As far as the government is concerned your authority as a parent is gone. You can believe that you still have control over your family, if you choose to believe in fantasies. But the reality is that it is government who decides what is moral for your family. Don’t bother mentioning God in this discussion – his law has been ruled unconstitutional! At least that is how the government sees things. An innocuous sounding announcement by White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, has cast a dark shadow over the American family. The current administration has yielded to the court order of a U.S. District judge to make the Plan B morning after pill available to women of all ages. Here […]
Monthly Archives: June 2013
33 posts
Love Christ first By his sacrificial example encourage his wife to love Christ first Love his wife so that she is confident he understands her deepest thoughts & moods Love his wife by honoring her before their children Love his wife by joyful sacrifice to enable her spiritual growth Love his wife by seeing her sins as opportunities to show the grace of God to her By his sacrificial example encourage his children to love Christ first Love his children by letting them know that he is incomplete without his wife Love his children by learning to listen first and speak only when necessary Love his children by living out God’s word in front of them Love his children […]
Christian single parents live in two worlds. As a part of the church world, they are in the minority. As a part of the world outside of church they are more of the norm. Being a parent is challenging enough with two parents – it can be overwhelming with just one. It is important for leaders and two-parent families recognize the challenges their single parent brothers and sisters face. This is important for the health of the entire church and our witness to the communities we serve. As Paul reminds us, if one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers as well. Many of our single parent families are suffering. This is not always easy to spot in […]
Each day the headlines tell us of new ways our privacy has been compromised. There are credible fears of government’s intrusion into private electronic communication. Is privacy an illusion? Should we fear governmental agencies that appear to have gone too far? Can our private words be used against us? Perhaps. However, what really should be feared is ignored. Here is the reality that is not being reported: There is no communication or thought that is not known and recorded by God. If you want to fear something, fear this. Forget listening in on phone conversations. God knows the words that you will say before you even say them. What’s more, your supposedly private thoughts will be used as evidence to […]
God does not exist for man; man exists for God. We live in perilous times. Modern evangelism has reduced the message and purpose of the gospel. Much of evangelical Christianity is focused on getting people to pray the sinner’s prayer so that they can go to heaven. The heart of the gospel is the glory of God. God is so jealous for his own glory that he sent his Son to redeem broken, sinful, unworthy people (Isa. 42:8). The Son prayed that his followers would see his glory (Jn. 17:24). The glory of God moved his holy heart to choose a people (Rom. 9:23). God extends grace to broken people for his own glory. God is glorified when he is […]
Scripture not only lays before us the wonderful promise of eternity, but it also understands the deepest issues we experience before we get there. In the narrative of God’s Word we find an eloquent and practical wisdom that speaks directly to these pressing issues. So we need constantly to carry two commitments with us wherever we go. First, we need to commit to be persistent and teachable students of God’s Word. We were never designed to figure out life on our own. Only as we submit to the wisdom of the Wonderful Counselor will we escape the hold of our own foolishness. Second, we need to be committed to a habit of ongoing self-examination. You and I need to get […]
True identity is rooted in worshiping God as Creator. To have a sense of identity that will not fail you when you are buffeted by the sure-to-come storms of life, you must start at the beginning. Every part of the fabric of your personhood was carefully knit together by God’s creative hands. There was no part of you that was hidden from him. He carefully examined every aspect of your unformed body before you were born. There were no accidents, no glitches, no thoughtless moments. Just like David, you too were “fearfully and wonderfully” made. The color of your eyes, the shape of your body, your intellectual and physical gifts, your hair, your voice, your personality, the color of your […]
If you have not done so already, google the phrase “cutest couple”. The story and video that you will find is about students in a high school in New York state who were proclaimed the “cutest couple.’ The story will challenge stereotypes. The story contains no foul language or angry speech. It speaks of awards, courage, joy, scholarship, and happiness in high school America. All of the young people in the story are happy and seem at ease. The story also sends a message of what is acceptable and valued by our culture. How do you respond to reading the story or viewing the video? What do your teenage children think about this story? How would you apply a biblical […]
It is no secret that each child is different and special. Parenting that reaches the heart will have a laser-like focus on this reality. It is true that God’s commands are absolute and unquestionably accurate. It is also true that the application of these commands must be suited to the needs of each person, each child. For example, fear may show itself in many different ways. One child who is tormented by fear may attempt to control his fear by being a bully. That way he may attempt to control situations so that he will not have to face his fears. Another child may attempt to deal with her fears by withdrawing socially and clamming up. A young child may […]
Parents you must teach from your heart to your children’s hearts. If your combination of biblical commands and applied wisdom centers on your personal convenience and preferences your instruction will lack power. It will only serve to provoke your children to anger. Remember, wisdom is the skill of applying God’s truth to everyday life situations. The father in Proverbs 7 took God’s truth and skillfully applied it to the sexual temptations that he knew his son would face. By contrast, rules learned by rote have no chance of defeating sexual temptation. The instruction that Proverbs 4 & 7 insists upon takes time, skill, preparation, prayer, and a heart for God. You must know the relational climate of your children’s world […]