faith Posts

God’s Design for the Family

24 Aug , 2011 1 Comment

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (read 6:6-9)

God’s Design for the Family (4 Snap Shots)
1. A haven of worship
In the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) God teaches us that we are to worship Him comprehensively- with all of life. He immediately follows these verses with clear instruction of how, when, and where this command is to be lived out, taught, and passed on from generation to generation. Clearly the weight of responsibility falls upon parents and it is within the context of the family that the Shema is lived out. Parents, you are the cultural architect of your home. You are to create an environment within the context of the home in order to worship God. Through the Shema God is teaching His people that worship is a 24-7 experience. We have so compartmentalized our lives that we somehow think worship is something that takes place on Sunday mornings and no other time. You never see that in the Bible! Teach your children about private worship- personal worship- worship as life. From a very early age teach your children to pray. Pray with your children. Ask, “What are you worried about? What are you really glad about? Let’s talk to God about that.” The home is to be a haven of worship.

2. A refuge of relationships
Notice, all of this is done together, in the context of life-giving relationships. I call it a “refuge” because the home should be the place where we’re loved for free. Moms, dads, and children are facing relational challenges all day long, often in a harsh and hostile world. We need to find a refuge of understanding and love in the home. Every spouse would do well to ask the question: “What’s it like being married to me?” Every parent should ask the question: “What is it like being my child?” What does my child hear from me? What do they see in me? My life is setting the pace for the kind of environment that is found in my home. By watching me what are my children learning about core values- such as honesty, generosity, perseverance, consistency, responsibility, forgiveness, prayer, and discipline? The home is a refuge for life-giving relationships.

3. A school of instruction
Notice in Deuteronomy 6 the training and teaching taking place is done in the home. This is God’s design. The home is a seminary, a “seed bed” for theological instruction. When we transfer the responsibility of the spiritual nurturing of our children to the church, our kids become “spiritual orphans”. Our kids become spiritual schizophrenics, taught the Word of God at church but at home it’s rarely mentioned. Partner with the church. Be consistent in church attendance, but never abdicate the spiritual formation of your children off to someone else.

4. A place of grace
The home is to be a place where each member is loved with the unconditional and lavish love of God. The home is the place where forgiveness always prevails! You can let your guard down and be loved for free in the home. In the end, we see God’s dream to form a community of people, centered on His love. His dream to have a family that would love freely and be so radically inclusive that every person would be drawn in like a magnet to Him. He dreams of a place where people are embraced with all of their sin and failure and loved into a relationship with God through Christ and then set free into their God-given mission in the world. The home is to be like God’s Church. The Church is a family, filled brothers and sisters- of all nationalities, races, places in life- and God is our Father. Indeed the Church is the very family of God.

What’s the Gospel?

13 Aug , 2011 1 Comment

At the core of our Message, our ministries, our lives, our hope, and life is the Gospel.  The longer I preach the more convinced I am that I (we) have but one message: the Gospel of Grace found only in Christ. Surely all of Scripture is inspired by God and all of the Bible is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness- but it is the Gospel that is central. I’ve heard Christians through the years express a desire to go “deeper” in the Word. Sometimes this is a true desire to get beyond the surface preaching that seems to come from many of our pulpits. But most of the time this is a desire for more knowledge (and not a desire nor evidence of obedience to what is already known- i.e. kindness, compassion, care for the poor, the marginalized, a lack of grace and purity, etc..).

I ask, “What’s deeper than the Gospel?” How can we ever tire of studying, scrutinizing, exploring, and- indeed- applying the Gospel to every aspect of life. The Gospel is the well that never runs dry. Jesus is eternal and the exploration of His majesty is never-ending. Let’s preach, teach, and apply the Gospel. It is (HE is) the Only hope of salvation for those who believe.

Here Tim Keller (who is always Gospel-centered) answers the question: “What is the Gospel?”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0g-s4Qhtyk&feature=youtu.be]

Thy Kingdom Come.

04 Aug , 2011 No Comments

A Thousand Questions

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiNBmNl88Pk]

Have you taken the Bible for granted?

28 Jun , 2011 No Comments

How much do you love God’s Word?  Do you cherish it? Do you read it? Do you know what a gift it is to your life?

Please take the time to watch this inspiring story. Let it challenge you to NEVER take God’s Word for granted.  Study it. Love it. Obey it.

Let it draw you to Jesus.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9dpmp_-TY0]

What Every Mother Needs

07 May , 2011 2 Comments

“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”       2 Timothy 1:2

Paul’s blessing to young Timothy is my blessing for all moms this Mothers Day.

Every mother needs:

1. Grace

Mothers, may God’s unmerited, pardoning and transforming favor and power be upon you.  May His grace cover you, define you, and guide you as guide others.  May your marriage be grace-centered.  May you parent with grace.  We are all in need of grace.  So let’s go ahead and destroy the myth of the “super mom”.  There are no perfect moms.  The super mom is simply the mom who sticks with it day in and day out and does not give up.  Real moms need the grace of God.  God’s grace picks up where we are done.  Paul said,

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.  No, I worked harder than all of them- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”  1 Corinthians 15:10 

Mom, God’s grace finishes the task when you can’t go on.  Aren’t you glad, when you feel you can’t go on, God’s grace gives you strength?  When you fail, His grace covers you.  When you lose your temper, His grace covers you.  When you find yourself feeling all alone, unappreciated, or unworthy His grace covers you.  You can turn to Him.  To be a mom is to rely daily on God’s grace.

2. Mercy

God’s warm and tender affection for those who are in need and who are afflicted comes in unlimited ways to moms.  It is His compassion and understanding love that can keep you going.  Moms, God knows your deepest hurts.  He understands those private moments when you grow weary and become discouraged.  To be a mom is to rely daily on God’s mercy.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Hebrews 4:16

3. Peace

Peace is the fullness of God’s blessings upon His people- because we have been reconciled to Him through the death of Jesus Christ.  Because we have peace with God, we can experience peace in our hearts daily.  Mom, what do you need more than peace today?  You find it as you run to God.  To be a mom is to rely on His peace in your life daily.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Mom, you are a valued treasure to God to everyone around you.  But your ultimate worth in life is not found in being the perfect mom, it’s not found in your husband or your children.  Your worth is found in Christ.  In Him you find peace.  In Him you find mercy.  In Him you find grace.

Happy Mothers Day Mom!