-
Teaching Our Children the Importance of Church
Author Shane Claiborne has said: “The church is like Noah's ark. It stinks, but if you get out of it, you'll drown.” Simply put, church can get messy. And, that’s probably part of the reason why I’ve heard many of my fellow millennials make excuses for avoiding church—“I’m too busy,” “I’ve been hurt by other Christians,” “churches are full of judgmental people,” “people are hypocrites or insincere,” etc. We live in a society that increasingly seems to disparage church attendance, a sharp contrast to the psalmist who said, “I was glad because they said to me, ‘We will go to the Lord’s temple’” (Psalm 122:1). Now, going to church, of…
-
Helping Children Worship God Through Music
When God calls a young child to himself, it’s a beautiful thing. I marvel at how the gospel message is so complex, yet at the same time simple enough that even a toddler can be convicted unto salvation. I’ve observed the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of several children, but one girl stands out in particular in my mind—sweet little Caroline. As a three-year-old, she always knew the answers to every Bible question thrown her way and loved to praise the Lord in music. One Sunday morning, I watched her stand up and raise her palms as she sang quietly to the Lord. Her spontaneous gesture was short-lived,…
-
4 Reasons to Re-Evaluate Your Scheduled Devotion Time
I vividly remember one of my childhood Sunday School teachers talking to my class about our time spent with God. “When is the best time of day to do your devotions?” she asked. After quickly raising my hand, I replied, “Whatever time works best for you.” “No, that is not correct,” she said. “The best time is the morning. You should start your day with God.” While I agree that we should make spending time with God a priority, I’ve never thought that meant we all had to get up earlier in the morning. And actually, my grumpy-morning-zombie-self usually better exhibits the fruit of the spirit throughout the day when…
-
5 Ways to Encourage Gratitude in Your Family
Johnny Henry Jowett, a well-known pastor from the late 1800’s, said: “Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.” I’ve never doubted the importance of gratitude. Many studies done in recent years back this up. Wall Street Journal, for example, referenced a study done among teens showing that those with higher amounts of gratitude also had higher grades, less depression, less envy, and a healthier outlook on life. Yet, sometimes I’ve failed to see the full value. Even worse are those…
-
3 Ways to Encourage Your Children to Share Their Faith
I think most of us desire to see our children live out their faith but when life gets busy evangelism often takes a back burner. Here are three ways to encourage your children to share their faith: 1. Teach by Example: Children tend to imitate those they love and those whom they spend time with. And of course, we’ve all heard the old adage that actions speak louder than words. This holds true for evangelism as well. The best way to teach our children to share their faith is by doing so ourselves. The gospel ought to permeate every aspects of our lives. It is not so much about making…
-
A Family Gospel Devotional from 1 Corinthians 15
Holy week has commenced and Resurrection Sunday draws near. And, if you read blogs, my guess is that you also use other forms of social media and are probably drowning in Easter activities via Pinterest, Facebook, etc. I mean did you know you can even make a tomb out of a donut and an Oreo? Yeah, neither did I until everyone posted it on Pinterest. These activities bring fun and joy, but if you only do one Easter activity with your family this year, I challenge you to make it a gospel devotional based on 1 Corinthians 15. Preparation: Get your family Bible and read 1 Corinthians 15:1–8, 53–58 out…
-
My Least Favorite Question
Sometimes, life gets crazy. Wait…scratch that thought. Life is usually crazy for most of us. #homework #classes #babies #toddlers #blogging #churchactivities #solvingminorworkcatastrophes #busymom #seminarymom #lifeiscrazy We manage to stay busy and with our business often comes an array of emotions. Perhaps sadness at an unexpected car accident, sudden illness, fight with a spouse, betrayal from a close friend, or even loneliness. And, if you are anything like me, you might experience all of those feelings in one day. (#truestory) At the same time, perhaps you feel happiness and relief when no one is injured in a car accident. You thank God for medicine and good doctors. Maybe you cry tears of…
-
John 3:16 Valentine Craft
Valentine’s Day is an opportune time to share about God’s love with your children or your Sunday school class. One of my favorite crafts I’ve seen recently is a John 3:16 heart coloring page. The heart contains the acrostic word “valentine,” and includes the verse John 3:16. If you wanted, you could also modify the craft to make Valentine cards with the coloring page template. I love that the craft is fun, simple, and requires minimal materials. I also love that it is easy to incorporate the gospel message. Simply walk kids through the verse using the simple salvation outline of what God wants people to know: (1) His love,…
-
3 Steps to Building Spiritual Relationships with Children
One day my Mom came home from church event and told me “Your Sunday School teacher said you were a sweetheart.” Warm and fuzzy feelings filled my heart and I strived to continue being that little sweetheart. For better or worse children’s workers make a lasting impression on kids. As we form relationships with our children there are three things we must do to build and strengthen the spiritual side of things. 1. Get to know them. This may sound obvious but in order to have a relationship with someone you must first get to know them. And simply put, there are no shortcuts to this. Make an effort to…
-
Quiet and Simple Christmas Moments
If you’ve watched “Jingle all the Way” with Arnold Schwarzenegger, you know it’s about a Dad who waits till the last minute to get a son his most desired Christmas present. But even if you haven’t seen it, you might identify with the urge to drool over the newest gizmos and gadgets. And we don’t stop with gifts. We want the biggest tree, an Elf on the Shelf with creative pranks, memorable Jesus moments, and the award for brightest Christmas lights. I love Christmas and holiday traditions. I really do. But I took a moment to reflect recently on some of my most memorable Christmas moments, and the results were…
