A Slow Death In The Church…

Some churches die suddenly because of disagreements, immoral behavior, and financial ruin. It is a tragedy when God’s bride falls victim to sin, arrogance and pride. What should have been a beacon of light to those still wandering in the darkness without hope has become a victim of the father of lies and to sin. It truly is a tragedy!

There is another kind of death in the church. It is a slow agonizing death, the kind that begins with seemingly harmless words, behind the back comments, and half truths that go unchecked or verified. The idle, never edifying chatter of assumptions and sometimes made up notions. It is a coward’s conversation because very rarely do those suggestions fall directly on the ears of its intended target.

On the topic of gossip and the tongue:
“…Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.…” -James 3:4-6

Confession:
I have been both a victim and at times a proprietor of this deadly vice. When this harmful drug of choice enters the church it (sometimes it has already been in your church for years and years) can lay waste to integrity, honesty and even our moral compasses. How damaging and hurtful gossip, slander and biting words can be to fellow believers in Christ. Brothers and sisters, we ought to know better yet why do we allow this sort of thing to continue? Why allow it to remain? I have been deeply wounded at times because of the words of other Christians…and dare I confess, a time or two I wished I could have withdrawn the words that flew swiftly from my tongue and past my lips before I could catch them.

How devastating such a small thing can truly be.
Is there a cure? Some sort of remedy? Can we stave off this infection before it consumes and kills us? Gossip slander, and malice WILL kill the Church slowly, agonizingly yet just as deadly as the instant immoral failings. This cancer of the verbal kind can be treated…it can be stalled, maybe even cured.

The Remedy:
Here are a few verses to remind us of this remedy –
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

“For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.” Proverbs 26:20-22

Don’t allow these embers to burn. Don’t linger in the company of those who wag their tongues and scorch the earth with their words. Such thinking and speaking are never edifying to the body of Christ and with it the church will die a slow death. Think on the edifying things. Remain true to our calling. Do not become bogged down by the negative thoughts and words in regards to others. Be a source of hope, light, goodness and grace to fellow believers as well as those who have yet to believe. We ARE the body of Christ…so start acting like it.

I have been equally guilty of this slow death…have you?

Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive us when we have failed you and fallen victim to the trappings of a loose and slanderous tongue. Forgive us when we have hurt You and those You have created in Your image through gossip and thoughtless words. Guide us on the pathway of right living and right thinking so that we can be a more effective source of Godly love to the world around us. Help us to serve You through our thoughts, words and deeds. Restore us, renew us and make us Holy. -Amen.

Something else for us to ponder today…

July 8, 2014 1

There’s no question that General and Founder of The Salvation Army William Booth was a man on a mission. He and His wife Catherine Booth were pivotal in starting something powerful within the World, yet I have to wonder if there was ever a trade-off with his passion. We know some of the famous speeches like the “I’ll fight to the very end” speech and the phrase “do something” in speaking to Bramwell about a homeless situation. There is no doubt both William and Catherine Booth were visionaries and innovators within a mission that ignited the foundation of this Army. They are both revered and loved…

But…

There is a danger of being a visionary.
There can be a trade-off and sacrifices can be made along the way of blazing a trail.
Without a doubt we know Booth to be a great General, albeit our first general, but was he a good father as well? From most historical accounts one might draw a startling contrast from founder to father.

Truth:
If Ballington Booth had not resigned within the Army the Volunteers of America would not have been founded, but why did Ballington leave the army? He and his father did not see eye to eye. Sure disagreements happen in families, but basically William Booth labeled his own family member a deserter to the cause. In essence Booth excommunicated his own kin. I certainly don’t think this is “father of the year” material. However, in the heat of the moment, I can see regrettable comments being said and the damage being done.

Still…
Family is our first ministry, our first priority. I am not blaming our founder, but I do see warning signs of overworking oneself and sacrificing family for the sake of a cause. Two things can take place when we overwork ourselves –

1) Loss of perspective.

Have you ever worked on a project so hard that you just had to step back from it to gain better perspective? It seems to me that everyone of us can be guilty of tunnel vision from time to time because we are so success/vision focused. If Jesus had to get away and be alone with the Father, so too must we. We need to have a clear perspective, but if we overwork ourselves we will sacrifice something in the process. It is like staring at the bark of a massive tree, but we wouldn’t know how great a tree it is until we took a few steps back so that our vision could refocus and we gain a broader outlook.

2) Misalignment of Priorities

Secondly, we can lose the true order of priorities when we overwork ourselves. Suddenly the mission becomes the only thing that is important, and we begin to lose the support cast (and family) around us. God first, family and then our mission…if we discombobulate these we run the risk of losing everything.

These are just two lessons that I see when I consider The Salvation Army’s founder William Booth. Yes he was a great man. Yes his wife Catherine was the true driving force. Yes an Army grew and lives were changed…but could family matters have been handled better in the process? Is there something for us to learn from this as well? Perhaps for starters stop placing Booth on some sort of deified platform. He was, after all, still a man with imperfections like the rest of us. I’m not saying don’t admire what he and Catherine accomplished, but be careful how much you revere the man. Secondly, yes hard work does pay off, but be careful not to sacrifice your children and families in the process.

Live a disciplined life but find rest and grace in the process.

-Just some random ponderings of The Salvation Army today.

June 20, 2014 6

“You’re Reading It Wrong” – 2 Mistakes of Interpreting Scripture

Admit it, at one point or another you have misinterpreted what the Bible has said. Sometimes we do it by accident while other times our intentions are quite clear.

The Bible was written by many different people, but we do believe that the Bible was “God breathed”. That being said, Jesus was the only perfect human to have walked the face of the earth, therefore all other people, including those who wrote the bible, were imperfect. Each writer experienced life through their own filter and each writer faced their own imperfections. This doesn’t mean that all the writers of the Bible were bad people, but rather that each struggled with the realities of life and with their own humanity. Understanding this is important when we read the Bible. Though we know that God is the same today as He was in the past as well as the future – He is being written about through the life experiences of very human (sometimes very earthy) people.

This brings me to my point – be careful how you interpret scripture! Many cults have begun just by taking one single passage in the Bible out of context and applying it to something it was never intended for. If we are true seekers of The Way then we will want to pay extra attention to the ways we apply scripture and its meanings both then and today! There are two mistakes that I would like to highlight today for us here (I know there are more) and I hope it will help you as it has helped me.

2 Mistakes of Interpreting Scripture:

1. Context –
New Christians and even “seasoned” veterans of the Word often do not do the “homework” when reading passages in the bible. The context of what is written is vital to our interpretation of what is being said. I have known people (myself included) who at times have simply opened the Bible and pointed to a passage and thought “this verse was meant for me” without studying the initial context. Of course God can work that way but we should spurred on to really study the deeper meanings and implications of what is being said.

Questions to ask when studying a passages might include:
a. When was this written?
b. Who was this written to?
c. Why was this being written?
d. What did it mean for the people then?

Once we have asked these questions (and possibly more) we can then ask the question – “What does this mean for me today?”
Context is extremely important!

2. Culture –

Culture in the Bible was vastly different from our culture today! This doesn’t mean that the Bible is obsolete or out of date it simply means in order to interpret the Bible correctly we have to understand the culture of biblical times. For instance in Jesus’ day Women were not equal to men nor did they possess many of the rights that men possessed. Jesus was counter-cultural (even revolutionary) in His day to include disciples who were Women.

Secondly this becomes apparently clear through the writings of Paul when He says things like – “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.” 1 Corinthians 14:34 To understand this we need to understand the Apostle Paul a little bit more and also the context of what is being written. Paul addressed numerous issues in the early church including a few women who were causing trouble and creating dissension. The problem becomes worse when many traditional churches take these specific passages of scripture out of context to mean in our day and age Women should act the same when in fact Paul was writing to very specific situations. There is a danger in painting with large brush strokes here because then we begin to lose the detail and meaning of the words written in Scripture.

Culture played a big part in biblical times and it still does today. That doesn’t mean that culture shapes the Word but rather humanity continues to change and alter yet Biblical truths and the words of God are always consistent despite the seemingly inconsistencies of some of the biblical writers. Make sure when we interpret scripture that we attempt to understand not only context but the culture of the time that passages were written.

Wrapping it up:

Be careful not to take liberties with scripture! Don’t pick and choose passages that best suit your needs, but rather read it for what it was intended for. Some are historical narratives, others are prophetical for a specific people and time, while others are meant for instruction of an early church. One truth should always stand out above the rest: God desires a right relationship with us. Throughout the Bible God is always seeking this with those who encounter Him. There is punishment for those who disobey yet a remnant always remains because God never gives up on us. In the finality of things Christ comes into full view and we can see just how far God’s Divine love will go to reach us. The rest of scripture leads us to this place through some very imperfect writers and people – and so are we.

I could write so much more on this topic…but for now I am thankful to the many instructors and teachers that I have had along this journey…and I am still learning.

Just something else to Ponder today

June 18, 2014 2

Personalizing Homelessness

Can we identify with those who live on the streets? I don’t mean hopeless conversations and pre-judgement calls such as “Well, they’re drunks and if I give them money they will just spent it on more booze…” That isn’t identifying with homelessness, that’s passing judgement on them. Yes, something needs to be done, but casting blame, brow beating and ugly talk will not restore lives.

Just this past week, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson called for the removal of the “ugly, stupid anti-homeless spikes” in a modern upscale neighborhood after many took to social media sites to decry this horrific practice and homeless deterrent. (source: http://rt.com/news/164952-anti-homeless-spikes-remove/)

Although we can see this as a success in “spreading the word”, we shouldn’t just stop here to rest on our laurels, much work still remains to be done.

Personalizing Homelessness – breaking the prejudgements:

Some have argued that these protests against anti-homeless constructions infringe on the rights of the landowners or landlords. Understandably, this is a concern. Certainly those who are good stewards of their property wish to maintain a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment for their tenants, but at what cost?

How are we to care for others while taking care of the properties around us? This is a troubling issue, and both sides of this argument require consideration. Yet many times the campaign of driving homelessness from the streets of our cities is something done quietly. Why would it be done quietly? Some may wonder. The reason is because of fear of public repercussions. There are times when law enforcement officials are encouraged to drive homeless individuals to locations outside of town and drop them off. When this type of practice happens we begin to dehumanize people. What is the value of a life today? Even if that life is smelly, dirty and unhealthy, that person is still human.

Making it personal:

What if that person on the street is your brother or sister? What if that homeless person is a son or daughter? Wouldn’t you want others to treat them fairly? Would you want someone to help them? There are many root causes of homelessness, drugs and alcohol are usually the first things we assume brought them to homelessness, but mental abuse and disabilities are also contributors. These are the least of these in our communities. These are people without voices. What if we made homelessness personal. What if we humanized these poor wretches for a moment. I don’t use that term to make them seem “under” me by any means, but how much of a difference does it make to see them as equals to us? Sure they may be without homes, incomes and families, but are they not still loved by an Almighty God who knows their names and loves them the same as He loves us?

The difference between apathy and mercy:

There’s a vast difference between these two words. One speaks of indifference to others while the other speaks of compassion and love. One is uncaring while the other cares. Which are we? Do we see people living on the streets…actually see them? Is there something that WE can do? I certainly don’t propose that we go and put ourselves in danger…but there is something we can do to avoid apathy in these situations. Care. Find places like The Salvation Army who can go in uniform with many hands to help clothe, feed and show love. Become involved, volunteer in church groups who minister through soup kitchens and other feeding programs. One such program is The Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread club – http://www.usc.salvationarmy.org/usc/www_usc_detroithl.nsf/vw-text-index/9b2226ecdc63d0518025717f007045c7?opendocument

http://salvationarmynorth.org/community-pages/bed-and-bread-club/

Contribute to authentic ministries and missions who actually go and help those living on the streets. Make homelessness personal. Each person who sleeps out there under bridges and in the nooks of buildings are still people. Some of these homeless individuals have family members still looking for them. We can either construct crude spikes on a street or park bench and drive them from our sight, or we can lend a helping hand without prejudging their motives or intentions.

Homelessness should be personal to us. We should care about others, and if we can help…we should.

-Just another thought to ponder.

Prayer: Lord help me to see others the way that You seen them. Help me to be an instrument of Your peace. Remove my prejudgments and prejudices. Grant me wisdom and love, fill me with Your mercy, and may my hands become Yours. -Amen.

June 12, 2014 0

Fighting Homelessness The Right Way

I suppose it’s not illegal yet but it should be:
The purposeful construction by various cities to deter homeless individuals from sleeping within or beneath its streets.
This is the first photograph that caught my attention, it’s a bridge underpass:

(http://www.businessinsider.com.au/chinese-using-cement-spikes-to-ward-off-the-homeless-2012-7)
Although some might say that this is China, a country known for its less than stellar human rights track record. That being said, these concrete spikes under a bridge were created to prevent homeless individuals from sleeping there. To some it might seem okay today, but others simply find this intentional prevention to be appalling.

But China isn’t alone.
Other countries have begun similar anti-homeless campaigns:

This is London – this location created metal spikes that jut up from the concrete in order to stop homeless individuals from sleeping in this nook in the wall. It’s a “posh” neighborhood, in other words not a neighborhood that wants to see any homeless individuals on its immaculate prim and proper streets.

(Source: http://soviet.ie/index.php?/topic/4711-anti-homeless-spikes-installed-in-posh-london-neighborhood-spark-outrage/)

Still there are others:

One wonders if this is the right way to go about the problem of homelessness.
Individuals who are homeless should not be devalued or treated less than human. Some of these concoctions seem to resemble primitive medieval torture devices. Is this really the way we should fight homelessness?

One might argue on the otherside of this conversation that creating less areas for homeless individuals to sleep will drive them to safety in the form of Organizations like The Salvation Army, Christian Missions and other such relief groups. But still the question remains, is this right?

It is one thing to deter homelessness for their safety and security on frigid streets in the winter, it is another thing to pour concrete in the shape of spikes or embed metal where the homeless are known to sleep. Some might say the motives of many are financially driven and the “riff-raff” of homelessness will only bring down their property values…but where will these homeless souls go then? What is being done to actually address personal issues which lead some to sleep on the streets? Mental illness is one of these components. Many who are homeless are struggling with various mental disabilities, and addictions. Not all, but many. The real issues beneath homelessness are the real catalyst problems. Getting to these troubling struggles and attempting to address them could help save lives certainly if cities around the world are beginning to fight homelessness in this way.

No one should have to sleep on the streets. No one should have to fight mental illness alone. Homelessness is an ongoing battle, with many different sides and opposing views. For the Christian living within this world as Christ’s ambassadors we are called to help, we are called to lend aid, and provide love to all which includes the homeless in our streets. What are we doing to fight for those without a voice? How can we improve these conditions? Are we really willing to get out of the pews and the comforts of the church in order to fight for the least of these in our communities?

-Just something to ponder today.

June 9, 2014 0

The Salvation Army – Women in Ministry…are we as Progressive as we think?

Please don’t misunderstand my question. I don’t mean to incite a riot or start a fight. It’s a genuine question that continually needs to be re-examined.

If the question was – “Is The Salvation Army more progressive than most churches?” The obvious answer would be “YES”. Absolutely we are progressing more rapidly than most churches, but we aren’t most churches are we? Our mission is slightly different than most churches. We adhere to communities of lost, need, poor, broken and we will use any and all available personnel in the trenches. We are certainly progressive in the utilization of women in ministry.

But…

if the question asked – “Is The Salvation Army as progressive as we can be?” I would have to say “no”.
Certainly we are absolutely heading in the right direction. Certainly we have made great strides in the egalitarian department (wait we don’t have that department yet at THQ?…sorry I couldn’t help myself).

But…

When it comes to leadership and the selection of leaders how progressive are we then?

One can make the argument that our last General was a Woman – and I couldn’t argue with that. One can also make the argument that more female leaders are being appointed to key leadership roles. However, there are still appointments that occur that make me scratch my head. Don’t take this the wrong way but sometimes gifts are seen in one of the married couple but the other partner in the marriage is appointed to some odd appointment or a place that they lack any gifting.

Perhaps it’s not always inequality in the sexes, perhaps its because of specific giftings that are seen in one of the married couples…let me just be frank here – not every female officer wants to be appointed to the women’s ministries department, or the community cares department or another department that didn’t exist until recently. As I say this it should also be noted that the same can be said of male officers who are appointed because of the giftings of their spouse. We as an Army are getting better at this but we still have quite a ways to go as well.

Breaking Old Molds

Old excuse: “This is the way we’ve always done it“
This excuse isn’t exclusive to corps deeply entrenched in traditions but is also evident in certain leadership models. Others would say it another way – “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”…but sometimes what that means is if it appears nothing is broken…sometimes we don’t see the fractures that have appeared over maintaining the “status quo”. Sometimes we gloss over these cracks with fresh enamel of “Salute and go”.

Officers are still people!
They have hurts, aspirations, ideas, gifts and abilities. Sometimes these gifts and abilities compliment the marriage team, and other times it is best to allow them to serve in separate appointments. Every person regardless of their marital status is unique and can operate in many different appointments. Their voice should matter in appointment decisions. I recognize that more than ever Officers are being listened to. I’m also not a fool in to thinking that Army politics “never” plays a part in some decisions that are made. But if The Army is truly interested in stopping the attrition rate in its Officership core then intently listening to its officers should be at the top of the list.

Humbly Serve!

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).
We are, without a doubt, saved to save (and yes saved to serve)! Humility doesn’t mean that we don’t discuss our gifts. Humility doesn’t mean that we don’t sometimes disagree with decisions made. Humility doesn’t mean that we are “happy” all the time. But it does mean that where THE LORD leads we will go. That’s why it is imperative that both leadership, department officers, corps officers and other officers appointed else where serve the Lord first, seek His face, pray earnestly, do what He says, and from that right relationship – lead in whatever capacity is appointed to us.

Thoughts and Questions:
How progressive should we be when it comes appointments and gender?
Are we there yet?
What are the indicators that will be present when we have accomplished true egalitarian ministries?
Does “pigeon-holing” in the appointment process still take place today?
How can we change this? (Can this be changed?)

Here’s my purpose for writing this today.
Not to cause trouble…that’s not my intention at all. Not to ruffle feathers – sorry if I did.
Not to sound militant or rebellious – I will serve as the Lord leads me.
But…
Jesus had female disciples in a very male dominated world. He was progressive in ministry and egalitarian in his choice of followers. Shouldn’t we be as well? We have made great strides thus far in our Army…let’s not stop now!

-Just something else to ponder today.

June 6, 2014 2

If You Can’t Stand The Heat…No, Seriously Stand it For Just a Bit Longer…

“…so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” 1 Peter 1:7

God corrects us. It may be painful. It may sting a little…but it is always worthwhile. I recall being corrected and disciplined as a child. It wasn’t something I ever looked forward to, nor was it something I would want to do again, yet it provided me direction and it refined me as a human being.

When we accept Salvation for what it is – God’s grace imparted to us by Jesus Christ, we begin this transformational refinement. Initial sanctification (what we know of to be accepting Jesus at the moment of Salvation) isn’t the end of our spiritual journey, it is only the beginning. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” At the first infant steps of our salvation we are shucking off our old sinful selves. For some that transformation occurs quickly while others this gradual refinement of the old to the new takes a little longer. The Holy Spirit does the prodding in us…the pleading, the yearning for us to recognize the unsurrendered bits and the road to complete submission. The “new life” is not easy, nor is the transformational process. Yet, through correction, conviction and purification by fire we can become cleansed and washed clean from our old lives.

There is pain at the altar of submission. There is heartache and grief as we allow the prodding of the Holy Spirit to take root within us and allow Him to burn our old decay away. The refinement of gold and other precious metals is hot work. The solid must be melted down to its basic elements within the fire. As the solid becomes liquid metal, piping hot and volcanic, the impurities begin to become visible. Before these metals were melted down, the impurities were hidden and buried somewhere deep within…but now as the flame alters its state, these impurities can no longer be hidden. These impurities are plain as day, floating on top of the hot metal ore. The one who has melted down the ore will then gently skim the surface of the precious metal and remove the impurities.

So too the Holy Spirit longs to this work within us. It is hot work. It may burn a little. We may groan under the heat of the flame, but what a difference it will make!

Questions:

Where are you right now on your spiritual journey?
Is the Holy Spirit trying to refine you?
Are you allowing Him access to you completely? Or are you holding back?
The old cannot be skimmed from your life if you aren’t willing to stand the heat of His Holy Fire.
You are meant for so much more. You are meant to be refined and cleansed. You are God’s precious possession!
He wants you all to Himself, but that cannot happen unless you are willing to be refined, and to do so requires your complete surrender.

Stand the heat for just a little bit longer. Let His flames consume you.
Our purification within His holy fire will be ongoing, and we may have to surrender time and time again but what a peace it is to discover that we aren’t on this path alone.

There is real peace in our surrender.
There is real joy in His Holy fire.
May His loving arms be on us ever
and complete submission – never tire.

-Just a something more to ponder.

June 5, 2014 1

The Salvation Army – Are we enabling through Social Programs?

This is an open question that begs your response.
Don’t kill the messenger here, It’s something that I’ve not only seen, I have heard said as well.
Are we working to address underlying needs of those we love and serve or are we just addressing the basic needs of “the moment”?
All too often it is far easier to “meet human needs in His name without discrimination” right now based on what they need…but it’s much harder to ask the difficult questions, to pry back the hurt in order to discover underlying causalities.

NOT A STEREOTYPE
I recognize that not every Salvation Army does take the “easy” route in services. Some take great pains to work with those in need and to help discover and address the real issues. I am certainly no unopposed to handing out a food box or securing temporary housing for a displaced family but without addressing the real causes are we slowly hurting those we serve more than helping?

Enabling is okay for time, but providing solutions, real tangible answers to their problems…isn’t that what Booth was all about? If you have a problem with drink – stop drinking. If you need a safe environment to work – here’s a job. General Booth said to his son Bramwell “do something!”

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Perhaps the question shouldn’t be “what are we doing” but rather “what can we do better?”
How can we get to the bottom of life issues, help to heal – feed both the body and the soul and help a person back onto their feet?
I understand some may never get back on their feet…some may have experienced the worst kind of life imaginable and they will need our support for the rest of their lives…but not all are like this. Can we help them and then send them to become helpers as well? Can we break from the “status quo” and become revolutionary again?

This revolution may look very different in other countries, but what about your country? What is YOUR Army doing to pick people back up, to help heal the hurting, to mend the shattered? Can we avoid enabling within our social programs? We must recognize that we are called to so much more than just social programs…but spiritual hope and salvation ~~as well~~ first.

I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
What is being done?
What can we do differently?
Are we impacting the world as we once did?
Do we risk enabling souls instead of healing souls through the power of the Holy Spirit?

-Something for our Army to ponder today.

May we ever be daring to continue to “go for souls and go for the worst!”

June 3, 2014 6

4 Steps To Godly Parenting

“…Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” –Ephesians 6:4

Definitions:

I’ve always been curious of this word “exasperate”…what does it mean? Here are some synonyms –

agitate, annoy, enrage, rile, inflame, aggravate, “drive up a wall”, disturb…

You get the point.

Questions to consider:

I think it only fitting this week that we look at the healthy attributes of a father. How can we be better parents, teachers and leaders of the children that we’ve been given? What do we want our children to remember us by?

It is crucial that we instruct, lead and love our children on godly principles and holy living. Does it always work? No. Will we make mistakes along the way? You bet we will. Does that mean that we don’t try despite our propensity for mistakes? Absolutely not!

4 Steps to Godly Parenting:

1. Honesty with Self:

First we must tackle honesty within our conversation today. Be honest with yourself, you’re not perfect. You were not perfect growing up, and you’re not perfect now. That isn’t an excuse to not try, or to abdicate your responsibilities as parents. Just understand that sometimes the expectations that we put on our children stem from our own shortcomings and inadequacies in ourselves. We long to push our children harder and we set the bar higher because we look back at our own life and wished we had made other decisions or worked harder at specific moments in our past.

Be honest with yourself. You are the parent of a precious life, and when we push too hard out of personal unfulfilled dreams and goals, we will exasperate our child(ren). Take a long hard look at your expectations for your child. Goals aren’t bad to have, but if you find yourself pushing your child in a direction that resembles your own shortcomings and disappointments just to live vicariously through them perhaps you must stop and realign your motives and intentions! Godly parenting wants to impress Godly principles, but doesn’t try to force children into molds that do not fit their personalities and temperaments.

2. Beware of the Anger trap:

I find myself struggling with this one. It is one thing to appropriately discipline children, it is another to lose your temper and rage at them. Be careful how your discipline your child. Children model themselves after their parents. If you resemble a grumbling bear all of the time your children will eventually resemble this too. If you rage, scream and shout your child will rage, scream and shout because this is a learned trait. Similarly to growing up with an alcoholic parent, a child who grows up with a raging parent will be inclined to resemble that upbringing. This isn’t absolute, but the propensity for modeled behavior such as anger can be passed on from generation to generation.

Discipline, but don’t allow your anger to rage and fume and create a fire within your children. These flames can burn long after they have left home.

3. Show up.

Your child’s interests may not always be the same as yours. They may find a love for art or sports that perhaps you never had. Invest in your child. Spend time encouraging healthy interests. Show up to events that your child will be participating in. Also, actively find additional helps within your child’s likes. If they enjoy sports, sign them up for that soccer team in the summer. If they enjoy art, sign them up for a community art class. Take the time to show up as the guide for your child. Invest your time and encourage them in their interests. A parent who shows up and invests in their child’s interests displays to that child that they matter and they are worthwhile and valuable.

4. Share the Word and Pray.

You don’t have to do this rigidly, but “devotion” time with the family is important. Carve out intentional spiritual teaching moments with your child. Don’t make a big show of it, but let it be a part of who you are as a person and as a parent. Don’t teach from a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality either. The Word of God is vital to godly living, practice what you preach and teach through your example. You don’t have to purchase curriculum to teach your child about God. Read a passage of scripture at night after dinner or perhaps pray before bedtime. Living as a godly example to your child has to begin with a daily dose of personal time with the Lord as well. Are we spending our time in the Word of God? Do we pray diligently for our families? From this stems our desire to spiritually instruct our children in the principles of Godly living.

These are just a few suggestions to aid us as parents who long to raise our child up right. Take time to pray for your child. Ask God for guidance and wisdom as you teach and love your family.

-Just something else to ponder today.

June 2, 2014 2

Sermon Podcast – “Who are you really?”

Click the link below to listen:

Who are you really?.

Who are you really?

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

Introduction:
Who are you really?
When the makeup is removed, when you go home and no one else is looking. When you look in the mirror and look at your face…who are you really?
If someone were to sum you up with just a few sentences what would they say about you? What would they use to describe your character and your personality? Who are you really?
1. It’s about our identity: WHOSE are we?
Chosen
Abram is chosen to be the father of many nations…Isaac sacrifice….
Samuel is chosen by God…Eli was old.
Royal.
David is anointed by Samuel chosen by God to be the king…
Solomon – David’s son is the richest royalty to ever live…chosen by God

Holy.
The day of Pentecost came and the disciples were praying in the upper room…
A persecutor of Christians was on a road when God chose Him for a holy purpose…
• Set apart
•
God’s Special Possession.
• You’re His!
• Not someone else’ possession
• Your name is written: See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins. (Isaiah 49:16)

2. It’s about our Purpose: What we should be and do!
Purpose of our “chosenness” – “That you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Questions:
Do you know whose you are?
Do you know who you really are?
Or do you have an identity crisis?
Do you know the purpose for which you’ve been called?
or are you wandering around aimlessly from one thing to the next?
What are the things that are preventing you right now from living as a Chosen child of God?

June 1, 2014 0

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Sermon Podcast – “Who are you really?”

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