August 14, 2026 · 48:48

Affirmative generational vision or Gary Payton parenting: which describes your approach?

Culture & Media

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0:00 - 15:00. 1 Timothy 4:11-12 (NASB95). We should reconsider what we expect “youth” to be. 15:00 - 31:00. Affirmative generational vision or Gary Payton parenting: which describes your approach? 31:00 - 48:00. God has provided the guidance we need for life and godliness in His Word. or call: 800-326-4543 To donate call : 877-616-2396

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Full transcript Auto-generated · 9,358 words

Transcribed with OpenAI Whisper (base.en). Timestamps are approximate. Lightly cleaned for readability; quotations from on-air callers may include filler words. Use the audio player above for the authoritative recording.

0:00Darkness is not an affirmative force.
0:02It simply reoccupies the space vacated by the light.
0:06This is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
0:10It should be uncomfortable for a believer to live as a hypocrite.
0:15Delivery people out of the bondage of mainstream media.
0:18And the philosophies of this world.
0:20God has called you and me to be his ambassador.
0:23Even in this dark moment.
0:26Let's not miss our moment.
0:28And now, the Hamilton Corner.
0:33Good evening, everyone.
0:34Welcome to the Hamilton Corner.
0:36Here on American Family Radio, I'm your host, Abraham Hamilton.
0:39The third, delighted to be on the air with you.
0:43Again, I'm joined by a produced extraordinaire,
0:46often imitated, never duplicated, the real.
0:49Jay Mack and we're ready to rock and roll with today's edition
0:53of the program at this very moment, many of you, if not most of you,
0:56are making your transition from your part-time jobs
0:59where you generate an income to your full time jobs where you cultivate an outcome.
1:03And as you do so, I want to remind you to do so with intentionality, understanding the
1:08primacy that God places on family and allowing the truth of his word to guide, to govern and
1:17to guard your engagement so that as you do so, that you're able to engage in victory, that
1:27you are able to engage in such a way to where you are involved in executing the
1:31Kings Commission starting right in your own homes. And I know all around the
1:36country, many of you, your social media feeds are filling up with back to school
1:41pictures and it's that time again and all of these kind of things that are
1:46happening. And as you are doing that, I want to simply encourage you to consider
1:53does God have an opinion about this? You know, I've talked at length and I will
1:58encourage you if you haven't done so yet to get my brother Israel Wayne's book
2:01education does God have an opinion you will not regret getting that book it is
2:08one of if not the most important books on this topic other than the Bible I would
2:14say it is the most important book in this area because I truly believe we have to
2:21reconsider our expectations of ourselves as parents, reconsider our expectations of our
2:30children and have re-establish a new norm for what we envision when the word youth is utilized.
2:43And I'm going to dig into the Word of God in a few moments here to explain that in a bit
2:47more detail in a bit more detail.
2:51But rest assured, the reason why I'm saying that is because of what
2:55the Lord affords us in his word.
2:57You've heard me say time and time again, that when we look around
3:01our nation, we look at things that are happening where you see kind of this
3:05ascendancy of young people's openness to things like Marxism,
3:11where did that come from?
3:12And at the exact same time, there is a surge in Islamism.
3:18in our country. You want to dig into a little bit to what things look like, you know,
3:24Hamtrami, Michigan is the first majority Muslim city in our nation. Have you seen the recent
3:29city council votes they've taken there? Things that they're seeking to legalize there? I think
3:36it's worth considering. It's certainly worth considering. And while I'm saying all of these
3:42things, I want to remind you the none of the things that we're confronting have caught our
3:46God off guard. In fact, he so prepared himself for this time that he's ordained a portion of his people
3:55to be appointed for this particular time. That the fact that we are alive right now and the fact that
4:00we live where we live is not a mere coincidence. It's a feature of God's divine design. So when
4:07you take full scope of all of those things, it shows them and God has ordained us for this moment
4:14And we do not.
4:16I don't for sure.
4:17And I know that you don't,
4:20because many of you wouldn't be listening to this program.
4:22Otherwise, you do not want to miss your moment.
4:24And so all hands have to be on deck.
4:27Every member of the Lord's bride needs to supply.
4:29We don't need to try to be identical clones of one another.
4:33We need to fill the role that God has ordained for us
4:35within his body, but we have to fill the role,
4:39not play with the role, not flirt with the role,
4:42not, you know, double Dutch act like we're going to jump in, but never jump into the role
4:46that time is now to be about our father's business. So the word of God, we go first Timothy chapter 4,
4:52first Timothy chapter 4 verses 11 and 12. The two verses I want to go to, and this is going to
4:58give you a biblical grounding anchoring for what I was talking about,
5:03reconsidering our normalized expectations when we employ the term youth. And as you always know,
5:10I say this all the time the world is gonna world. I'm talking about what our expectation should be within the body of Christ
5:16And this is what God's word says first Timothy chapter 4
5:20versus 11 and 12. This is the Apostle Paul
5:24writing to Timothy a man who Paul met earlier in Timothy's life when Timothy was a younger man
5:31Timothy had matured and ultimately becomes an elder in the church at Ephesus and so the Apostle Paul is
5:38is encouraging, if not, not, if not,
5:41and exhorting Timothy as he functions
5:44in this eldership role in the church,
5:46but do not conflate eldership with older in age,
5:52and the scripture's gonna tell you why,
5:54and this is what the scripture says.
5:56Prescribe and teach these things,
6:00Paul addressing Timothy, by the Spirit of God.
6:02Prescribe and teach these things.
6:04Let no one look down on your youthfulness,
6:08But rather in speech, conduct, love, faith,
6:15and purity show yourself an example of those who believe.
6:22I'm gonna read that again.
6:24Prescribe and teach these things.
6:26Let no one look down on your youthfulness,
6:27but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity,
6:32show yourself an example of those who believe.
6:37Now again, I explain the context.
6:40Paul is talking to Timothy in this letter inspired by the Spirit of God, which has efficacy
6:45for the entire body of Christ.
6:50And Timothy, sorry, Paul is encouraging Timothy as he's stepped into a leadership role in the
6:56Lord's Church.
6:57But remember, Paul met Timothy when Timothy was a young man.
7:01And Paul is presenting to Timothy a contravention to the established first century norm expectation
7:09for a person of Timothy's age, which is why by the Spirit of God Paul says to Timothy,
7:14let no one look down on your youthfulness.
7:18Rather in your youthfulness, you, Timothy, should be an example in speech, an example in
7:29conduct, an example in love, and an example in faith, an example in purity, an example
7:37of those who believe.
7:40I believe with every fiber of our being that this is guidance for how we should engage in
7:49the ministerial investment called parenting.
7:53Yes, you're me right.
7:55ministerial investment because parenting is not merely a relational context, it's not merely
8:01the biological product of husbands and wives coming together.
8:06Parenting is a station of mission.
8:09Fatherhood and motherhood are stations of mission.
8:15God has invested us as parents in the lives of our children to cultivate this reality.
8:22That's why I often refer to Daniel and his friends.
8:24Daniel, Azariah, Hananiah, and Missaiah,
8:26when they arrived as children in Babylon,
8:29they were sufficient to give advice to heads of state
8:34that they were wise and they understood science or learning.
8:39The body of Christ has got to have an adjustment
8:42in terms of what we expect when the term youth is employed.
8:46Because if you haven't noticed it yet,
8:48I'm pretty sure most of you,
8:49if you're watching this show and listening to the show,
8:51you have noticed it.
8:53by and large youth in the church,
8:56look just like youth in the streets.
8:59They're exceptions, of course.
9:01But generally speaking,
9:03they're really not much of a difference.
9:06When I read off those qualities, right?
9:10When you think about youth in the church where you live,
9:13do you think, yes, our youth will be examples in speech,
9:20examples, what kind of examples?
9:22Examples of those who believe,
9:24what it looks like for believers.
9:29An example of what a believer should look like in speech.
9:32Yeah, our youth are like that.
9:34That's our churner.
9:37Our children are examples of how believers should speak.
9:42Is that your expectation?
9:44How about this one?
9:46That our children are examples
9:48of what believers should look like in their conduct.
9:56Okay, let's go for it.
9:57That our children are examples of what believers should look
10:00like in the way that they demonstrate love.
10:04The way they love, this is how believers should act.
10:06That's how our youth are.
10:09How about this one?
10:10Our youth are examples who are believers
10:13should look like in faith, that our youth are examples
10:16of what's faith should look like in the life
10:17of a Christ follower.
10:19Y'all see?
10:20How about this one?
10:22In the year of our Lord, 2026, in the 21st century,
10:25that the our youth are examples of what believers
10:29should look like in purity.
10:31not merely abstinence, but in purity.
10:38Still don't see that.
10:42Guys, I submit to you that this is what God would expect
10:46of us to have a recalibration of what we anticipate,
10:51what we accept, what is normal for his body
10:55when we employ the term youth.
11:00Now, because I live in this world,
11:02I know what I'm saying is not most people's expectation
11:06of youth, but doesn't mean that that should be.
11:10our expectations.
11:13And let me tell you something else.
11:14What I am talking about youth,
11:16don't think I'm speaking only about youth
11:19because in order for this to become the expectations
11:22that the body of Christ has when the term youth is employed,
11:26that there must be a transformation
11:28in how we as adults engage with the youth.
11:35For far too long, we have succumbed
11:38to the phenomenon that the Lord warned us about
11:40through the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12.
11:43the Apostle Paul warning believers in Rome.
11:46Believers be aware that the potential exists for you
11:50to be conformed to the world around you,
11:55that the way that things happen in the world,
11:57that the expectations that are prevalent in the world,
12:00that the normative manner of engagement and functioning
12:03that exists in the world becomes normal for you
12:06while you're professing to be a believer.
12:09The Lord knows about that,
12:10which is why you warned the believer,
12:11Don't be conformed to this world.
12:14Instead of being conformed to this world,
12:16squeeze into the mold of something that you are not
12:18following the pattern of something
12:19that is far into you, instead of that occurring,
12:22be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
12:28I've explained numerous times that word transformation
12:30comes from the Greek word metamorpho,
12:32where we get our English word metamorphosis.
12:34The way the metamorphosis occurs is by our minds
12:38being renewed.
12:40The evidence of mind renewal is that we think differently.
12:46You see, we think differently when things before
12:52did not register on our radar as being concerning
12:54or problematic or desirable.
12:57Now that we have been metamorphosed
13:00and by our minds being renewed,
13:02there were things we used to think were not desirable.
13:05Now these are the things that we yearn for.
13:09There were things before that we thought were okay,
13:12that now we loathe to think,
13:15man, I didn't recognize that that was something
13:17that was problematic.
13:20One of those things I would suggest to you
13:23is that the body of Christ,
13:24and I don't think anybody has done this intentionally,
13:27but this has been the product of living in this fallen world
13:30that we've allowed the world to establish for us
13:34what should be expected as normal for youth.
13:40and I want to say that we should reject that.
13:44That for the remnant, for the body of Christ,
13:47for the peculiar that our expectations,
13:50that our youth are examples of what believers
13:52look like who have faith.
13:54That our youth can be examples of what purity looks like.
13:58Not merely abstinence, and I keep making that distinction,
14:00because you can abstain from something
14:02while yearning for it with every fiber of your being,
14:05whereas purity is an internal heart condition.
14:11In order for that to be real though,
14:13we have to have dare I say it a reformation
14:17of what we anticipate, what we allow,
14:20what we expect in the Lord's bride.
14:23Though I know this is a common experience,
14:25we don't have to have all the young folks
14:27sitting together on the back row in the service
14:29like all leaning back.
14:32Couldn't be a bit more bothered about what's going on.
14:34I'm sure we can't wait to take it out of here.
14:36But actually we can have young people
14:38who yearn to beat the adults
14:41to find their seats to worship with the Lord's saints,
14:43because they're alive unto God.
14:45And they found the transcendent, value and splendor
14:49of what it means to take full advantage
14:51of every opportunity that we have to inhale
14:54and exhale our Lord's oxygen to live for His purposes.
15:00Jesus Christ never once said,
15:02your delusion defines you, keep it up.
15:05Christ in fact peeled the scales away from Paul's eyes.
15:08Paul identified as a judge in jury,
15:11Theologically to go out and kill Christians.
15:13And then Jesus struck him blind on the road,
15:17introduced himself, I'm Christ who you're crucifying,
15:20peeled the scales back and Paul never returned
15:22to that life of sin.
15:23Here Todd Herman on a disciples view,
15:26weekdays 12 PM Central on AFR.
15:34Shiting light into the darkness,
15:37this is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
15:41Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner,
15:43Abraham Hamilton III here.
15:46And I've invited my favorite guest to join me
15:49to have this conversation because as I mentioned
15:51in the first segment that this is the time
15:53where I'm pretty sure many of your social media feeds
15:57for those of you who social to the media
15:59are filled with back to school pictures
16:01and things of that nature.
16:02And it, because I've seen some
16:05and it stirred really a conversation
16:08And in my heart, whether we are pursuing
16:13an affirmative vision for our families,
16:16or are we employing a Gary Payton parenting approach?
16:23Gary Payton, Jeff, you might recall this,
16:25he was numerous times the defensive player
16:28of the year in NBA, so he was known for playing great defense.
16:32And while defense is important, you don't win games,
16:36solely by playing defense.
16:38That's right.
16:39Nor do you win championship,
16:39solo, or play.
16:40You gotta put some points on the board.
16:41So I wanted to have that conversation
16:44because even in the homeschool community,
16:46there's been a significant change
16:48and a lot of it followed the,
16:51well I'm telling you what the revelation's from,
16:54Anthony Fraucci, the fraud,
16:56and how all of the lies and stuff,
16:58he told that the national response
17:04to Schmovit was so unnecessary.
17:07But a lot of people for the first time in their experiences
17:10finally learned what it was,
17:12their children were being exposed to
17:14through affirmative pedagogical offerings,
17:18what the lessons were.
17:20Not to mention what they're learning from their peers
17:23in the hallways and things of that nature.
17:24And so some people made the decision,
17:26well, I don't want that for my child.
17:30But the question I want to evaluate
17:31in navigating this time is whether or not
17:35defensive parenting in and of itself is sufficient,
17:37or should that be superseded and preceded
17:42by an affirmative vision as anchored,
17:47I should say an affirmative vision
17:49that is rooted in the truth of God's word,
17:54and whether or not we're considering
17:56if God has an opinion on this matter first,
17:59and secondarily should we seek and heed that opinion.
18:03So to begin this conversation, when you hear that
18:07and you heard what we talked about in the first segment,
18:10what are some of your immediate thoughts?
18:12Because I see you fired up over there.
18:14You're got the Bible out, highlights is rolling.
18:17I see you fired up.
18:18Because man, you can't start with the Bible
18:20and then just, you know, not that you do this,
18:21you don't do this, but we can't start with the Bible
18:23and then be like, so let's just go back,
18:25like in the scriptures, like you said just now,
18:27like are we gonna heed the scriptures
18:29or are we going to human reason our way
18:32toward what we prefer, right?
18:34And so I just went, if you go down to verse 15,
18:37like the same chapter you read.
18:38So first, Timothy chapter four.
18:40Verse 15.
18:41Yeah, and it says, and again, Paul's still talking to Timothy.
18:44He's telling them,
18:45take pains with these things.
18:46Be absorbed in them so that your progress
18:49will be evident to all.
18:52Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching.
18:55Persevere in these things.
18:58For as you do this, you will ensure salvation,
19:01both for yourself and for those who hear you.
19:04So going back to verse 15 though,
19:07Paul is very intentional to tell him,
19:08hey, really focus on this.
19:10And actually when you read verse 11,
19:13when it says, prescribe and take these things.
19:16Like,
19:17And teach these things.
19:18Yeah, and teach these things.
19:20The prescribed there is like,
19:22intentionally teach these commands.
19:24Like it's in the affirmative, right?
19:26Like be intentional about this.
19:27And then you scroll down to verse 15.
19:29and he's saying, be intentional about these things,
19:32persevere in them, ensure that you are teaching scripture
19:36actively and affirmatively continuously to the people
19:40that God has put under your authority,
19:42in this case he's an elder at the church, right?
19:44Well, when he says you will ensure salvation
19:47both for yourself and for those who hear you,
19:49it's not a workspace attaining of salvation.
19:52What he's saying is that there is a rescue from Shipwreck.
19:57There is a destruction is ahead.
20:00If we play defense, we're gonna lose.
20:03That's right.
20:04If we play defense only, then there is a destruction ahead.
20:07So he's saying persevere actively teach as a commands,
20:11you know, affirmatively to avoid shipwreck for yourself
20:16and for those around you and those interest to your care.
20:20And one thing that I was gonna mention too
20:22is that when we're thinking about our witness
20:25be in evident to all, like you were highlighting the conduct
20:28and the speech and how rare it is for teenagers today
20:31to have these qualities in them.
20:34We may unfortunately reduce it to what people think of them.
20:38Like make sure that you have a good reputation amongst,
20:41oh, we're talking about the glory of God.
20:44That's right, we're talking more for the glory of God.
20:45We're saying, can we raise a generation of believers
20:49that are Christ-like, period, like thoroughly.
20:52Of whom this is true, not based on,
20:54This is not the outsiders given like a scantron cheat.
20:59Oh, look, your children check this box.
21:00This is how they are.
21:01No, no, no, no.
21:02This is the internal truth of who they are.
21:04That's right.
21:04And I used to doubt that that was possible.
21:06I remember having conversations with you.
21:08I was like, man, there's no way.
21:09Like where?
21:10I don't see them.
21:11Where are they?
21:12I didn't go up in church,
21:13but the exposure that I had to church in my late teens
21:15and then early 20s, it was these kids are,
21:19I mean, I was one of them, 16, 17 year old sitting back
21:21like, man, I can't wait for this to be over to go do whatever.
21:23And so that is so common that we're like,
21:27is it really possible to to heed this?
21:30Like is it really, is it really possible for God,
21:33which is so crazy to ask it this way?
21:35Or God to actually fulfill.
21:36And that's how we could ask it.
21:37Yeah.
21:38God should ask it.
21:39Yeah. Like is it really possible for God
21:40to actually hold his end of the bargain?
21:42Like is he actually gonna be faithful
21:44and actually, you know, raise people by his spirit
21:49who are Christ like in conduct and speech and character?
21:53Yes, because of who he is, not because of our work alone.
21:57Our duties to obey and so we should.
21:59Yeah, you know, you and I, because I know you, I'm married to you and I live with you.
22:05We talk a lot about things like Psalm 127 and we talk about the simile that the Lord included
22:11in the scripture, Psalm 127, it says, children are like arrows in the hand of a mighty warrior.
22:16And we talked about how that arrow has the capacity to accomplish the purpose for which
22:21it has been forged yet in order for that arrow to be effective, it requires trajectory, trajectory
22:28and direction from the skilled warrior. When we talk about this, it's very easy to focus on,
22:36you know, with the youth are what the youth aren't. But doesn't this communication that
22:40we're having right now require an adjustment in what the adults around the youth and more
22:47or particularly the parents should have as a terms of establishing,
22:54what are we trying to accomplish with these children?
22:56Yeah, yeah, what it, okay, do you, man?
23:00So if we go back though, why do we even have children?
23:03Like why do we bring people into the world?
23:04What is the Christian family's command be fully multiplied?
23:10What does that mean?
23:12Like why?
23:12Of course, if we embrace the world's perspective
23:14which we shouldn't as believers,
23:16But if we do, it's because we want, it's like a handbag,
23:18we just wanna add.
23:19It's an accessory to our lives.
23:20It makes our lives better.
23:22It makes our lives better.
23:22I want the house and the white people.
23:23Oh, you have your boy and your girl
23:24and your life is complete, right?
23:25Yes, right.
23:26That's why the question is,
23:27oh, you're good, right?
23:28Cause now you have the little boy and the little girl.
23:29Why do we have kids?
23:30Is it for us?
23:31Is it because we want to be called mom, be called dad?
23:34Like why did we have children?
23:36And so.
23:37But that requires a little bit of pause and reflection
23:39and introspection because what truly is the answer?
23:44You know, and a lot of times we find ourselves taking our marching orders from the world around us.
23:48Have we considered what is God's design purpose for blessing husbands and wives with the potential,
23:56the capacity, and then the opportunity to bring children into the world, to be a part of his plan,
24:02to fill his world with bearers of his image?
24:06Yeah, not only are they blessings when they're here, like, and not only are they like a blessing
24:10and not a burden like the world wants to sell.
24:13But there is a mission, like these are human beings,
24:17like once such were some of us, like we were brought
24:20into this world for a purpose and a reason.
24:21There's an identity in Christ that we have.
24:24So the same way, the same perspective we should have
24:26toward these humans that God has blessed us with.
24:29Yes, they're a blessing, but they are placed on this earth
24:33because God desired for it to be so
24:35and with a mission from God for them to accomplish.
24:39So we have the blessed privilege to have the,
24:43being given the stewardship over these children,
24:46like God is entrusting them to us.
24:48And so when we come into parenting from that paradigm,
24:52and I understand it's rare, but it's biblical.
24:54So we have to like undo and redo,
24:56rebuild biblical worldview in regards to having children.
24:59And once we do that and we come to the realization that,
25:02man, these children are God's children
25:04that I'm stewarding and what, who are they Lord?
25:07like Lord, who is this child that you have blessed me with?
25:11Who are these children?
25:12And of course, you know, the number,
25:14the blessings of how many,
25:15that's all, it should be up to the Lord as well.
25:17And so then we can go to the Lord and say,
25:20okay Lord, then who is this child?
25:22What have you put in him?
25:23What are the strengths?
25:24What are the weaknesses?
25:25What areas need to be refined?
25:26And then with that perspective foundationally,
25:29then we can have trajectory, I mean, sorry,
25:32trajectory and direction.
25:33Now we can affirmatively instruct and guide.
25:37in Christ's likeness, comprehensively,
25:40as far as character and speech and conduct,
25:42but also in aim, like where are they going in this life?
25:45What were they placed in this earth to accomplish
25:47for the glory of God and for the advancement
25:48of the kingdom of God?
25:50I think we have to just start at the right foundation though,
25:51you know?
25:52Yeah, I agree.
25:53And as we're talking about this,
25:54I understand we live in a fallen world
25:56and I know that there are people who struggle
25:58in different areas, even some who have maybe
26:01struggled in fertility and other things of that nature.
26:04I don't want anybody to feel like this conversation
26:07is meant to be the end all be all of all conversations
26:10and that there's no room for those who struggle
26:13in these various areas as well in God's economy.
26:15That is not what we're saying at all,
26:17not in the slightest bit.
26:19And God is the one who knows far beyond
26:22we could ever even articulate on the airwaves,
26:24the depths of what you're experiencing.
26:27But we are endeavoring to address the life circumstance
26:32concerning those who have been,
26:35who are at the life stage and are at the position in their lives where they have children, have
26:39we considered what it means to be parents in God's economy, have we considered what God
26:44has ordained for us?
26:45And so one of the major things that requires an adjustment is that those many who enter
26:51into parenthood, sometimes we do so prayerlessly and thoughtlessly and we just kind of fold
26:57into what is prevalent in the world.
27:00we may not find any off-ramp, if you will,
27:04to that worldly conformation
27:06when we desperately need it at the earliest stages.
27:09Yeah, and then the next step to that will be,
27:13well, I don't want them to be exposed to this,
27:15or I don't want them to suffer this.
27:18And I know my traumas, and I don't want them to be,
27:21you know, have to have those traumas
27:23and have to heal from those things.
27:24And so it's like, how can we protect them,
27:26even though there is protection and parenting,
27:28How can we protect them from all the big bad wolves
27:31outside of our home or outside of our spheres,
27:34you know, of influence that we place them under?
27:36How do we protect them from little Johnny down the street
27:39who has, you know, bad habits?
27:40How do we protect?
27:41How do we keep them from these things?
27:43Man, instead of how do we equip them?
27:46How do we build them up?
27:47How do we shore them up in their identity in Christ?
27:51How do we help them to understand who God is
27:54and therefore who then is mankind?
27:56like who is God and then who therefore are you then child?
27:59And it's the same thing applies to us.
28:00Who is God and then therefore,
28:02since who God is who he is,
28:04then that dictates or influences,
28:08I don't know the word there,
28:09for us answering the question who we are, right?
28:12It's rooted in who he is.
28:13It's not just who we are because God is good to us.
28:15It's because of who he is,
28:16and therefore we can define who we are.
28:18So if we do that with our children,
28:20then we can show them open identity.
28:22And then we are then adding,
28:25not in a fleshly sense,
28:26but the Holy Spirit is leading us and supernaturally
28:30equipping them to be built up, to be and to advance,
28:35not only physically and naturally like advancing
28:38in achievements, but also advancing in light,
28:42conquering darkness in their own hearts
28:44and then in their environments, you know?
28:47So how would you say we get to that point
28:49because there are lots of people who are listening to us
28:51and they would say amen to what we've said so far,
28:54but who have gotten to the place where they recognize,
28:56man, I don't want my child to do this.
28:58I don't want my child to be engrossed and deviant,
29:02instruction concerning human sexuality.
29:03I don't want people normalizing,
29:07I'd mention earlier Marxism from my child.
29:09How do we get to where we progress
29:13from merely identifying the big bad wolves
29:15that we don't want the huff and puff and blow our houses down
29:18or on toward pursuing an affirmative vision
29:21for our child generally?
29:23And then for the children that we have specifically,
29:26how do we make that transition?
29:28So there's a lot to say to that question,
29:29but because each stage of the development of the child,
29:33it would take a different approach.
29:36But if we wanna start from one they're very little,
29:38we have to lay a proper foundation biblically.
29:41They have to understand who God is
29:42and who God made humans to be, right?
29:45And we can go back to with the lies of children today
29:50today are being groomed to be confused sexually. So we
29:54stuff unfortunately, you know, you remember in the 80s and 90s,
29:57we didn't really have to be talked about, if you will, about
30:01sexuality, a confusion is what I call it, you know, with the
30:05the gender stuff. But now we got to teach them when they're
30:08little, because you have muppet babies trying to introduce it, or
30:12pop a troll or whoever. And so we have to start young. So
30:16with the little ones, there has to be a foundation of who God is
30:18who God says you are, you are a boy because God does not make mistakes and he has fearfully
30:23and wonderfully made you and everything that was in you was in you at conception and man that DNA
30:28is a miraculous reality that God has put in this physical world and for the glory of God you've
30:34been placed here and then you build from that. If a child has been exposed to things, let's analyze
30:41the stimulus if you will, the thing that they are being exposed to
30:44to from a biblical perspective,
30:47why is it that we say that that is wrong?
30:49Is it because it's a boogeyman?
30:51Or is it because God says that is sin
30:53and at least a destruction, right?
30:55And so, showing them up along the way,
30:58there is, there needs to be protection,
31:00but protection alone without the instruction affirmatively,
31:04then they're just like, no, no, afraid of all things.
31:06No, everything is bad.
31:07And then they go out into the world and they're shipwrecked.
31:10There has to be a protection
31:12and then an affirmative instruction.
31:14And we can have, we have anecdotes we can tell
31:16if you want to go there, but there is an affirmative instruction
31:20that must be given, and that is part of the formation
31:23of the child.
31:24Yeah.
31:25So what I hear you saying is that it's never too early
31:30to begin establishing a biblical worldview.
31:32Not at all.
31:33And you don't have to pick every rival notion
31:39as opposed to articulating affirmative.
31:42This is God's view.
31:44This is what God is designed.
31:45This is who you are.
31:46This is who God is.
31:48Because who God is.
31:49This is who we are as mankind,
31:52and this is who you are specifically.
31:55That having that affirmative presentation
31:59to be involved in what you're doing,
32:01you are protecting in the defensive sense
32:03while at the exact same time casting an affirmative vision
32:07for what is true, what is reality based on
32:11the one who determines what is true.
32:14which is the Holy Word of God.
32:15And yes, we want to get into some anecdotes,
32:19but it's kind of like, well, we run out of time.
32:23Let me pick it back up after this disrespect ends
32:25because of that music just as disrespectful right now.
32:30When you look at the fundamental priorities
32:33that this administration has,
32:35rebuilding the American family through the various priorities,
32:39ensuring religious freedom is alive and well
32:42and flourishing in America,
32:43Having a Department of Justice that is actually focused on enforcing the laws of the land,
32:49I have a hard time disagreeing with any of them.
32:51Join Walker Wildman and Rick Green at the Corps, 1PM Central weekdays on AFR or on the AFR app.
32:59Hamilton Quarter Podcast and One-Bitted Common Terrets are available at AFR.net
33:10back to the Hamilton Quarter on American Family Radio.
33:15Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner, Abraham Hamilton III with my lovely wife, Maria
33:18Hamilton and we're having a conversation about affirmative teaching instruction and disciple
33:27making as opposed to exclusively engaging his parents from a defensive posture.
33:33And it's very similar.
33:35Some of you may relate to what I'm about to share.
33:37Some of you may not relate to this, but growing up as a young man who grew up largely going
33:42to church, not largely, my entire childhood, thank the Lord, my parents were intentional
33:47about bringing me to gather with the Lord's people for worship and to be at the church all
33:52the time.
33:53And one thing that was consistent in my upbringing was, as I matriculated into the teenage years,
34:00was a lot of conversations about don't fawnicate, because simply put a lot of the people who
34:07were teaching us were teaching us from their own paradox in their own experiences, as opposed
34:14to casting a complete vision from the whole council of God's
34:19words.
34:20So a lot of people who grew up in church like me grew up here
34:24and don't fornicate, but they did not get presented with an affirmative vision for physical intimacy
34:32between a husband and wife.
34:34And how that is something that is glorious.
34:38How is something that God has designed and how he's designed that even to be enjoyable
34:42between husbands and wives.
34:44You didn't really get an affirmative vision for that.
34:46And so that left a lot of people that if they're going to get any insight, they get it from
34:49the world and get it from the streets.
34:51And so that's what we're talking about in a broader sense in terms of approaching this
34:56station of mission that's called Parenthood, that God has wisdom for us in his word to
35:01allow us to affirmatively present what he has for us to provide these arrows with trajectory
35:05and direction as opposed to merely being Gary Payton parents.
35:09Yeah.
35:10So when you were saying that I was thinking, is it really more effective?
35:14Do we see the fruit of it when we just say don't don't don't don't don't don't because
35:21even though I grew up in church, I grew up in a conservative culture in Puerto Rico.
35:28And so kids were not having sex and teenagers were not having sex.
35:33And so it was like a big no no.
35:34Then I come to Texas and my peers are having sex.
35:38And then it's like, oh God.
35:39So, but I am in my, in myself, I was like,
35:43well, that's bad, that's bad.
35:45But it wasn't biblical, it was just cultural, right?
35:47But that doesn't stop us because sin is there, right?
35:51So it's not, I don't see, and you can answer this,
35:53I don't see the fruit of what we actually want,
35:57which is holiness, by just saying,
35:58don't, don't, don't, don't do it, right?
36:01So then the affirmative approach,
36:03which is actually the biblical approach of equipping
36:06is fruitful, gives us the results that we're looking for
36:12that God desires, right?
36:13Which is holiness at a heart level.
36:15So, but-
36:16And it's not mere holiness, I won't say mere.
36:18It is holiness at a heart level,
36:20but it is a disciple who is comprehensively invested
36:24in seeking to glorify the Lord with all that we are.
36:27That's it.
36:28Including our physical bodies.
36:29That's right.
36:30That our physical bodies are end aspect or a vessel
36:35by which and through which that we glorify our Lord,
36:38and that is a part of our comprehensive commitment
36:41to glorify the Lord with all that we are.
36:43That's right.
36:44That is what we're looking for.
36:45That's exactly right.
36:46Not merely refrain from this conduct.
36:47We're looking for, no, you are a person
36:51who's been made to glorify the Lord with all that you are.
36:55That includes your speech, that includes your thoughts,
36:57that includes how you use your time,
36:59it includes how you hang out with your friends,
37:01and it includes how you utilize your body.
37:03man, right? So when it comes to purity, right? And we comprehensively can understand that
37:09ourselves, live it out, but then also, raise a child that way with that understanding.
37:16And the Holy Spirit miraculously captures their heart. Because remember, it is not our doing
37:21that gets them either saved or sanctified. It is the power of the Holy Spirit.
37:25I would say not, I would say supernaturally, not miraculous.
37:28Okay. Yeah. And you know what I mean?
37:29I do know what you mean.
37:30because I don't want to un-indistinct communicate
37:32that it's rare.
37:33That's right.
37:34Well, most people think miracles
37:35that think uncommon experiences,
37:36uncommon instances, whereas super nature
37:41is a ready phenomenon.
37:42Or the Lord is common, right?
37:43So from God's perspective, right?
37:44Just like salvation is supernatural, you know?
37:46That's correct.
37:47It is the product of the Spirit of God
37:49drawing men to Himself.
37:50Yes, supernatural.
37:51And so having this type of sanctification
37:53is a supernatural phenomenon that takes place
37:55in the lives of believers.
37:57Yes, and trusting.
37:57Young believers and older believers.
37:58Trusting God that He will do that
38:00because that's what he says.
38:01Yeah, that's right.
38:02So, but then like you have like the reality,
38:05and I was terrified of this.
38:06I was terrified of this because all I knew was don't do,
38:08don't do, don't do, don't do.
38:09Don't even bring it on the topic
38:10because if you bring the topic,
38:11they're gonna start getting curious in regards to purity.
38:14As if there are no answers in the Lord.
38:16As if there are no answers in the scripture.
38:17As if there are no guidance in the scripture.
38:18Right, we are so, I was so in guilty.
38:21I was so immersed in like the way I learned about it.
38:24Again, projecting our own experience onto our children.
38:26I learned about it in the filthy way.
38:27I learned about it in the wrong way.
38:29I realized at some point in my walk with the Lord
38:30that it was filthy and wrong, I repented,
38:32and now I'm terrified of it.
38:35Instead of like, wait, Lord, then teach me affirmatively
38:38how I'm supposed to think of this.
38:39And so not to take a lot of time, but long story short,
38:42we ended up, you helped because I was like,
38:44babe, you're the one, I don't know.
38:46I mean, I was really terrified about it.
38:47And you took the lead by the praise God,
38:49when our son, who was 14 at the time, 15 now,
38:53well, he had started asking questions before
38:55about literally the birds and the bees
38:57or whatever, how are you calling?
38:58was specifically asking about how babies are made.
39:00Yeah, how babies are made and how is it that,
39:02you know, the mommy, the baby goes inside of the mommy,
39:04but you know, how does the daddy's DNA get inside of the bed?
39:06Literally he said, how does the daddy's DNA
39:08get inside of the mommy's tummy?
39:10Like I was like, oh, Lord, son.
39:12So we waited for you to get home and all that.
39:14And we talked to him, but when we laid the,
39:17man, it's so beautiful.
39:19When we laid God's original design
39:22and purpose for human sexuality within the marital union,
39:26with the commitment already and that is art a glorified God
39:30and obey Him in all things,
39:31He literally leaves a conversation by saying,
39:34Oh, that is awesome.
39:37Look at the majesty of God.
39:39And then we don't have to say, son, don't, don't, don't.
39:41Well, what we now encourage is remember
39:44that anything else is actually a counterfeit.
39:48Remember that anything else, anything else,
39:50whether it's, I mean, not to say, not to be graphic,
39:52but whether it's pleasure to be oneself
39:54or whether it's outside of the marital covenant,
39:57whatever it is, it is all of that,
39:59is a downgrade from the beauty that God put into this.
40:03So it's not just like abstain, abstain in the name of purity,
40:06or cloaked in purity in the church lingo,
40:08but it is, do you see who God is and what he's done for us
40:13and what he's calling us to live out
40:15when it in regards to human sexuality with our spouses?
40:18Like man, anything else will be like eating dog scraps
40:22when you have Filet Mignon on the table.
40:23This is why the Apostle Paul describes for an occasion
40:26in the context of a man being united to a harlot.
40:30Yes.
40:30That's why he describes it that way
40:31because you're taking what has been ordained
40:33for this glorious transcendent experience in the Lord
40:40and you're downgrading it to just base,
40:43guttural, fleshly, pursuit.
40:45If I would have had that perspective,
40:46like I would have been able to see,
40:48you know, with the knowledge of Christ,
40:51not like just generally speaking human reasoning
40:53of this topic.
40:54But like if I would have had this foundation
40:55that we're saying, I would have,
40:57I would have not wanted to.
40:58Like it wouldn't have been like,
40:59I'm just gonna obey mommy and daddy.
41:00I'm just not gonna, because I'm a Christian,
41:02I'm just not going to.
41:03No, it is, oh, I don't want that.
41:06So then they buy in.
41:07And that's what God desire for all believers.
41:09Because the desire of any believer would be,
41:11yes, I wanna, like when I say any believer,
41:14I'm talking about somebody who's genuinely been born again.
41:15I'm not talking about a church here.
41:17I'm talking about a person who been born again.
41:18The desire is that, yes,
41:20I wanna glorify the Lord in this fashion.
41:22I wanna glorify the Lord in this manner.
41:24And these are the things that the enemy is trying to,
41:27what I'm saying, these are the things,
41:28like the glorious picture of how the intimacy
41:31between a husband and a wife is involved.
41:35And this is the only human institution
41:36that's a luxurative of Christ in his church.
41:39But the enemy wants to interrupt that
41:40and to introduce counterfeits as early as possible.
41:44Which is why you have things like Muppet Babies
41:46and these cartoons and the other things
41:47that are trying to introduce confusion
41:49and all kinds of things at the earliest stages.
41:51And these are things, like we humans,
41:53we have family who live in this world,
41:55and we deal with these things as well.
41:58We had an experience with one of our children
42:00having a cartoon to introduce something to us,
42:02and this is a cartoon that we vetted,
42:04we thought we'd vetted thoroughly,
42:06and this is one that's kind of a remix
42:08from our childhood, Muppet Babies,
42:10and so we didn't have an expectation
42:12that they would take it where they took it
42:14in this episode, but they did.
42:16You wanna talk about that a little bit?
42:17Yeah, I mean, and honestly, you know, we, we're protecting, right?
42:20We're protecting.
42:21We, we, we even homeschool, now we really protected, right?
42:23And so, so we're protecting.
42:25And, and my son comes to me and says,
42:27Mommy, there's this episode I'm up at babies.
42:30He was maybe six or seven at the time.
42:33And he says, Mommy, there's this episode I'm up at babies
42:35that I watched.
42:36Another son, but yeah, go ahead.
42:37Yes.
42:38And he says, but, but Gonzo dressed as a girl.
42:43And I was like, what?
42:43No way.
42:44Like, no way.
42:45Because I trusted that cartoon.
42:46I mean, our older kids watched it.
42:48We, like you said, we watched it growing up.
42:49And so I was like, no way, show me.
42:52Sure enough, Gonzarella, and I'm sure you guys have heard it.
42:55Probably Moms for-
42:57One million moms.
42:57One million moms probably has,
42:58went on, wrote articles about it.
43:00Anyway, so we had to sit him down and go through
43:06why this is wrong, but here's the difference.
43:08Well, let's explain what it was,
43:09then explain how it was wrong briefly.
43:10Like what it was was like Cinderella.
43:12And where Gonzel, who's a boy,
43:15was trying to dress up as Cinderella in the cartoon.
43:18That's right.
43:18And everybody at Piggy at first was like,
43:21no, Gonzo, this is wrong.
43:22And then through the episode, the entire purpose was
43:25to convince Piggy that it was okay.
43:28Because he, Gonzo, wanted to express himself
43:30and he just preferred dresses over tuxedos.
43:32So, but here's where I wanna, what really is more.
43:35And let me say this too, this was like five years ago,
43:39six years ago.
43:40If we were just protecting our kids and playing defense,
43:43My son would have snuck and not told me that he watched it
43:47because of fear of being punished.
43:49If I told them in this house, we don't watch this stuff.
43:53We don't watch, in this house, we don't do that.
43:56And left it at protection,
43:58because from our end we're protecting, right?
43:59When we say, don't, this is not, we're not doing this here.
44:02Then we just protect him, he would have snuck,
44:03he would have watched it and not told me,
44:06known that it was wrong because mommy said it's wrong,
44:08or daddy said it's wrong.
44:09And then not told us, because what is the consequence
44:12when you disobey, when we said don't watch it,
44:14if we said don't watch it, you know what I mean?
44:15Then it's, nah, I'm not gonna say nothing.
44:17That is not parent, that's an equipping.
44:19So.
44:20And let me say this, and we do, as parents,
44:21have a responsibility to screen what they watch.
44:23Of course.
44:24And to, we should be, you know,
44:25overseeing what it is they'll watch.
44:27But here's the reality, that there are sometimes
44:29some things that we're not going to seek.
44:30That's right.
44:31We won't be able to have 100% on the screening.
44:33That's just the reality.
44:34Because we live in a cave with no TV or anything.
44:36And because our desire, even if you live in a cave,
44:38in this day and age, with the technological innovations
44:40the things, that's the reality.
44:44So our desire is we want to rear disciples
44:47who will be faithful to the Lord
44:48even when mommy and daddy are not physically present.
44:51So then how does that, because do we really trust our kids?
44:53And if we're playing defense, we cannot trust them.
44:56That's the bottom line, because they're not equipped yet,
44:58they're not being equipped and therefore they're not mature yet.
45:00So we can't trust them.
45:02I want to be able to trust my children.
45:03I want to be able to trust them at eight and nine.
45:05I'm not talking about perfection.
45:06I'm talking about trust.
45:07So my son brings that to us.
45:10He brings it to us because he doesn't expect us
45:12to like beat him for it.
45:14He also realized, we don't spit a rod now.
45:19That's right.
45:20That's right.
45:21So biblically, praise God.
45:23So but he brings it to us and he is saying to us,
45:28I mean, this is so bad.
45:30Now I'd never convinced it that that was bad.
45:32I never sat him down and say, son,
45:35at that point, yeah.
45:36He already had that coming in.
45:37He watched the show and discern and I rightly identified that that was bad.
45:42Why? Why is it that he's saying, ah, this is not a good message for me or for
45:47anybody. Why?
45:49Because there's been a foundation laid literally by the grace of God where he is
45:54understanding counterfeit, counterfeit, warning counterfeit.
46:00And then we said, see, do you see, okay, so that episode we're not going to rewatch
46:03because they're trying to convince you of a lie, son.
46:05It's a lie, isn't it?
46:06Yes.
46:06So then when they grow up, of course they're maturing and all that.
46:10I'm not talking about perfection guys.
46:11I'm just saying that there is a reality that they can grow in maturity because they want
46:17what God wants and they want to love what God loves and hate what God hates for themselves,
46:22not because of us.
46:23That's how we can leave them, you know, and trust that when we, when you and I are doing
46:28this show right now, and we say no TV until four, that there's not going to be a TV on
46:33when I get back home.
46:34Well, how do I know that?
46:36Not because they're perfect children.
46:38Not because we're so great at the Hamilton household.
46:41It's because they know, not that they're afraid of punishment, but they know that obedience
46:47to God should be ever present for a disciple of Christ with mommy and daddy there or not.
46:54But that's the disciple, right?
46:56God is invisible, but we still honor him.
46:58We still obey him.
46:59Not because he's going to come with a lash or it's because he is worthy of obedience.
47:04Can we raise a generation of believers that really believe that?
47:08The scripture says not only that we can, that we were expected to do so.
47:13Yes, yes. The scripture says, Father, Ephesians 6, 4, do not
47:16exacerbate your children rather rear them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
47:20Affirmatively. That's an affirmative instruction.
47:22That's an affirmative instruction.
47:24The scripture likewise says, children obey your parents and the Lord for this is right.
47:29Honor your father and mother as it is the first command with promise.
47:33that these are things that the scripture expects.
47:36And in the opposite direction,
47:39Romans chapter one, second Peter three.
47:41The scripture highlights among the laundry list
47:44of what may be described as Hollywood sin,
47:46sexual morality, murder, covetousness, envy.
47:49Guess what's also listed?
47:51Disobedience to parents.
47:53And from Romans one and in second Peter three.
47:55I'm sorry, second Timothy chapter three.
47:57And so what we're talking about is not something
47:59that should be optional.
48:01That's right.
48:02For the family of God.
48:03The world is gonna world, but that should not be
48:06the standard within the family of God.
48:08And so it should not be our expectation,
48:11nor should we normalize it.
48:12But what we should seek is that as we are actively following
48:16the Lord, as parents that we are rearing disciples
48:19that come along with us in that similar investment.
48:22So that those arrows grow to become fellow warriors,
48:26standing shoulder to shoulder with us
48:27as we contend against the enemies at the gates.
48:32No garry patent parenting, by God's grace,
48:35but affirmative vision pursuit, according to scripture.
48:39The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast
48:42may not necessarily reflect those
48:44of the American Family Association
48:46or American Family Radio.

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