by Tedd Tripp As Father’s Day approaches, families prepare to honor their fathers. For me, as a father, it is a time to reflect on the meaning of fatherhood. The Apostle Paul’s observation about fathering in 1 Thessalonians 2 is a good place to start. Paul observes that he had been like a father both by example and his instruction. As for his example, both the Thessalonians and God were witnesses of how holy, righteous and blameless he had been toward them. Holy refers to him in relationship to God; he was a devout, pious man, intent on pleasing God. Our families must see the integrity of walking with God. We will sin, but they must see a Dad who […]
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As you prepare to go to church each week, do you consider this to be an act of courage? Well, if you go to a church that believes that God is holy, that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, that the Bible is the inspired word of God and must be obeyed, then going to church is a an act of courage! When you go to church and you affirm your belief with other Christians in these core doctrines of historic Christianity, you put yourself at odds with those who view such beliefs as a threat to personal freedom and choice. Serving and following the Lord of Scripture used to be fashionable. No longer. Our communities are being pulled apart […]
Each year I repost the prayer President Franklin Roosevelt made for the success of the D Day invasion on June 6, 1944. What is striking about this prayer is that FDR did not speak of many Gods or many faiths or many religions. He asked that the will of Almighty God be done. Today, we seek protection from a moment of silence offered to a god of our own choosing. Today, we are too proud to seek protection of the one true God. Also, this prayer speaks of good and evil in terms of absolutes. Absolutes, in terms of morality, are something that is no longer viewed as positive. Franklin Roosevelt’s D-Day Prayer June 6, 1944 My fellow Americans: Last night, […]
Here is a brief application from Romans 8 that teaches Christians do not have to be controlled by fear. Christians need not fear condemnation. verse 1 Christians are not controlled by the flesh but by the Holy Spirit. verse 9 Christians are not slaves to fear, but to the Holy Spirit. verse 15 If you rely only on what is seen you will be controlled by fear. verse 24 If you rely on what is unseen, you have hope. verse 24 Even in your weak moments of worry and fear, the Spirit intercedes for you. verse 26 Your deepest fears have been searched out by God and are known to him. verse 27 The Holy Spirit, intimately aware of your […]
Flowers and gifts on Mother’s Day are good things. But there is more. When we read the exhortation of Proverbs 31:31 to honor mothers and wives for all that they have done, we are not rating their performance, but instead, we are honor them with gratitude simply for who they are. Motherhood is part of the plan of God to bring glory to himself. For Christians, we have the additional blessing of honoring our mothers for who they are in Christ. Your mother, like any other mother, has not been a perfect mom. However, she is living out her role in bringing new life to the earth and nurturing it. She provides warmth and encouragement to her family when no one […]
Sometimes, the most compelling reasons to believe in God’s creation of the Universe and human life are the ones that can’t be measured by scientific theory. Mothers are the creation of God. This truth simply is, just as God simply is. When God sent Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, he told Moses to tell the people that I AM has sent me to rescue you. The proof of God lies in the reality that he exists. There is no human test that can prove God. He is who he is! Mothers were created by God. They did not evolve. Mothers as mothers do not become better over the course of history. They are what they […]
The most important goal for you and your family is to grow closer to God in every area of your life. Below Tedd and Margy Tripp hold out three key passages to build upon. Reflect deeply on what Joshua 24, Psalm 48 and Psalm 73 have to say to you this day! Strive to grow into a mutual relationship of living and working together for Christ’s kingdom. The Christian life is lived in a community. Throughout redemptive history God’s people have witnessed God’s awesome deeds and gloried together in his protection and provision. Future generations are also in view. We must have the same sense of expectation as we talk of God’s faithfulness and provision for our physical family and […]
Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. Job has received another of the horrible curses handed out to him by God. All that he could do is scrape himself clean. In one of the most compassionate outbursts of eloquent care ever given from a woman to her husband, His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” A little context is helpful to grasp just how ugly these words are. Job is in agony. She is saying that is obvious God has completely abandoned him. Stop acting that God has anything to do with all of this except to mock you and humiliate […]
Another round violence is making the nightly news cycle. At this moment, there are more questions than answers. While political activity and government policies are important, we must not lose sight of the real center of power. The Apostle Paul instructs that we pray for governing authorities: of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way… I Tim. 2:1-2 ESV Why would Paul want to pray for intercession for the Caesar’s and their followers? At least one reason is that government leaders are not placed in power by their […]
Can you imagine attempting to make foreign policy and ignoring the reality of these words? Oh, right. It is our policy to ignore these words. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for […]