John the Baptist was a rock star. Crowds poured into the wilderness to see this wild man who preached a powerful message of repentance. When the Pharisees came, John confronted them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Matthew 3:7. He also had the guts to rebuke HerodContinue reading “HE MUST INCREASE. John 3:26-30.”
Category Archives: Parenting
PARENTING FAIL. Luke 2:44-52.
Every parent has them: moments of failure you wish you could get back. I’ve made mistakes. Still, there are fails I have not committed. For example, I have never lost one of my kids … like, you know, Mary and Joseph. The “Holy Family” lost Jesus! The Godly couple that was chosen to raise theContinue reading “PARENTING FAIL. Luke 2:44-52.”
PARENTING IS SACRIFICE. Luke 1:38; 2:35.
God uses children to make us less selfish. Because what can yank you out of your self-absorption faster than a fussy baby or a screaming child? All parents make sacrifices for their children. But God calls some parents to unusual and difficult sacrifices. Mary was engaged when the angel Gabriel showed up and said, “Hail,Continue reading “PARENTING IS SACRIFICE. Luke 1:38; 2:35.”
JESUS’S PARENTS. Matthew 2:13-14, 19-20.
Mary had a job, right? A HUGE job! The angel told the virgin she would bear the Messiah. She raised Jesus. It strikes me as an exaggeration when people call her “the Mother of God,” but she certainly belongs in the Mom’s HALL OF FAME. Joseph played a smaller role. He obeyed and wed MaryContinue reading “JESUS’S PARENTS. Matthew 2:13-14, 19-20.”
PRAY FOR YOUR SPOUSE AND CHILDREN. Psalm 106:37-41.
The Bible recounts terrible sin in Israel: “They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan—so the land became polluted with blood. They defiled themselves by their actions …. Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against His people, andContinue reading “PRAY FOR YOUR SPOUSE AND CHILDREN. Psalm 106:37-41.”
Pass the Baton. Joel 1:3
Tell your children about the Lord, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation. Joel 1:3. This is your duty: to bring them up in the faith. Do you know how? Are you prepared? Are you studying? Do you know the Word? Can you defend the faith and answer theContinue reading “Pass the Baton. Joel 1:3”
“He Died to No One’s Regret.”
Most epitaphs say something nice, like “Loving Father and Husband,” or “Forever in Our Hearts,” or even “Sixth Generation Texan.” But the life of King Jehoram was summed up as: “HE DIED TO NO ONE’S REGRET” 2 Chronicles 21:20. Imagine that on a tombstone! What happened? King Asa, great-grandson of King Solomon, followed the Lord. Continue reading ““He Died to No One’s Regret.””
Apples and Choices.
Jehoshaphat “walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord” 2 Chronicles 20:32. Nadab “did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father Jeroboam” 1 Kings 15:26. “Ahaziah … did evil in the sight ofContinue reading “Apples and Choices.”
Proverbs: God’s Book on Parenting.
Parenting books are almost as popular as diet books; it’s a huge market. You would think babies were different today—but they are the same as always. And Solomon put the basics of parenting in the Book of Proverbs 3,000 years ago: DISCIPLINE YOUR KIDS. “Discipline your son and it will bring you peace of mindContinue reading “Proverbs: God’s Book on Parenting.”
Future Generations.
Do you ever pray for the people of the future? Do you pray for your children or for grandchildren not yet born? Think about this— God is not bound by time; He is OUTSIDE of time. To Him, we exist in an eternal present. When you pray for future generations, you are praying for peopleContinue reading “Future Generations.”
Household Words: 