Planting Shade Trees by Dr. James Dobson

March 14-16, 2022
Guest: Dennis Swanberg

Part 1
On today’s edition of Family Talk, Dr. James Dobson reveals that his beloved father was the only one who gave his heart to Christ at a revival that cost the church $600. Not only did his dad go on to reach thousands as a traveling evangelist, but the Lord has used his son, James Dobson, Jr., to reach millions for Christ through his books and radio broadcasts. On today’s program, his guest, speaker and comedian Dennis Swanberg, urges people of faith to be spiritual shade trees for the next generation by leaving a godly legacy. Psalm 1 describes the believer who delights in the Lord as a tree planted by streams of water.

Part 2
According to Dr. Dobson, "an inheritance is something you leave to someone, while a legacy is something you instill in someone." On today’s edition of Family Talk, speaker and comedian Dennis Swanberg delights an audience through his memories with his family. As he reflects on the humorous moments with his parents and grandparents, Swanberg explains that the spiritual legacy they left him was like someone planting a shade tree. When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he couldn’t envision New York City’s skyline, and when the Wright brothers built the first plane, they couldn’t envision a 747. They planted "shade trees" for future generations to enjoy.

Part 3
When former pastor and popular Christian comedian Dennis Swanberg’s great-grandfather immigrated from Sweden to America in the 1880s, he planted shade trees on his Texas farm. Years later, his grandson enjoyed the shade from those mature trees that his great-grandfather never could. On today’s edition of Family Talk, Dennis invites listeners to commit their lives to leaving a legacy of "spiritual shade trees" for generations to come. Psalm 145:4 says, "Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power."