During last weekend’s sermon, I had the opportunity to speak to you regarding raising kids in a culture that often exposes them to ideas, images and concepts that are too much for adults, let alone our children.  If you missed hearing the sermon, you can listen online.  Many of you asked for more info on this topic, and while it is a passion of mine, I could speak or write on it for days.  I will try to keep it to a few points here, but please know that if you would like to discuss more on this topic, please feel free to .  It is one of my deepest honors to support you in your fight for your family.  
 
Unless you do not watch TV, search the internet, listen to the radio, look at magazines or glance at billboards, you are constantly exposed to sexual images.  And your children’s eyes are seeing the exact same content, only they do not have the discernment to know right from wrong.  It is our job to help them gain this perspective.  As parents, you have several options. 

• You can try to isolate your kids from the culture, and while you could eliminate a lot from their eyes and ears, you would not be teaching them anything about right and wrong in this arena. 
• You could also throw up your hands and let them see and hear what comes their way.  I’ll admit I have felt like doing this from time to time because the struggle is so constant to protect them.  However, immersion in the culture will also not teach discernment. 

The answer for me is to allow some exposure to the images and sounds they will naturally hear, but to temper this with discussion and words of wisdom to help them begin the process of discernment.  Just like most parents have said at some point “we don’t hit others because it is not nice,” we can also say “we don’t dress like that because it shows too much of your skin” or “we don’t listen to that song because it talks about adult things.” 

I know it feels awkward to talk about sexual images your son might see on TV or sexual dancing your daughter might want to copy, but think about it — the culture around you is talking about, singing about, dancing around and exposing sex in every venue.  If you don’t talk about this with your children, you are essentially telling them what they see and hear is okay with you.  So, don’t try to hide them from the world and don’t leave it to them to figure out on their own either. 

Instead, give them a daily inoculation to help them fight off the sexual disease that surrounds them.  By talking about what they see and hear and expressing what you see as right and wrong with these images, you are passing on your values.  And more importantly, you are opening the door to deeper conversations as they get older.  If they see that you are not afraid to discuss these topics with them, they will naturally gravitate to you when they begin to have questions about right and wrong of their own.