Fourth of July Liberty & Responsibility

June 16, 2025 by Laura Leave a Comment

Fourth of July Liberty & Responsibility

In “Fourth of July Liberty & Responsibility,” episode #234 for teens and homeschool parents, Meredith Curtis reminds us of the freedoms we celebrate on our nation’s birthday. Personal liberty comes with authority and responsibility alongside accountability to God. Families have freedom with accountability, too. And what about church and state? Dive into a refreshing look at what makes the United States of America exceptional.

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Show Notes

How do you spend Fourth of July? We’re going to visit our son and his family this year.

Fourth of July is a wonderful time to explore the freedoms that we have grown up with and take for granted. Personal liberty, freedom of speech, the right to trial by jury of your peers, and accountability of leaders to their citizens are things that many people throughout history have been denied. Where did freedom begin? Did it start with the Magna Charta? Or did it start even further back?

Back to the Creation & the Old Testament

According to Samuel Rutherford, in his book, Lex Rex (Law is King), written in the 1600’s by a Presbyterian pastor, the Bible makes it clear that the law is king. Rutherford took an in-depth look at Scripture and history to prove this, shattering the popular philosophy of the “divine right of kings” to rule as they please.

Everyone is equal under the law. Reformation & the Divine Right of Kings.

Our political rights and freedoms go all the way back to the Bible, the source of our rights and responsibilities. In the Garden, Adam and Eve had autonomy.

God has all authority & He delegated that authority to individuals, family, church, and state.

Individual Freedom

Freedom of thought, speech, decision-making, writing. Freedom to own property, start a business, succeed, fail, fall in love, get married, stay single, follow God, not follow God, care for the poor.

God delegates authority & responsibility along with that freedom. What is the responsibility of man? To follow the Lord, to honor him, walk in His ways.

Accountability for actions, behavior, and fulfillment of responsibilities.

Galatians 5 tells us how to handle our freedom in Christ.

Family Freedom

Families are free to choose educational method for teaching children, how they raise their children, where they live, and who can part of their lives.

God delegates authority & responsibility along with that freedom. What is the responsibility of family? To follow the Lord, to honor him, walk in His ways, to provide, protect, teach, raise children, clothe members, care for the poor, and care for sick & elderly.

Accountability for actions, behavior, and fulfillment of responsibilities.

Church Freedom

Churches have freedom from God to assemble, preach the Word, teach their doctrine, preach the Gospel, worship, administer church discipline, choose leaders, choose leadership style, care for the poor, and mentor members.

God delegates authority & responsibility along with that freedom. What is the responsibility of church? See above freedoms

Accountability for actions, behavior, and fulfillment of responsibilities.

Government Freedom

Government has freedom to make laws and enforce them, protect the nation militarily, provide fair trial, protect individual & family & church freedoms.

God delegates authority & responsibility along with that freedom. Accountability for actions, behavior, and fulfillment of responsibilities.

What is the responsibility of elected officials in USA (based on our form of government – Constitutional Republic)? To obey the Constitution, obey the law, lead with integrity, personal integrity, keep campaign promises, NOT take bribes.

What is the responsibility of citizens in USA (based on our form of government – Constitutional Republic)? Understand issues that face the nation, vote responsibly, walk in integrity, remove bad leaders from office, put good leaders in.

Protecting Freedom

What can you do to protect freedom in our beloved nation?

Vote responsibly. Don’t just look at who candidates pretend to be but how they vote.
Pray for our nation.
Recognize threats to our freedom.

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Resources

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Filed Under: Finish Well Tagged With: 4th of July, America, American History, celebration, Christian, Christianity, family, Finish Well, homeschool, homeschooling, Independence Day, Laura Nolette, Meredith Curtis, Parent

4th of July Planner for Kids

July 1, 2024 by mediaangels 1 Comment

4th of July Planner for Kids

Organize a fun and festive 4th of July with our special planner designed just for kids! This planner is perfect for helping little ones get involved in the celebrations, from planning games and activities to choosing their favorite holiday treats. Make this 4th of July memorable and stress-free with a planner that puts kids at the heart of the festivities.

Celebrate Independence Day All Month Long

Enjoy these activities with your children as you celebrate Independence Day, not just on the fourth but throughout July. There’s no need to pack all the fun into one day. Embrace the spirit of red, white, and blue all month long! This approach is especially helpful if you plan to host a 4th of July party. Enjoy the festivities and the company of family and friends, and revisit these activities throughout the month.

When teaching children about historical events like America’s Independence, breaking the information into manageable pieces over several days or weeks can enhance understanding and retention. Consider checking out some library books that explore the history and people behind America’s birthday. It’s a great way to make learning fun and engaging.

Taking your time to enjoy the holiday and integrate learning experiences allows children to reflect on what they’ve learned and to formulate meaningful questions. So, slow down, savor the summer, and perhaps enjoy a few treats from our planner and activity book at the end of your exploration.

Get Your July 4th Planner for Kids Now!

And as a bonus, you will also get the A Few of My Favorite Things Planner just for mom.

Ready to start your next adventure?

Sign Up Here & Get Exlusive Access to Our Monthly Planners!

PS. Check out additional planners at Media Angels.

Recommended Resources to Help You Make the Most of Your Homeschool

Ultimate Checklist Planners

Our most popular printables are now updated! Do you like to use checklists for all of your needs? You’ll get all 12 months of planning sheets all at your fingertips. Use it in your home and homeschool.

Filed Under: Blog, Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Tagged With: 4th of July, checklist, planner, printables, staycation for kid ideas, summer fun, travel planner

Free July Ultimate Checklists Planner

July 1, 2022 by mediaangels Leave a Comment

July is such a busy and fun month full of Patriotic events, celebrations and just enjoying the hot summer months with friends and family. Let’s look at all the July fun activities and how to keep track of everything for your family.

What is there to do in July with your family?

The most patriotic American holiday is on July 4th ~ Independence Day. Many families will choose to have 4th of July picnics, take part in parades, and attend firework shows or concerts. You can have some great conversations with your family regarding our country and its history. You can discuss the constitution, what it means to be patriotic and gather together to pray for our country.

July is also one of the hottest months in the year for many areas. Even though it is hot, it seems to be a favorite month for picnics, backyard barbecues and get togethers. While you are spending a lot of time outdoors in the sun make sure that you keep cool.

Fun ideas for staying cool in July:

Visit a natural body of water in your area, like a lake, a beach, a spring, or a river. If you don’t have one near you consider making a long day trip or a short mini vacation.
Set up a sprinkler and let the kids run around and play in it.
Have a water party with water balloons, baby pools full of soapy bubbles, tarps with dish soap for a cheap slip and slide.
Make homemade popsicles or homemade ice cream. Homemade ice cream is a fun thing to do with your kids that will create some wonderful memories. (Hint: there is a free homemade ice cream recipe in this month’s Ultimate Checklist!)

How to keep track of all the summer fun events:

Our Ultimate Checklists is like a big family planner. It has so many amazing checklists, papers, worksheets, and brainstorming sheets to help you keep track of everything you need during the busy summer.

What is included in the July Ultimate Checklist?

This month’s checklist has everything you need to keep track of your summer fun. There are even planning sheets to get you to start thinking about the new school year. Even though we are in the middle of summer, a new homeschool year will creep up on us before we know it!

Checklists Guide – this is a breakdown on how to use the lists for the month, with suggestions to help you get started.
Objectives Worksheet
Weekly Planning Worksheet
Blank Printable July Calendar
Four square planner : Faith, Kids, Back to School, Household
Evaluation Weekly Worksheets
Motivational Posters and Scripture Posters
Printable July Checklist
July Holidays Printable Sheet
Independence Day Reflection Sheets
4th of July Party Planner
Blank Party Planner for any Party
Fun Ideas for July
Printable Ice Cream Recipe with step-by-step instructions
Summer Reading List
Chore Schedule Blank Sheet
Quarterly Planning
Homeschool Weekly Planning Sheets
Meal Planning Helps and Suggestions

The directions on how to download the monthly checklist are sent out in each weekly ezine. The planner access information is always located at the bottom of each email. Make sure that you are signed up so that you don’t miss it.

If you are not signed up, you can sign up HERE as a subscriber.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 4th of July, july checklists, july events, july family planner, july parties, subscriber freebi, summer fun

MBFLP – Christianity and Patriotism

June 30, 2014 by Hal and Melanie Young Leave a Comment

With the Independence Day holiday just on the horizon, do we have a Biblical understanding of our “dual citizenship” – where we enjoy a citizenship in the Kingdom of God, shared with all believers from all ages, but also an earthly citizenship in a particular time of history? Do we recognize the blessings of our earthly liberty and teach them to our children, but avoid the trap of creating a red-white-and-blue version of Christianity? Join us as we open these questions “live” from rural Pelahatchie, Mississippi!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Making Biblical Family Life Practical Tagged With: 4th of July, America, American, church, country, history, independence, July Fourth, liberty, patriotism