-
What Does Loving God Look Like?
As parents and teachers, we invest a lot of time into the lives of our children. As Christian parents and teachers our hearts desire is to see our children walk in truth even as John tells us was his delight, 2 John 1:4 “I rejoiced greatly because I have found some of your children living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded us.” One of our goals in the classroom and at home is to have our children learn obedience. The question we must ask ourselves is how the two intersect. If we really want out children to walk in the truth of the commands God has given us,…
-
Trust and Obey
The joy and challenges of parenthood lend themselves to many life lessons. At this stage in the parenting game, at least for our family, it provides a lens through which to see so much of myself and the average human experience. It is not uncommon for me to give directions to my eldest son. My directions are typically strategic, so they are given step by step so that I don’t overwhelm the poor lad with too many tasks. Time and again I have been disappointed with the results when he is given too many steps at once! I have learned that when directions are given in small pieces there is…
-
Teaching Truth: Old Testament Versus New Testament
We are commanded throughout the Bible to share the truth. Throughout Scripture we are told to speak of God’s lovingkindness. power, holiness, and coming judgment to the nations. Does it make a difference if we prefer to teach just the New Testament? Does it make a difference if we are teaching a believer versus an unbeliever?
-
A Thankful Heart is a Healthy Heart
Did you know that in the Net Bible there are 77 verses that have the words “give thanks?” The first is found in 2 Samuel 22:50, “So I will give you thanks, O Lord, before the nations! I will sing praises to you.” The last is found in Revelation 11:17 “with these words: ‘We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun to reign…’” 1 Chronicles 16:8“Give thanks to the Lord! Call on his name! Make known his accomplishments among the nations!” Over and over in verse after verse we are commanded to “give thanks.”…
-
A New Generation of Christ Followers
Children are the future generation of Christianity and we are commanded to pass on to them the teachings of the word of God. Deut. 6:4-7 NET BIBLE “Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.” A poll that was done by Child Evangelism Fellowship shows…
-
“Christian” Homosexuality Advocates?
“Rebuke your neighbor frankly so that you will not share in his guilt” (Leviticus 19:17b, NIV 1984). This column is the first in response to a man named Donald who wrote some replies to my column entitled, “Should a Christian Attend a Homosexual Wedding?” In light of recent events, I believe it would be best to answer Donald’s comments in a more visible way, not only in the response section of my previous column. Two things first: 1. If this column appears to start in the middle of a conversation, it does not; it simply follows from the above mentioned column. 2. I have slightly edited the responses to make…
-
23 Books Reviewed in 23 Minutes
“The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. “A book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition” – Henry Miller. Here is my exhaustive review of all but one of the books I read in 2014. Skim the list to see if something piques your interest. Peruse as you please. Skip what does not interest you. For my reading list reviews for the past few years click on any of the following: 2011, 2012, or 2013. Now here we go, set your timer to 23 minutes. Go! 1. “Save Me From Myself” subtitled “How I found God, quit…
-
What Can We Make of Jesus, but God Incarnate? (A Christian Conservative Goes to College, part 17)
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58).[1] The World Religions’ Professor’s assignment read as follows: What’s the best word to describe Jesus? Prophet, Avatar (of the Hebrew God), or Bodhisattva? Well, I was not going to be forced into the professor’s definitions….