Hello and welcome to 2023! I don’t know about you, but I always like it when the calendar year turns. For one, I am thankful to God that I am still here to see another year. But that also tells me that He is not done with me yet! (The same goes for you too if you are reading this!) So, the new year is all about new beginnings, fresh starts and new adventures. I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do this year in my life, my families lives and the life of our church.
For 2023, my prayer and my challenge to you is Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
There are a lot of people today, who will say that “I am a Christian.” However, when you push the envelope, so to speak, you will find that what they mean is “I believe in Christ and I believe the truths of Christianity.” However, if you ask them how has this translated over into your life, more than likely a few will say that “it hasn’t really changed my life.” Being a Christian is more than about just believing a set of facts. It’s more than about attending church or being a moral person. It’s not just about believing something in an abstract way. To become a Christian means that you experience something; that it changes every area of your life.
And that’s what we see in this prayer.
Notice that Paul teaches us to pray that God will strengthen us with His power. His power is the Holy Spirit that indwells inside every believer. Christ lives in you! That is enough to be excited about, but Paul goes on. It’s not just that we believe certain things. This prayer is about much more than believing certain truths about God. It’s that we will be increasingly transformed in the very depths of our being by the one who’s taken up residence in our hearts and lives.
This year, will you DWELL on Jesus Christ and the works He is doing in your life? Will you commit to be rooted and grounded in Him and His love in 2023?
God will do far more than we think or imagine, will you surrender your life and heart to Him and His leading in your life in 2023?
Hello, Friday and welcome back to another post of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. Today is Friday, October 14th and how excited are you that the weekend is almost here? But, before the weekend gets here, we have to unpack some of the things that happened this past week. So, without further ado, here is this weeks edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
I. OKTOBERFEST IS BETTER WITH FRIENDS
Last Saturday after our soccer game, we went downtown Hickory to OKTOBERFEST with some of the girls on the team. I will say that I was a little disappointed with the event this year, but it was good to at least have it back after a two year hiatus. It’s all about baby steps for all of us since the pandemic, right? Anyway, the best part of going downtown was walking to Oktoberfest and watching these crazy girls interact with one another. They had a blast as they took pictures, laughed, and even walked on the train tracks. While at Oktoberfest they all got airbrushed tattoos, went through a petting zoo, held a baby goat, fed some of the animals and ate plenty of snacks and food. I seriously think that one of our girls had at least three snow cones from Pelican’s Snowballs. Although there were not any rides, we still had a lot of fun walking around and enjoying the beautiful Saturday together.
But looking back on the day, the thing that I am most thankful for is the friendship that these girls have. They have a special bond with one another and it shows. They act more like sisters at times! But as I watched them interacting with each other throughout the day, I was reminded of what Solomon said in Proverbs 18:24, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (ESV) As I watch these “silly” girls interact with one another on and off the soccer field, I am beyond grateful that God has placed them in each others lives. In fact, we all need that one friend that “sticks closer than a brother” don’t we? Who is that person? Have you told them lately how much you appreciate them and that you are thankful to God for placing them in your life?
II. HARD WORK PAYS OFF
Michael Jordan once said, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” This past week at our fifth cross country meet, Gracie did just that, she made it happen. She was finally feeling better, she worked hard during practice and she pushed herself until it hurt in her meet this week. The course we were running on is one of her least favorites, but didn’t focus on the course, but the outcome. We were so proud of her as she beasted it and finished her best time ever, a time of 15:45, good enough for 23rd out of 71. She was hurting coming towards that finish line, but she was determined, you could see it in her face as she ran those last few feet to the finish line. The best part was that as she finished the race and then saw her time, she is more determined than ever to try and beat her time at her last cross country meet next week. Even if she doesn’t, I am just so proud of her and all that she has accomplished this season.
But, I am also proud of my wife as she prepares for her 5K this weekend. For 8 weeks she has been getting up early Monday – Friday and walking and running. Between my wife and daughter, I am excited to see how well they are going to do this weekend. They may leave me in the dust and I quite alright with that. I have enjoyed seeing their progress and how far they have come and I cannot wait to see them run on Saturday.
Ready for the Trick or Trot 5K
III. GARMIN WATCH vs. APPLE WATCH
Recently, my Apple watch of 6 years recently “bit the dust” and left me frantically trying to figure out what to do. I wondered since my face plate just popped off if maybe I could get it repaired, but since it’s an out of date/discontinued watch, Apple wasn’t able to repair it. This was devastating news as I really enjoyed my Apple watch. It was very useful for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one was to help me keep track of my exercise and running sessions. However, I have several friends that use Garmin watches for their running and training, so I checked with them about the pros and cons of possibly getting one. Well, after much investigating, reading up on all the different Garmin watches, and looking at the pros and cons between Garmin and Apple… I decided to try the Garmin watch. After a month and a half I am extremely happy with my decision. I went with the lower end Garmin Forerunner watch and it seems to do everything I need it for. I do miss being able to play/connect my music through my watch, but that’s a minor issue. I really enjoy how it keeps track of your workouts/runs/walks and gives you a recovery time after each exercise. I like how I can load my information into Strava and get a deeper analysis of all my workouts. It’s very technical… a little too technical for what I need it for at times. Also, I have noticed that my anxiety has gone down some since I got rid of my Apple watch, surprisingly. Over all, I have not missed my Apple watch and I really thought I would being such an Apple type person. Gracie had to wear my watch during her last meet and she loved it too, so much so that she has asked for one for Christmas. (We will see, she better finish in the top 10 at her last meet and then I’ll think about it! ) But seriously, if you want to consider a Garmin watch for yourself, you will not be disappointed.
IV. PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH
October is pastor appreciation month and I could not let this month pass without recognizing some of my favorite pastors. This list could actually be quite long, but I will stick to the few that have made a difference in my life. These are in no particular order, but first I am thankful for my pastor, Pastor Scott Frady. It has been a joy being able to serve/work with you for 16 years! I am thankful for your leadership, your advice, your wittiness and dry humor and I am thankful for the many times you let me just drop in and distract you from your duties and talk about baseball for hours on in. I don’t take a minute for granite and I blessed to be able to serve our church with you! I am also thankful for my youth pastor, Pastor Paul Weakland. Even though that may have been what seems like many moons ago, God used you to put me where I am today. The impact that you have had on my life isn’t taken lightly and I appreciate all you have done for me. Not only did you teach me how to love on students and care for them, but you showed me how to love and care for students. You showed me that ministry is messy and hard, but is so worth it at the same time. I am grateful that you gave me the opportunity to learn from you and to emulate you.
I am also grateful for two of my dearest friends, Pastors Kyle Lloyd and Dustin Lovelace. You guys have been my rocks, my go to’s and my partners in crime for a while now. I have enjoyed every minute, every conversation, every camp, every retreat that we have been a part of. I love seeing your hearts to serve God, I love seeing you serve your students and churches with passion and grace. God has definitely blessed us with the opportunity to work together and that is something that I do not take lightly. I absolutely love hearing you guys preach and share the Word of God with your students. I also love seeing you interact with your kiddos and loving your families. I know I don’t tell you guys often, but y’all are an inspiration to me and I am so thankful for your friendship!
Is there a pastor that God has used to have an impact on your life? Be sure to tell your current pastor(s) how much you appreciate them. I promise you that they do not hear it enough! Like I said earlier, ministry is messy, it’s difficult and at times extremely hard. But it is also hard on our wives and families. Too many times the people we are called to lead are the ones that we end up neglecting because we are leading and working with the sheep that God has entrusted with us. I know for certain that I could not do what I do without my wife. She is my biggest supporter, my biggest critic, my voice of reason and my number one fan! She makes doing ministry fun and I am so thankful for her and all that she does. I am also thankful for my daughter and all her support and help too. She loves going over to the offie and spending time there. I am thankful for her heart for others and how much compassion she has towards others… something that I know is a God thing and that she got from her mother!
V. ROOTED
Last Sunday, we finished a series entitled, ROOTED and I used the illustration of an apple tree throughout the series. The idea was that as believers, we are to be rooted in Christ. We are to let our roots go down in Him in hopes that we will become more like Him. I concluded with cutting into an apple and pulling out the seeds. There are roughly between 5-8 seeds in an apple. Well, if each apple produced just 5 seeds, that means in a lifetime that tree would produce roughly 37, 500 seeds. That’s a lot of seeds! But that is also a lot of seeds that could become trees that could produce more apples. I used this to share with them that if they just planted one seed (shared the Gospel) for every year until they turned 50, look at how many seeds they will plant.
12 years old, you could plant 38 seeds.
13 years old, you could plant 37 seeds.
14 years old, you could plant 36 seeds.
15 years old, you could plant 35 seeds.
The point is that just telling one person per year – planting one seed each year – you could make a big difference. How many seeds are you planting right now? See, when our lives are built on Jesus as our foundation, and our spiritual roots go down deep into Him, our faith will grow strong and tall in the truth and knowledge of Jesus Christ. As a follower of Christ, we want to tell others about who Jesus can be for them because of who He is to us and what He has done for us.
Who is someone that you need to share the Good News of the Gospel with today? We are simply planting seeds, we don’t do the saving, that God’s work, He just wants us to be faithful to plant the seeds.
Well, that is all for this week of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. I pray that you have a blessed weekend and we will see you next week, Lord willing for another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
Hello Friday and welcome back to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. If this is your first time with us, welcome. I am so thankful to see Friday because this has been one crazy and hectic week. One reason for the crazy week is that it is the last week of school and in our house, that is always a hectic week. With this being the last week of school, it got me thinking about summer and all that it brings. So, in today’s edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY we are going to discuss all things summer. Let’s go…
SCHOOL’S OUT!
Photo Courtesy of Pelicans Snowballs in Hickory, NC
Today is the last day of school for our house! I know some students have already finished school for the year and summer break has already started for you. I know some of you may find this hard to believe, but there was a small part of me that always hated the last day of school. I never liked going to school for the work and study. I did however enjoy going to school to see my friends and participate in the extracurricular activities with them. I absolutely loved being a part of marching band, chorus and sports teams! I spent over 100 days with these people and then all of a sudden, I’m stuck at home all day with no friends and nothing to do. When I was growing up, if I wanted to hang out with my friends, I had to ask and beg my older sister to take to meet up with them to play basketball, tennis, or whatever else we would get into. More times than not, she was always willing. If I wanted to talk to them, I had to pick up a phone, dial their number and talk to them over the phone. It’s not like today where we can just text someone or FaceTime someone if we want to talk with them. But, I am grateful for those summers and still have some great memories of me and the boys.
So, with today being the last day of school, here is what I was wondering. Did you ever have an end of the year tradition as a kid or with your kids now? For example, once I pick up Gracie and Jana gets home, we will head over to Pelican’s for our end of the school year tradition that we started with Gracie. It’s not anything big, but it’s a fun little tradition. It actually makes me happy that our little pre-teen is still excited to go to Pelican’s after school! It’s the little victories in life that we will remember the most, right? What about you? Was there a tradition that you had for the last day of school?
SUMMER READING CHALLENGE
Ok, I probably lost some of you at this point, but stay with me. I know that you have doing a ton of school work and the last thing you want to do is pick up another book. I get that! However, I want to challenge you to keep your mind focused this summer. Sure, take a few days and do nothing but veg out on junk food, catch up on TV shows, sleep in, whatever you need to do to unwind from a grueling year. But don’t stay there! Challenge yourself this summer to read a book that you typically would not pick up. I will put out a more extensive list of books for you to read next week. So, for the moment, enjoy your start to summer, get rested up and congrats on a great year. Also, congratulations to all the graduates of 2022!
SUMMER SERVE
Summer is a great time to get out and serve others. Hold on, before you check out. Too many times we think of summer break as “me” time. I completely understand that. We all need a little “me/down” time, but don’t stay there! Don’t be so inward focused that you miss the people and opportunities right in front of you. Find a few ways this summer to go and serve. This isn’t just for students either! Maybe you want to find a way for you and your family to go and serve together, that would be such a blessing. Psalms 100:2 says, “Serve the LORD with gladness” (NASB). Believers should never look at serving God as a burden, but as a delight and privilege. Look for opportunities to serve within your church. Maybe your church has a monthly food bank or clothes bank that you could get involved with. Maybe you could go and help out one of the senior adults in your church. There are multiple ways for you to go and serve this summer. Don’t waste your summer by thinking only of yourself, if you do you will miss out on so many great opportunities.
SUMMER SCAVENGER HUNT
Yes, you read that right. I am going to create a summer scavenger hunt for you and your family to do this summer. It will be published next week along with the Summer Reading Challenge. This is just one way that you and your family can enjoy summer together. You can participate as an individual, a family, a Sunday school class or youth group. The possibilities are endless. This will be a weekly challenge and I look forward to participating with you!
EVERY SUMMER HAS A STORY
As I look back at past summers, I see a trail of wonderful and bittersweet memories. There have been summers that overflowed with joy and summers filled with deep sadness and pain. The common thread is that every summer was unique and had its own tale to tell.
Just as every physical summer has a story, so does every spiritual summer. We each walk through different spiritual seasons at different times. Fall is a time of change. Winter is a time of barrenness and preparation. Spring is a time of rebirth. And summer is a time for bearing fruit and embracing the abundant life that God has called us to.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NASB)
This may sound strange but there is nothing quite like a sweet, sun-ripened summer strawberry! My wife absolutely loves them. In fact, she is already telling me that it’s time to go back to the beach so she can get her favorite strawberries from one of the farmers. Just like sun-ripened strawberries have to be cultivated and cared for while they are on the branches, so do we. We must stay connected to Christ, who is our vine if we are to grow in the image and person of Jesus Christ. I pray that you will stay connected to Jesus (the vine) this summer and seek to serve Him, to bring Him glory in all that you do. If you do, this summer will be one of the most exciting stories you will experience.
Thank you for joining me today and I pray that you have a blessed Friday. Until next week my friends!
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8, NASB
Jesus rises from the grave, spends forty days with His disciples, and then speaks His final words right before He is ascended into heaven. A lot is changing in the lives of the first disciples as they embark on leading the first church.
Fear evaporates, and hope springs up as we encounter the risen Lord. Imagine the anticipation and excitement building among Jesus’ followers as they waited for the Holy Spirit. What an amazing time to be part of the Church! Jesus’ promises and commands are as true for us as they were for the disciples. The mission is not finished. God has called and empowered us to take the Gospel to the world.
Are you ready for God to move in your life? In your family? Do you long to see God at work in your workplace? Are you eager for God to change your community? Are you ready to see God move in the hearts of His people and the church? The time for waiting is over. God is moving!
Through Jesus, the church is to be the hope of the world. As we follow the Holy Spirit’s lead and operate in His power, the Gospel spreads to the ends of the earth. People meet Jesus and their lives begin to change! What an exciting time to be involved in God’s work! Are you excited to see lives changed for the sake of the gospel? The beauty of Acts 1:8, is that the same Holy Spirit that came upon the disciples at Pentecost, is the SAME Holy Spirit that indwells within you if you have professed faith in Jesus Christ today. You are chosen, you are called and you are empowered to go and help change this world for the sake of the gospel.
Are you ready for change around you today? If so, begin by asking God to reassure you of His indwelling Holy Spirit today.
“And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:7, CSB
We’ve all been there. They day you find out you’ve been passed over for a promotion. Not landing the job you really wanted and knew you were qualified for. Not being accepted to the college you’ve been dreaming your whole life of attending. Losing a championship game and having to watch the other team celebrate in front of you. It’s watching all the time and effort you put into something crumble away in a matter of seconds. Sometimes disappointment can be more devastating than tragedy, because it requires you to have invested in the outcome first.
The Bible tells us that we should rejoice in our sufferings, but I’d be lying if I said that what I did every time I was disappointed. Most of the time I just want to go off and be alone, or I end up angry and resentful. Sometimes I even find myself complaining to God over what just happened. So, what are Christians supposed to respond when faced with disappointment? Personally, I think there’s only one thing we can do: hope.
The early disciples faced their own share of letdowns. Paul, in particular, had his share of troubles in life, but look what he writes in Romans chapter 5,
Through him we have alsoobtained access by faithinto this gracein which we stand, andwe rejoicein hope of the glory of God.More than that, werejoice in our sufferings, knowing that sufferingproduces endurance,and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,andhope does not put us to shame, because God’s lovehas been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.Forwhile we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. – Romans 5:2-6
Sometimes disappointment can’t be overcome, only endured. In moments like that, it’s important to remember that we have hope on our side. Hope in Christ’s love, hope for better days to come, the hope to maybe even try again. So when the storms of life come your way don’t let yourself be troubled, instead pick yourself up and remember with God there will always be hope.
Whatever you may be going through remember to hope in the Lord today.
Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the D6 Family Conference in Orlando, Florida. Let me go ahead and say that it was hands down one of the BEST conferences I have ever attended. Now, part of the reason may have been the company that attended with me and the RV that we drove to Florida! (That’s another story for another blog!)
D6 is movement that is intentional about empowering parents, marriages, homes, and churches to live out Deuteronomy 6:4-7, which says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and you when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
The words in Deuteronomy 6 paint for us a beautiful picture for the family and God’s plan for discipleship within the family. This is the heartbeat of D6. They have a desire to come along side the church to help leaders equip parents and families on how to spiritually lead their homes and families. If you are a parent, I pray that this is your desire as well!
The D6 Conference theme this year was reCalibrate. The definition of recalibrate is to adjust, modify or realign. This was an excellent theme, as it gave me the opportunity to take time and rethink how I do ministry within the church and my home. Over the course of three days we heard some great messages, attended some insightful breakout sessions and an opportunity to fellowship and meet new friends. Ron Hunter, the founder of D6, had the biggest impact on me during this conference. He spoke at one of the main sessions on day two and it was entitled, “The Art of Meaningful and Influential Conversations.” The idea behind his message was that if we cannot be intentional about having conversations with our kids then we cannot live out Deuteronomy 6 effectively.
This idea has rocked me to the core! As a father of a nine year old girl, I want to do everything in my power (and Christ’s leading) to have such a spiritual impact on her life. I have the opportunity to coach her soccer team and I love it! It is during this time together that I have the chance to reinforce things that she is hearing at church, how is she “being the light” to her classmates and giving her best in all she does. Sometimes, our conversations are silly, sometimes weird because we are a lot a like (poor girl). But at the end of the day, I pray that I have modeled Christ to her through my words and my actions. I know it’s easy for her to talk to her daddy right now, she’s 9. But I pray that because of the foundation that is being built now, she will continue to want to have meaningful conversations as she moves into the teen years.
If you are a parent today, let me encourage you to be intentional about having conversations with your kids, even if they are teenagers. Throughout Scripture we see how God is modeling for us the importance of having conversations with our children. He desires to speak to His children everyday!
Conversations lead to relationships.
Regardless of the conversation, be encourage that your child is wanting to talk with you. Learn to listen, give them your undivided attention and laugh with them. Give them the same attention that our Father in Heaven gives to us everyday.
I am thankful for my time at the D6 Family Conference and I am already looking forward to next year. D6 has a ton of articles, resources, podcasts and helpful links to help parents disciple their families. I highly recommend checking them out if you are looking for resources for you and your family.
It is finally here, the week that almost every kid or student looks forward to… The Last Week of School! Actually, this time of year I am always reminded of the 70’s song, “School’s Out for Summer.” Well, school’s out, so what are your plans for the summer? On Sunday, I handed out a copy of the Summer Fun Challenge, a guide to help you and your family have a fun and meaningful summer. I wanted to hand this out to our families to help you make the most of your summer.
Summer is probably my favorite time of the year becasue it allows you the opportunity to invest in your family and students in a different way. It allows me the opportunity to invest more into my family because we have such a busy/hectic schedule throughout the school year. Summer is a chance for all of us to slow down in our home and spend quality time with each other. That is why I am excited about the Summer Family Challenge. There are so many challenges found throughout the guide, how do you decide which ones you want to try to complete? Well, why not just go for it all?
Summer provides us a parents a greater opportunity to disciple our children. Summer allows us more freedom to spend equipping our children and helping them to grow in the Lord. The Summer Familly Challenge isn’t just about trying to complete challenges or earning points. It is all about creating opportunities for real discipleship to happen within your family. I am excited about the Summer Family Challenge and I pray that you will join us in participating in it this summer. Also, you can stay up to date with other families by using the #WHBCFamilyChallenge
I am looking forward to a fun summer growing in the Lord with you and seeing your family grow closer to God as well!
This is taken from Pastor Mark Driscoll’s book “Pastor Dad” and I just wanted to share with you some of his insights from the book. I think sometimes we as parents teach our children about repentance and what it is but very often do we model it for them. For example, does my daughter ever here me repent and ask for forgiveness when I sin against my wife by getting mad and arguing with her? Do I model pride or repentance and grace when she is with me driving down the road? I just wanted to share thoughts on his book and help us as parents grow in our relationship with God. Enjoy!
How a dad can model repentance:
“God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” Romans 2:4
A father is to protect his children in a number of ways. To best protect his children from folly and harm of their own doing, a father must teach his children how to repent of their sin.
If children have never been taught how to repent of sin and ask God for a changed heart, they will respond to consequences like “time out” as either punishment or playtime. This is because if they don’t know how to confess, repent, and pray, they won’t know what to do about their sin.
Rather, a father should repent for his children and thereby model for them how to deal with sin.
Repent on their behalf
In Job 1:1–4 we are told that Job was a noble man who loved God and walked blamelessly because he continually confessed his sins to God. Job’s children occasionally threw parties, and Job was so concerned about their possible sin that he would repent on their behalf. Job 1:5 says,
When the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them [his children], and he would rise early in the morning [he dealt with things quickly] and offer burnt offerings [this is worship] according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be thatmy children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
Job was a wonderful father. Job knew what his children were doing, he knew when it was possible that sin had occurred, and he confessed the probable sin before the sun came up the next morning.
Broken through kindness
I’ll give you an example from when my son, Zac, was two. He is a wonderful son, I enjoy him immensely, we are very close, but one day he was not obeying. He was being disrespectful, tormenting his sister, and overwhelming his mother. When I walked in the door from work, my wife and daughter looked as if they had just run a marathon. When I disciplined Zac, it just increased his anger and defiance. His attitude grew meaner until he tried to punch me, a move Proverbs refers to as folly that is bound up in the heart of a child. Ephesians 6:4 came to mind, and I felt that I was exasperating my son. As I prayed, God brought Job 1:5 to mind, and so I picked up my son, who was thrashing his body wildly, and carried him upstairs so we could be alone.
I lay down on my bed with my son on my chest and held him as I began to pray for him. The first thing I prayed for was that the Holy Spirit would come and convict Zac of his sins. I then prayed that Jesus would take the anger out of his heart and give him a new heart of love and obedience. I then started repenting of Zac’s sins for him, naming each of them he had committed that day in great detail. As I held him, I rubbed his back, which calmed him down, and I asked God to forgive him for his sins and give me wisdom to be a good father.
My son broke in a way I had never seen. His crying was so deep that he heaved on my chest for over 10 minutes, covering me in his tears, and having difficulty breathing through his crying. He was repentant, and he was broken. Eventually, he lifted his head to look me in the eye and said, “Daddy, I’m sorry.”
Change by grace
The Bible is both true and helpful. In Romans 2:4, Paul teaches that it is God’s kindness that breaks our heart and brings us to repentance. What this means is that fathers are to lovingly lead their children toward heartfelt repentance of sin. If children will not repent of their sin, then their father, like Job, should repent for them with tender kindness that loves them until they change by grace through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As parents repent of their sins and the sins of their children, they are training their children in repentance so that as the children get older, the gospel becomes their natural and heartfelt response.
Over the last seven weeks our youth have been doing a study called “Firsthand Faith.” It is a study written by Ryan and Josh Shook and is about developing a faith that is our own and not something we cling to because our parents, grand parents or friends have it. Instead, the idea of firsthand faith is all about understanding that from the beginning, the all-powerful God created the universe. God created human being in His image to live joyfully in His presence but we sinned/rebelled against God and must suffer the punishment of our sin, which is death.
But God, sent His Son, Jesus Christ to save and redeem us so that we may have fellowship and life with God. For many people, they never leave their parents “faith” behind and cling to their own faith for whatever reasons. Robert Griffin III says it best, “There comes a time when you can no longer cling to your parents’ coattails and you have to choose to make it your faith.”
That’s what this study was all about, challenging our students to “stop riding” their parents’ faith and to begin developing and working our their own faith. I was amazed by the honesty that many of our students displayed during this study! Like many of us, they don’t have it all together (spiritually speaking), but they are searching and asking the right questions. I am excited to see God working and moving in their lives and I would like to share a prayer from Sir Francis Drake that we looked at in our last study, which is very moving and powerful.
Disturb us, Lord, when We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
Typically, Pastor Scott and I do not promote movies that come to the local theatre, but this time I am going to make an exception.
I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THAT YOU SEE THIS MOVIE! On Sunday, March 23rd the youth went to go see this movie and as soon as the movie was over, I was ready to go and see it again. The thing that I loved about the movie is how it shows that God is in everything and working in all things despite our acknowledgment of it. I will admit that when it comes to “Christian movies” I am a little skeptical because of the cheesiness within the movie. But this movie definitely Don’t get me wrong, there have been a ton a good Christian movies put out over the last several years (October Baby, Fireproof, To Save A Life, Not Today and Grace Unplugged) but this particular movie “gets it.”
It’s a great challenge and reminder to all Christians to not only know but understand why you know that God exists. Not that you have to “prove” that but you should be able to give a defense of why you believe in God (1 Peter 3:15). In a day and time that says there is no God this movie is great reminder to all Christ-followers of how we can approach those who deny God’s existence or say that their are multiple ways to know God. As a parent, I would have no problem taking my four year old to see this movie! I would challenge families and churches that if you have not seen this movie to go as a family and watch it. If you have children, especially middle school and high school age this is a great movie for them to see that it’s ok to say you believe in God.
This movie will breathe life back into you! It will make you think, it will make you cry (even guys). It will hit home because so many of us have experienced at one time or another what the characters in the movie were experiencing. I was thrilled to hear that our particular movie theatre sold out over the weekend because so many people, churches and Christ-followers went to go see this movie. If you are considering going to see it, I highly encourage you to go and take someone with you as well!
Over the last seven weeks our youth have been doing a study called “Firsthand Faith.” It is a study written by Ryan and Josh Shook and is about developing a faith that is our own and not something we cling to because our parents, grand parents or friends have it. Instead, the idea of firsthand faith is all about understanding that from the beginning, the all-powerful God created the universe. God created human being in His image to live joyfully in His presence but we sinned/rebelled against God and must suffer the punishment of our sin, which is death.
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