Raising teens has never been easy. Parents have run-of-the-mill concerns we think about each day: Will my teen make the team? Does she have a friend to sit with at lunch? How did he do on that test? Will my teen have a date for the dance? And in our increasingly secular age‚ additional fears and questions arise: Is my son anxious or depressed? Is she struggling with her sexuality or experiencing gender dysphoria? Is my teen addicted to social media‚ porn‚ video games‚ alcohol‚ drugs? All this leads Christian parents to their greatest concern: Is it possible for my teen to develop a strong faith in God amid a culture that celebrates sin‚ promotes self‚ and declares truth to be whatever feels good in the moment? Just reading these questions may have you reaching for the blood pressure cuff. Our world is shouting at us each day with new fears‚ new statistics‚ new advice‚ and new ways of keeping up with the Joneses in the exhausting job of raising our kids. It’s no wonder parents feel as lost and unsettled as their teens. When we feel afraid or uncertain‚ we can act like the Israelites—we turn to idols for comfort and relief. We chase down worldly promises of success‚ wearying ourselves and our teens to the point of exhaustion trying to find life in what can never satisfy. Too often‚ we battle our fears by attempting to take control—of our teen‚ of our circumstances‚ and of the culture around us. But our self-guided attempts at solutions only leave us increasingly anxious and angry. Amid an uncertain and ever-changing world‚ believers can (and should) remain the most hopeful of parents. Hope’s Source Our hopefulness isn’t a nebulous positivity or a blindness to the culture surrounding us. Joshua and Caleb saw the powerful people and fortified cities of Canaan‚ just like the other spies (Num. 13). Yet they remained hopeful. Why? Because they knew God was with them. As parents‚ we can acknowledge the giants of our secular culture while courageously trusting that God is more powerful than our enemies. We turn from man-made idolatrous solutions by developing a deep‚ daily trust in and reliance on God—his promises‚ his Word‚ his plan. Here are five reasons we can have hope as we raise our teens in a secular age. 1. We have access to divine wisdom. New ideas about parenting spring up in every generation. It’s tempting to go along with the latest and greatest new trends from parenting experts. However‚ every book and trend represents the advice of a finite and limited human being. Some offer better advice than others‚ but the most profound human understanding is merely a drop compared to the infinite ocean of God’s wisdom. Amid an uncertain and ever-changing world‚ believers can (and should) remain the most hopeful of parents. The Bible isn’t the offering of a human teacher. The Bible is divine wisdom revealed to humans by the Holy Spirit. That’s why we can be hopeful parents. As we read and understand the timeless truth of God’s Word‚ we’re changed. Our minds are transformed and we receive wisdom from God. Every human expert will make mistakes. There’s always more to understand. But God’s Word provides eternal insight—from the Creator who knows all there is to know about all things. His Word offers discernment‚ wisdom‚ and understanding that helps us navigate new trends with timeless truth. So when that new parenting advice tells you something in opposition to God’s Word‚ don’t fear. Don’t turn from God’s truth. You’re building your home on a rock. The storms will come‚ but the foundations of truth stand firm. 2. We have access to divine help. As parents of teens‚ there’s so much we can’t control. We don’t have the power to change hearts. We don’t have the ability to change circumstances. We don’t even have the wisdom to know what’s best in many cases (maybe that sports team we desperately wanted our teen to make wouldn’t have been good for his walk with God). We don’t know the end from the beginning. But God does (Isa. 46:10). He knows what’s best. And he invites us to bring all our burdens‚ fears‚ anxieties‚ and insecurities and cast them on him because he cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). When we don’t know what to do‚ we can ask God for wisdom with the assurance he’ll generously provide (James 1:5). Our prayers matter. We can be hopeful because we aren’t left alone‚ wandering in a maze of parenting decisions. God is parenting us as we parent our teens‚ and we can cry out to him as Father‚ knowing he hears and answers our prayers. 3. God uses families. Our kids live in a rapidly changing culture. We rightly wonder if anything we say or do can combat the worldly advice and misguided messages they hear each day. While it’s wise to be aware of the messages our kids are receiving‚ we must also remember that God works through families (2 Tim. 1:5). God is parenting us as we parent our teens‚ and we can cry out to him as Father‚ knowing he hears and answers our prayers. What’s happening in your home is powerful. The love‚ joy‚ peace‚ patience‚ kindness‚ goodness‚ faithfulness‚ gentleness‚ and self-control of a Spirit-filled home is a blessing to your teen. The best way to battle the world’s attractiveness is to give our kids something better. Social media can’t compete with real community—and that community begins in the home. As Christian Smith and Amy Adamczyk explain in their book‚ Handing Down the Faith‚ Some readers might be surprised to know that the single‚ most powerful causal influence on the religious lives of American teenagers and young adults is the religious lives of their parents. Not their peers‚ not the media‚ not their youth group leaders or clergy‚ not their religious school teachers. Myriad studies show that‚ beyond a doubt‚ the parents of American youth play the leading role in shaping the character of their religious and spiritual lives‚ even well after they leave the home. Not every child raised in a Christian home will come to faith‚ but our homes are an important part of creating an atmosphere where faith can flourish. Amid a secular world‚ we can parent with hope because God works through families. 4. The church’s community matters. Currently‚ our teens face a loneliness epidemic. According to one study‚ “In a sample of one million adolescents‚ school loneliness increased between 2012 and 2018 in 36 out of 37 countries around the world. Nearly twice as many adolescents displayed high levels of loneliness in 2018 compared to 2012‚ an increase similar to that previously identified in clinical-level depression in the U.S. and UK.” Kids are more connected than ever—and lonelier than ever. Many attribute this change to the use of cell phones and its adverse effects on teen social behavior. But according to multiple studies‚ weekly church attendance makes a significant difference in teens’ lives. Researchers reported‚ Participating in spiritual practices during childhood and adolescence may be a protective factor for a range of health and well-being outcomes in early adulthood‚ according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Researchers found that people who attended weekly religious services or practiced daily prayer or meditation in their youth reported greater life satisfaction and positivity in their 20s—and were less likely to subsequently have depressive symptoms‚ smoke‚ use illicit drugs‚ or have a sexually transmitted infection—than people raised with less regular spiritual habits. God knows what our teens need—the community of the church. The benefits of church attendance continue throughout young adulthood: “The results showed that people who attended religious services at least weekly in childhood and adolescence were approximately 18% more likely to report higher happiness as young adults (ages 23–30) than those who never attended services.” The daily rhythms of the Christian life affect our teens. This is another reason we can parent with hope. 5. God is at work. We often want to control circumstances so our kids never face difficulties‚ trials‚ or failure. We anxiously fret about this or that‚ trying to make everything easier for them. However‚ the Bible reminds us God is at work in everything—hardships‚ struggles‚ and even others’ sins against our child. Joseph was tossed in a pit by his brothers. He was unjustly thrown in prison. He was forgotten by those he helped. He spent years of his life far from those he loved. But at the end of his life‚ he looked back and said to his brothers‚ “As for you‚ you meant evil against me‚ but God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:20). We can parent with hope because we know our circumstances aren’t left to chance. We’re not one decision away from ruining our teen’s life. God is somehow working all things for good‚ even in our failures‚ even in our trials. As Paul encouraged the Romans‚ “We rejoice in our sufferings‚ knowing that suffering produces endurance‚ and endurance produces character‚ and character produces hope” (Rom. 5:3–4). We can parent with hope because we know our circumstances aren’t left to chance. There’s nothing more difficult than walking through hardships with our teens. Yet because God is at work‚ we can be hopeful. We may not understand‚ but we can trust he has a plan. As we trust in the Lord‚ we set an example for our teens. And our hopefulness is an apologetic to the watching world (1 Pet. 3:15). In a secular age‚ we can have courageous confidence‚ not because the world is secure but because the object of our hope empowers our joy: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing‚ so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rom. 15:13).

Are you experiencing hope fatigue? Are you wearied by our culture of contempt? Are you exhausted by being in a continual state of outrage? If you answered yes‚ maybe that’s why you listen to or watch the Gospelbound podcast. You also might want to pick up the new book by Irwyn Ince‚ because he asks these three questions at the outset of Hope Ain’t a Hustle: Persevering by Faith in a Wearying World (IVP). Ince is the coordinator of Mission to North America‚ which is under the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Previously‚ he was a pastor at Grace DC Presbyterian Church. He’s also the author of The Beautiful Community. “Christian hope seems unreasonable‚” Ince writes‚ “because very often we will not experience victory in this life. Christian hope informs this life by being a forward-facing and upward-gazing perspective as our great high priest intercedes for us.” Indeed‚ Christian hope is countercultural in the world‚ and even sometimes in the church. Ince wrote this book in part because he wanted us to know that faithfulness to Christ isn’t the same thing as waging culture wars effectively. At the same time‚ Christian hope doesn’t guarantee coasting above the storms of this life. “When you reject the world‚” Ince writes‚ “the world often wants to eject you.” So why do we endure? Because of Christ‚ of course. Ince writes‚ If the arc of the moral universe does indeed bend toward justice‚ that arc will never be smooth and straight from a human perspective. It will have twists and turns‚ ups and downs‚ starts and stops. Our hope‚ if it is to be enduring‚ must be rooted in the glory of Jesus Christ. Ince also serves on the Board and Council of The Gospel Coalition. He joined me on Gospelbound to discuss where he finds hope‚ how we can hear the voice of the Lord‚ and why telling the truth about injustice is a friend to hope.

As we mentioned previously‚ the media are desperately seeding narrative ahead of the Supreme Court’s oral arguments on whether the FDA violated the law when it issued emergency approval for Mifepristone‚ framing the issue instead as a matter of “access”. But NBC has taken that advocacy one step further.  Watch this segment from correspondent Dasha Burns’ latest dispatch‚ from what can charitably be called an abortion pill mill: DASHA BURNS: In this basement in upstate New York‚ one group is giving abortion access to thousands in states where it's illegal. We're not showing faces because they fear repercussions.  Where's a lot of this medication going? ANONYMOUS: The medication is going to all the states that the pharmacy will not send to. So I would say the majority are going to Texas‚ Louisiana‚ Alabama‚ Florida‚ Georgia.  What else do you call a center that dispenses pills in a manner so as to skirt questions of illegality? That was certainly appropriate when the discourse centered around opioids‚ so why wouldn’t it be the case now? This is a follow-up to Burns’ previous item on Mifepristone‚ wherein she visited a Planned Parenthood in Miami and received several testimonials on the convenience of abortion pills. The whole play here is to build sympathy around the access argument. But the hearing before the Court isn’t at all about access or the availability of abortion pills. Rather‚ it is about administrative law and a runaway federal bureaucracy. Credit to Burns for at least showcasing the perspective from a pro-life advocate who made this very point‚ which is something that usually doesn’t make it into the media’s advocacy for unrestricted abortion. We’ll see what coverage looks like after oral arguments. Nonetheless‚ I predict coverage will continue to center around access to abortion rather than the runaway federal bureaucracy. Especially if the Supreme Court rules against the FDA come June. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned report as aired on NBC Nightly News on Monday‚ March 26th‚ 2024: LESTER HOLT: Back now with the abortion pill battle. While it's banned in 14 states‚ some activists have taken it upon themselves to mail it to women in those places. But as Dasha Burns explains‚ that could all change with a case that goes before the Supreme Court tomorrow.  DASHA BURNS: In this basement in upstate New York‚ one group is giving abortion access to thousands in states where it's illegal. We're not showing faces because they fear repercussions.  Where's a lot of this medication going? ANONYMOUS: The medication is going to all the states that the pharmacy will not send to. So I would say the majority are going to Texas‚ Louisiana‚ Alabama‚ Florida‚ Georgia.  BURNS: New York is one of six states operating under new shield laws when it comes to telehealth‚ which protect providers doing this from prosecution. For now.  How many prescriptions are you mailing out today?  ANONYMOUS: Today we're doing 112. BURNS: Dr. Linda Prine prescribes pills from New York City. What is the scale of this operation?  LINDA PRINE: So before we had the shield law‚ we were mailing pills to the blue states. After we passed our shield law‚ the first month we sent about 4‚000 pills into restricted states. And now we're up to around 10‚000 pills a month BURNS: Anti-abortion rights groups taking notice. KATIE DANIEL: The fact remains that just because you are sitting in California does not mean that you are not violating the laws of Florida‚ Texas and 30 other states. So I think they have a false sense of security about this. BURNS: But that access in question. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments tomorrow in a case that could prohibit prescription of abortion pills via telemedicine and prevent providers from mailing them. What action do you want the Supreme Court to take? DANIEL: We hope that the Supreme Court will agree with the two lower courts who have already found that it's likely that the FDA broke federal law and its own rules when it brought the abortion drugs to market.  ANONYMOUS: I think what we're talking about is really ways to work around whatever scenario comes up so that we can continue to get these medications to patients. BURNS: Dasha Burns‚ NBC News‚ New Paltz‚ New York.  

A Venezualan Tren de Aragua member in the U.S. unlawfully was arrested earlier this month by authorities with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations‚ according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement press release‚ which notes that the individual had been arrested by the Cicero Police Department last month but was released."On Feb. 24‚ the Cicero Police Department arrested Rodriguez-Carmona for the offenses of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon‚ no firearms identification card‚ driving without a license or insurance‚ and possession of adult use cannabis in a motor vehicle. Rodriguez-Carmona was later released‚" the ICE press release noted. "On March 11‚ ERO officers arrested the 29-year-old without incident outside his residence. Rodriguez-Carmona is currently in the Dodge County Detention Facility in Juneau‚ Wisconsin‚ pending immigration removal proceedings.""This Venezuelan noncitizen represented a significant threat to the residents of our communities‚" ERO Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Raymond Hernandez noted‚ according to the release. "Not only is he a validated member of a transnational street gang‚ but he also displayed a willingness to unlawfully discharge a firearm in public. ERO Chicago will continue to prioritize public safety by removing such threats from our streets.""On July 7‚ 2023‚ an immigration judge issued a final order of removal for Rodriguez-Carmona in absentia‚" the press release noted.Multiple Republican lawmakers recently joined a letter pressing President Joe Biden to designate Tren de Aragua "as a Transnational Criminal Organization." In the letter‚ the lawmakers say that Tren de Aragua has perpetrated heinous activities such as human trafficking‚ murder‚ and more."Tren de Aragua is an invading criminal army from a prison in Venezuela that has spread their brutality and chaos to U.S. cities and small towns‚" the letter declares. "The breadth of Tren de Aragua's operations encompasses murder‚ drug and human trafficking‚ sex crimes‚ extortion‚ and kidnapping‚ among other brutalities. It is clear that most state and local law enforcement agencies are not yet prepared to handle the magnitude of this grave threat."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!Editor's note: This first sentence was updated on 3/25/24 at 11:57 p.m. CST to correct miswording. The original sentence read: "A Venezualan Tren de Aragua member in the U.S. was unlawfully arrested ..."

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A preventative archaeology excavation at a real estate development site in the historic center of Narbonne‚ southern France‚ has uncovered the remains of an early imperial-era Roman wall and tower. Preliminary estimates based on the measurements and construction style of the wall and tower date them to the last decades of the 1st century B.C. The discovery came as a surprise as this is the first evidence that the ancient city of Narbo Martius‚ the first Roman colony established outside of Italy‚ had defensive walls of any kind. The excavation unearthed a section of wall 100 feet long. It is an enclosing wall connected to a round masonry tower. The tower was constructed in an unusual fashion: the base of the round tower is inset in a square foundation. This was likely done to give the massive walls additional stability. Colonia Narbo Martius was founded by Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus in 118 B.C.‚ two years after he and Quintus Fabius Maximus Allobrogicus defeated the Arverni and the Allobroges and conquered all of southern Gaul. As proconsul of Gaul‚ Gnaeus Domitius built the first Roman road in Gaul‚ the Via Domitia‚ running from Spain to Italy through his new colony. He then built the second Roman road in Gaul‚ the Via Aquitania‚ that ran from Narbo through the Aquitaine province to the Atlantic Ocean. The city was also located at the mouth of the Aude river at that time‚ situating it at a strategic crossroads for trade‚ agriculture‚ travel and Roman military expansion. Marcus Tullius Cicero‚ in his oration in defense of Marcus Fonteius‚ the former praetor of Gallia Narbonensis who was accused by Gallic tribespeople of financially exploiting the province for his own gain‚ describes Narbo Martius as “a citizen-colony‚ which stands as a watch-tower and bulwark of the Roman people‚ and a barrier of defense against these tribes.” Cicero made that speech in 69 B.C.‚ and after that Narbo’s importance only grew. Julius Caesar refounded it in 46-45 B.C. as a colony for the veterans of his Tenth Legion‚ then Augustus made it the capital of the province of Gallia Narbonensis in 22 B.C. The area of Narbonne currently under excavation was on the outskirts of the ancient city. It was built around 50 A.D. to store trade goods. The excavation revealed three or four warehouses on the site‚ three streets‚ an alley and a system of intersecting canals that managed rain and waste water evacuation. One of the warehouses had an unusual design: the ground floor‚ used for storage‚ was kept clean by a drainage crawl space made out of recycled amphorae. The upper floor was a either a home or office‚ and a rather nice one at that‚ with concrete floors‚ mosaics and mud brick walls painted to look like marble panels. This warehouse and another one were severely damaged in the same fire event‚ but were reconstructed. These discoveries are linked to the urban port of Narbo Martius ‚ located along the ancient arm of the Aude. This constitutes‚ with the maritime outer port whose remains have been observed at several points (ÃŽle Saint-Martin in Gruissan‚ Mandirac‚ La Nautique)‚ a complex port system whose importance is attested in particular in the texts and ancient inscriptions. This excavation contributes to the identification of the ancient route of the river‚ the course of which was partly artificialized during the canalization of the Robine in the 18th century . The structures‚ which would usually be reburied or‚ quel dommage‚ allowed to be destroyed when construction at the site resumed‚ are so significant that the developers have decided to integrate the finds into their new construction.

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