Monthly Archives: August 2012

10 posts

Whom does Isaac Serve?

Tropical Storm Isaac took a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and finally into the Gulf of Mexico. The storm appeared to threaten the Tampa area but then continued on a northwesterly course towards New Orleans. Then the storm stalled and dumped 25”of rain in portions southern Louisiana. Further north many drought stricken-communities long for Isaac to bring rain to them. Isaac is described in the news media and by weather forecasting agencies as being controlled by atmospheric conditions, or perhaps even having a mind of his own. But let us not forget Whom Isaac obeys. Tell your children, tell your friends, that even the winds and the waves obey Jesus Christ, the Lord of all Creation. […]

I Want What I Want! Danger Ahead..

Here is quote from Paul Tripp that is worth considerable thought: “I confess that my problem isn’t just that I do bad things, but that I do bad things because I’d rather have what I want than what God has willed for me.” For your older children this truth will help them understand what they do and why. This will help them move beyond being controlled by their own behavior and give them insight into their own hearts. For teenagers, grasping this truth will help free them from what it is that really drives them. This is an insight that will serve them for the rest of their lives! This is an example of “gourmet truth”. Take great care in […]

The Blessing of Parental Authority

If we conducted an opinion poll with children raised in Christian homes, chances are that not many would list parental authority as a blessing.  This would be a great tragedy! Authority is a gift of God to his people and especially to families. Authority is often abused on the one hand and grossly neglected on the other. However, it is important not to frame one’s view of biblical authority based on the abuses of others. Human authority is a daily object lesson that all of creation is under the authority and rule of the Lord of the Universe. However, viewing authority as gift requires something of an attitude adjustment for many. The world, under the direction of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-3) […]

Leading with Pleasant Words

Leading your children with love is a not a lofty goal that should you hope someday to possibly achieve. Rather it is a command of God. Stealing is not something that we hope one day to leave behind. You won’t find someone at church happily announcing to others that they were making real progress with learning not to steal; why yesterday they only stole twice.  But when it comes to raising voices or speaking sharply with children, this is exactly the sort of logic that is used. “I used to yell all the time, now I hardly ever do it; well almost hardly ever.” This is thought of as progress. Well in one sense, I suppose it is. But this […]

Do Your Children Feel Led or Pushed?

Do your children feel led or pushed? Or asked another way, are you as a parent dominated by love or frustration? The two questions are inexorably tied together. Leading is born out of love and pushing is born out of frustration.  Too often as parents we tell our children that we demand obedience and speak sharply because we love them and only want the best for them. Most likely our children are not buying this explanation.  It feels to them as if they are being pushed into doing what mom and dad want.  In contrast, notice the sequence of thought and actions in Deuteronomy 6:5-7: 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul […]

Everyday Talk about Cancer & Other Bad News

God placed our first parents, Adam and Eve, into a world that was good, very good. There was no disease, no human rebellion, the ground was receptive to crop growth. There was no air pollution.  There were animals who submitted to the rule of God and man as they came before Adam to be named. There was no marital discord between the first couple.  This was creation. This is what Adam and Eve rejected when they thought they had a better way to live than to follow God’s command. Sadly, this was also the choice that you and I and every other human would have made had we been in their place. In short, Adam and Eve paved the way […]

Why you should read at least some blogs

Finding a blogger who is sound in thought, culturally aware, and biblically dependent is a must for parents. I realize these three caveats rule out most bloggers. However, when you find one who does pass these three qualifiers, you have indeed found a friend. Life is a rush of activity and challenges. Having someone else who considers the big picture and has the adroitness to keep relevant thoughts in the forefront of their presentation is a true gift of discipleship. Sometimes being reminded of something said 400 years ago can be a day-changing perspective. Justin Taylor provided that service for me today and I thought I would pass it along to you as well. Here is an excerpt from his […]

Shepherding a Child’s Heart in Asheville, NC

Crosspoint Church in Asheville, NC is hosting featuring Tedd Tripp, August 17&18. You can check out details of the conference here. If you are in the Asheville area, or in upstate South Carolina, this is a wonderful opportunity to hear Tedd speak and to encourage others about the importance of biblical parenting! I had the opportunity to interview the pastor of Crosspoint, Mike McKelvy and lay leader, Nathan Renfro about this conference. I am excited to see a local church so enthused about biblical shepherding of their families. I believe you will appreciate the insights of these two men and their passion for truth. Here is the link to the interview:    

Formative Instruction – Interview with Tedd Tripp

Here is the first segment of the four part interview I was privileged to conduct with Tedd Tripp. The focus on this segment is on formative instruction. This concept is introduced in the book Instructing a Child’s Heart. As is often the case, when a truly biblical insight is put forth, the insight takes on a timeless quality, because the bible itself is timeless in both principle and application.  Since Instructing a Child’s Heart was written, our culture appears to have taken an even more radical turn away from biblical morality. This book explains the powerful impact of the culture around us and its influence on your family.  Formative instruction as outlined in Deuteronomy 6 is essential for helping you […]

Tedd Tripp on Gourmet Authority

Biblical authority is one of the most frequently referenced and yet most frequently misunderstood concepts when speaking about Christian parenting. Here is a twelve minute segment of an interview that I did with Dr. Tedd Tripp about the concept of biblical authority. Tedd offers a clear and compelling case for grasping the importance of biblical authority. Find twelve minutes and listen to this interview and then please leave a comment about your reaction. Understanding authority in the way that Tedd outlines here will have a dramatic impact on your parenting for God’s glory and the good of your children.   [hr]