you can start to get excited about what that means for His plans for your life.

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1.     What does it mean in Acts 17:26b when it says He determines exactly the time and place that we should live?

2.     How did God make you unique or special?

3.     How can God use YOU in the exact places in which He’s placed you? Like your neighborhood, school, friends, etc. How can He use you there?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice Acts 17:26b together. Since we are only focusing on the second half of the verse, that’s why we say “b” after the verse reference. That let’s us know it’s just a portion of the verse. You can repeat after me. Acts 17:26b “he decided exactly when they should live. And he decided exactly where they should live.” Acts 17:26b

*Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

Invisible. You know, when you can’t see something with your own two eyes but  you know it’s there. It almost sounds like a super power. Like if I was playing hide and seek and could suddenly make myself invisible, how cool would that be? I’d win every time! 

While I don’t see myself being able to become invisible any time soon, there ARE things in our world that are invisible. Can you think of some things that are invisible? 

What about God? Is He invisible? Humm. That’s interesting to think about. Right now, if you wanted to, could you see God with your own two eyes? The answer is tricky. The simple answer is “no.” The more complicated answer is “no, but I can see EVIDENCE of Him.”

What does THAT mean?! Sounds confusing, but the Lord has actually given us a great example of this to help us understand. When we think of God being invisible I like to think of it like the wind. Can you see the wind? No. Do you know that the wind is real? Sure! Can you tell where the wind is blowing? Definitely. The wind is an invisible force that can pack a power punch in a storm or it can be gentle and refreshing at other times. 

Do you believe in the wind? Hah, okay that’s a silly question. Who doesn’t believe in the wind? We can’t see it, but we know its there. We’ve never wondered if it was real or not because we can SEE what the wind can do. In other words, we can see the evidence of the wind. We can feel it blowing our hair. We can see it waving in the trees. We can even hear it with our ears sometimes. We can’t SEE the wind itself, but we can certainly feel it and see the effects it has on everything when it’s blowing.

This is how our great God is! Though we cannot see Him, we can feel Him and see what He is doing around us if we are looking. We shouldn’t wonder whether or not He’s there just because we can’t see Him, just like we shouldn’t question whether or not the wind is real just because we can’t see it or touch it....

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Romans 1:20 tells us “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” 

That verse is longer than we normally have but it’s packed with so much great truth!  Romans 1:20 is telling us that ever since God created this big beautiful world, everything that we can see and experience and enjoy all point to who He is and actually helps us to understand Him. So next time you see, feel or hear the wind think about God and how He is like the wind!

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and this is important! There’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     What does the Bible tell us about God being invisible?

2.     How is God like the wind?

3.     Do you think its cool or confusing that God is invisible to us? And why?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice Romans 1:20b together. Since it’s a pretty long verse we are going to just say the middle half, which I why we say “b” after the verse reference. That let’s us know it’s just a portion of the verse. You can repeat after me. “Through everything God made, we can clearly see His invisible qualities.” Romans 1:20b

You’ve been listening to Backseat Bible Nuggets. A podcast for kids about God’s great love for them and His written word. Parents you can check out more resources at BackseatBibleNuggets.com. We’re honored you listened and pray deep roots grow in the lives of your backseaters as you go along the way.

Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

Let’s talk about opposites. The opposite of hot is….COLD! The opposite of sad is….HAPPY! The opposite of good is….BAD!

God, who represents all things good, has an opposite who is bad and is an enemy of God. This bad guy is named Satan or the devil. And while he has limited powers, he is still a bad guy who we need to talk about. He’s very sneaky. And his #1 goal is to trick people and lead them away from God. Opposite from God. 

Satan is the one who made himself look like snake when he went to Eve in the garden of eden. He slithered over to her and told her that she should eat from the tree, the one tree that God told Adam and Eve NOT to touch. He kept talking to her until he convinced her to try the fruit. She did and so did Adam. In this moment, something called sin entered the world. You see, before that moment, everything had been perfect and heavenly. But after that rule was broken, nothing would ever be the same. Adam and Eve were sent away from the garden, separated from God because of their sin.

You see, God is perfect and has never made a mistake. He is a holy king. And because of His holiness, He can’t stand sin. I don’t mean like when you eat a food and say “ugh, I can’t stand that!” No, God himself is the complete opposite of sin. They will never be close to the same. 

Anything that is opposite from God can be called sin. The Bible tells us that we are all born sinners. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That means that EVERYONE, even your parents or pastor or someone you look up to, sins. No one is perfect. And we ALL fall short of the glory of God. Meaning that none of us can even come close to God’s perfection and His holiness.

So you see, when Adam and Eve messed up and sinned there were HUGE consequences that happened and they were really sad about it. But God had a plan!

Now, this plan might sound a little strange, but we can talk later about how it was actually the perfect plan. The plan was to send Jesus, His only son, who would die to save us from our sin, all the bad in us. And through Jesus we would be able to be with God again one day, just how Adam and Eve had been with Him in the garden.

God’s plan worked perfectly and it’s still working today!
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So remember next time you’re tempted to do something that is opposite from what God would want you to do, that it’s probably a trick from the enemy and that you have weapons that God has given you to fight sin! Ask Him for help!

So here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and this is important! There’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     What is sin?

2.     What is an example of sin in your life?

3.     What should we do when we find ourselves sinning?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice Romans 3:23 together. You can repeat after me.  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

You’ve been listening to Backseat Bible Nuggets. A podcast for kids about God’s great love for them and His written word. Parents you can check out more resources at BackseatBibleNuggets.com. We’re honored you listened and pray deep roots grow in the lives of your backseaters as you go along the way.

Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

In our last podcast, we talked about prayer and how it’s really not that complicated. It’s just having a conversation with Jesus! But we kinda need to stop and pause because while it IS just that simple, it’s also very different from talking to someone you can see.

Well, you’re not alone if you wondered to yourself…hum, but how can I talk to someone who I can’t see? Or how will I know if He’s even listening? 

I want you to know that it’s great to ask questions like this because God WANTS to answer your questions! Plus this is how we learn together and better understand these things that can sometimes be very confusing. AND these are questions that plenty of people have had since the beginning of time. 

In fact, let’s go all the way back to the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve (the 2 first people ever created) walked around with God and actually had back and forth conversations. Their relationship and conversations with God looked very similar to how you’ve talked and interacted with people around you today. Adam and Eve would talk and God would respond and back and forth it would go. Imagine all the things they talked about!

But then, Adam and Eve broke the one rule God gave them, sin changed everything, and they were sent away, being separated from God. 

But God…He didn’t give up there. In His perfect kindness and deep love for us, He didn’t stop listening and talking to us altogether. Even though we all mess up, just like Adam and Eve did, God doesn’t get mad and give us the silent treatment. You know the silent treatment where one person gets mad at the other and says, “I’m not talking to you ever again!” God loves us way too much to ever say that. And because of that, we can be confident that He is ALWAYS listening when we pray to Him.... 

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Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and this is important! There’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     What does it mean that prayer is like a conversation? 

2.     Do you find it hard or difficult to pray to God? If so, why?

3.     How do we know that God hears us when we pray to Him?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice 1 John 5:14 together. Repeat after me. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” 1 John 5:14

 You’ve been listening to Backseat Bible Nuggets. A podcast for kids about God’s great love for them and His written word. Parents you can check out more resources at BackseatBibleNuggets.com. We’re honored you listened and pray deep roots grow in the lives of your backseaters as you go along the way.

Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

What was your first word when you were a baby? Was it Dada? Or Mama? Or supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Okay, probably not that. BUT from an early age, even as babies, we are born with a desire to talk. We want people around us to know what we are thinking or feeling. This is why babies cry, right? Even before a baby can say a single word they want to let others know when they are happy or mad or sad.

Think of toddlers. Maybe you know a toddler and I bet you wouldn’t describe them as very quiet and having very few things to say. No, most children of any age really like to talk and be loud. And even if some of our friends listening struggle with putting sounds and words together, they probably have their own special way of showing those around them what they think and feel.

This is how we are wired as humans! It’s our instinct from day 1 of our life to communicate. So let’s talk about how that relates to prayer.

Praying is simple. It’s just talking to God. Just like you talk to your family members or your friends, it’s just like that when we pray to the Lord. In fact, prayer is sorta just a fancy word for having a conversation with Him. There are no magic words that are needed when we pray. And there is no right or wrong way to pray to Jesus. The only way we can mess up praying is by NOT doing it at all. Think of it this way: Who’s taking care of you today? No matter who is it, think of who is in charge of making sure you have food and clothes today? Okay. Now, what if you didn’t talk to them at all. All day. OR what if you ONLY talked to them for a minute or two before a meal or before bedtime. It wouldn’t make sense would it?! That would be silly and kinda just weird to be with someone all day but only talk to them for a brief moment at certain times.

So, why do we pray this way? Some people think we are only supposed to pray before a meal or maybe right before we go to bed. While those are great times to pray, so are the other 1,440 minutes that are in your day! Yep, there are 1,440 minutes in a day (assuming you stay up all night, which I would NOT recommend!) and so that means that there are plenty of opportunities to talk to God during your day.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray continually.” That’s our verse! Just 2 words! Let’s hear it again, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray continually.” You might be wondering what continually means. It means… always happening, constant. In other words, pray without ever stopping.

Wait. Does that mean that we are supposed to sit around and pray all. Day. Long?! What about my toys I love? Or games with friends? Or crafting? or sports?  No, no, no. Go back to thinking of prayer as talking to God. Do you talk while you are playing with your favorite things? Sure you do! And so we can also pray while we are doing other things!

We can pray out loud while we are doing our favorite activity or we can just say it in our head, silently. We can say long prayers as we think of different things or we can say short quick prayers. We can thank Him for things AND we can ask Him for things. Remember, it’s a just conversation between you and God! And 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is telling us to never stop having that conversation.

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and this is important! There’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     What do you think prayer is?

2.     What does the Bible tell us about prayer? What did the verse say that we talked about?

3.     Why does God want us to pray to Him?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice the shortest verse we’ve ever had. I bet you can remember this one! Repeat after me. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray continually.”
*Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

Everyone is scared of something. Did you know that? What’s your mom or dad scared of? Or your grandparents? They’re scared of something too! If you don’t know what the adults in your life are scared of, just ask them! You might get some funny answers.

Me, for example, I’m scared of snakes. Any kind of snake. Long ones, skinny ones, short ones, fat ones….snakes are NOT my thing. And yet somehow I always seem to have lots of interactions with snakes. One time a snake even came in to my house when I opened my front door to get a package! Like he wanted to move in with us or something!

Anyway, I’ve learned to live with my fear of snakes because they are all around where we live. In fact, I saw a possum eat one the other day for a morning snack in my backyard! It’s a fear that I can’t get away from. Snakes exist and my fear of snakes exists, so what’s the answer? What gives? 

Think of what you’re scared of. What scares you most? You don’t have to say it out loud but just think about it. Being scared of something is the same as being fearful. So if I’m scared of snakes I can also say I have a fear of snakes. That’s my fear.

Well the Bible has something to say about fear. Listen to 2 Timothy 1:7. It says, “God did not give us a spirit of fear; but of power, love and self control.”

In other words, when we are a child of God we have God’s own Spirit, the Holy Spirit living in us!! This should blow our mind! We have God’s huge power living inside of us – the same power that created our world by just speaking word and it coming to existence. The same power that made hungry lions go to sleep and not eat Daniel. The same power that held back the rushing waters so that God’s people could cross over safely to freedom. The same power that brought Jesus back to life 3 days after he was crucified on the cross.  I could go on and on.

But here’s the deal… if we have THAT sorta power living in us….Why should we ever feel scared of something? Well, we shouldn’t! But….even if we try really hard to not be scared, it always seems to come creeping back, right?

That’s something that we will always deal with while we live on this Earth, but you should know that it’s not from God to feel that way. No. The verse said that God’s Spirit DOES NOT make us weak and fearful. He is no scardey cat! God is the only one who has no fears. And if He gave us His Spirit, like actually part of Himself to live in us, then we too shouldn’t give in to our fears.

 Because He gave us a Spirit of power and love and self control. You see, He doesn’t want you to go through your day and night being scared of this and that. No! He wants to replace your fear with His power, His love, and His ability to help us control our fears.

 We can’t control our fears on our own. No, we need a helper. And that’s just what God WANTS to do for us! He isn’t scared of what you’re scared of. But He doesn’t laugh at your fears and think they are silly or ridiculous. He wants to HELP you with your fears.

 Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and this is important! Listen. There’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it!

1.     What are you scared of? What’s your fear? 

2.     Do you believe that God can help you with that fear? Can He actually help you to not be afraid of that?

3.     What would be different in your life if you trusted Him to take away your fear and replace it with His power, love and self control?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice 2 Timothy 1:7 together “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self control.”

Parents you can check out more resources at BackseatBibleNuggets.com. 
*Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

Hey……you….yeah, you…..what cha doing right now? Riding in the car? Listening to something while waiting on dinner? Laying on the floor with nothing to do? Playing legos?

Did you know that all of these activities and NOT activities are opportunities to talk about God? 

Yep!

The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy chapter 6 to talk about God no matter what’s happening… any circumstance. Any time of the day. Any place. Whenever and wherever! 

In fact, listen in Deuteronomy 6 verses 5-7. It says this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

The people in Bible times walked everywhere they went. They didn’t have bikes or roller blades or scooters. Just walking! But, how do you get to places most of the time? If you live in a town like we do, we drive everywhere we go! And this Bible verse that tells us to talk about God when we are “walking along the road” can now be applied to “when we are riding in the car.” 

Some of my best thinking and talking happens on car rides!

And so that’s why we’ve named this podcast BACKSEAT Bible nuggets. It was created for parents that have someone in the backseat that they want to talk about God with as they are going as the Bible has commanded us in Deuteronomy 6:7. These are short devotional podcasts to get you talking about God and His word as you go!

 So, back to our verses…Let’s hear it again. Deuteronomy 6:5-7. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Whew! That means everything that we have in us! My heart, my brain, the things I do in my own strength with my arms and legs and hands and so on) These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. (In other words, parents are called to have God’s commandments in their hearts and minds so that they can then TEACH them to YOU, their kiddos!) Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (All. The. Time!)

Here are some questions to talk about. You can pause after each question and discuss or just generally review together when it’s over. Oh, and this is important! Listen. There’s no wrong answer to these! The point is to get conversation flowing. So don’t overthink it! 

1. Okay, so first. What does it mean to love God with ALL of our heart, soul and strength?

2. Why is it important that we talk about God and His words in the Bible?

 3. And lastly, how can you make sure that you talk about the Lord all the time, like it said in scripture. Remember it said talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up? How will YOU help your parents do that? 

I’m sure they would love to talk about Him with you! And even if they don’t know all the answers, you can learn together! God loves when we come to Him. Whether we know it all or not!

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice Deuteronomy 6:5 together. You can repeat after me: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

You’ve been listening to Backseat Bible Nuggets. A podcast for kids about God’s great love for them and His written word. Parents you can check out more resources at BackseatBibleNuggets.com. We’re honored you listened and pray deep roots grow in the lives of your backseaters as you go along the way.

* Music: Forest by Vlad Gluschenko

Let’s take a vote! We are going to vote with the people you’re listening with today about whether or not we like eating pizza or hamburgers most of all. Like if you had to choose 1 food to eat for the rest of your life, would it be pizza or hamburgers? Alright, raise your hand if you like pizza the most. The nice crust with gooey cheese baked to perfection with whatever toppings you want on it. Delicious! Okay, count how many have their hands up. Got it? Now put your hands down. Now, raise your hand if you like eating hamburgers the most. The bun with the grilled to perfection hamburger meat and maybe even ketchup or other things added. Okay, count again how many have their hands up. Which one was the winner? Pizza or hamburgers?

Well, my friends, that’s a vote. And if you live in America and are listening to this, our whole country is about to vote for who they want to be President. They are going to figure out who they think is the best person for the job and then they will go and vote for that person.

 So that you can better understand a bit of what’s going on in our country and how the Lord would want to be a part of it. We are going to look to His word, the Bible, like we always do to help us understand our world. 

We have split this series into 4 episodes so you can take it one piece at a time. We have to realize that Bible has a LOT to say about our world and the things that happen in it!

Let’s start with probably the most important thing to remember when we are talking about an election in our country’s government. We must remember that John 18:36 is where Jesus tells us that “my kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world…hmmm what does that mean exactly? Well, I’m so glad you asked!

If God’s kingdom isn’t of this world, it means that if we have confessed our sin and asked Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, then WE are His children and WE get to be a part of a whole different kingdom than just our country here on earth. In other words, even though you might live in America right now, you have a better country waiting for you in heaven! And this heavenly kingdom will last forever and ever and it’ll be perfect and there’s NO sin there so there aren’t disagreements and fighting or anything bad. 

God’s kingdom is not of this world. So, that means that our elections that ARE of THIS world must be thought of as temporary. I mean, we vote for the president every 4 years and that’s like NOTHING in comparison to eternity that will go on and on and on forever and we can’t even wrap our mind around it.   

When I remind myself that God’s kingdom isn’t of this world and that I’m part of that kingdom, then I take a deep breath. It’s so comforting for me to remember this because it lifts my head above the things happening around me in my little part of the world. It gives me eyes to see the bigger picture of what God is doing! It reminds me of my heavenly home that waits for me where all bad things will be made right as promised in Revelation 21!

So whenever I hear any news or people talking about the election, I remind myself that my first and most important citizenship is in God’s kingdom. I’m His FIRST before I’m an American. 

Okay let’s get to talking about this.

1.     What do you know about the Presidential election coming up? Maybe you’ve heard the names of people running for President and what people think. Let’s start by talking about what we’ve heard about the election.

2.     Jesus told us that His kingdom is not of this world. What does that mean?

3.     Why is it important for us to remember that Jesus’ kingdom isn’t of this world?

Remember how “Father Abraham had many sons and many sons had father Abraham..”? Well, that family started in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. So, in Exodus, the second book of the Bible, we see that Abraham’s many sons had turned into lots and lots of families that turned into a whole entire nation! And that nation or big group of people is called Israel. The people of Israel were called the Israelites and they found themselves in a bad spot. They were slaves in Egypt, which meant they were treated so badly. But, God had a plan. He wouldn’t leave His people in this bad spot for long.

There’s so much in the book of Exodus! But more than anything we see that God WANTS to be with His people. He was with them and provided perfect food and shelter and was a guide for them each day!

And that takes us to our special verse for the book of Exodus. Let’s read it together. You can repeat after me. “I will take you to be my own people. I will be your God.” Exodus 6:7a

Let’s talk about some questions together. You can pause after each question to discuss and remember...don’t overthink it. The point is to get conversation started!

1.     Can you name the 10 commandments? That story is a part of this book of the Bible so let’s see how many we can remember!

2.     Why do you think God wanted to give rules or commandments for how His people should live?

*Click the banner in Apple Podcasts to order Extra Nuggets!*

The Bible is the most amazing book ever to exist. It’s unlike any other book! I bet you probably have a Bible or 2 in your house but do you know just how special it is? Let’s see if you know these facts about the Bible…

Did you know the Bible is like it’s own little library since it’s made up of lots of different books written by different authors?

That’s right, there’s 66 different books written by over 40 different people! 

But, the Bible has one MAIN author who wrote all of it through those 40 different human authors…and that’s the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit who told the human authors what to write down and how to say it. And it’s the Holy Spirit who has protected and preserved these words for thousands of years so that we can read them today!

In fact, the oldest book of the Bible was written over 3 thousand 500 years ago. And books don’t just happen to stick around for that long unless it’s by some miracle. And the Bible IS a miracle, not only because we have it but because it’s what we call the inspired word of God. And the word of God is described as a sword. That’s pretty cool, right? We can think of God’s word as a way that we can get to know God better and learn about who He is and what He’s like and how He acts and the things He says. Stuff like that. But we can also use God’s word to fight. Well, at least, that’s what Jesus did. Remember when Jesus fought with Satan when Satan was trying to tempt him? Jesus fought back to Satan’s tricks with God’s words – the words in the Bible. And we are to do the same today! We should know the Bible so well that we can use it whenever Satan tries to trick US!

You know, sometimes, God seems hard to understand or difficult to figure out and wrap our head around because He’s so different from us as humans. I mean, God is GOD and there’s no one else like Him. SO we don’t have many other ways of understanding Him or getting to know Him OTHER than reading the Bible. It’s like a letter He left for you to read about Him. He wants you to know Him and not some made up version of what you THINK he might be like..He wants you to know the REAL Him even the unexpected things about Him or the things that are hard to understand or even the mysterious things about Him. The Bible begins to reveal all sides of God to us if we take the time to read it!

And it’s because of how awesome the Bible is that I want us to start walking through each book of the Bible together. The plan is to complete the Old Testament this school year. I want us to talk about what each book is about, talk about a few of the cool stories found there and then talk about how it fits in this bigger story that God is writing. I want us to learn how different books show us different aspects of WHO God is and what we can learn from it. We are going to be doing this for subscribers only so I’d love for you to join us as we journey together through the awesome books of the Bible. You can click the banner in Apple podcasts to sign up for just a few dollars. 

But before we sign off, listen to this verse. 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The Bible is God breathed….just imagine that. Isn’t that amazing that the words we read in our Bibles are directly from God just like your breath comes out of your body? I sure hope you’ll join us as we go through the books on Extra Nuggets, but more than anything, I pray you fall in love with reading your Bible. I pray you love it so much that you can tell others about what a special book it is to you in your life. And I pray that by reading it you come to love the Lord more and more.

Alright, parents! I want you to think about how many times you’ve bought a devotional book to do with your kids and you had the best intentions.. yall were going to do it every night at bedtime or at breakfast. And it was going to be this lovely time of blissful discipleship. But alas, life happened and that book ended up on the shelf and that dream of family devotionals …well it’s honestly on the shelf with those well intended books. I’m serious I probably have at LEAST 5 of those books in my house right now. 

And it’s not for lack of trying! It’s just that life is busy, seasons change, and honestly some days I’m just tired and don’t feel like doing it. 

Well, despite how many kids devotional books you’ve bought in the past, this podcast is here to help you accomplish your family discipleship goals in the easiest way possible. Even if you’re the best at family discipleship and you’re rocking a family bible study every day, I’m sure there are some days you just don’t have it and could use some back up. THAT’S what Backseat Bible Nuggets is here for! AND if we think of it like the easiest most convenient devotional ever, then it's a nobrainer that you’d sign up for Extra Nuggets, our new subscription plan. If you become a subscriber then you’ll have access to more content over the next year. So, go ahead and click the Extra Nuggets banner in Apple podcasts and get started! Your overloaded bookshelf will thank you later!

What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given? Maybe it was a birthday present or something you got for Christmas. Maybe it was a surprise treat you weren’t even expecting or maybe the best gift you’ve been given was getting to do something cool, like go on a trip or do some sort of  special experience.

My guess is that you’ve been given a lot in your life and that you’ve been blessed in lots of different ways. I know for me, it would be hard for me to think about the BEST gift I’ve ever been given since I’ve received lots of great gifts over my lifetime! But I remember when I was younger and how I really really really wanted to bird for a pet.  I had already tried cats, dogs, turtles, fish and hamsters for pets, but never a bird and I just thought it would be amazing. So I talked about it constantly to my parents and family. Everyone knew I wanted this bird.

I dreamed about what the cage would look like. I planned where it would go in my room. I brainstormed what I’d name the bird. I thought through all the details of owning a bird. I was so excited about having a bird. And would you know, the day came where my parents actually got me the bird?! I couldn’t believe it. I remember walking down the stairs in my house and seeing this big sheet covering something that looked sorta like a cage and there were tweets coming come underneath. All of my dreaming and wishing and hoping had actually come true! I was so excited.

Now, what I want you to know is that my parents aren’t the biggest animal lovers. It’s not like they shared my same desire for birds. And looking back, I bet they weren’t thrilled about bringing another animal to live inside their house. So, why did they get me the bird? Why does someone get another person a gift? What would lead them to do that? Well, love! My parents loved me enough to know that I really wanted that bird and they felt compelled to get the bird because of their love for me.  

This is how our Heavenly Father works too! The Lord knows you and knows what you love and He LOVES to give His children good gifts. In fact, Matthew 7:11 says, “Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

In other words, if humans, who are sinful, understand the concept of loving someone so much that they want to give gifts out of love, how much more does our Father in&

Need a resource to help you talk to your kids about politics from a Biblical world view this election season? SUBSCRIBE here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/backseat-bible-nuggets/id1573752728

All content is party neutral and focuses on topics like being citizens of God's kingdom first, setting our minds on things above, and even what it looks like to respect government authority.

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/backseat-bible-nuggets/donations

Backseat Bible Nuggets is BACK! We are excited to get back to the routine with you as school gears back up. There are a lot of new things in store for this season including a Backseat Bible Nuggets SUBSCRIPTION for extra episodes! Click here to find out more: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/backseat-bible-nuggets/id1573752728

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

This is the 100th episode of Backseat Bible Nuggets podcast! Woohoo!

This fun project that started 2.5 years ago aimed to help parents have Christ centered conversations with their kids in the middle of the busy and hectic schedules of life. And the Lord has been faithful to the idea that He gave me. HE has made this podcast grow. HE has planted seeds in the hearts of our children through it. HE has grown our confidence as parents to remind us that WE are equipped by His Spirit living in us to lead our kids to Jesus in daily conversations.

Surely, He has done great things! To God be the Glory!

It’s also equally true that this podcast has never taken a break. Lots of podcasts break for certain seasons, but this one kept right on trucking. At one point we slowed the pace, but never a pause.

Well my friends, that day has come. It’s time for Backseat Bible Nuggets to take a break and pause. Why? Well, because I’m learning the importance of rest and Sabbath. I’ve been a bit confused about resting in the past and while I knew it was Biblical, I guess I saw it as optional and something we COULD do on an as needed basis. This is in fact, not the case though! 

Isaiah 40:28 says God doesn’t grow tired or weary. If this is the case, which it is, they why does God, from the beginning of time, show us what it means to have a rhythm of rest built in to our life? If sabbath rest is optional they why is it such a main point of Genesis 2:1-3 where it says that God rested from all of His work? Because He was tired? Well, no….not possible. And if God doesn’t grow tired or weary as Isaiah tells us, then why do we see Jesus set a rhythm of retreat back to His Father? Why does Jesus often slip away from the crowd for a few moments? I think these examples point to the importance, the essential fact of needed rest. Not the option of it.

So, friends, that’s what Backseat Bible Nuggets is going to do for now. Rest. It doesn’t mean I’ll take a nap every day, although I wouldn’t complain! But it does mean there won’t be new episodes for a while. Good news is that you now have 100 episodes to listen to, along with other great resources. 

Even better news is that by this point, I hope and pray you’re seeing how the simplest most mundane daily occurrence is an opportunity to talk to your kids about Jesus. YOU can do it! YOU are the parent to your specific kids for a reason. YOU can speak to them best. YOU can minister to their hearts most successfully. Will you commit to do it? Will you daily ground yourself in God’s word so that you naturally overflow the gospel to your kids? It starts with you!

You’ve got this Mama! It’s gonna be great, Dad. And to the grandparents listening, we need your wisdom more than ever! I love yall and can’t wait to catch up soon. But for now, I’m going to take a rest.

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

John 10:28 talks about someone snatching something out of another person’s hands. Now, I’m just curious if you’ve ever snatched someone from someone before? Maybe your sibling had a toy that you wanted and you just grabbed it. How well did that go? It never goes well in our house when that happens. And let me guess, you hate it when someone else snatches something out of your hands, right? No one likes having something taken from them when it was theirs to begin with. And as parents we teach this lesson to our kids. Maybe you’ve already learned it!

Well since we know that having something snatched from us isn’t the most enjoyable, Jesus clearly tells us that nothing can be snatched out of His hands. And guess what’s in His hands? His children! He holds those who believe in Him in His hands. Those must be some BIG BIG hands!

John 10:28 is where Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

So that’s saying that Jesus is the one who gives us eternal life when we believe in Him. And because we have eternal life, we won’t ever die. Okay. But the second part of that verse is where Jesus says that once you believe in Him, you’re in His hand, and nothing can snatch you out.

Like you can’t fall out. You can’t jump out. You can’t get lost and wander out. And this is a huge deal because He’s talking spiritually. Meaning once we give our heart to Jesus, nothing changes that. It’ll always be safe and secure in His hands. Isn’t that awesome. It brings such confidence and comfort to know that He has me forever and ever and I’m protected in His hands as His child.

Let’s talk about some questions today. Remember, don’t overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing.

1.     Who are the people in God’s hands?

2.     Who would try to snatch anything out of God’s hands?

3.     If you have given your heart to Jesus, how does it feel to hear that nothing can snatch you out of His hands?

Let’s practice our verse one last time before we go. You can repeat after me. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

There is a lot of amazing content out there, so Christian Parenting did all the sorting and filtering for you and put together a resource to help you navigate it all.

Discipleship Simplified is a digital guide that includes some of the best articles, podcasts, and videos on topics like:

· Faith at home

· Reading the bible

· Theology

· Prayer

You will also find conversation guides and discussion starters. Even scripts to use with your kids.

You can go to www.cpgive.org to download your copy for just $5!

Have you ever played a game of telephone? Where you whisper something to someone and then they whisper that same message to someone else and it goes on and on until you get to the last person and they say the message out loud. It’s usually pretty funny because the last person never gets it right. They say some gibberish that’s totally different from what the first person said.

Well, in some ways, the Bible for thousands of years, was like a game of telephone. They didn’t have it written down like we do today. For thousands of years they just told the next person and they told the next person and they told the next person. Like a game of telephone. So, how do we know that the Bible we have today isn’t some gibberish version of what the first person said? I think that’s a great question to ask. So let’s talk about how we know the Bible can be trusted today.....

Our family loves to play Monopoly, especially my 9 year old. And if you’ve ever played this game you know that there are times where you have to go to a spot on the gameboard that is the jail. And when you’re in jail, in the game, you lose your turn until you’re free from jail. In order to get out of jail, you need to draw a card that says “Get Out of Jail Free.” This is the best card because it gets you back in the game and moving along with the other players.

This game of monopoly shows us something spiritually. We can think of our sin, that all humans are born with, as a type of jail. Our sin can keep us trapped, in a sense. We can’t get out on our own. And it ultimately keeps us separated from God.

If we were playing monopoly we would keep hoping and hoping we would draw one of those cards to get us out! And guess what? When Jesus came, He came to get us out of that sin jail. He came as the Son of God. He came to live the perfect human life. And He came to die for our sins – to offer us forgiveness from our sins. THEN He came BACK to life, winning over sin and death and showing that He will forever and always be the winner of LIFE – both today and for always.

Jesus did all of this so that we could have forgiveness from our sins, which is like our “Get Out of Jail Free” card. It’s through the forgiveness of our sins that we can have a relationship with Jesus both today and then forever in heaven with Him. But instead of waiting and just trying to get lucky by drawing the right card, in a sense, Jesus offers this forgiveness to everyone who accepts it. Isn’t that amazing? It’s a free gift that gets you out of that sin jail! Have you ever heard better news!?

Psalm 86:5 says, “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you.”

 Let’s talk about some questions today. Remember, don’t overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing.

1.     How do you respond when you think about Jesus’ forgiving your sins?

2.     If Jesus is willing to forgive your sins, how do you think He wants you to treat others?

Let’s practice our verse one last time before we go. You can repeat after me. “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, - abounding in love - to all who call on you.” Psalm 86:5

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Episode 1: Christmas Story

Jesus being born is a special story for everyone. For me and for you! The story of Jesus being born, the life he lived, and then eventually the death that he died on the cross was all for you. He came to this world for you!

This was such great news for every single person that even a big group of angels shows up praising God saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” in Luke 2:14.

I pray that when you hear the Christmas story, even if you’ve heard it before, that your heart explodes with worship for what God has done for each of us through Jesus.

So here are some questions to get us talking about this famous story. You can pause to discuss and as always, there’s no wrong answer!

1.     If you had to be one character in the Christmas story, like if you could be Mary or Joseph or Jesus or an angel or a shepherd or a sheep or a wise man or anyone else in the story, who would you want to be?

2.     What’s your favorite part of the Christmas story? Do you have a favorite detail?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice this awesome verse together. You can repeat after me. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 

Backseat Bible Nuggets was created by me, Laura, a mom of 2 that wanted an easy tool to help refocus our hectic days. Our hope is that this helps every adult easily start Christ centered conversations with the kids in their life. We are so honored you listen and would love for you to leave us a review or better yet, spread the word. Let your friends know about this podcast! And as always, I’m praying that your backseaters grow deep roots as you go along the way. 

Episode 2: Emmanuel

Emmanuel.

It’s another name for Jesus. In fact, it was a name given to Jesus like 700 years before Jesus was born! Did your parents name you 700 years before you were born?!

Mine didn’t!

You see, this time of year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus we have to remember something very very important. This birth had been planned since the beginning of time! That’s pretty crazy. Most ladies are pregnant with a baby for 9 months, but Jesus being born had been in the works for thousands of YEARS!

We know this because 700 years before Jesus was born a guy in the Bible named Isaiah said that a virgin would have a baby boy and they would name him Emmanuel.

Here’s the super cool part. Guess what Emmanuel means? If you know what the name Emmanuel means go ahead and tell me…

Emmanuel means God with us. And that’s just what happened when Jesus was born. God was with us through this little bitty baby who needed his mommy and daddy to feed him and bathe him and change his diaper. But then he grew and grew and became a man who told everyone about God and His ways and eventually died on the cross for our sins so that we can have eternal life with Him. Whew. What a life this miracle baby had!

He changed the world! Emmanuel…God with us. What a cool name.

What a cool God that He would want to come and be WITH US. He left heaven to come to us.

And if you’re anything like me you might think….why? Why would God want to come and be with ME? I can think of a lot better things He could be doing or cooler people He could be hanging out with. I mean, I make bad choices sometimes and mess up and I don’t always have the best attitude. Why would He want to be with me and not someone else?

Well, it’s all because He loves us no matter what…even the worst part of us. He loves you and He loves me so much that He wanted to be WITH US. Emmanuel.

Matthew chapter 1 tells us of the details about the birth of Jesus and says in Matthew 1:22 and 23 “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet: (who was Isaiah 700 years earlier) “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and

John 5:17 says, “Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”

Did you know that God never takes a day off? He doesn’t stop working on the weekends or certain days. He is always with us every minute of every day. He never has a day where He gets sick and has to cancel plans. Did you know that God never stops working?

Psalm 121:4b says that the Lord will neither slumber or sleep. He never gets too tired and has to take a nap or go to bed early. He never even has to sleep which means no matter what time it is, He is there and He is doing something. He never stops working. His powerful plan for your life and for the world is always right on track since God doesn’t look away or close His eyes for a second.

He is always working.

What does that mean for us? Well, it means we can take comfort knowing that our Lord is open for business whenever we need Him. It also means that we can trust that He never changes. He won’t forget us. He won’t get tired of working and quit. Jesus said in John 5:17 that “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”

Who is Jesus’ father He’s talking about there? Can you yell it out?

It’s GOD! That’s right!

Jesus, when He was walking on earth in his human body, certainly had to sleep and stop working because He was too tired. But remember that Jesus and God and united in something called the Trinity, which we have another episode about that you can check out. But that means that even if Jesus took a nap, God was always still working forever and ever. He never stops working. He has energy forever and ever and ever and never runs out.

Let’s talk about 2 questions today. Remember, there’s no wrong answer, so don’t overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing:

1.     First question: Is there anyone you know, besides God, who never has to sleep?

2.     Why is it important to know that the Lord never stops working?

Let’s practice our verse one last time before we go. You can repeat after me. “Jesus said to them, - “My Father is always at his work - to this very day, - and I, too, am working.”- John 5:17

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

www.backseatbiblenuggets.com

Raise your hand if you’ve signed up for a sport before? Or your parents signed you up? I bet we have some baseball players and some soccer players and some football players maybe even some ballerinas or cheerleaders or softball players!

Well, tell me. Just because you sign up for a sport and get the uniform, does that make you a professional player of that sport? Like are you the best player ever just for signing up? No!

You sign up so you can go to the practices and play in the games so that you can get better and better over time. By going to the practices and games you improve your skills and HOPEFULLY you are a better player at the end of the season than you were at the beginning, right?

In the same way, just because someone says they are a Christian or just because you pray and ask Jesus to come in to your heart doesn’t make you a perfect Christian immediately, does it? No!

We have to think of reading our Bible and praying and talking about Jesus with other believers like our sports practices and games. These things are there in order to improve our skills of what it means to LIVE as a Christian! As we read God’s words and learn about Him, we will start to live a different way. The point of all of that is not just to fill our heads with fact but it’s to start doing things Jesus would do in our own life. Or maybe it’s to STOP doing things that Jesus wouldn’t do.

I mean this so literally! If you’re a Christian and growing in the Lord then you should find yourself being more kind and loving to others. Seeing them as Jesus sees them. Maybe that’s you seeing someone who needs a friend on the playground and you being willing to go over and be that friend. Or maybe it’s that you start becoming more obedient, more quickly when your parents tell you to do something. Or maybe it’s NOT doing something you know you’re not supposed to. The options are endless for how you will start to live it out day to day as you walk with Jesus.

But I just want you to understand the importance of taking the things we learn about the Lord and letting it change your behavior and attitudes and actions – just like we let our practices and lessons and games in our favorite sport improve our skills.

The Bible says in Philippians 4:9a, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice.” Will you try and do that with me? Let’s look for something this week, some way we can put our love for Jesus and the way He wants us to act in to action this week!

Here are some questions to talk about. Remember, there’s no wrong answer, so don’t overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing:

1.     Can you tell me of a time where you acted like Jesus? Maybe you did something or didn’t do something and you know that it would have pleased the Lord for you to act that way. Tell me about it.

2.     Why do our actions matter when we are a Christian?

3.     How do we make our actions more like Jesus’ actions?

Let’s practice our verse one last time before we go. You can repeat after me. “Whatever you have learned - or received - or heard from me - or seen in me – put it into practice.” Philippians 4:9a

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

The Advent book is out this year from Christian Parenting! I’m so excited because we loved ours last year. This year the book is called ‘Jesus, Light of the World’ and every day includes scripture, a short devotional, engaging activities that encourages kids to take ownership of their faith and yall know we love all those things here at Backseat Bible Nuggets.  You can get your copy at cpgive.org. That’s cpgive.org.

I have some friends who are going to be real life missionaries! I have always heard about missionaries, but I’ve never actually known a missionary that I called my friend. Do you know what a missionary is? A missionary is someone who is so excited about telling others about Jesus that they make it their job.

Your parents probably have a job where they might leave the house to go to work or maybe they work from home, but a missionary is willing to go anywhere where people need to hear about Jesus. To be more specific, a foreign missionary usually means they go to another country or a different part of the world to live and to tell others about Jesus and the Bible.

My friends are going to northern Africa to tell the people there about Jesus. How cool is that?

I think missionaries are like super heroes. And you should read some stories about missionaries, just like you read books about super heroes. Hudson, my 9 year old and I read a book on Hudson Taylor this summer. I chose it because they had the same name, but the life story of this early missionary made a huge impact on me! A missionary’s literal job is to introduce people to Jesus, which changes people’s lives forever. Is there a more important job? No!

But while my friends are packing up everything and moving to Africa and agreeing to learn a new language and live in a new culture, it reminded me that being a missionary doesn’t only mean those people willing to move to a different country. It’s important for all of us to be missionaries right where we live now.

Did you know that Jesus told all people who believe in Him to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded” in Matthew 28:19 and 20?

That verse I just read is called the Great Commission. Can you say Great Commission?

And it is the job description of a missionary, or really every person who believes in Jesus – to go and make disciples, which is just a fancy word for people who know and follow Jesus. And it says to do this everywhere…where you live, where you go to school, where you practice sports, where you dance, where your parents work, and even for some foreign missionaries it means wherever the Lord calls them in the world.

Okay, let’s talk about some things. You can pause after each question to discuss. And don’t overthink it…the point is to get conversation flowing.

1.     Did you know that you’re supposed to be telling others about Jesus?

2.     Is there anywhere that you can think of where you SHOULDN’T talk about Jesus?

3.     Who in your life might not know Jesus and you could tell them what YOU know about Jesus?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19 and 20.

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

www.BackseatBibleNuggets.com

One of the coolest things about our world is that it’s made up of billions of people who are different from us. Not one single person is the same! We have different countries, languages, beliefs, habits, and preferences. This is one of the coolest things about our world! How diverse it is! 

You can meet different people or even travel to different countries and experience the way they do life. Every country has different foods they eat, music they listen to, clothes they wear, even how they like to do things. I mean even toilets look different in different countries! Really, look it up! Toilets around the world.

It’s fun to learn about these differences!

And while our different countries, languages, and cultures are God’s plan and something to be celebrated, it’s not always easy. No, sometimes countries, or nations as they can be called, argue and fight. Sometimes they even go to war for their differences. Sometimes people even end up hating other people for their differences.

And this has been happening for a LONG time. Nations have been fighting and disagreeing over their differences basically ever since sin came in to the world. And wars continue even today. Lots and lots of kids grown up in countries that are at war with other countries. It’s almost like it’s a part of their everyday life to hear and see signs of war all around them.

And while it breaks God’s heart to see nations fight, I want you too remember something really important today. It won’t always be this way! How do I know that? Because of what it says in the Bible.

Psalms 86:9 says, “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.” 

Did you hear that? ALL the nations. All countries, as different as they are, will one day ALL come before the Lord and worship Him. They will all agree together over the fact that Jesus is Lord and bring glory to His name.

YES! That gives us hope today to know that even as different as we are and even tough we will fight and disagree with other countries, we will all be united and AGREE one day… in the name of Jesus. Knowing this and remembering this makes me realize that God’s kingdom is so much bigger than any country here on Earth. His kingdom will last forever and will have billions of people in it since the beginning of time and from every country that ever existed.

Revelation 7:9 and 10 is another great description of this. It’s were John is having this sneak-peak in to heaven and he describes what he sees. He says, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Raise your hand if you’re ready to see that one day! I am!

Okay, let’s talk about some things. You can pause after each question to discuss. And don’t overthink it…the point is to get conversation flowing.

1.       What are some differences that you know of between where you live and another country?

2.       Why do countries or nations fight or go to war?

3.       What did those verses tell us about how it will be one day in heaven?

One last time before we sign off, let’s practice our verse together. You can repeat after me. “All the nations you have made - will come and worship before you, Lord; - they will bring glory to your name.” - Psalms 86:9

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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Y'all, Christian Parenting has been hitting it out of the park lately with their products. This month they are rolling out a devotional made just for kids called My Time with God. It’s geared for ages 6-12. And it’s a colorful and fun devotional to read scripture, engage in creative activities, deepen their prayer life, and learn the benefits of spending time with God every day! Go get today at CPGive.org

Today we talk about questions with Hudson (9) and Avery (6):

What’s special about the Bible?

When do you usually read your Bible?

Why do you like reading your Bible?

What is your favorite Bible story and why?

How does the Bible help us live the way God wants us to live?

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

If yall follow me on social media, you saw me post about the Noteworthy Prayer Cards last week. These little cards made my kids whole week when they found them in their lunch box at school!

Each card has an uplifting message, a Bible verse, a prayer, and a space for you to write your own note to your child! Simply tear off a page and place it in or on their backpack, lunch box, bathroom mirror, or pillow! Wherever they will find it!

Get creative! Remember, your kids are never too young or too old to hear how much you adore them.

For more information and to get your cards, head over to cpgive.org. That’s cpgive.org

Who loves a tongue twister? I know we do in our house. Have you ever tried the one that says…how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Here it is slowly….how much wood…could a woodchuck chuck…if a woodchuck…could chuck wood. One more time as fast as you can, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

So fun! If you didn’t get it this first time, I’m sure you will with practice.

Well, we are talking about tongue twisters today because I’ve been reading in the Bible, in the book of John lately, and I’ve realized that the very first verse or sentence of that book is like a tongue twister. Or better yet, a brain twister.

It says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.”

It’s a brain twister because it’s a bit confusing on what’s being said here. It almost sounds like the disciple John who wrote this book is repeating Himself a few times. But he’s not. Let’s take each phrase and look at what he’s saying. First of all, he’s talking about Jesus who we can think of as “the word.” So when John says “in the beginning was the word,” what do you think that means? I’m going to give you a minute to pause here and talk about that together. When John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the word,” what does that mean?

PAUSE

If you said that it means that Jesus existed since the beginning of time, you’re right! Remember that “in the beginning” is the phrase that is used in Genesis which explains the whole creation of the world? John is letting us know that Jesus was there at that time! Jesus’ life didn’t just start when He was born on earth!

Okay, let’s add the next part of that verse: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God…remember we can think of “the word” as another name for Jesus here so we’ve already said that Jesus existed before the world was created, but it also says “the word was with God.” This shows us that Jesus is in perfect fellowship with God. And this is a fancy way of saying that they were hanging out together and best friends. It shows us that they are 2 unique people! Which is sorta mindblowing given the next phrase. Let’s add it in…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The last phrase says “the Word was God.” So we shouldn’t think of Jesus and God as 2 separate people with different things they like and don’t like, but we should think of them as the same beucase this tells us that Jesus IS God. I told you this was a brain twister, right?! This is a concept called the Trinity, which we have a whole episode about if you want to learn more here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/backseat-bible-nuggets/id1573752728?i=1000531698203

But for now, let’s say the whole verse together. But this time I’ll pause so you can repeat after me: In the beginning was the Word….and the Word was with God…and the Word was God…John 1:1

Awesome job everyone! I encourage you to keep practicing this verse and keep thi

Do you ever need help with something? I mean, is there ever something that you can’t do on your own and you need someone to help you do it?

Let’s talk about some examples. When have you needed help today? Go ahead and tell me about a time recently where you needed help.

Okay, now I want you to tell me exactly just HOW you asked for help when you needed it.

Alright, so maybe you asked for help by simply saying “I need help.” Or “can you help me, please?” or maybe you just cried and the adult you were with knew you needed help.

It’s a totally normal part of a kid’s day to need and ask for help. It happens A LOT, I bet, doesn’t it?

Well, that need for help doesn’t stop when you grow up. It might look a little different. Like as you grow up, you’ll learn how to tie your shoes or cut you your food or things like that or other things you might need help with at this age, but even grown-ups still need help in all sorts of ways. Good news is that we know someone who always hear when we ask for His help. It’s Jesus!

Did you know that the Lord really really really wants US – me and you -  to ask Him for His help? He wants us to go to Him when we need help because He can help us!

John 14:13 and 14 is where Jesus said, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

Philippians 4:6 tells us to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

There is certainly a right way and a wrong way to go about asking for help from God. For example, if you demand that God gives you an ice cream cone right now!! ….He might not. But, if you go to Him, thanking Him that He listens to you and your need for help. And if you ask Him to help you through a situation or if you ask Him to help you with a hard situation so that His name would be glorified, John 14:14 tells us that He will do it!

So, here’s what I want you to remember today, because this is a big deal. We can ask God for help. Repeat John 14:14 after me…..”You may ask me for anything…..in my name….and I will do it…. John 14:14”

Jesus said those words. He wasn’t joking or making it up. He really really wants us to go to Him when we need help and ask Him for help. Don’t you think that God Almighty who created the heavens and the earth just might be the perfect person to ask for help? I do. And it’s a good reminder that we can go to Him first for help when we are in need.

I want to leave you with 2 questions to talk about with whoever you’re listening with….

1.     Where do you need God’s help in your life right now?

2.     How do we ask God for help?

Talk it out and maybe even pray together as we put it in to practice of asking God for help in our life!

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Have you ever seen one of those big inflatable balls that people can get inside and fit their whole body in? It’s almost like a giant hamster ball, but for humans? Apparently, it’s called a zorb. You can look it up! https://www.zorbs.us/ Well, my friends, this is sometimes how I visualize God’s protection of His children.

Hah! That might sound sorta strange, and I should start by saying there is no Bible verse that talks about giant human hamster balls, but scripture is full of stories that show God’s full and complete protection from all sides. And it’s the Lord’s protection that encompasses those who follow Him as they live their life.

In fact, God’s plan of sending Jesus to die for our sins PROTECTS us from death for all of eternity. Talk about ultimate protection! And so those who have surrendered their heart to Jesus and received His gift of salvation can know that they know that they know that the Lord will always protect and that He will never leave them or forsake them. That’s a promise in the Bible that we can depend on. And part of Him never leaving us means that we can count on His protection all around us. A protection that cannot be broken. A protection that cannot be penetrated.

In fact, Psalms 18:2-3 says, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”

So, these verses talk about the Lord being a fortress. Hmm, what is a fortress? We don’t typically have those around town anymore, but they used to be very common and very important to protecting people! A fortress was almost like a castle or a giant structure that was meant to protect people inside from an outside enemy attack. It usually had thick walls made from stone and its whole purpose was to protect the people and keep them safe.

So Psalm 18:2 is telling us that the LORD is OUR fortress. The Lord is like this huge structure made from the biggest stones that cannot be broken. His protection is a like a fortress that we can stay in and know that we will be safe. And a fortress sounds like much better protection than a giant hamster ball, doesn’t it?

Now, I want to say one thing. God is our protector. He does offer us protection. And He won’t ever fail. But, does that mean that nothing bad or hard will ever happen in our life, right? No, sometimes people choose to walk away from God’s protection, like they walk out of the fortress and think they can protect themselves on their own. Or sometimes God allows things to happen in our life to give Him glory as we grow through it. But either way, God as just as He is described in Psalm 18:2. Y’all can repeat after me on this one. It says, “The Lord is my rock…my fortress….and my deliverer…My God is my rock…in whom I take refuge….” Psalm 18:2…

So, let’s talk about some things that we learn from this. You can pause to discuss. And remember, don’t overthink it. Just give your best answer and get the conversation going!

1.     What does it mean that God is our protector?

2.     How have you seen God as protector in your life?

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

What do emojis and Psalms have to do with each other? Take a listen to this free preview of our Extra Nuggets: Psalms episode to find out! You'll learn that we can take all of our emotions to God and pour our heart out to Him.

If you enjoy this episode, check out Backseat Bible Nuggets: Extra Nuggets by subscribing in Apple Podcasts. We have are working our way through the books of the Old Testament in the Bible.

Have you ordered your prayer journal from Christian Parenting for this school year? This simple yet powerful tool will be your most valuable school supply you get! So, make sure you’re staying rooted in prayer for your kids this year by going to CPGive.org to get yours today!

You know the feeling of being extremely thirsty? Just dying of thirst? Maybe you’ve been playing outside in the hot sunshine and suddenly it hits you how thirsty you are. It’s like the only thing you can think about is getting some ice-cold water.

When we are thirsty, most of us are able to just run inside and get water. OR we’ve brought a water bottle along with us that’s right by our side for when we get thirsty. Our bodies need water constantly to stay hydrated and feeling good. We don’t just drink because it tastes good, we drink because we need it for our body to stay alive! And while my kids sure do love milk and juice and all the special drinks, nothing can satisfy our thirst quite like water can. Is this making anyone else thirsty? Like then need some water right now with all this talking about it?

Well, just as we get thirsty every day, so did Jesus. Actually, there is a story in the Bible, in John chapter 4, where Jesus goes to a well to get some water to drink. A well is like a big tunnel or hole in the ground where they used to get water from. Anyway, he sits down at the well probably super thirsty because he’s been walking a long way. And he starts talking to a lady that the Bible calls the Samaritan woman.

This conversation that Jesus has with this Samaritan woman is so unusual because back in Bible times, the Samaritan people and the Jews, which is what Jesus was, did NOT get along. There was this long history of them not being friendly with each other. So, they usually wouldn’t even talk. But Jesus doesn’t care about those types of things and he starts talking to this lady at the well.

And Jesus ends up telling her in John 4:13 that “everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Wow! What if you had been the one talking with Jesus and he told you that He had water that would make you never thirst again? What would you have said in response?

PAUSE

I think I would’ve said, yes please! Give me some of that special water. In fact, let’s put some in my water bottle for later too! But, Jesus wasn’t talking about water like we drink every day. What do you think He was talking about?

PAUSE

Jesus was using this example of water and the fact that we get thirsty and keep having to drink water to explain the fact that Jesus offers us something better. He offers us a type of spiritual water that can satisfy our heart and mind a soul in a way that only Jesus can. In a way that won’t keep going away like regular water does in our bodies. In fact, our verse said that the water Jesus gives will become a spring in us! So, we will have a constant source of water! Amazing, right!?

Jesus called this water “living water” in John 4:10. What do you think “living water” means?

PAUSE

The Lord can satisfy us in ways that regular ole water could never do. Don’t get me wrong, water hits the spot on those hot days after I’ve been running around. But, Jesus also hits the spot when my heart is worried or my mind wonders about certain things or even when I’m scared or disappointed. There’s nothing that can satisfy me like Jesus’ presence. And His presence, the Holy Spirit, is that living water that is living IN me as a child of God.

So, after all this talk about water, maybe we should go get a big glass of ice water! Sound good? Let’s do it.

Water sound.

Drink sound.

Miss Patty Cake “Little Me” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI_pDN-edw8

I’ve been walking with Jesus for 30 years now and its crazy that I’ve just recently realized that the longer I know Him, the more I understand how much I don’t know and don’t understand about Him.

I mean, most people, the more you spend time with them, the more you know them, right?!

That’s true with Jesus too in some ways. The more time I spend reading the Bible which teaches me about Him, the more I know Him. The more time I spend in prayer talking to Him, the more I know Him. The more time I spend singing songs about Him, the more I know Him.

But since God is unlike any other person I know because, well, He’s God…I’ve realized that the more I know Him it’s like the less I know.

The more I realize how huge and great and holy and mighty in power and just massive His presence is. My understanding grows to see how nothing can stop Him and how He can speak a word and whatever He said happens and how even tiny details all throughout history are orchestrated and directed by Him. He is just on this massive huge scale that I can’t even wrap my brain around.

But yet. Here’s the amazing part.

He loves me. Little me.

But why? Why would He love me? There’s plenty of other people for Him to love. Plenty of cooler people who are better at all sorts of things than I am. Yet…..little me. He loves and cares for so deeply. And He doesn’t just love me big picture or if I’m acting really good. He loves me even when I make the wrong decision. He loves even the details of my life. Like He knows what hurts my feelings and what foods I like or don’t like. He knows me. He knows my thoughts. He knows me better than I even know myself because He made me.

Makes me think of this song my daughter learned in preschool that’s by Miss Patty Cake. I’ll put the link to the song in the show notes. Listen to this song…

AVERY SING

Jesus loves little me. The God who is bigger than we can ever understand….He loves little me. How amazing is that? And that my friends, is what I’ve been learning recently. Even after walking with the Lord for 30 years. It’s the basic gospel, the good news about what Jesus did for us while we were yet sinners, that still floors me and brings me to my knees in worship. My little knees, if you will.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Here are some questions to get you and whoever you’re listening with talking about how amazing the Lord is to us.

1.     How can God create the heavens and the earth yet still know your thoughts?

2.     How does that make you feel to say that Jesus loves little me?

3.     What can we do in response to such an amazing love? Like should we just say thank you and walk away? Or what can we do because of His love for us?

Let’s practice our verse together one last time. You can repeat after me. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Hey Backseaters! I have noticed that there are a LOT of new listeners here on Backseat Bible Nuggets which means you’re telling all your friends about this podcast and that makes me super happy. Thank you!

But, I thought it might be time to reintroduce myself again for some of our new Nuggetters! So, Hey! I’m Laura Young. And I’m the most normal mom of two kids you’ll ever meet. Hah! What I mean by that is that I’m not a fancy podcaster with a big studio and slick production skills. Nope! I’m actually a mom who wanted a podcast devotional for her kids to listen to one morning as we were running out the door and it was stressful, crazy and everyone was frustrated. We needed something to reset our hearts and minds for the day ahead since the morning hadn’t been our best. Anyway, I couldn’t find anything. All I wanted was for someone to basically read a devotional to us since I was driving and definitely not in the right state of mind to wing it as we headed out the door.

Since I couldn’t find anything, I decided to make it! Well, actually, I prayed about it, tried to get other people to do it and really felt like the Lord kept saying, “why not you? Why not you?” So, 2 years ago I decided to go for it and kicked off this whole Backseat Bible Nugget project.

That’s how I got here! And I’ve done it with the help of lots of kiddos like you. My favorite episodes are when I hear your voices instead of my own! Speaking of kid voices, my kids are Hudson and Avery and you’ll hear their voices on here helping out pretty often.

Right now though, they are enjoying summer activities like invention camp, water parks, dance camp, reading challenges, family trips and swimming. Lots and lots of swimming since it’s so so hot.

Anyway, since I want you to know who we are, here are 5 random things about us….

1.     My kids prefer to be barefoot all day every day no matter the terrain.

2.     We think that Papa Johns pizza is the best pizza that exists.

3.      We had a black bear walk across our front porch last year!

4.     We live near an air force base that has tons of fighter jets constantly flying. It’s super fun to see an airshow every day, but not always best when it comes to recording a podcast since those planes are LOUD.

5.     Our family has 2 kittens who are brother and sister. They look just alike and we have a hard time telling them apart!

What about you? What are some cool things about you? I’d love to meet you and get to know you better! You can always email me at backseatbiblenuggets@gmail.com or even find me on Instagram or facebook. I’d love to hear your thoughts and even any ideas you might have for some podcast episodes!

But, you know what? Even if we don’t ever meet, I know something about you. I know the Lord created you and has big plans for your life! The Bible says that the Lord knit us together so He’s made YOU in a special way. And I know that He can use YOUR life to do awesome and wonderful thing for God’s glory if you follow Him and His ways all the days of your life.

And that’s my prayer for every ear listening. That this podcast would be used to add a little fuel to your fire in walking in relationship with the Lord. That it would be a supplement to help you remember and talk about Jesus and all He’s done for us every day.

Okay, yall, well it’s been great to meet you. I’ll be back next Wednesday with a regular episode. See you the

Our family recently went on a trip where we were able to soak in God’s beautiful creation. We stared up at majestic mountains. We played in creeks. We hiked to waterfalls. We hunted for cool rocks at the edge of the water. We even tried skipping rocks, which is harder than you might think!

Anyway, I think it brings God great joy when His children play in and enjoy His creation. The things He made for us! And I think it brings Him even greater joy when we recognize Him and thank Him while we are enjoying the works of His hands.

While our family spent a few days in these mountains with rivers and lots of rocks, we kept talking about 2 Bible verses and 2 concepts that come from these verses.

First, is that do you know Jesus talked about rocks crying out in praise if humans don’t praise Him? Luke 19:40 Jesus says, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” In this verse, Jesus is being asked to make the people who are praising Him be quiet. And this is how Jesus responds! If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Well, that just gets me to thinking…. what do YOU think a rock would sound like if it cried out in praise to God?

I guess it depends on the rock. Maybe just like people, rocks have different singing voices. I have no idea. But it shows us how serious God is about us praising Him! All of His creation, even rocks and stones, points to just how awesome He is.

Speaking of creation praising God, the other verse we talked about on our trip a lot was Psalm 98:8, “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.” What a band we are getting together here in creation, right!? Rivers clapping their hands is such a cool description because as we stood next to rivers and waterfalls, if you closed your eyes, it DID sound like a huge crowd just applauding and clapping their hands as hard as they could in praise to God. Amazing!

All creation points us back to the Lord, the one who created it all and the one who deserves all the glory and praise from it. I’m so thankful He made His creation in such a way that we can play and explore it and praise Him while we do!

Here are some questions to talk about. Remember, there’s no wrong answer, so don’t overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing:

1.     Let me hear what you think it would sound like if a rock sang praises to God.

2.     Why is it important for us to praise God as we enjoy His creation?

3.     What are some ways that you can praise God for His creation that you see around you right now?

Let’s practice our verse together one last time. You can repeat after me. Since we talked about 2 verses, I chose just one, but would love for you to look both of them up! Okay, here we go. “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.” Psalm 98:8

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Do you know what obedience is? It is when you do something that’s been asked of you. It’s when you obey! But, I’d like to add that it’s doing what’s been asked of you right away and with a happy heart. I’m sure you and your parents talk about obeying pretty often. I know we do around our house! And there’s a reason for us talking about it so much. It’s because learning to obey your mom and dad or any other adult that’s in charge is SO important.

Why? Well, because God told us it was important! Ephesians 6:1 says, “children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.” That verse makes it clear that obeying your parents is what the Lord WANTS us to do. The Bible tells us that obeying our parents is the RIGHT thing to do. It’s not asking us whether or not we FEEL like obeying or if we agree with what’s being asked of us. Ephesians 6:1 says, “obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.”

But, second of all, obeying your parents is helping you learn how to obey the Lord, which is also super important.

Think about this for a second….take your favorite Bible story. What is your favorite Bible story right now? Or maybe just a story that pops in to your head. I bet there is someone in that story that obeyed or disobeyed the Lord. Obedience….or disobedience….is in every story of the Bible! Think about it.

Adam and Eve disobeyed and were kicked out of the garden.

Noah obeyed and built the ark.

Abraham obeyed and was blessed with a huge family.

Moses obeyed even though others around him didn’t.

The story of the Israelite people is a rollercoaster of obedience and disobedience.

King David himself mostly obeyed the Lord but definitely had his moments of disobeying.

Even Jesus obeyed the Lord. Yeah! Philippians 2:8 tells us that he was obedient to death – even death on a cross. Meaning, that’s what God had asked him to do and he did it! He obeyed.

What about people in the Bible like John the Baptist or the disciples or Paul? They all have stories of obedience to the Lord.

I could keep going, but I think you see the point. Obedience is SO SO important the Lord!

So let’s practice and get really good at obeying our parents because that means that we will be able to better obey the Lord!

Here are some questions to talk about. Remember, there’s no wrong answer, so don’t overthink it! The point is to get conversation flowing:

1.     What does it mean to obey?

2.     Why is it sometimes hard or difficult to obey what we’ve been told?

3.     Tell me about someone in the Bible who either obeyed or disobeyed.

Let’s practice our verse together one last time. You can repeat after me. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1

Backseat Bible Nuggets is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Happy 2nd Birthday Backseat Bible Nuggets! In this special episode, we celebrate the last two years and the way that God has grown the BBN podcast family!

You can't have a birthday party without some fun and games, so we brought in a special guest, JJ Campbell from Along for the Ride Podcast. She's a blast!

We hope you have fun with this episode and don't forget to grab your party favor of your chance to win one of 4 giftcards to Chick-fil-A (2) or McDonalds (2) BY CLICKING HERE!

THANK YOU for listening and being part of the Backseat Bible Nugget family!

In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus heals 10 men that all had a skin disease. But guess what? There's more going on in this this miracle than meets the eye.

We explore the importance of the 1 man who returned to thank Jesus for his healing. We talk about how we need Jesus' help in order to have thankfulness be our frist reponse.

While there are deeper meanings to this story in the fact that it was a Samaratin who was the one thankful man, we focus on the fact that he was simply thankful to Jesus. How often are we forgetful to be thankful for what God has given to us?

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Here are some questions to talk about. Remember, there’s no wrong answer, the point is to get conversation flowing:

1.     How many men were healed and how many men said, “thank you”?

2.     Tell me about a time where you forgot to say thank you.

3.     Why is it important to thank God?

Let’s practice our verse together one last time. You can repeat after me. “He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.” Luke 17:17a

Everyone knows that kids ask really great questions. And sometimes the questions are tough to answer! Here are a few questions I’ve heard recently: “If God created everything, then who created God?” or “Why would God create hell?” or “When is Jesus coming back to earth?”

These are all awesome questions! And the thing I love most about these questions is that it means you’re thinking about the Lord. But, these questions don’t have easy and clear answers.

In fact, there are a lot of things about God that are somewhat of a…..mystery. A mystery is just something that’s hard to explain or difficult to understand. And certain things about God will always be a mystery us. Why? Because we are humans that can’t understand EVERY. SINGLE. THING. about God. Sure, we can understand a lot about Him, especially as we read the Bible which teaches us about who He is. But, the Bible doesn’t give clear answers to every detailed question we might think of.

And I want to tell you something…..that’s okay! It’s okay for God to be a God of mystery. It’s okay that all of my questions don’t have perfect clear answers. This is important! If I were able to figure out every little thing about the Lord and how He works and thinks, then I might start thinking I could do His job for Him, which wouldn’t be good.

We should see God’s mystery as reassuring to us that He’s way bigger than we are and able to do much more than we can ever imagine.

So, let’s be okay with the mystery, deal?!

Romans 11:33-34 talks about this when it says, “how very rich are God’s wisdom and knowledge! How He judges is more than we can understand! The way He deals with people is more than we can know! Who can ever know what the Lord is thinking? Or who can ever give Him advice?”

That verse says God’s ways are more than we can understand, more than we can know. So, if anyone ever tells you that they know everything and they have all the answers, just know that’s not possible because this verse tells us that we won’t ever figure out all the things about the Lord.

Kinda mindblowing, if you ask me.

One last thing as we’re talking about this. Yes, God is a God who has some mystery. But, He’s also told us A LOT about who He is in the Bible. So, don’t get discouraged that God will always be a mystery about everything. There’s a LOT to know and learn about Him for your entire life! There will just come a point, on some questions or topics, where we have to be okay with NOT knowing every detail. That’s where we trust what we DO know about Him and go back to the main truths in the Bible.

So, let’s talk about a few things… You can pause after each question to discuss. And, like always…don’t overthink it! The point is to get us talking:

1.     What hard questions do you have about God?

2.     Now ask the adult you’re listening with what questions they have about God? What is a mystery to them about the Lord? Remember how our verse said that God’s ways are more than we can understand and more than we can know? That’s for everyone, kids AND adults! So, ask your adult what is a mystery to them about the Lord.

3.     Do you think it’s cool or not cool that God has some things about Him that we can’t figure out? How do you feel about His mystery?

I hope you had great discussion! And I want to tell you on the last question, if you don’t love that you can’t figure everything out about God, then we can pray and ask Him to help you have more trust or faith in Him. He can help us with that! It doesn’t mean He will tell us all the answers for our questions, but He will help us to better trust who He is and trust His goodness even in the mystery.

One last time, let’s practice our verse together. You can repeat after me.

“How very rich are God’s wisdom and knowledge! How He judges is more than