Brain Trust - Bruce Wilkinson

Bruce Wilkinson is a popular speaker and author of over 60 books. He joined The Matt Friedeman Show to discuss his latest volume, The God Pocket. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What is the idea behind this book, and why did you write it?

The basic idea of The God Pocket is that God, when He hears people praying with a financial need, wants to help them. He could make money and float it down from heaven, or he could send an angel with some extra cash, but he doesn't do either of those. He wants to partner with people to move in their hearts to give.

The basic idea comes from 1 Timothy, when Paul tells Timothy he wants people to be ready to give and willing to share.

Most people don't understand that God alerts us from heaven of what he wants us to do. 10 out of 1000 people will respond to God's nudging. That's 9990 times that we don't respond.

How do you tell a "God nudge"?

That's a good question. I was speaking on that last night. If you don't know what methods God uses, you'll miss what he's trying to tell you.

A nudge is God moving you to do something unexpected. There are nudges all over Acts. A nudge interrupts you life. It makes you wish you had more information. It's very clear. It makes you uncomfortable. Those are the characteristics of a nudge.

People everywhere have them, a lot, because God is trying to tap on their hearts. God will interrupt your thoughts, to let you know that it wasn't your thought.

People are afraid it might be Satan, but unless it's something sinful, it's not Satan.

Do we need to get more accustomed to God nudges?

We do. And we need to understand the fact that nudges make everyone feel uncomfortable.

Because when you understand that this is how God interacts with people, you are more likely to respond.

The Bible says it is more blessed to give than to receive. When people understand that it wasn't exaggerating, that it really is more blessed to give, they're going to do great things.

You can learn more about Bruce Wilkinson and his ministry at his website.

"These children need to be in families, because that's where they're going to thrive. "

Stephanie Scott, who joined the Ministry Spotlight, is the Recruitment Administrator for Camelot Care Centers in Tennessee. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of her interview.

Tell me about Camelot Care Centers.

There are 42 Camelot Care Centers across the country. Our services vary according to what part of the country you're in. I work in the area of child welfare.

For those children who have been removed from the home, our job is to find foster homes for them to live in until they can go back home or until they're adopted.

My hope is to reach out to the faith community to see if we can't do some collaboration to find homes for these children.

Where do you find foster families?

A lot of foster care agencies have been around for a while, and of course the best source for marketing is the foster families themselves.

They have families and friends, and whatever fears those people may have, they're more willing to do it because they see that it's successful.

What makes a good foster parent?

A lot of different characteristics. Some of them are more common-sense. Being flexible, being open-minded. Having a willingness to work with an agency.

Having your friends describe you as confident and self-assured. Being spiritual or religious. All those things are important.

It's also important that you are able to delay gratification, because a lot of these children come in and they're not grateful for the service that you're providing. You have to be able to understand that this is not about you.

What is the biggest challenge foster parents face?

I just got back from attending a conference in Franklin, TN for adoptive parents. I was stunned how many of them said their biggest challenge was a lack of support from their own family. A lot of times they had to rely on each other or their case worker.

And of course, there are some frustrations with the legal system. Some children are returned to the birth family, or have extended visits with the birth family, and that can be a demand.

What motivates foster parents.

I think most importantly is for them to realize that these are children in their communities, right around the corner or several miles down the road, whose needs aren't being met.

Every child deserves a home. And there is someone in that community who can provide that home. It's one of the best things for your own children to see you reaching out like that.

Do you see this working?

We do. That's why I do this work. I was in this for 15 years, and then I took a break before coming back. Most of what's important, the healing that occurs in families, is still the same.

These children don't need to be in group homes. They need to be in families, because that's where they're going to thrive.

Low view of the Bible...gets you this

Insight from one of my online students a few summers ago:

I was in a church of a main line denomination last February in East Dayton, OH. The congregation had shrunk from over 1,000 in the 90's to 14 in 2007. The main sanctuary was locked up because they could not light it or heat it for the lack of funds. While I was waiting in the church library I found hundreds of monogrammed and embossed Bibles that were left in the church. I initially thought that they were of old saints that had passed on. I was wrong. These were Bibles that living people had just abandoned as they left the church. It was like an Army, whipped in the field, throwing away their personal equipment to run faster. These people had thrown away their Bibles and left faith period. It is a sad commentary as to the general state of faith outside of evangelical oriented churches. (SG)

Discount the Bible, discount people, discount evangelism. But where there is a high view of scriptural authority (otherwise known as biblical inerrancy) you see spiritual vitality spreading around the world.

"It's important to make your values implicit by the way you live your family life."

Parenting expert John Rosemond is an author, speaker, and columnist who takes a counter-cultural and common-sense approach to parenting.

He came on The Matt Friedeman Show to talk about several parenting topics, including the television and social media. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

When is the best time to have the "sex talk" with your child?

That is probably the most bombshell topic you could've brought up. The answer is that it all depends. It depends on at what age your child begins showing interest in the opposite sex, it depends on what peer pressure your child is exposed to.

It's important to make your values implicit by the way you live your family life, the sort of media you allow into your home. You set the example in your relationships with people of the opposite sex.

Does the peer group play a large part in this?

Absolutely. That's what I meant earlier, with the peer group your child associates with. The child who attends today's typical public school needs a talking-to about these issues much earlier than a child who is homeschooled.

What role does TV play in sexuality?

The "between the lines," the subtle, unspoken agenda of the Hollywood crowd is to sexualize children at a very early age. You see that reflected in the content of programs, even those that are advertised as suitable for families.

I am not a television watcher. My wife and I use our TV to watch Fox News and movies. People ask how I get my information, and I'm amazed at the question. Have you ever heard of reading?

What does the emotion of TV do to children?

I think that the emotionality of it, the drama of it, is a factor in the fact that today's young women are so dramatic about their lives. The young teenage girl today has a life characterized by drama.

The dramatic infusion of the lives of today's young teenage women is a great concern to me. It reflects the attitude that their lives are only important when there is drama swirling in their life.

I also think that has a lot to do with their interaction with social media. I think that these media ought to be very closely monitored by parents. 

People say, "When should a child get a Facebook account?" If you want to improve your child's social skills, you don't let them get a Facebook account.

Why do parents struggle with taking strong stances like that?

They believe in the myth that their children will have no friends if they don't allow their children some exposure to the internet, social media, and so on. That is a complete myth. Your child will have better social skills if you don't allow them social media.

Tell me about parent-centered homes.

Children need to learn to pay attention to adults. And you don't pay attention to adults who are constantly paying attention to you. The more attention you pay to your child, the less attention your child will pay to you.

Today's parents don't realize their duty to their child is supervision, not interaction.

 You can find out more about John Rosemond and his work on his website.

Disparity of the Gospel (World Christian Encyclopedia)

Cost per baptism:

Africa 13,888
Antartica 1,677,852
Asia 61,071
Europe 933,371
Latin America 144,910
Northern America 1,518,991
Oceania 634,479

Full-time Christian workers per million

Africa 1,018.3
Antartica 6,666.7
Asia 185.0
Europe 2,482.6
Latin America 890.7
Northern America 5,399.2
Oceania 3,285.1

A good bit to analyze here. But, for starters - seeing how ripe the mission field in Africa is should we not be spending more laborers to that harvest? North America has more than its fair share of workers with precious little receptivity to the gospel to show for it.

Other points to be made?