God designed people to be followers, specifically followers of him. So, by design, being a follower is a good thing. But, when Adam fell, man’s good inclination to be a follower became a dangerous human trait. Instead of being exclusively locked on to trusting and following God, people became open to following what seemed most attractive to them. This means that your children, even the strong-willed ones, are born followers. But instead of naturally following God, their hearts are programed to follow anything but God. (Ephesians 2:1-3) Said another way, your children are born to be influenced. With regard to influence, quantity matters. It is not who says it first or best. What matters is who says it most. This […]
Culture
252 posts
The story of Josiah is full of drama and adventure. Most importantly, his story is about an intense passion for the honor of God and his word. Josiah knew that evil and good cannot coexist. For almost a 1,000 years Judah had tolerated false, detestable religious worship and practice. That all ended with Josiah, the soft-hearted teenager. Josiah was 8 years old when he became King of Judah. As Josiah grew his heart for God grew as well. In his youth, Josiah took a strong, passionate, and even shocking approach to the evil that dominated Judah. The prophetess Huldah provides insight into what drove Josiah to undertake the radical and violent steps against God’s enemies. In 2Kings 22:18-19 she said this […]
It is natural for men to fear God and stand in awe of him. When Nineveh was confronted with their sin by Jonah, repentance swept through the great city. The vast power and splendor of God is declared daily by the wonder of creation. The psalmist speaks of how the power and wrath of God should naturally be feared by all of nations of earth: Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared. He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth. (Psalm […]
Christianity is not a spectator sport where you sit in the stands and cheer for your team. Christianity is about being on the playing field and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. It is important that you accurately identify your enemy. You will be tempted to believe your enemies are the people and circumstances you encounter. When this happens your energy is spent fighting the wrong target. This is precisely what your true enemy wants! You need the wisdom of God’s Spirit found in his word to identify your actual enemy. Otherwise you become like the fool in Proverbs who is clueless about why he is frustrated and struggling. But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no […]
Hannah Baker has thirteen reasons why she ended her life. She describes them in moving, vivid detail on thirteen cassette tapes, one for each reason. Netflix has created a video series based on the book, Thirteen Reasons Why. It is the fictional story of Hannah Baker. The book is written in classic existential style. Existentialism, as a genre, focuses on the moment, without regard to the relevance of God. The Netflix series, in terms of viewing audience was a success. So it is no surprise that Netflix just announced there will be a second season of Thirteen Reasons Why. On the face of things, renewing a popular series makes sense. However, there is more to consider than just popularity. The […]
Your 13 year old daughter, whom you think could gain a few pounds, has just announced to you, “I’m fat.” You are really puzzled so you say, “No way, you’re fat. Why would you even say that?” With eyes that show grim determination, she says, “Mom, you don’t get it. Compared to everyone at school, I’m fat. I need to lose weight. I can’t keep going to school like this. Look at me, I’m all puffy!” “Sarah, that’s ridiculous! You’re not fat. You’re healthy. Don’t be controlled by such silly ideas. There is nothing wrong with your weight, in fact, I think you could gain some.” “Ugh! Mom you don’t get it. I knew I shouldn’t have talked to you. […]
Public opinion polls have the goal of finding out what is the most popular viewpoint. Politicians in particular are motivated by these polls; safety in numbers. Polls portend of danger ahead or indicate where most think safety lies. The road with the most people on it is the one leading to security or to at least to an election victory. But Jesus has some warnings about public opinion. John’s gospel tells how Jesus had won the popularity of many at the beginning of his public ministry. “But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all about men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.” (John 2:24-25) In Proverbs […]
Tim Challies argues that “pornography reshapes our very understanding of sex, manhood, and womanhood.” Tim is right. Pornography views people as objects whose purpose is to serve the wants and desires of others. Relationships are valued for what pleasure they produce. Pornography ignites a passion for self-gratification and little else. Our children are growing up at a time where self-sacrifice is viewed as fool’s game. Sex exists to serve personal cravings. In this cultural climate all relationships suffer, but none more painfully than marriage. Tim Challies has written an essential read for parents facing the challenge of raising children totally immersed in the flood waters of pornographic culture. HELP! My Kids are Viewing Pornography provides parents the necessary tools to […]
God commands that you and I pray for our land and for our leaders. Specifically, we are to pray for hearts to turn in repentance to God and also to cry out for God’s mercy to fall upon a land which would have him not. It is far too easy to complain and to grumble. It is the simple way out just to be unhappy with lifestyles that scorn God’s laws. However, God has called us to compassion and to the mercy of gospel grace. Let us seek his great name in prayer to bring about repentance, mercy and grace to our land. Tonight there is the celebration of the Academy Awards. Tonight is a celebration against the ways of […]
Whether you watch the Super Bowl or not this annual spectacle tells you a great deal about the world your children inhabit. Proverbs 7 speaks 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 can afford you the same opportunity and obligation. This is much to learn about our culture from the game’s commercials. This year, 2017, these commercials cost 5.5 million dollars for a 30 second spot, and that does not include hundreds of thousands more for the production costs! The sponsors also spend a considerable amount of money and resources to learn what motivates […]