The question we posed in the last post was this: If it was possible to remove all of social media would your children be better off? The answer: not really. Social media isn’t the problem. The heart is. The world, the flesh and the Devil will bring negative influences even if social media is not available. Here is what I Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:17 teach: If something cannot be done to add to God’s reputation, that is the glory of God, with gratitude to God, in the name of Christ, it should not be done! How is this a realistic, practical objective? We learn from Psalm 139 that it is not possible to exclude God from any portion of […]
Yearly Archives: 2015
272 posts
Want to create some havoc in your home? Try cutting off the flow of social media to your kids. That’s right. Put all iPhones, Android phones, tablets and computers in a safe and lock them away. Then for good measure, disconnect any cable, DSL, satellite or any other internet connections to your home. Next, see what happens. There are many who think this would be the perfect solution to solve the relational issues your children struggle with. But does this really solve anything? Outside influence has always been in issue with raising children and, to be honest, for adults as well. Lot chose to live in an attractive city that had plenty of water for crops. It was well populated […]
How can you know if someone is your friend? This is a crucial life skill that you and your children must master. Failure to discern who is a genuine friend leads to being manipulated and used. This may result in bitterness and a crippling inability to trust others. God has provided tools in Scripture so that you can recognize genuine friendship. Becoming intimately familiar with passages that teach what friendship in action looks like is a way to start. I Corinthians 13:4-7 is such a passage. Another place to look is in the Proverbs. Most Proverbs should not be read as commands but as reliable observations about life. For example look at Proverbs 12:18: “The words of the reckless pierce […]
Where can you go to escape from God? Of course, you have to believe there is a God before you can worry about escaping from him. Too many politicians, professors, and media pundits have made God the moral equivalent of Santa Claus. He is nice to remember once in a while, but no one takes him seriously. But God is for real. He is not to be ignored or taken lightly. This generation has turned away from God. How has that worked out? While people stumble over material wealth unimaginable just a few years ago, on each Black Friday crowds trample on folks lusting to have more. The thirst for stuff cannot be quenched. Extra-marital sex, otherwise known as sin, […]
Christmas marks the beginning of the end. The end of: War, Greed, Selfishness, Bigotry, Racism, Oppression, Immorality, Secularism, Corrupt leaders, Abuse, Addiction, Anger, Despair, Hatred, Sadness, Suffering, Heartbreak. Someone is saying, “Wait a minute! Haven’t you seen the news. Haven’t you seen the suffering of people all around you?” Yes, I have. But there is news that is better than what is on the cable, network or internet or what my I eyes have seen. It was announced in the heavens 2,000 years ago. The items on this list have been defeated by Jesus Christ. They will all come to an end. The good news is that Christ has come! He makes certain the promise that one day there will […]
Happy Holidays is the sensitive, politically correct, caring greeting to offer from Thanksgiving Day until Happy Holiday Day. After Happy Holliday Day then it is fine form to actually say Happy New Year. No one seems to be offended at the prospect of celebrating parties, drunkenness and the fleeting hope that next year will be better than this year. Therefore, to offer a truly happy, non-offensive greeting all you have to do is to avoid the mention of anything that might possibly be a reference to Jesus Christ. But, then it is fair to ask why should anyone be happy if God and his Son are not the reason for being happy. During the holidays people eat too much, spend […]
Thanksgiving is the one day in the holiday season about which there is no ambiguity. Store clerks, news anchors, strangers, teachers, pastors, flight attendants, TV commercials, sales people, even government employees can say Happy Thanksgiving without fear of offending anyone. Most everyone can offer some reason to give thanks. For the moment, at least, thanksgiving is not offensive in our culture. But the question must be asked, why is “Happy Thanksgiving” not offensive? People are thankful for things, relationships, food, safety, etc. But the thanks stops there. As long as people are thankful for the gifts and not the giver there is no problem. However, if giving thanks were tied to God, the greeting would be deemed politically incorrect and […]
Think of it, fifty or so people, faced with overwhelming odds, with only the mercy of God to sustain them, helped to change the course of human history. 1623 William Bradford, at age 33, issued a proclamation of Thanksgiving for the remaining Pilgrims who had landed on Plymouth Rock. Because of winter storms their ship, the Mayflower, came ashore several hundred miles north of their planned destination. Half of the initial company that sailed from England died in the brutal first winter after their arrival. These Pilgrims endured because of a fierce desire to be free to worship the God of the Bible. They were a literal handful of people. Yet they survived, fueled by gratitude. Fifty people. Do you, […]
It is easy to worship like we live. We become used to hiding from others what we are truly like. We smile with our lips but scorn with our hearts. We praise with our words, but doubt with our thoughts. We offer good will to all but harbor injustice in our spirit. Because we interact with flawed, imperfect humans we actually believe our charades are believable. But interacting with God is a totally different picture. God is completely perfect with no flaws. What works with people doesn’t work with God. Here is the clear reality that David embraced when he considered the person of God. Listen to David’s thoughts: I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light […]
In one way or another your children are hearing about the growing threat from ISIS. The attack on Paris is all too real. They will have questions, concerns and fears that need to be addressed. You can be sure that not once in the national media will you hear that the Living God of the Bible be called upon for protection. So what do you tell your children? First tell them that just because God is not acknowledged by the media and others does not mean that he is powerless. All of these attacks by ISIS are unfolding as God has purposed. You can also point out that as a country we have begun to act as if God does not […]