I recently had the privilege of interviewing Tedd Tripp. I asked Tedd to list four important truths that he believes that parents should weave into their parenting based upon his interactions and experiences in teaching families. Tedd listed these:
Monthly Archives: August 2009
Man was made for stories. We remember stories. We laugh at stories. We cry over stories. We are motivated by stories. Why? Because God made us to love stories. The legacy of a culture is told by narratives, not by encyclopedias. Even in a culture as bent on moving away from God as our current one is, there are still biblical stories etched into the minds of people in our culture. These biblical narratives transcend ideological barriers. The Prodigal Son, The Good Samaritan, the Christmas Story, and others speak of a God who may not be as easily dismissed as cultural elitists believe. While these narratives are often marred and confused in the culture, they still remain, and they still […]
Today at 1 p.m. Eastern I have the privilege of interviewing Tedd Tripp on the Calling for Truth radio program. I will be sitting in as guest host for Dr. Paul Dean. Tedd will be giving his insight about problems that families are facing today and what are the biblical responses to those problems. This is a wonderful opportunity to gain fresh perspectives from one of the world’s most trusted authorities on biblical child training. The program is on WLFJ AM 660 in Greenville, SC. You can listen live on the internet here. The program will be available at the Calling for Truth website later on this evening. The web address is www.callingfortruth.org. Just click on the audio button.
The narratives of the Old Testament are a rich resource for God’s people. We have been looking at Deborah in the book of Judges. Even though the events of Deborah’s life took place over 3,000 years ago, God has things for us to learn from her story. Here are some of the qualities that all of us, and women in particular, can learn from the narrative concerning Deborah. Trust in God’s Word Deborah trusted in the word of God. She understood that God alone is able to do what he says he will do. So when God said that Barak and Israel would defeat the Canaanite army, Deborah believed God. She did not need to have her trust in God […]
Some have questioned whether Deborah should be a role model for women today. Was Deborah usurping the role of a man? Was she failing to trust God to provide male leadership in a time of great need? Let’s take a look. Deborah’s role in leading Israel as a judge is an uncommon one. From the time of the patriarchs, men had been leading God’s people. Then, God called Moses to lead the people from Egypt back to the Promised Land. Moses was succeeded by Joshua. Then came the time of the judges. Up to this point, those who led Israel were all men. As we noted in the last post, after Joshua the men of Israel turned away from trusting […]
The time of the Judges was a dark time in Israel’s history. The Israelites had quickly abandoned the responsibility to teach their children about God in their day-to-day life. God became marginalized as the people enjoyed the blessings of the land that God had won for them. By the time Joshua died a new generation had grown up–but this generation did not know God or all of the things he had done for Israel (Judges 2:10. The people did not see the land as a gift from God but rather they viewed it as an entitlement. The faithful worship of God became a relic of the past. As Israel meandered through the years during the time of the Judges, their […]
Your comments are a valuable part of this blog. An example is a recent comment made by Jennifer regarding the news story about the confrontation between the police officer and the college professor in Cambridge, MA. This confrontation made headlines worldwide and sparked charges of racism and profiling. Jennifer and her husband make a good point that is easy to miss among all the sound bites and sensational headlines. Here is her comment:
Anger has come to dominate the headlines. Members of Congress have ventured out from the safe haven of the Washington Beltway back to their home states. Their reception by the home folks has been less than peaceful. Many constituents have exchanged the traditional summer grilling of hot dogs and burgers for grilling their congressional leaders. One hallmark of town hall meetings has been anger. The proposed healthcare plans by the Senate, House, and White House all have provisions that have fed angry interchanges at meetings across the country. Since all of the plans for health care reform are still just plans, it is difficult to debate what might be. Nevertheless, as concerns are raised about such provisions as end of […]
Twice in the final chapter of Job God makes this statement about Job: For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Job 42:7-8 This is surprising, perhaps, in light of Job’s reaction in chapter 3 to the tragic events that had befallen him. He is obviously speaking in agony after his overwhelming loss. Job curses the day he was born. He questions why was he born. He laments the calamities of his life. He ends his first rejoinder to his friends with these words: For my sighing comes instead of my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water. For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread […]
USA Today reports in its August 7 edition that two mountain villages in southern Switzerland have determined to ask God not to continue to shrink the massive Aletsch Glacier. Since 1678, villagers from the mountain hamlets of Fiesch and Fiescherta, which lie at the base of the glacier, have vowed to live virtuous lives if God would stop the advance of the glacier and thus spare their lives. After 400 years the villagers are concerned that their prayers have worked too well. So now these folks have petitioned the Pope to allow them to change their vow and now to ask God instead to stop shrinking the glacier and to reverse the impact of climate change. This story illustrates an […]