Sometimes we actually think we are smart enough to take care of ourselves. Really?!? If you are alive at the end of this day it will be because God has determined that you should still be breathing. Sound simplistic? This was the truth that Paul spoke in Athens to the intellectual giants of his day. This is not simplistic, but the most important reality that can be known. All men are totally dependent upon the mercy and plan of God, whether they acknowledge this truth or not. Humbly live this truth out before your children. Talk to God, acknowledge God, be thankful to God. Let them see your dependence upon God. If you don’t, they will believe you think too […]
Parenting
597 posts
Human anger must not characterize your discipline. If it does, you have made discipline about satisfying your requirements. As a parent you are granted authority to enforce God’s commands, not your own preferences. Your authority is derived, not earned. Human anger and biblical discipline do not mix. Man’s anger will not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:20) The key phrase is the righteous life that God desires. God did not give you your children so that you could teach them to follow your desires and wishes. When you make parenting about your desires, then, in your mind, God exits to serve you, to support your agenda and standards. When this role reversal occurs, you attempt to […]
Patience is often referred to as something that can be lost – as in “you are really causing me to lose my patience.” But how would it sound if you were to say “you are really causing me to lose my love for you?” If love is patient, then “losing” patience can be equated to losing love. Said this way the idea of losing patience is not a pretty one. A working definition of patience is living in the expectation of God’s care. Patience is part of the Spirit’s fruit. Patience is the opposite of frustration. Patience is a sure belief that God will not abandon you. No matter what the circumstance God’s love and care for you is never […]
James tells the story of two kinds of wisdom. In Chapter 3:13-18, he talks about wisdom from above and contrasts it with “wisdom” that is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. Which of these two forms of wisdom characterize your parenting? How can you tell the difference? The answer is shocking and disarming. If the “wisdom” that you deploy is different that what is described in verse 17 then it is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. There is no middle ground. Honestly look at what verse 17 says is wisdom from above. Cry out to God for the courage and faith to show your children this kind of wisdom. Remember, anything else is described by the Holy Spirit as earthly, unspiritual, demonic. But the wisdom […]
Parents have no problem instructing their children to obey quickly or to be kind to others. There is no dispute about teaching children that they should not hit each other or that they should respect authority. But what about commanding your children to praise God? Does that seem a bit unusual? Let’s think about this for a moment. The statement praise God is not just about saying the words praise God. Psalm 78 exhorts Israel not to hide the praiseworthy deeds of God from their children. As you read the psalm, you see that this is exactly what occurs. God’s deeds are listed so that he can be praised! So, when the scriptures say “Praise God”, it is not an […]
“Hey mom, Jeremy is upset.” “Okay Sarah, I’ll be right there.” The real story here is what mom is saying to herself in her mind. “Here we go again. Sarah is always making Jeremy upset. I can’t finish anything without somebody having an issue. I’ll get to it in a moment.” “Dad, I’m really sorry I messed up and forgot to cut the grass. I’ll get to it right after lunch. Sorry dad.” “Aaron, when is this pattern going to change? You need to start being responsible. Don’t make promises you can’t keep!” What dad is thinking is his mind: “I can’t believe this kid. Always an excuse. At least I didn’t yell at him. […]
Shepherd Press has just released Everyday Talk about Sex & Marriage, a biblical handbook for parents. Here is an excerpt. When helping your children address the temptation of sexual arousal before marriage, the first consideration is encouraging your children to focus on bringing honor to God instead of following the path of self-pleasure. Parents and church leaders must teach our teens, by precept and example, not to yield to temptations to think sexual thoughts about someone to whom they are not married. The Bible does not condone a “try before you buy” policy with regard to sexual relations. According to Matthew 5:28, lust in the heart is as wrong as sexual sin in the flesh; sex is part of the marriage covenant […]
Shepherd Press: What motivated you to write the book? Clint Archer: I dropped into the deep end of ministry while still quite wet behind the ears, at age twenty-nine. I had no kids and had never counseled anyone whose marriage was longer than my own (four years at the time). Suddenly people who had been married for decades and had teenagers in the home were knocking on my door for marriage and parenting advice. Thankfully I had been trained that the Bible is sufficient for all things pertaining to life and godliness and I realized these folks weren’t really interested in my advice anyway; they wanted God’s wisdom. So, I quickly learned to rely entirely on the word of God […]
It is true. God gives many commands. As parents, you must not be selective about what you choose to bring to your children. The apostle Paul is a trusted guide to help you see just how to present God’s commands to your children. By faithfully following what he teaches you can be confident to know how to present all of God’s commands in a way that is consistent with the direction of the Holy Spirit. That being said, we must not be selective about which commands to present. Ephesians 5 provides an example for you to follow. The Holy Spirit is concerned that Christians avoid sexual sin! I will not go into all the specifics at this point. There […]
Here is an excerpt from a review of the recent title by Shepherd Press, The Home Team. “Author Clint Archer definitely likes sports and so there are a great many sport-like analogies and stories told to communicate his key points. If you are not a “sports person” don’t fret; I am not a sports fan and I had no troubles whatsoever with his stories. I never felt like he was “going off” about a game but skillfully used games and certain athlete’s performances to teach how each family member ought to act to benefit the whole unit. His sports analogies/stories were short, to the point, and directly applied to the information that he was trying to pass along. Absolutely do […]