Yesterday, April 29th, Jameis Winston was suspended from the FSU Baseball team because he allegedly shoplifted $32.72 worth of groceries from a Publix in Tallahassee, Florida. This is the same Jameis Winston who is the quarterback of the national champion FSU football team. This is the same man who freely admitted that he had consensual sex with another FSU student while two of his friends watched the encounter. Even though there are serious questions about how the investigation of this event was handled by authorities, Winston was found not to have committed a crime. Therefore, no suspension for the Heisman Trophy winner. Why? Because there is no stigma associated with what the Bible clearly calls sexual immorality. Apparently this […]
Culture
252 posts
Over Medication: Sleeping ourselves to Death. Research this week has shown us once more that we can do lots of things with medication. We can calm shaky nerves,make the sleepless slumber, and banish chronic pain. We do these with medications such as Ativan, Ambien, and Hydrocodone and they do work. Unfortunately, we are finding that this does not come without cost. Click here to read the rest of the post.
In the 21st Century the home functions as a stage. Children are displayed, not protected. Children are exploited, not trained. Sinful behavior is accepted and defended. Parents live for their children and children live for themselves. Today, children are to be accommodated. Too often, they become the center of family life. So instead of training children, our modern world tends to idolize them. Parents live for their children instead of for God. Children must be free to choose what they want to be. Self-expression is the creed of the day, no matter how perverse that expression may be. It does not take long for children raised this way to become anything but enjoyable. Thus child abuse rises, broken homes […]
Imagine for a moment that you lived as many Christians do on this planet. Suppose you lived in an area that was in a constant state of warfare. This is would be where there is guerrilla warfare, or tribal disputes, or ethnic hatred or prolonged civil war. In these types of warfare, Christians are often acceptable targets. For families living in one of these media-neglected war zones, going outside to play is an act of reckless endangerment. You realize that the instructions you must give your children are instructions of life and death. If your kids fail to follow your directions to the letter they may pay with their life. An inviting, innocent looking object lying the ground may […]
Whether you watch the Super Bowl or not the game is important to you as a Christian parent. This annual spectacle tells you a great deal about the world your children will inhabit. Proverbs 7 shows a father looking out his window at the culture around him. This father used the view from his window to instruct his son about the dangers of life. The window of your television affords you the same opportunity and obligation. In addition to the game you can learn much about our culture from the commercials. These commercials cost 4 million dollars for a 30 second spot, and that does not include the production costs. The companies who sponsor these commercials spend a considerable amount […]
In all of the ease and comfort of modern life it is easy to forget what the world is truly like. It is easy to lose sight of the need to prepare your children for a world which is not their friend. It is easy to love the world. It is so easy that God has given you a clear and dramatic command not to love it. The world has only the appearance of beauty, not the reality. But the appearance of beauty is alluring and powerful, even though it is false. Satan is hard at work putting an appealing, beautiful veneer over the horrible world that he rules. Never underestimate the danger of false beauty! Paul describes the […]
Several news sources report that during a radio interview last Friday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said there is no place in New York State for extreme conservatives who are “right-to-life.” The reason: “that’s not who New Yorkers are.” Depending in which poll you follow, the governor is saying there is no place for 55% to 40% of the people who currently live in his state. That is a significant number of people to tell that they are not welcome anymore! I realize no state law has been passed banning “pro-life” people from New York. But what is important is to see the attitude of a public official who was elected to serve all the people of his […]
Christian single-parents live in two worlds. As a part of the church world, they are in the minority. As a part of the world outside of church they are the majority. Parenting is challenging enough with two parents – it can be overwhelming with just one. It is important for church leaders and two-parent families to recognize the challenges single-parent brothers and sisters face. This is important for the health of the entire church and our witness to the communities we serve. As Paul reminds us, if one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers as well. Many of our single-parent families are struggling. This is not always easy to spot in a church environment. Worship services, educational […]
America is in the midst of a raging culture war. It may appear that this war is about the beliefs of a family that makes duck calls for a living. However, there is a larger issue at stake. The real issue is about America’s disregard for God and his Word. As a country, we have attempted to recast God into our image. This is what you must discuss with your children. Here are three foundational principles that your children need if they are to survive the rapidly growing cultural conflict. The first principle is that biblical truth is timeless. One comment often heard is that biblical truth is outdated. This is the year 2013 after all. No one […]
There is danger that lurks for Christians when we begin to evaluate life with the standards of our culture. Using the world’s standards to be the measure of what is good in your life will bring dissatisfaction with your Christian faith. This is exactly what happened to the psalmist in Psalm 73. His overwhelming discouragement came directly from looking at life the way God’s enemies do. Parents, this trap lures you, too. If you work hard at your parenting, but use the world’s standards of success, you will become like the psalmist—embittered and discouraged with life and with God. What is good cannot be found by looking at our culture. Christians have a different standard for goodness: But as for me, […]