Preparing your children to combat sexual sin should begin very early. It is never too soon to say that marriage is a wonderful blessing from God. When any discussions of sexuality arise, you should point out what is appropriate for marriage and what is not. As your children grow older, your explanations will need to be more specific, until finally you arrive at the franker discussions needed to address the onset of puberty. But in the context of ongoing conversations, you have the privilege of positioning sexual behavior positively, within marriage. This sets the stage for you to have natural opportunities to demonstrate that when people choose to disobey God’s directives for sexuality, bad things happen. Parents, you must […]
Worldview
586 posts
Job apparently had some questions for God. But first God had some questions for Job. Here are just a few of those questions: Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Does the eagle soar at your command? Job had encountered pain, real pain on this earth. In the early chapters of the book of the book that bears his name he represents God well. But in his suffering he wanted some answers from God. In a stunning confrontation with God in chapters 38-42, Job is asked repeatedly about things that only God could do. The purpose of the questions, among other things, […]
Once again God’s direction for the family has been tossed aside by “enlightened” state legislators. The Los Angeles Times internet edition on October 4th, ran a story about a bill signed by Governor Brown to allow for children to have more than two or more legal parents. Here is the headline and sub-headline as it appeared online: “Brown signs bill to allow children more than two legal parents The bill — similar to one the governor vetoed last year — had been opposed as an attack on traditional family; proponents argued that the changing family structure needs to be addressed.” The Times article goes on to say: “The law will allow the courts to […]
Questions are opportunities to offer praise and worship to God. Anytime a “why” question is asked we know that God has something to do with the answer. This means that you will have many opportunities to tell your children about the wonders of God as they grow up in your family. For example, your child asks, “Why do leaves change color in the fall?” Even giving a technical answer can lead to good things. You can explain as the green chlorophyll is reduced in the leaves by the coming of cooler weather, the underlying color of the leaves is then on display. In other cases the brown leaves may simply be waste that is left as the leaves […]
Leaders come and go. Governments also come and go. And sometimes, even when a government is still in place, it may decide to shut down for a time. Be thankful that the Lord of heaven and earth never sleeps, never shuts down, never ceases to care for his people. While our elected officials struggle to govern and appear to search for a way forward, God still maintains his sovereign control over not only our country, but the far reaches of the Universe as well. God’s commitments are sure and are not influenced by public opinion or elections. Truly this is something to be thankful for as Washington tries to find its way. This is something you can share with […]
The book of Judges tells the story of a very dark time in the history of Israel. God was mocked, the legacy of Moses’ faith was abandoned, and the people of God appeared to have left the fear of God. Yet even in the darkness, God was at work. As He often does, He brought light and hope from the most unexpected place. Naomi accompanied her faithless husband, Elimelech, to Moab; he doubted that God could provide for him in the land of promise. So he turned his back on the provision of God for Israel. Years later, Naomi returned to Bethlehem from Moab. Her husband and her two sons had died. All she had to bring back with […]
The world in which we live is troubling. As Christians, we must understand where the trouble comes from. It is easy to list many reasons for the wrongs we observe: disease, natural disasters, wars, political leaders gone amuck, etc., but the root cause, the real reason for the troubles we have is sin—sin and its impact on creation. Sin brings trouble and discord. Sin has brought trouble to relationships, sickness and inherited diseases to untold millions throughout history—and the list could go on. So whether directly or indirectly, the darkness in the world and in our lives comes from sin. As Christians, we are called to be the light of the world. There’s an overwhelming thought—people like you and […]
Beware the heart of darkness. When the people of God come to worship, our vision and our trust must be singular. God and God alone is to be the object of our trust. Too often we live and worship with other options on the table. We say, sing, and pray that God is all that matters, but in the hidden corners of our heart we value, trust, and hope in something other than God. We trust in God to make our circumstances what we want them to be. But this is not trust, it is doubt. We trust in God to make other people appreciate us. But this is not trust, it is idolatry. Jesus knew that the […]
How good is God? Children naturally determine goodness by their circumstances. Your mission as a parent is to help your child expand his natural understanding of goodness to also include what is behind the circumstances of his life. The goal of maturity is to become more influenced by the unseen realities of faith than by the seen events of the physical world.
Tedd & Margy Tripp The life classroom is constant, compelling and comprehensive. The same is true of our homes as well. They are environments where our children are constantly learning. Not only that, but we are always teaching our children. Our every response, whether it is instruction or silence, teaches. Our behavior and our love teach. But in addition to that natural process, God calls us to instruct our children about what to believe, how to think from the Scriptures, and how to live. In this book we will call that deliberate teaching “formative instruction.” Formative instruction “forms” or “shapes” our children. It is not a single event, but a lifetime of interaction that is based on God’s revelation. We […]