Are you, as a parent, dominated by love or frustration? Leading is born out of love and pushing is born out of frustration. 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. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 addresses this issue. First, you are to love God with every fiber of your being, with all that you have to offer as a human living and being sustained by the grace of God. Second, the commands of God are to dominate your inner […]
Monthly Archives: August 2013
36 posts
One way to define humility is doing what God wants as opposed to doing what I want. Pride is doing what I want instead of what God commands. To be humble means to consider God before myself. This takes courage and love. The result is the power to live as God commands. As Jesus said. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Pray earnestly for the power of humility. Your children will be threatened by your pride, but they will be blessed by your humility. Ruth Younts describes humility this way: “Humility is knowing that everything good in me is from God alone, and not for my benefit first, […]
Today, August 12th, the Governor of California signed into law an initiative requiring public schools to allow transgender K-12 students access to whichever restroom and locker room they want. According to Fox News, the new law gives students the right “to participate in sex-segregated programs, activities and facilities” based on their self-perception and regardless of their birth gender. This new California state law, which reflects the beliefs of many national leaders, defies the role of God in assigning gender. Gender determination is now said to be defined by the “self-perception” of an individual. And, of course, this self-perception of gender might not be permanent. There are documented cases of individuals deciding they are one gender and then later deciding […]
In Matthew 16, Jesus presents his disciples with a two-part question. It is a masterful question and one that parents can use with great benefit. Jesus asks his disciples, “who do people say that I am?” When the disciples finish giving their answers, Jesus makes the question personal. He asks, “who do you say that I am?” Peter quickly proclaims that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” This question revealed the content of Peter’s heart. You can use this two-part question effectively to help you understand your children’s thoughts. For example: “Hey kids, what do your friends say is causing all of the damaging weather the country has been having?” “What do you think has been […]
Suppose Suppose things were very much different. Suppose there was no electricity, no running water in your home, no gas for your car, no food in the grocery store. Suppose all this were true and more. Spend a little time thinking through these scenarios. They are all plausible outcomes given the right circumstances. But even if all of this happened, God would still be God. We would have to acknowledge that whatever happened was necessary to bring honor and glory to God. Suppose all of this was true. Would your worship be any different? But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord [ad]God my refuge, That I may tell of all Your […]
Help your teenagers see how it works out for the world. Teenagers raised in Christian homes in this culture face a difficult dilemma. Mom and Dad have one view of how to live; the world around them has another. It is vital that parents recognize the significance of this battle. For example, Mom’s and Dad’s idea of what is cool might be something like this: believing and loving the Bible, being a virgin, using clean and respectful speech, dress that protects rather than exposes, refraining from buzz drinking and recreational drugs, openly honoring one’s parents. Now put yourself in the place of your teenager. Often, in their world, what I have just described is the profile of a social outcast. It is important to […]
What to tell 4 and 5 year-olds about sin and hell? We have been told that young children are not ready for complex difficult issues like sin and hell. And it is true that you want to handle these topics with gentleness and sensitivity. But the truth is that children are never to young to learn about sin. Deciding not to tell children about sin is like refusing to tell them about air. Sin is part of their life, and until they come to Christ, it is the dominate, shaping influence in children’s lives. Explaining difficult issues with children must always be based upon clear biblical truth. Disobedience is sin. But it is not necessary to provide all the information […]
If there is a topic or a question that you would like to have addressed, just leave a comment or reply. It can be on anything from toddlers to worldview, from teenagers to bible history. Thanks again for your interest in the blog and our Facebook page! Jay Younts
The “experts” have found something new to warn us about – second-hand TV. However, this time they might be on to something. USA Today reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics “for the first time included warnings about “secondhand television” in its guidelines for kids under age 2.” The article also includes the following quote: “Parents are distracted by TV the same way preschoolers are,” says Lisa Guernsey, author of the 2007 book Into the Minds of Babes: How Screen Time Affects Children From Birth to Age Five. She says young children learn much more from face-to-face interaction than a screen.” Ms. Guernsey has it right. The danger from ubiquitous TV is not just the content on the screen but […]
In all of the ease and comfort of modern life it is easy to forget what the world is truly like. It is easy to lose sight of the need to prepare your children for a world that is deadly as it is deceitful. It is easy to love the world. If you find it difficult to warn your children of the world’s danger, that may be one sign that you love the world more than you think you do. Love your kids. Speak the truth. Flee deception. Honor God with your words.