Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3&4 Facebook, MySpace, blogs , online communities, texting – these are things that were virtually unknown a decade ago. Today our lives, as well as our children’s lives, are dominated by Internet-enabled communities. The use of language has changed as well. There is a cyber vocabulary that is unique to the electronic world. Letter groups such as lol, ttyl, and np, form a modern shorthand that allows for an almost instant transmission of moods, thoughts and plans across cities, states and continents. People write on electronic […]
Communication
243 posts
"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' " 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Matthew 21:28-31 Being a teenager is not always easy. This has something to do with why it is not always easy to be the parent of a teenager. As children grow into teenagers, the expectations of both teens and parents also grow. Much […]
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 ESV Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 NIV A dialog is a conversation. Your goal for communication with your teenagers is to see grace-giving dialogs become a normal part of life. In this series we have looked at some of the hindrances that produce monologs. Typically a silent, withdrawn teenager is not in a good situation. Let’s look carefully at […]
Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. II Timothy 2:22 In addition to the points raised in recent posts, there may be another reason why teenagers suddenly become silent and distant. As has been observed by most of the known world, the teenage years are a time of change. One change is the emergence of youthful lusts that Paul warns about in 2 Timothy. The word for lust used in the passage above is also translated as “passions or desires.” With the onset of puberty a new physical dimension is added to the already potent mixture of selfishness and desire for immediate gratification. A […]
In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?" tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Deuteronomy 6:20-21 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. Proverbs 18:2 How do you measure your effectiveness at listening to your children? Besides the self-conscious concern to implement Proverbs 18:15, there is one tangible way to confirm that you are on the right track. You can gauge the effectiveness of your listening by the questions your children ask you. That’s right—good listening on your part will […]
In this series of posts we are looking at the communication breakdowns that often occur between parents and teenagers. What once appeared to be a good relationship with lots of interaction can deteriorate to silent, disinterested teens enduring parental monologues. After such an encounter, more than one parent has turned away, asking with an aching heart, why is this happening? In the last post we looked at the command in Proverbs 18:15 to be aggressive listeners. This listening is not just for current exchanges, but includes remembering the conversations of the past. When did the conversations start to drift towards the monologues that typify current communication with your teenagers? Try to remember events from your child’s perspective. It is important […]
In his blog, Justin Taylor has posted a timely article by David Powlison & Tim Keller on blogging and passing on bad reports. The biblical principles in the article are valuable for all conversation but they are especially appropriate for internet communications. Parents, this would be a great article to discuss with your children about their internet communication. It applies directly to blogging, instant messaging, chats, and forums as well as to community sites such as MySpace and Facebook. You can find the article here. Thanks to David Powlison and Tim Keller for writing the article and to Justin Taylor for posting it. Justin’s blog, Between Two Worlds, is loaded with valuable information and links.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1 It seems that there is actually one more post in this series of communicating the Gospel to your children. Heather, one of our readers, raised an important question about the last post. Here is her comment: You mention that "Heather has been given only one option." Is it ever appropriate to offer a choice? For instance, "Honey, you can either give the train to your brother and find another toy, or you can play with the train with him." Or should these options be explained at a point when there is “not” a squabble going on (i.e. "here are some ways you can share and act kindly […]
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Proverbs 2:10 The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. Proverbs 16:21 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise— that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Ephesians 6:1-3 This is the final post in this series about pleasant words and communicating the Gospel. I am also responding to comments left by Shannon and Ann. Thank you both for sending them. In the last post I focused on the futility of attempting to reason with […]
The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. — Proverbs 16:21 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. —Proverbs 2:10 If you have been following this series of posts on communicating the Gospel to your children, you will recall that we started the practical application by looking at teenagers and then working backwards. Now we are at the age of young children and toddlers, ages 0 to 5. How do you communicate the goodness of God to these little ones? While there are several biblical themes that could be used I am focusing on two Proverbs, the ones listed at the beginning of this post. Remember the premise for […]