Your view of obedience controls how you give directions. Strange as it may seem, the way your garbage is taken out can reveal your functional understanding of obedience. The goal is to learn how to give holy, everyday directions that please God and bless your children. Let me begin by asking you two questions: Do you want your children to obey your directions and take out the garbage? You might be thinking, “That’s a strange question; of course I want my children to obey me.” That leads me to the second question. Assuming you want your children to obey you, do you act as if you expect them to take out the garbage? Now you are sure I am asking […]
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Life is about competition and winning. Or at least it seems that way. The Olympic Games show the drama and stunning capabilities of athletic achievement. But in the end, all eyes are still on the gold. This fascination with athletic success is a human thing. Tedd Tripp puts it this way: “That is why we enjoy watching sports on TV. We love to marvel at amazing feats that ordinary mortals cannot accomplish. Whether football, basketball, ice skating or skiing, we love to be dazzled by athleticism.This is uniquely human. There are no diving competitions for penguins in the Antarctic. They dive from massive ice floes, barely breaking the water, and yet no one scores them. At the end of the […]
There was a moment when there was no universe to observe. There were no light years to measure because there was no light. There was no way to measure time, because there was no time. There was no gravity, no radiation, no black holes, no stars, no planets, no comets, no asteroids, no moons to be observed. The physical universe did not exist. Or did it? Before there was light, time and galaxies, there was God. This same God asked Job a question whose answer gives the difference between creature and Creator: “Where does light come from, and where does darkness go? Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there?” Of course, Job could […]
If we conducted an opinion poll of children raised in Christian homes not many would list parental authority as a blessing. This is a sad reality. Authority is a gift of God to his people and especially to families. Authority is often abused on the one hand or grossly neglected on the other. However, it is important not to frame your view of biblical authority based on abuses. Parental authority is a daily object lesson that all of creation is under the authority and rule of the Lord of the Universe. However, viewing authority as a gift requires an attitude adjustment for many. Authority is said to curtail imagination, stunt creativity, restrict freedom, and diminish individual worth. This misconceptions have filtered […]
Most of life’s problems that you and your children will face are not caused by a lack of information. Most problems arise because of a lack of sound judgment. After Joshua died Israel became a train wreck. Why? They knew about God but they didn’t know God. Here is what Judges 2:10 says about the time after Joshua’s death: “And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. As you read through the book of Judges it becomes apparent that the people knew about God. You hear him talked about all the time. But they weren’t talking […]
One of your friends just posted a less than complimentary comment about a politician. You reply back with a similar comment. This touches off a mini-flurry of comments and links that are all centered on the stupidity of anyone even thinking that there may be something good about this person. You sign off with a few emojis thinking it was a good exchange. Is there a problem here? Actually, there is. The problem comes when interactions on social media are viewed as private exchanges between you and the people you are responding to. But that definitely is not the case. For example, say there were 5 people that participated in the news feed exchange mentioned above. This means that potentially […]
What’s really important in life? What are the goals you set for yourself, for your children? Do these goals center on things like grades, good jobs, a sound financial position, a comfortable house, personal accomplishments, a secure retirement? These all have their upside. But they all miss the mark of what is most important in life. The Sadducees and the Pharisees were playing tag team against Jesus. In one particular go-around the Sadducees had failed get the upper hand. Now it was the Pharisees turn to entrap him. The stakes in this game were high — the life of Jesus. A clever Pharisee made the next attempt. In a tone of mock deference, he asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest […]
One morning a young man awoke more tired than he when he had gone to bed. He was totally stressed about the problems facing his country. The politicians ignored God. The leaders despised God’s law. He dreamed about the bad things that might happen. He had tossed and turned all night. To make matters worse, the major candidates offered him no hope. The more he watched his news feed and his favorite cable news network the more discouraged he had become. In discouragement he drove by his church. Sure enough, his pastor was in, so he stopped, hoping to grab a few minutes with him. “Hey Brian, how are you?” “Kind of discouraged, pastor. It seems like things are going […]
Psalms 111 and 112 both focus on the fear of the Lord. Both psalms have the same acrostic poetic structure. Therefore, it is important to see the connection between the end of Psalm 111 and the beginning of Psalm 112. The end of 111 says that the fear for Lord brings wisdom and the beginning of 112 says the fear of the Lord brings joy or happiness. Wisdom and joy are two good things that you want for your children! The Psalms are built on one great foundational truth: God rules over the earth. Blessed or joyful is the man turns away from the world and delights in the law of God. The appropriate fear of God must always come […]
Noah: A Journal of Praise Featured in World Magazine Ganz imagines Noah keeping a journal into which she invites her readers: “Let’s pretend that we are reading some pages from Noah’s journal.” The beautifully illustrated journal begins on the day Noah enters the ark for the last time before the flood: “I was thankful that our God himself shut the door of the ark. Would I have the strength to do it?” Noah writes about the ark’s sounds and smells, his fear, and the attributes of God to which he clings. The book depicts the reality of God’s judgement and shows Noah offering praise for his goodness and mercy. (Ages 8-12) World Magazine August 6, 2016 To learn more, click […]