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It doesn’t take long to see it. The messages are everywhere. On screens. In classrooms. Through friends. Across culture. And many of those messages aren’t just different from what we grew up with…they are completely opposed to what Scripture teaches.

And I’ll be honest—this has become more personal for me than ever. As a grandfather, I feel the weight of this more than ever. Because now I’m not just watching culture shift…I’m watching someone I love grow up in the middle of it.

I think about my grandson. The voices shaping him. The ideas he’s being exposed to. The things that are being presented as normal. And it makes you stop and ask: How do we guide them through this? How do we raise kids in a culture that is so confused?

Because whether we realize it or not…they are being shaped every single day. By what they hear. By what they see. By what they’re told is true. And if we’re not intentional…something else will be.

That realization changes how you approach the home. Because before we talk about what’s happening out there…we have to take a hard look at what’s happening in here. Scripture says, “These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7, NKJV).

And that’s where it begins. Not with them. With us. Because you cannot pass down what you are not living. And that’s something I’ve had to take seriously. Because kids don’t just listen to what we say—they watch how we live.

If faith matters, it has to be visible. If God comes first, it has to show up in our priorities. They notice more than we think. And in a culture that is confused about truth itself…clarity matters. Because our kids are being told that truth is flexible. That it’s personal. That it changes depending on how you feel.

But Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17, NKJV). Not a truth. Truth. And they don’t just need to hear that—they need to see it lived out.

But I’ve also realized something else along the way. If I want to have influence in his life…I have to remain a safe place. That means he needs to know he can come to me. Ask questions.
Talk through things. Even wrestle out loud. Without fear of being shut down or pushed away. Because if we don’t create space for those conversations…the culture will. And that’s a battle we won’t win from a distance.

So I’m learning to stay present. To listen more. To ask better questions. To guide without always trying to control. Because relationship opens doors that force never will.

And one of the biggest areas I see the pressure today is identity. Kids are being told to define themselves by feelings… by approval… by whatever seems right in the moment.

But Scripture says something entirely different: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139:14, NKJV). That means identity isn’t something they create. It’s something they receive. And when they understand who they are in Christ…confusion starts to lose its grip.

Now, I’ll be honest—there’s a part of me that wants to shield him from everything. To protect him from every wrong influence. But I’ve had to come to terms with something: the goal is not isolation. It’s preparation. Jesus prayed, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15, NKJV).

They’re going to face the world. The question is—will they be grounded enough to stand in it? And that’s where I’ve felt another responsibility grow in me: to be a covering in prayer. Because there are moments I won’t see. Conversations I won’t hear. Influences I won’t be able to filter. But God sees all of it. And He is working—even when I’m not there.

So I pray. I pray for his heart. I pray for his decisions. I pray for the voices around him. I pray for the man he will become. Because what I can’t control…God is already moving in. And that gives me peace. Because raising kids in a confused culture is not easy.

It takes intentionality. Consistency. Patience. Faith. But it is possible. Not because the culture is getting clearer…but because God’s truth is. So we stay steady. We live it out. We speak it clearly. We keep the relationship open. We cover them in prayer.

Because in the end…the goal is not just to raise good kids. It’s to raise children who know God. Who understand truth. And who are prepared to stand—no matter what the culture says.

Stay rooted,

Pastor David
gracepastordavid@gmail.comsd