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Thought for the Lord’s Day

 Praise is the one action of the human heart that puts life in perspective.   If you and I allow any event, circumstance, relationship, anything at all, to rob us of praise, then life will make no sense and we will focus on ourselves and our well-being. Only the praise of God will deliver us from our flesh, our pride and our propensity for self-pity.    May our hearts resonate with the words of the psalmist – this day and everyday!     Let them praise the name of the Lord,     for his name alone is exalted;     his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. Psalm 148:13

You never know!

497 years ago one man driven by his passion for the gospel wrote some things down on paper. Then he nailed the paper to a church door. The sound of the nail driven into that door still reverberates to this day. Social media has been around longer than we think! If you have a passion for God’s gospel truth there are no limitations. No, your name may not be remembered as Martin Luther’s is, but your voice will resonate in history. You may not have a church door in Wittenburg to post your thoughts. But you do have a voice, you may have a Facebook page, an email account, a phone to send texts, a friend to talk with, a […]

Marijuana and the NY Times: Smoking away our brains

By Dr. Charles Hodges, author of Good Mood Bad Mood I have written often about the perils of the recreational use of marijuana and I cannot resist writing again. The cause for my writing is that the New York Times that has stumbled into the reality that smoking pot does little if any good for those who smoke it. And it has the potential for great harm.[i] In an October 29th article by Abigail Moore titled, “This Is Your Brain on Drugs,” the problems with pot are outlined. The first and most disturbing is that smoking marijuana changes the brain. The nucleus accumbens thickens and among those in the study, the more they smoked the more it thickened. The changes […]

Trust, Doubt, & Faith

TRUST is believing and doing what God tells me in the Bible, even when it is hard to do.   DOUBT is attempting to find another alternative in the face of clear biblical teaching.   FAITH is knowing the difference between trust and doubt and doing what God says over what I want or fear. 

Do you listen to your children, or to yourself?

“Hey mom, Jeremy is upset.”   “Okay Sarah, I’ll be right there.”   The real story here is what mom is saying to herself in her mind. “Here we go again.  Sarah is always making Jeremy upset. I can’t finish anything without somebody having an issue. I’ll get to it in a moment.”   “Dad, I’m really sorry I messed up and forgot to cut the grass. I’ll get to it right after lunch. Sorry dad.”   “Aaron, when is this pattern going to change? You need to start being responsible. Don’t make promises you can’t keep!”   What dad is thinking is his mind: “I can’t believe this kid. Always an excuse. At least I didn’t yell at him. […]

But as for me and my household..

by Tedd and Margy Tripp Here are two more goals of formative instruction from Chapter 2 of Instructing a Child’s Heart. These goals validate your walk before God as authentic and thus offer your children a vibrant alternative to the deceitfulness of the surrounding culture.  Your mission as a parent must start here.  From Chapter 2: Model Spiritual Vitality for Our Children The surest way to teach children to apply God’s truth to life’s circumstances is to model it for them. Parenting that exhibits a vital relationship with God in all the joys and storms of life is irresistible to children and young people. Conversely, the surest way to harden our children’s hearts to God and his ways is “having […]

Thought for the Lord’s Day

How often do you think about your rescue?   Years ago, I pulled a lifeless body off the bottom of a pool. The young man was a friend and a top-notch swimmer who had passed out underwater. I was the lifeguard responsible for the afternoon watch at a large pool at a Y in Miami. I noticed he was laying motionless underwater. The other guards were not paying attention because of this young man’s known excellence in the water. But I knew something was wrong, so I yelled to the other guards, dove in and lifted him up to waiting hands which successfully performed CPR.     Over 10 years later I ran into my friend unexpectedly in downtown Miami. […]

Consequences or love of God – what motivates your teenager?

It is no secret teenagers face powerful temptations.  Parents want to make sure that consequences are in place to help protect their children. It is good to put deterrents in place for behavior that is unacceptable and sinful. But, for your teenager, still it comes down to that moment of decision; is the consequence enough to make a difference?   For example, Kevin, a young teenage boy has an opportunity to be alone with Tiffany, a girl with a reputation for being sexually active. If he thinks that he might get caught and his parents will find out, or that he might get a sexually-transmitted disease, he might decide not to be with her. However, suppose she entices him into […]

A question for teenagers, do you believe that God knows your thoughts?

This is a serious question for teenagers! Not looking for any adult pleasing answers, just what you really think. And as a follow up question, does it matter to you if you think he knows what is going inside your head?   I think the answer to these questions is really a big deal, for you and for God. Based upon your answers I will put together some posts that attempt to deal with your answers and come up with some more questions.    Thank you for considering this. I promise I won’t give you a hard time based upon what you say. I will try to give you honest feedback.    Parents, feel free to pass this on to […]