The Holy Spirit instructs you to teach the person of Jesus to your children. One reason our children turn from the church and our parental instruction is that we teach them about Christ and Christianity without teaching them to learn, to know, the person Jesus Christ. Look closely with me at Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Fathers are commanded not provoke their children to anger. This rules out severe discipline, harsh or arbitrary demands, abuse of authority, constant nagging, condemnation, and humiliation. Children are to be treated with respect and are not to be manipulated, exploited or crushed. This is no excuse for […]
Monthly Archives: November 2017
12 posts
Your enemy knows better than to present his real plan for what it really is. Subtle, clever deception is designed to keep you and your children from seeing the true ugliness of sin. Prepare your children for these attractive schemes. Biblical faith and love for God are the only real defenses for these deceptive tactics. For example: entertainment often uses humor to portray lust, adultery, jealousy, gossip, hatred, greed, etc. I’m not just talking about X-rated movies. “Light-hearted, fun” PG movies fit the profile as well. It so easy to be amused by behavior that God hates. We fall for the lie: “It’s no big deal, it’s just fun”? But what is presented as fun results in horrific outcomes in […]
Psalm 72 declares that God alone does wondrous things. How easily this truth is discarded! Since the Fall, the only hope of mankind has been the gospel and the gospel alone. Ultimately, the reason that you have electric light instead of candlelight is the gospel. The reason someone lets you into the next traffic lane instead of running you off the road is the gospel. The reason you can buy food instead of having to kill others for it is the gospel. Sound strange or naïve? Take a moment to consider the plight of all humans immediately after the Fall. When Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie, not only did spiritual death occur, but at that moment hope ceased to […]
Gratitude enables praise. Gratitude destroys self-pity. Gratitude is not compatible with envy. Gratitude softens grief. Gratitude is the fuel of joy. Gratitude is the soil that grows humility, Gratitude protects against sexual sin. Gratitude deepens your awareness of God. Gratitude is the soul of worship. Gratitude opens your eyes to grace. Gratitude repels pride. Gratitude is God’s will for you in Christ. Gratitude turns back your judgmental spirit. Gratitude calls you to serve instead of being served. Gratitude is the enemy of greed. Gratitude challenges you to love others instead of yourself. Gratitude will lead you to love Jesus more deeply.
Thanksgiving Proclamation [New York, 3 October 1789] By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation. Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.” Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday […]
O Lord my God, my Savior, I pray for a heart overflowing with thanksgiving. Father, you are my constant reason for joy. You are faithful when I am unfaithful. You promise heaven when I am consumed by the next hour. Protect me from my own selfish desires. I confess that I want what cannot satisfy. I confess that I complain about what is not done rather than be grateful for what I can do. I confess that I am easily disappointed by those I love, even though you continue to love and bless me. I confess I cling to bitterness more than I rush to praise. I confess that I am not satisfied that the nearness of you is my […]
Five words, sixteen letters: for the Lord is good. These five words are the bedrock that gives hope and purpose to your life and to your parenting. They form the lens that will allow you see life with a clear vision. Without them life is blurry, uncertain, even terrifying. These words come from the fifth verse of Psalm 100: For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. These are words of hope when life hurts. They offer assurance when circumstances seem to line up against you. They speak of God’s faithfulness to your children. They are good words! This verse contains 3 foundational truths that provide hope. They provide you with […]
“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4:1) The good news in the story of Jesus’ temptation is that Jesus obeyed God and defeated temptation at every point where Israel, and Adam, and you and I have failed! Jesus was tempted as our brother, captain, and king. Adam, our first representative, was tempted in paradise and failed. Jesus, the second Adam and our final representative, was tempted in the desert and conquered. He reversed every aspect of the fall. What Jesus won in this initial victory was soon to be completed in his decisive victory on the cross and […]
Proverbs 18:15 teaches that the ears of the wise search for knowledge. The message is that not everything that you need to know as a parent will be handed to you wrapped in a bright warning label that says “Danger, check this out.” Sometimes the warning signs are subtle. They can easily get lost in hectic pace of life. Teenagers just getting started with drug abuse often fit into this category. Drugs are readily available today, sometimes teenagers need only your own medicine cabinet to get started. If you find any indication of drug use, don’t hesitate, get whatever help is needed as quickly as possible! I have asked my good friend and fellow elder, Richie Batson, to provide some […]
The Psalms are built on one great foundational truth: God rules over the earth. Blessed or joyful is the man who turns away from the world and delights in the law of God. The Psalms also teach that the appropriate fear of God must always come first. The fear of the Lord brings wisdom and joy. Wisdom and joy are two good things that you want for your children! Psalms 111 & 112 state the blessings of the fear of the Lord as leading to wisdom, joy, and delight in obeying God. When God is recognized for who he is then life is at last understandable. Notice how Psalm 111 ends and Psalm 112 begins: The fear of the Lord is […]