When Jesus says this is how you should pray parents should take notice! God wants you to pray that his kingdom will reign in your home. To pray effectively, in a way that honors God as special and holy, we must pray that God’s purpose and plan must prevail and not our own. However, the reality is that we come to God most often when we have a problem. If this is the example your children follow, it is not a good one. This is the point to stress to yourself and to your children. By crying out to God that you want his kingdom to rule and his will to be done, you are implicitly saying that his purpose […]
Yearly Archives: 2014
347 posts
Corporate worship is a collective experience where people sing praises to God, listen to his word and pray together as a body whose only hope is the redemptive grace of God. But there is another aspect to corporate worship, an individual dimension. While we can pray, sing, give and listen together, only each of us as individuals can seek the face of God in repentance. I can’t repent for your sin and you can’t repent for mine. Blame shifting makes for a weak church and insincere worship. When you come face to face with the God you worship, you can’t shift the responsibility of your sin to the person sitting next to you or to your spouse or your […]
People often ask where is God. They want to see a sign that he exits. They question his power. The truth is that God shows himself and his power all the time. He demonstrates his power in awesome and terrible ways that tell us he is not to be trifled with. Earlier this morning I heard once again the loud peals of thunder. Later, there was the sound of rushing wind. As I went outside on the front porch the wind was blowing sheets of rain parallel to the ground. The weather bureau said a tornado was passing just to the south. The wind was roaring. Then it began to swirl in different directions. And then everything was calm. The […]
The prophet Elisha spoke these words regarding a man with normal eyesight. He could see everything there was to see with human eyes. But, obviously, there was something important that his servant was missing. This is a lesson parents must remember. If your children believe that what is important is what they can see with their eyes then they will be severely hampered in life. How much time do you spend talking with your kids about the importance of what they cannot see? What is unseen is of far more importance than what we can actually see. Do your children know that you believe that? Parent, it is your job to help your children understand that what is unseen is […]
Even the world wants children who obey and do what they are told. But the apostle Paul says that simply coming when called is not enough. Paul says children are to come when called, in the Lord, that is in the power of God. That is radical. It means your parenting may not be evaluated only on how quickly and how correctly your children respond to your directions. Your parenting must lead your children to do these things in the Lord, otherwise they are not doing right at all. Here is what Paul says: Children obey your parents in the Lord. Ephesians 6:1 What is so radical about that, you may ask? The radical part is the last three words: […]
Schoolwork assignments add another set of variables that goes beyond the immediate scope of the parent-child relationship. If you tell your child to take out the garbage, or take a few minutes to read to his little brother, the interaction is primarily between you and your son. However, if the task is to complete a schoolwork assignment, there may be important factors influencing your child that are not immediately obvious. This is true even for homeschoolers. Any time your child interacts with an outside source of direction or information, parents must be alert. Wisdom, discernment, and patience are required to understand your child’s reaction to that outside source. It is in these moments when you prepare your children to deal […]
Does God want you to choose only between good and bad? Or is he also interested in you making the right choice between what is good and what is best? Too often parents only focus on choosing between good and bad. That is important. But even more important is the goal to choose that which is best! God wants us to do more than avoid evil. He wants our best. This is why Ruth Younts defines discernment this way: “Discernment is seeing the difference between good and bad – or good and best – so I know what to do to please God.” Prayer for discernment: Dear Lord, sin makes me so foolish and stupid […]
Sean wants to be a structural engineer. He wants to design buildings with beauty and functionality. However, Sean hates algebra and calculus. He has no interest in math. Sean also says he wants to be a good person. However, Sean hates the idea of God and moral absolutes. For Sean, the Bible is a collection of outdated myths. But he still believes he can be and is a good person. More is needed to be a structural engineer than simply desiring to be one. More is also needed to be a good person than self-proclamation. The difference is that being good is much more challenging than being an engineer. Being good requires a heart change. One of the […]
What is there about schoolwork that should point to the gospel? First and foremost, it is God who assigned the schoolwork. God orders all things and determines all earthly authorities, including teachers (Colossians:15-20; Romans 8:28). Schoolwork, no matter how random, tedious or difficult it might appear to be, is ultimately directed by God in his wise providence. One of the purposes of all the work that we have to do is to drive us to Christ and his gospel (Col. 3:17). In order to encourage your children to trust God, you must first encourage them with the gospel message of grace. Their schoolwork is sent to them by God. Schoolwork is a wonderful opportunity to teach your kids how God is […]
Several years ago I had the privilege to respond to a mom whose daughter was mocked by another child on a school bus. Here is the comment the little girl’s mom wrote in her blog: The girl on the bus pointed at her birthmark–the one just below her left eye–and told her she looked stupid. The soft confession came from my little girl, who was staring at the floor. A groan escaped me and I grabbed my daughter close. And I did exactly what I shouldn’t have: I cried. Will it get easier to be strong? Will it get easier to say the right thing in response to pain? Below is what I wrote to encourage this mom. A birthmark, […]