Today is June 20th. At 6:34 p.m. EDT the Sun will reach its northern most point in the sky. For those in the northern hemisphere this is the official beginning of summer. If you live in the southern hemisphere, welcome to winter. The next three months will bring climatic changes caused by heat, cold, drought, and violent storms across the planet. Animals will hibernate and crops will grow. Days will simultaneously grow longer and shorter. Three months from now the winds of the equinox will signal the arrival of spring and fall. This is all orchestrated by the Lord of the wind and the waves. God makes the climate change. Right on schedule! Today the Sun completes its journey which […]
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Fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, and families exist because of God’s exquisite plan. Divine institution has brought stability to the planet Earth through out recorded history. These roles and institutions did not evolve or become reality because of a legislative or community process. God ordained fathers and all the rest of the family structure. Now the politically correct elite of today envision something different. The biblical construct of the family is deemed to be outdated. But look at what has happened under the rule of the politically correct. There is no longer one definition of what constitutes a family. One man and one woman are seen as archaic, even destructive as building blocks for a family. Sexual freedom has led to […]
Father’s Day is a time of expressing appreciation to dads. That’s a good thing. Happy Father’s Day! But this post is about presenting a challenge that the Holy Spirit gives to fathers every single day. Paul issues a two-pronged challenge directly to fathers: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4) First – don’t provoke your children to anger. Why does Paul make such an obvious point? Surely everyone knows fathers should not be angry. That’s true, but anger is one thing that most fathers struggle with. Anger too often accompanies leadership. This is a sign of weakness, not strength. Anger may come when a child […]
In this video clip, Dr. Tedd Tripp contrasts the difference between comforting and coddling a child.
Are you interested in having your children respond gratefully to your instruction? Most parents I know would answer with a tentative yes. Why tentative? Because most believe gratitude and instruction are polar opposites when it comes to instruction. Let’s see if we can change that. Here are three keys that go hand-in-hand with making your instruction a blessing: First: listen before you speak. To be a good listener you must be able to repeat the words you hear back to the speaker in such a way that he can affirm that you really do understand what was said. You don’t always have to agree, but you must always understand. This attentiveness shows respect, first for God and then for your […]
Are you stupid? This is not a pleasant question to ask. Some might even find it offensive. But stay with me. It is easier to be stupid than you might think! Hating correction is stupid. Not my words, but the Holy Spirit’s. In Proverbs 12:1 the Holy Spirit describes what being stupid is like: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. People tend to like to choose whom they allow to offer correction. This may sound attractive but it is not a good plan. You and your children were born needing correction, discipline and training. Frankly, you and I need correction and reproof far more than we can imagine. You are in no position to reject […]
Evil is for real. It showed its ugly face this past weekend in Orlando. There are people who are committed to bring human suffering to those they see as enemies. As evidence unfolds that this mass shooting is connected to an orchestrated scheme of terrorist plots, a grim reality continues to emerge: We are not safe. The goal of the terrorist mind is to create fear in everyday life. It is one thing to fight an enemy on a battlefield. It is quite another to wonder if death is waiting at the mall or at a place of entertainment or at a sporting event. This is what terror is all about. So where is safety found? Who offers protection? To […]
People are designed, made by God, to live in continuous praise of the wonder of his great name. After the fall, man failed to live as he was intended. Instead of praise, self-focus and personal happiness take center stage. Sin feeds on the desire for immediate happiness. That is why a child can go from seeming bliss to outrage in an eye blink. One moment everything is fine. Then he sees his brother with a toy that he wants and he immediately erupts with a howl of outrage. Why? Because he doesn’t have what he wants, what he thinks he deserves. God wants his people to live a life of praise. Complaining and grumbling are not compatible with praise. The […]
Christina Grimmie’s earthly voice ended abruptly, shockingly, this past Friday evening. She was signing autographs after a performance when a man shot her to death. Christina was perhaps the last person you would expect to be the target of a vicious gunman. Christina radiated purity and joy as she sang. Millions followed her on you tube where she recorded countless covers. Her presentations were made all the more powerful by their simplicity. Without any flashy backgrounds or special effects, her love of music quickly drew you in and made you a fan. You saw Christina singing and playing her keyboard with passion and grace against the background of images of the video games she loved to play. She was outspoken […]
In the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit has provided you with a guide book for understanding emotions. Biblically, emotions can be thought of as the first responders of the heart. If the heart is good and well-guarded emotions can work for us, not against us. If the heart is left unguarded then emotions can bring much damage. This is why Solomon is adamant that the heart be guarded above all else (Proverbs 4:23). The book of Job tells you right away the value of emotions. Job feared the Lord and shunned evil. His strong emotional fear of God protected him from evil. This is the same emotional response that protected Joseph when he fled from the […]