Whether you watch the Super Bowl or not the game is important to you as a Christian parent. This annual spectacle tells you a great deal about the world your children will inhabit. Proverbs 7 shows a father looking out his window at the culture around him. This father used the view from his window to instruct his son about the dangers of life. The window of your television affords you the same opportunity and obligation. In addition to the game you can learn much about our culture from the commercials. These commercials cost 4 million dollars for a 30 second spot, and that does not include the production costs. The companies who sponsor these commercials spend a considerable amount […]
Monthly Archives: January 2014
42 posts
Marriage has fallen on hard times. Many of you reading this have experienced divorce, either directly or from the impact of someone close to you. When divorce is a part of your family history, your daily conversations must reflect God’s healing power and your focus on serving Him now, rather than the problems of a troubled past. This poses a particular challenge for blended families and parents who must continue to interact with each other after a divorce. Shattered relationships may remain shattered. Hurt may grow over time, instead of fading. Because a one-flesh relationship has been ripped apart there are many rough edges and raw emotions. It seems for every situation where divorce does not cause lasting pain, […]
If you desire to be a loving, biblical parent you must begin by being a loving, biblical spouse. Too often parents believe they can compensate for the deficiencies in their marriage by concentrating on loving their children. Not a good idea! Living primarily for your children leads to making idols of your children. This is a burden that no child can bear. In the long run, it will only turn your children against you. No one is blessed when this happens. Stability in the marriage relationship is what provides stability for the family, not the other way around. Here are at least three of the reasons why this is true. First, marriage is designed to be permanent. Children are […]
Husbands, God commands you to love your wife. He says that you are to love your wife as Christ loves the church. These are words that should bring us to our knees in holy fear. Christ’s example of love is humbling and overwhelming. His example should shake us to the very core of our being. This command, properly understood, should drive us to cry out to God for strength, courage, and his mercy. Why? Because if you are to love with the love of Christ, then the actions of your wife must not determine the quality of your love for her. Men, Jesus loved you when your were unlovely. He cares for you when you turn away from […]
Have you ever said something like this to your kids when things are challenging? “Sorry I was upset. You know that I love you, but I am just so frustrated right now!” The words, “I love you,” are buried in the middle of this defense of angry behavior. They may well be familiar words. But the problem with familiar words is that they often lose their impact and may become background noise to your children. More is needed than just words. Real, tangible actions must accompany the words of love. Let’s start with patience. I Corinthians 13 says that love is patient. A working definition of patience is living in the expectation of God’s care. Patience and […]
Americans are fascinated by fame. This attraction is fatal. Romans teaches that the pursuit of fame leads to a great exchange. God’s truth is exchanged for a lie. Man worships and serves things which are created instead of the One who creates: They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator… Romans 1:25 By making this exchange man becomes less of what he could be, not more. If we chose to ignore God, then all that is left is the praise of men. In this setting, man becomes self-absorbed like the inhabitants of Babel: Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a […]
Why Christ came to earth, in his own words Luke’s Gospel, written to gentiles, tells us why Jesus came to earth. His words are a mixture of joy and fear. Joy, because Jesus is my only hope. Fear, because Jesus describes exactly who I am without his mercy. If you do not think of yourself as a poor, blind slave apart from the grace of Christ, you think too much of yourself and too little of Christ. In the passage below Christ tells us why he came. Praise God for his glorious grace! He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his […]
Here is a brief application from Romans 8 that teaches Christians do not have to be controlled by fear. Christians need not fear condemnation. verse 1 Christians are not controlled by the flesh but by the Holy Spirit. verse 9 Christians are not slaves to fear, but to the Holy Spirit. verse 15 If you rely only on what is seen you will be controlled by fear. verse 24 If you rely on what is unseen, you have hope. verse 24 Even in your weak moments of worry and fear, the Spirit intercedes for you. verse 26 Your deepest fears have been searched out by God and are known to him. verse 27 […]
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 which is not their friend. It is easy to love the world. It is so easy that God has given you a clear and dramatic command not to love it. The world has only the appearance of beauty, not the reality. But the appearance of beauty is alluring and powerful, even though it is false. Satan is hard at work putting an appealing, beautiful veneer over the horrible world that he rules. Never underestimate the danger of false beauty! Paul describes the […]
Solomon describes the importance of the heart in Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” The heart is like an artesian spring. All our hopes, dreams, and desires gush from the heart. Every drive for meaning and significance originates in the heart. Our behavior flows from the heart—it isn’t caused by circumstances or other people. The heart, with its passions and desires, is the wellspring of life. Recently, Radio Shack had a sale on little matchbox-size remote control cars. “What a fun thing for the grandchildren to play with at grandpa’s house,” I thought. The next week they were all at our house for a family meal. I got the […]