Hey, Carpool Crew! Happy September 1st! Today we're kicking off a brand-new series called **Proverbs for Your School Life**. I'm Pastor Justin, and before we jump in, let me give a big shout-out to Calie and Callen out in South Carolina. Calie and Callen, I'm so glad you're riding with us on day one. For the next thirty days, we're digging into the book of Proverbs, and every single day I'm giving you one thing you can actually go do before dinner. And day one starts with this: A kid holds up his phone and says, "You've gotta see this." But something inside you already knows... **I probably shouldn't.** Here's the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: **Guard what gets in your head.** Listen to Proverbs 4:23: "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life." Now, when the Bible talks about your heart, it doesn't just mean the thing beating inside your chest. Your heart is the inside part of you. Your thoughts. Your desires. The stuff shaping who you're becoming. And Proverbs says: **Guard it.** Think about a goalie standing in front of a net. A good goalie doesn't just stand there and let everything fly past. The goalie's job is to decide: **That's not getting in.** And you need to do that with your heart too. Because everything doesn't deserve access to you. Every video you watch. Every rumor you listen to. Every mean comment you replay in your head. Every voice you keep listening to. It all has the ability to shape you. **What you let in today can affect who you're becoming tomorrow.** Jesus talked about this too. He taught that what we treasure shapes our hearts, and He cared deeply about what was happening inside a person, not just what everybody could see on the outside. So guarding your heart isn't about being afraid of everything. It's about learning to recognize: **This is good for me.** And: **This doesn't belong in here.** Picture this. You're at the lunch table when somebody leans in. "Did you hear what happened at recess?" Everybody moves a little closer. You can almost feel the story pulling you in. Maybe it's embarrassing. Maybe it's mean. Maybe it's something you already know you shouldn't be listening to. You have a choice. You can lean closer. Or you can decide: **Not today.** Maybe you change the subject. "Hey, did anybody watch the game last night?" Maybe you get up. Maybe you don't click the video. Maybe you put the phone down. You don't have to let something into your heart just because everybody else is letting it into theirs. So here's your very first Proverbs challenge: **Pick one thing you're not letting in today.** A rumor. A mean thought you keep replaying. A video you already know you shouldn't watch. Whatever it is, name it. And when it shows up today, you've got two words ready: **"Not today."** And yes, I've had to say that to my own phone too. Don't tell my kids. This isn't about having the strictest rules. **It's about knowing your heart is worth protecting.** So let's go back to the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: **Guard what gets in your head.** Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, we're doing this every day in September. Thirty days of Proverbs, with one practical thing your kid can actually try that day. Follow the show so you don't miss one. And starting tomorrow, we're also doing something brand new: *What Should I Do If Wednesday?* Tomorrow's episode is free for everybody, right here on this feed. You can also join Carpooling with Jesus+ for the weekend episodes and everything else we're building for your family. For less than the cost of a snack run each month, the whole month rides with you. **APPLE VERSION:** You can also join Carpooling with Jesus+ for the weekend episodes and everything else we're building for your family. For less than the cost of a snack run each month, the whole month rides with you. Or grab the whole year for $34.99 in Apple Podcasts. That's about three months free, and you don't have to think about it again. Hey, before you go, answer this question together: **What's one thing you're not letting into your head today?** I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.
