This was sent to me by Karen Fox to share with the church. I wish I could have shared this on Sunday, but just received it yesterday.
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I was meditating on Isaiah 9:6-7. In the Message Bible, I wanted to read to the congregation the following verses:
For a child has been born – for us!
The gift of a son – for us!
He'll take over the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow, and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He'll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom.
He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going with fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always.
(the bold section is verses 6 and 7, and where I concentrated my meditation)
This passage brought some perspective to how I would like to experience Christmas this year. I want my focus to be on Jesus and the purpose for his coming, just like Pastor Paul mentioned a couple Sundays ago. And I want my heart to be right with God.
What I appreciate the most in this passage is that I can rely on one God, the true God, to be the ruler of my heart and my life. I like that I have only one ruling authority in my life, ultimately one to be accountable to (although, we as the Body of Christ are accountable to one another as well, which is an act of obedience to our God). I was thinking how having one God to worship and obey really does simplify things.
The Scriptures say that there are no limits to the wholeness Christ brings to our lives. At this time of year, many people can feel rather fragmented and harried with the additional tasks that the Christmas season brings. I just wanted to encourage everyone with this passage of hope. If you start to feel frazzled or disillusioned by the hussle and bussle of Christmas, think on the ruling authority in your lives, remind yourselves of the reason for Jesus Christ's birth and His purpose to restore us back to wholeness and purity, and allow yourselves to rest in the limitless peace He wants you to experience at this time of year and into the next.
Our hope is secure because we know that His authority will grow in this world, that all people will eventually end up bowing to Him, and that the power of sin has been conquered by Christ's death so that we as believers can be restored to wholeness.
The passage really encouraged me to reclaim a sense of peace this Christmas, a peace without limits, and allow God to sustain it, knowing that His rule and His will is occurring right now on earth and will last forever. Our peace never needs to end when we trust in God's rule and take on Christ's righteousness.
Be blessed this holiday season.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Best Moment of 2008
Hey, no one can deny it, some Sundays are better than others. I've given up trying to predict it. Several theories like attendance, my own preparation and the weather have all been considered, then rejected. For some divine reason, God shows up and people's hearts are in the right place on certain Sundays more than others.
Since it's the year-end and the media has just begun it's annual 'best-of-the-year' analysis of movies, music, internet sites, etc, I thought I'd give you my 'best of' for Sundays this year. It's such an easy answer for me. It was such a great moment for our church, it left me thinking and talking about it over my holidays which commenced the moment I left the church building that Sunday. And it may surprise you that I didn't even preach on the Sunday in question.
I'm speaking of Thanksgiving Sunday. In the spirit of 1 Timothy 4:4 "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving", I had asked the church over the several Sundays prior, to come prepared to give thanks. I had no one tell me that they were going to share, but Tim suggested having an 'open mic' time where people could get up. The response was nothing other than the Spirit working in our church. It was both what people said (the heart-honesty was beautiful), and who said it (not just the usual people who you would expect to share). There was real, meaningful thanksgiving for prayers that were answered over the year (some after many years of prayer). It wasn't just generic expressions of thanks, but specific things like getting jobs, new babies, someone gave thanks to God for their 'beautiful wife' and I wanted to stand up and cheer because we are really seeing God as good to us. Even children drew what they were thankful for and shared it with the whole church.
It is the best moment for our church because I see it fulfilling what our seven-month series in Acts teaching. It was about God's people listening to the Spirit and not being afraid to say so.
There were other Sundays that deserve mention, like the weeks we had baptisms, the outdoor service in June, or the week we were outnumbered by a massive family reunion that visited our church. But Thanksgiving Sunday in my mind was tops.
Since it's the year-end and the media has just begun it's annual 'best-of-the-year' analysis of movies, music, internet sites, etc, I thought I'd give you my 'best of' for Sundays this year. It's such an easy answer for me. It was such a great moment for our church, it left me thinking and talking about it over my holidays which commenced the moment I left the church building that Sunday. And it may surprise you that I didn't even preach on the Sunday in question.
I'm speaking of Thanksgiving Sunday. In the spirit of 1 Timothy 4:4 "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving", I had asked the church over the several Sundays prior, to come prepared to give thanks. I had no one tell me that they were going to share, but Tim suggested having an 'open mic' time where people could get up. The response was nothing other than the Spirit working in our church. It was both what people said (the heart-honesty was beautiful), and who said it (not just the usual people who you would expect to share). There was real, meaningful thanksgiving for prayers that were answered over the year (some after many years of prayer). It wasn't just generic expressions of thanks, but specific things like getting jobs, new babies, someone gave thanks to God for their 'beautiful wife' and I wanted to stand up and cheer because we are really seeing God as good to us. Even children drew what they were thankful for and shared it with the whole church.
It is the best moment for our church because I see it fulfilling what our seven-month series in Acts teaching. It was about God's people listening to the Spirit and not being afraid to say so.
There were other Sundays that deserve mention, like the weeks we had baptisms, the outdoor service in June, or the week we were outnumbered by a massive family reunion that visited our church. But Thanksgiving Sunday in my mind was tops.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Egg Bread Recipe
I've made this egg bread recipe at our church before and had good comments about it. I recently made some to freeze for our celebration of the coming ruler and thought I would share it. I think it's tops, and have been working with it for a while now. All credit goes to my father who taught me how to make it (who in turn would thank someone who taught him of course). Having been working on bread a lot in recent months I am realizing how bread recipes are something that need perfecting and personalizing to get right. I'm not there with any of mine yet, but a fresh load of bread that isn't quite right is always better than anything you'd buy at the store.
Egg Bread
Prepare the following:
#1 - Pot on low heat (melt butter, dissolve sugar/salt, add milk and warm)
½ Cup Butter
4 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Salt
½ Cup Milk
#2 - Large Warm Bowl (dissolve sugar, add yeast and let sit 10 minutes)
1 Cup Warm Water
2 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Yeast
#3 - Small Bowl
4 Eggs whisked
#4 - Medium Bowl
6 Cups of Flour
Add #1 to #2, then add #3, then mix in the flour in two stages
Knead to perfection
Put in greased, covered bowl to rise until doubled (1 hour)
Punch down, divide into six equal parts and let rest 10 minutes
Roll each part until it is a little longer than the bread pan
Braid three together and place in buttered load pans
Place buttered paper towel over to avoid drying out
Let rise 30 minutes
Brush with beaten egg
Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees
Egg Bread
Prepare the following:
#1 - Pot on low heat (melt butter, dissolve sugar/salt, add milk and warm)
½ Cup Butter
4 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Salt
½ Cup Milk
#2 - Large Warm Bowl (dissolve sugar, add yeast and let sit 10 minutes)
1 Cup Warm Water
2 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Yeast
#3 - Small Bowl
4 Eggs whisked
#4 - Medium Bowl
6 Cups of Flour
Add #1 to #2, then add #3, then mix in the flour in two stages
Knead to perfection
Put in greased, covered bowl to rise until doubled (1 hour)
Punch down, divide into six equal parts and let rest 10 minutes
Roll each part until it is a little longer than the bread pan
Braid three together and place in buttered load pans
Place buttered paper towel over to avoid drying out
Let rise 30 minutes
Brush with beaten egg
Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees
Do we celebrate suffering?
Christmas is the daddy of all celebrations. Only at a wedding can I think of a greater celebration. Gift-giving, feasting, family travel, etc are only common this time of year. If your celebration is closely tied to Christmas as a faith holiday, then why all this celebrating? Do we feast because of the nativity story? The meaning of the story is God coming into our sin-filled earth to suffer a life and death he did not deserve. Is this something to bake special cookies for? I actually don't think so.
Matthew 17:12
But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.
Acts 17:3
explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.
While it is certainly good for us, and shows the kindness of God, the suffering messiah doesn't cause me to plan a party. The suffering messiah is the only way our salvation has been earned for us. It is also a important story that we must tell each other. But it doesn't cause me celebrate. What does cause me to feast is the broader message of Advent, which should focus more on Jesus' coming as ruler.
Luke 1:31-33
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Jesus is coming - he is coming to topple the rulers of the earth and set up his own authority so God can live with us in a life without sin. No more crying, no more sickness, no more sadness, no more pain, no more death. This is something to celebrate. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel.
Matthew 17:12
But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.
Acts 17:3
explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.
While it is certainly good for us, and shows the kindness of God, the suffering messiah doesn't cause me to plan a party. The suffering messiah is the only way our salvation has been earned for us. It is also a important story that we must tell each other. But it doesn't cause me celebrate. What does cause me to feast is the broader message of Advent, which should focus more on Jesus' coming as ruler.
Luke 1:31-33
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Jesus is coming - he is coming to topple the rulers of the earth and set up his own authority so God can live with us in a life without sin. No more crying, no more sickness, no more sadness, no more pain, no more death. This is something to celebrate. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Birthdays
We don't all celebrate birthdays with the same fervor. Whether you expect cake, presents and surprises, or, if you are all too familiar with the concept of belated birthday cards, it is helpful to know that not all cultures are as excited about celebrating the anniversary of birth. We celebrate Jesus' birthday at Christmas, but in the New Testament there is no hint of such commemoration. (For this reason we are not sure of the actual date of Jesus' birth). Instead of celebrating birthdays, the people of Jesus' culture commemorated someone's 'death day'. In the case of Jesus, they celebrated neither, but made it their practice to celebrate the day of his resurrection. And they did this not annually, but weekly by commemorating Sundays.
Before you throw out your manger scene though, it is helpful to remember that it is not the holiday surrounding his birth that is important in scripture, but the meaning of his birth. It is like his death day which is understood as the culminating act of God earning our salvation for us. His birth also has great meaning as it is the beginning of the acts of God that earned our salvation for us. Colossians 1:15-23 speaks of Jesus' existence as God before he came to earth. Philippians 2:1-11 speaks of Jesus' humility coming to earth. And John's gospel speaks many times of eternal quality and humble birth of Jesus though he suffers greatly for us (see 1:1-18, 6:14, 7:25-31, 8:12-20, 8:58, 12:46, 16:28, 18:37).
There is no command from God to commemorate Jesus' birthday, but to know the meaning of his birth. This is the purpose of our advent focus this year. We take time to hear each other read scripture and consider what this means to us. God coming into the world is our only hope of salvation, a future with him, dominion over sin in our lives, the life of the Spirit, and belonging in his church.
Before you throw out your manger scene though, it is helpful to remember that it is not the holiday surrounding his birth that is important in scripture, but the meaning of his birth. It is like his death day which is understood as the culminating act of God earning our salvation for us. His birth also has great meaning as it is the beginning of the acts of God that earned our salvation for us. Colossians 1:15-23 speaks of Jesus' existence as God before he came to earth. Philippians 2:1-11 speaks of Jesus' humility coming to earth. And John's gospel speaks many times of eternal quality and humble birth of Jesus though he suffers greatly for us (see 1:1-18, 6:14, 7:25-31, 8:12-20, 8:58, 12:46, 16:28, 18:37).
There is no command from God to commemorate Jesus' birthday, but to know the meaning of his birth. This is the purpose of our advent focus this year. We take time to hear each other read scripture and consider what this means to us. God coming into the world is our only hope of salvation, a future with him, dominion over sin in our lives, the life of the Spirit, and belonging in his church.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Marriage Questions - Part Six
Session #6 – Finances
Who will handle the monthly budget/finances?
Have you both agreed on how much money you will need each month?
What do you think about giving money to your church or other not-for-profit organizations?
How will you decide what to do with extra funds?
Besides necessities, what have each of you spent money on in the last month?
How do you feel about credit?
Have you planned a monthly budget? Will? Life insurance?
When do you expect to own your own home?
Who will handle the monthly budget/finances?
Have you both agreed on how much money you will need each month?
What do you think about giving money to your church or other not-for-profit organizations?
How will you decide what to do with extra funds?
Besides necessities, what have each of you spent money on in the last month?
How do you feel about credit?
Have you planned a monthly budget? Will? Life insurance?
When do you expect to own your own home?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Marriage Questions - Part Five
Part Five - Social and Spiritual
What two activities (recreation, social, etc) do you have in common?
How many evenings a week do you see yourselves doing activities apart?
How important are holidays, birthdays and anniversaries to you?
Do you dislike any of your future spouse’s friends? If so, why?
Do you have any mutual friends?
How much education has each of you had? Do you plan to continue?
What are your views on alcohol and drug use?
Describe your experience with God and what you believe about Jesus Christ.
What are your family’s religious backgrounds?
Does your mate believe the same things that you believe? Is it important that you believe the same things about God?
What role do you see God having in your marriage?
How do you see your new family being involved in church life?
What two activities (recreation, social, etc) do you have in common?
How many evenings a week do you see yourselves doing activities apart?
How important are holidays, birthdays and anniversaries to you?
Do you dislike any of your future spouse’s friends? If so, why?
Do you have any mutual friends?
How much education has each of you had? Do you plan to continue?
What are your views on alcohol and drug use?
Describe your experience with God and what you believe about Jesus Christ.
What are your family’s religious backgrounds?
Does your mate believe the same things that you believe? Is it important that you believe the same things about God?
What role do you see God having in your marriage?
How do you see your new family being involved in church life?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Christmas
Christmas is coming. In fact, what we consider the 'Advent Season' begins next Sunday, November 30th. This is the four Sundays before Christmas Eve. One of the things I am working on this week is how we will celebrate Christmas as a church this year. Harry is doing a great job of giving oversight to Christmas Eve, but what about Advent? So far I have a theme - 'Christmas in Babylon'. Not too festive? Well, that's because we live in a culture that is foreign to God's message to us at Christmas. Celebrating the hope we have in the coming of Christ is a minority holiday. It reminds me of the story of Daniel who worshipped the true God in the midst of a Babylonian culture that didn't believe what he did.
So if it's important that we worship and celebrate the advent of Christ this year, how should we do this? What is meaningful to you? Are there songs that you want to sing, things you want to share, verses you want read, candles you want to light? And beyond our Sunday mornings together, how can you take time feel the excitement and joy that comes when you really stop and think how wonderful it will be when Jesus comes, defeats sin and lives with us forever? For me, it is when I share the Christmas story with my kids, usually when we read and talk before bedtime. The truth seems to real and important when I share with them the most important story I will ever tell them.
So if it's important that we worship and celebrate the advent of Christ this year, how should we do this? What is meaningful to you? Are there songs that you want to sing, things you want to share, verses you want read, candles you want to light? And beyond our Sunday mornings together, how can you take time feel the excitement and joy that comes when you really stop and think how wonderful it will be when Jesus comes, defeats sin and lives with us forever? For me, it is when I share the Christmas story with my kids, usually when we read and talk before bedtime. The truth seems to real and important when I share with them the most important story I will ever tell them.
Marriage Questions - Part Four
Session #4 – Conflict and Communication
Complete the personality profile if you have not considered basic personality types before. Or, discuss your personality type as you understand it.
Based on your personalities what problems might you have in resolving conflict?
How did your parents handle conflict in the home?
How do you plan on handling conflict?
Are there any areas of your relationship that you find too difficult to talk about with your future spouse?
How does your future spouse best communicate their love for you?
Have you discussed being purposeful in having quality couple time (e.g. date nights, weekends together, meaningful conversation)?
Complete the personality profile if you have not considered basic personality types before. Or, discuss your personality type as you understand it.
Based on your personalities what problems might you have in resolving conflict?
How did your parents handle conflict in the home?
How do you plan on handling conflict?
Are there any areas of your relationship that you find too difficult to talk about with your future spouse?
How does your future spouse best communicate their love for you?
Have you discussed being purposeful in having quality couple time (e.g. date nights, weekends together, meaningful conversation)?
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Parenting Young Children
Here is the best article I have come across regarding parenting. It is to the point, practical, and Christian (as opposed to moral parenting styles that end up being against the gospel).
39 Lessons, 20 Tips and 10 "Don'ts" For Parenting
By Matt & Elizabeth Schmucker
39 LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED
Lessons About Ourselves
1. To be a faithful steward of your children you must abide in Christ (John 15:5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.").
2. "Trickle down theory" – Mom's daily devotion naturally trickles down to encouragement and instruction in the Lord for the children.
3. Not listening to your children causes you to misjudge them (James 1:19-20: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires").
4. Our task list is not as important as our children's thought life.
5. Preach the gospel of grace, not self-discipline.
6. Being parented is defining; Parenting is refining.
7. You will parent the way you were parented unless you think things through.
8. Parents should become "smaller" as their children become bigger. In other words, a parent should become more transparent in confessing one's sin and in sharing past struggles as children mature. Your children should hear more about your fight for faith as they grow older. Don't be a plastic Christian!
9. Ordinary times make for extraordinary memories.
10. To have children is to need margin in your life.
11. A disreputable life will undermine the gospel. An exemplary life will commend it.
Lessons About Children
12. Little kids need the strength of your youth; older kids need your wisdom (i.e. have children while you're young!).
13. Pack in truth while your children are little and trust the Lord to unpack it in his time.
14. Study your children. Know their "love language."
15. Consistent, loving, faithful discipline brings peace to the home. Inconsistency brings chaos.
16. Do not let your child see their value in light of the world's standards. The world rewards the 3 R's. God delights in the heart that is tuned toward his (Deuteronomy 30:8-10: "You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul").
17. God hands out "talents" to our children. The child with two talents who exercises both may in fact be more pleasing in the eyes of God than the one with five talents who exercises three (Matt. 25). Faithful stewardship is the goal!
18. On some days, it's just fine to accomplish nothing more than keeping your kids fed and safe.
19. Older children need to learn how to care for the weaker among them; doing so smells like Jesus. Matthew 18 reads, "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." By contrast, Psalm 10:2 reads, "In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises."
20. Do not presume you will be able to speak into the lives of your older children if you do not live in their world when they are younger. Play with your children. There is a reap/sow principle at work here (2 Cor. 9:6: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously").
21. There's nothing wrong with boredom for your children. It causes them to be creative.
22. Send your kids to bed well (and school!) (Eph. 4:26: "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry").
23. Make sure your kids keep short accounts with each other. Create a culture of care and forgiveness in your home (1 Cor. 13:5: "Love…keeps no record of wrongs").
24. Teach your kids to be shock absorbers, not wave makers (Matt. 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God").
25. Kids can memorize scripture very quickly.
26. Teach your children to notice needs. Teach them to ask, "What can I do to help?" (Phil. 2:3: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves").
27. Teach your children to look adults in the eyes. It shows respect and recognizes authority.
28. Fight materialism by teaching your children to have a thankful heart (1 Thes. 5:18: "…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus").
29. Teach your children to receive reproof, correction, and instruction (Prov. 12:15 "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice").
30. Let kids be kids. Let them dabble in various areas of extra-curricular activities (sports, art, drama, etc) rather than build a resume.
Lessons About Satan
31. It seems Satan comes into our homes on Sunday mornings in order to make the Lord's Day one of struggle.
32. Do not feel outside pressure to baptize your children. Look for and test for a credible profession of faith in your child (Prov
22:15 "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child…").
33. Satan is a divider and always attacks authority: husband/wife and parent/child. In your home fight for unity around the gospel.
34. For mothers, the "I-can-do-it-all-superwoman" mindset is at best a myth and at worst a lie from hell (Matt. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money"; Luke 10:40 "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made; verse 41: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her").
35. Beware of sports…on Sundays! Decide while your children are young that you will not allow the growing all-weekend sports phenomenon to usurp your worship (Ex. 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God").
36. Arm your children for the world, not (necessarily) shield them from it. Consider getting your high-school-aged children out of the Christian bubble.
Lessons About God
37. Prayer is a mighty weapon to use in the life of your children:
a. It changes the parent's approach to the child
b. It softens the hard-hearted child
38. God uses children as a mirror to your own heart to expose your sin and hypocrisy.
39. God elects. God saves. Parents cannot do this heart-changing work. At best we can pray and point to the One who can cause our children to be born again.
20 MORE TIPS FOR RAISING GOD-HONORING CHILDREN
1. The saying goes, "When mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." We believe daddy is actually the problem. From a complementarian's viewpoint one needs to conclude the above saying with, "And if daddy ain't happy in the Lord, ain't nobody happy."
2. In a stay-at-home-mom scenario, dad tends to back away from discipline when mom has been with the children all day. In one sense this is wise as he has not observed the rhythm and rhyme of the day. However, dad needs to catch up and jump in.
3. Talk to both good and not-so-good parents; you'll learn lessons from both.
4. Talking to really old parents may not prove to be fruitful as their memories fade and they'll remember raising kids as either a nightmare or a glorious experience. Talking to parents 5-10 years ahead of where you are seems most fruitful (Prov. 15:22: "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed").
5. Though you may think this premature, have a vision for being involved spiritually with your grandchildren. This will shape even your parenting.
a. Positive example: Paul writing to Timothy said, "I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in your also" (2 Tim. 1:5).
b. Negative example: "After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel" (Judg. 2:10).
6. Let your children see you practicing hospitality and let them participate. This breaks down the selfish tendencies all kids have (Rom. 12:13: "Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality").
7. Unbelievers set up their home for the benefit of themselves. Christians should set up and use their homes for the benefit of their family, the church community, and outsiders (notice the order of this list).
Supporting verses:
"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Tim. 5:8).
"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal. 6:10).
8. If we could do it again, we would not have a television in our home. The television competes with more important things going on in the home. It competes for right thinking in the mind of the child. If you have a television, then watch it with your children (when you can) and play "catch the lies."
9. Our generation of parents encourages children to express themselves and vent all that's on their minds. My parents' generation grew up under the instruction that "Children are to be seen and not heard." Both appear to be out of balance. Proverbs 10:8 says, "The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin." Ephesians 4:29 suggests that the purpose of speech is to the benefit of the listener.
10. You cannot expect younger children to obey if their older siblings do not. Proverbs 10:17 says, "He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray."
11. One's conscience is not the same as the Law of the Lord. If conscience is defined as "That inner-voice that acts as a guide as to the rightness or wrongness of a behavior," then your conscience is only as good as your knowledge of God's Word. An informed conscience can be a trustworthy thing if it is drawing from God's Word, God's Law. An uninformed conscience is incredibly dangerous. Inform your child's conscience by pouring in God's Word.
12. We often speak of a home with the aroma of Christ (peace, hope, forgiveness and love—all for God's glory). Alternatives are homes with the aroma of a bus station—people just passing through
a war zone—people fighting all the time
What does your home smell like?
13. "Moral children" does not equal "Christian children."
14. Do a "sermon review" with your children sometime on Sunday. Have each child recap what he or she learned in Sunday School or "big church" and then help them apply it to their own hearts and trials. Then spend time praying for each other's coming week.
15. Martin Luther said he had the responsibility to be the worship leading pastor in his own home. His home was to be both a school and a church. Fathers, do you have this mindset?
16. The unstated implication of Luther's charge (above) is that fathers need to be present to lead in worship. Being in the house with a Blackberry in hands doesn't count!
17. Don Whitney encourages "brevity, regularity and flexibility" in family worship.
18. Build in your children a global vision of God's work in the world and thereby build a Great commission Mindset. We have found that having a map near to where we eat most of our meals is helpful. Reading from Operation World can inform the entire family of God's work in the world.
19. When children ask for permission to do something, their request can fall into one of several categories:
Not Wise / Permissible
E.g. out with friends on Sat night
Not Wise / Not Permissible
E.g. underage drinking and driving
Wise / Permissible
E.g. excused from family chores to prepare for next day's test
Wise / Not Permissible
This problem rarely presents itself. Wants to save money for college but is not working age.
The Not Wise / Permissible category is the hardest to deal with. Try to break down the request and sort out in your own mind why you think the request is unwise. Is it your own preference or is it truly unwise? Then encourage them to think through the wisdom of the matter, so that, even if you permit them to do it, they will remember the lesson when things go poorly.
Build Godward children.
TOP 10 WAYS TO (WRONGLY) PROVOKE YOUR CHILDREN
Colossians 3:21: "Fathers [and mothers], do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged."
Ephesians 6:4: "Fathers [and mothers], do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
1. Make it a habit to discipline your child while angry.
2. Make it a point to scold your child – especially in public. Mockery and ridicule work well.
3. Deliberately embarrass your child in front of his/her friends. Name calling really gets their attention.
4. Create double standards so that the child never knows who or what to follow.
5. Preach and hold the child to a gospel of self-discipline instead of a gospel of grace. (Note: the Bible presents Pharisees as very unhappy people.)
6. Never admit you're wrong and never ask your children for forgiveness.
7. Inspect your child until you find something wrong. Holding them to an unreachable standard makes this task easier.
8. Judge a fight between your children before you've listened to them.
9. Compare your child to others.
10. Promise your children things early in the day and then don't fulfill the promise.
Parents should provoke their children…in good ways: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on [provoke!] toward love and good deeds" (Heb. 10:24).
Matt & Elizabeth Schmucker are the parents of five children who presently range in ages from 3 to 19. Matt is the executive director of 9Marks and an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
© 9Marks
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way, you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, and you do not make more than 1,000 physical copies. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by 9Marks.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: © 9Marks. Website: www.9Marks.org. Email: info@9marks.org. Toll Free: (888) 543-1030.
39 Lessons, 20 Tips and 10 "Don'ts" For Parenting
By Matt & Elizabeth Schmucker
39 LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED
Lessons About Ourselves
1. To be a faithful steward of your children you must abide in Christ (John 15:5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.").
2. "Trickle down theory" – Mom's daily devotion naturally trickles down to encouragement and instruction in the Lord for the children.
3. Not listening to your children causes you to misjudge them (James 1:19-20: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires").
4. Our task list is not as important as our children's thought life.
5. Preach the gospel of grace, not self-discipline.
6. Being parented is defining; Parenting is refining.
7. You will parent the way you were parented unless you think things through.
8. Parents should become "smaller" as their children become bigger. In other words, a parent should become more transparent in confessing one's sin and in sharing past struggles as children mature. Your children should hear more about your fight for faith as they grow older. Don't be a plastic Christian!
9. Ordinary times make for extraordinary memories.
10. To have children is to need margin in your life.
11. A disreputable life will undermine the gospel. An exemplary life will commend it.
Lessons About Children
12. Little kids need the strength of your youth; older kids need your wisdom (i.e. have children while you're young!).
13. Pack in truth while your children are little and trust the Lord to unpack it in his time.
14. Study your children. Know their "love language."
15. Consistent, loving, faithful discipline brings peace to the home. Inconsistency brings chaos.
16. Do not let your child see their value in light of the world's standards. The world rewards the 3 R's. God delights in the heart that is tuned toward his (Deuteronomy 30:8-10: "You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul").
17. God hands out "talents" to our children. The child with two talents who exercises both may in fact be more pleasing in the eyes of God than the one with five talents who exercises three (Matt. 25). Faithful stewardship is the goal!
18. On some days, it's just fine to accomplish nothing more than keeping your kids fed and safe.
19. Older children need to learn how to care for the weaker among them; doing so smells like Jesus. Matthew 18 reads, "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." By contrast, Psalm 10:2 reads, "In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises."
20. Do not presume you will be able to speak into the lives of your older children if you do not live in their world when they are younger. Play with your children. There is a reap/sow principle at work here (2 Cor. 9:6: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously").
21. There's nothing wrong with boredom for your children. It causes them to be creative.
22. Send your kids to bed well (and school!) (Eph. 4:26: "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry").
23. Make sure your kids keep short accounts with each other. Create a culture of care and forgiveness in your home (1 Cor. 13:5: "Love…keeps no record of wrongs").
24. Teach your kids to be shock absorbers, not wave makers (Matt. 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God").
25. Kids can memorize scripture very quickly.
26. Teach your children to notice needs. Teach them to ask, "What can I do to help?" (Phil. 2:3: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves").
27. Teach your children to look adults in the eyes. It shows respect and recognizes authority.
28. Fight materialism by teaching your children to have a thankful heart (1 Thes. 5:18: "…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus").
29. Teach your children to receive reproof, correction, and instruction (Prov. 12:15 "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice").
30. Let kids be kids. Let them dabble in various areas of extra-curricular activities (sports, art, drama, etc) rather than build a resume.
Lessons About Satan
31. It seems Satan comes into our homes on Sunday mornings in order to make the Lord's Day one of struggle.
32. Do not feel outside pressure to baptize your children. Look for and test for a credible profession of faith in your child (Prov
22:15 "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child…").
33. Satan is a divider and always attacks authority: husband/wife and parent/child. In your home fight for unity around the gospel.
34. For mothers, the "I-can-do-it-all-superwoman" mindset is at best a myth and at worst a lie from hell (Matt. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money"; Luke 10:40 "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made; verse 41: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her").
35. Beware of sports…on Sundays! Decide while your children are young that you will not allow the growing all-weekend sports phenomenon to usurp your worship (Ex. 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God").
36. Arm your children for the world, not (necessarily) shield them from it. Consider getting your high-school-aged children out of the Christian bubble.
Lessons About God
37. Prayer is a mighty weapon to use in the life of your children:
a. It changes the parent's approach to the child
b. It softens the hard-hearted child
38. God uses children as a mirror to your own heart to expose your sin and hypocrisy.
39. God elects. God saves. Parents cannot do this heart-changing work. At best we can pray and point to the One who can cause our children to be born again.
20 MORE TIPS FOR RAISING GOD-HONORING CHILDREN
1. The saying goes, "When mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." We believe daddy is actually the problem. From a complementarian's viewpoint one needs to conclude the above saying with, "And if daddy ain't happy in the Lord, ain't nobody happy."
2. In a stay-at-home-mom scenario, dad tends to back away from discipline when mom has been with the children all day. In one sense this is wise as he has not observed the rhythm and rhyme of the day. However, dad needs to catch up and jump in.
3. Talk to both good and not-so-good parents; you'll learn lessons from both.
4. Talking to really old parents may not prove to be fruitful as their memories fade and they'll remember raising kids as either a nightmare or a glorious experience. Talking to parents 5-10 years ahead of where you are seems most fruitful (Prov. 15:22: "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed").
5. Though you may think this premature, have a vision for being involved spiritually with your grandchildren. This will shape even your parenting.
a. Positive example: Paul writing to Timothy said, "I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in your also" (2 Tim. 1:5).
b. Negative example: "After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel" (Judg. 2:10).
6. Let your children see you practicing hospitality and let them participate. This breaks down the selfish tendencies all kids have (Rom. 12:13: "Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality").
7. Unbelievers set up their home for the benefit of themselves. Christians should set up and use their homes for the benefit of their family, the church community, and outsiders (notice the order of this list).
Supporting verses:
"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Tim. 5:8).
"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal. 6:10).
8. If we could do it again, we would not have a television in our home. The television competes with more important things going on in the home. It competes for right thinking in the mind of the child. If you have a television, then watch it with your children (when you can) and play "catch the lies."
9. Our generation of parents encourages children to express themselves and vent all that's on their minds. My parents' generation grew up under the instruction that "Children are to be seen and not heard." Both appear to be out of balance. Proverbs 10:8 says, "The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin." Ephesians 4:29 suggests that the purpose of speech is to the benefit of the listener.
10. You cannot expect younger children to obey if their older siblings do not. Proverbs 10:17 says, "He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray."
11. One's conscience is not the same as the Law of the Lord. If conscience is defined as "That inner-voice that acts as a guide as to the rightness or wrongness of a behavior," then your conscience is only as good as your knowledge of God's Word. An informed conscience can be a trustworthy thing if it is drawing from God's Word, God's Law. An uninformed conscience is incredibly dangerous. Inform your child's conscience by pouring in God's Word.
12. We often speak of a home with the aroma of Christ (peace, hope, forgiveness and love—all for God's glory). Alternatives are homes with the aroma of a bus station—people just passing through
a war zone—people fighting all the time
What does your home smell like?
13. "Moral children" does not equal "Christian children."
14. Do a "sermon review" with your children sometime on Sunday. Have each child recap what he or she learned in Sunday School or "big church" and then help them apply it to their own hearts and trials. Then spend time praying for each other's coming week.
15. Martin Luther said he had the responsibility to be the worship leading pastor in his own home. His home was to be both a school and a church. Fathers, do you have this mindset?
16. The unstated implication of Luther's charge (above) is that fathers need to be present to lead in worship. Being in the house with a Blackberry in hands doesn't count!
17. Don Whitney encourages "brevity, regularity and flexibility" in family worship.
18. Build in your children a global vision of God's work in the world and thereby build a Great commission Mindset. We have found that having a map near to where we eat most of our meals is helpful. Reading from Operation World can inform the entire family of God's work in the world.
19. When children ask for permission to do something, their request can fall into one of several categories:
Not Wise / Permissible
E.g. out with friends on Sat night
Not Wise / Not Permissible
E.g. underage drinking and driving
Wise / Permissible
E.g. excused from family chores to prepare for next day's test
Wise / Not Permissible
This problem rarely presents itself. Wants to save money for college but is not working age.
The Not Wise / Permissible category is the hardest to deal with. Try to break down the request and sort out in your own mind why you think the request is unwise. Is it your own preference or is it truly unwise? Then encourage them to think through the wisdom of the matter, so that, even if you permit them to do it, they will remember the lesson when things go poorly.
Build Godward children.
TOP 10 WAYS TO (WRONGLY) PROVOKE YOUR CHILDREN
Colossians 3:21: "Fathers [and mothers], do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged."
Ephesians 6:4: "Fathers [and mothers], do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
1. Make it a habit to discipline your child while angry.
2. Make it a point to scold your child – especially in public. Mockery and ridicule work well.
3. Deliberately embarrass your child in front of his/her friends. Name calling really gets their attention.
4. Create double standards so that the child never knows who or what to follow.
5. Preach and hold the child to a gospel of self-discipline instead of a gospel of grace. (Note: the Bible presents Pharisees as very unhappy people.)
6. Never admit you're wrong and never ask your children for forgiveness.
7. Inspect your child until you find something wrong. Holding them to an unreachable standard makes this task easier.
8. Judge a fight between your children before you've listened to them.
9. Compare your child to others.
10. Promise your children things early in the day and then don't fulfill the promise.
Parents should provoke their children…in good ways: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on [provoke!] toward love and good deeds" (Heb. 10:24).
Matt & Elizabeth Schmucker are the parents of five children who presently range in ages from 3 to 19. Matt is the executive director of 9Marks and an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
© 9Marks
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way, you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, and you do not make more than 1,000 physical copies. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by 9Marks.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: © 9Marks. Website: www.9Marks.org. Email: info@9marks.org. Toll Free: (888) 543-1030.
Marriage Questions - Part Three
Family and Home
How would you describe the immediate family that you grew up in?
Has divorce occurred in your family? If so what is the impact?
What traditions or aspects of your family life do you and do you not want to be a part of this new union (eg: eating meals together, birthday celebrations, camping)?
How much influence should your parents and in-laws have on your relationship? What boundaries need to be made in that relationship?
Should both spouses be working?
What sort of neighborhood do you plan on living in?
What type of dwelling do you expect to live in (apartment, basement suite, house, live with parents)?
Do you plan on having children? If so, when and how many?
What are you planning for birth control if any?
How will children change your relationship (whether you are planning or not)?
Describe the style of parenting your parents modeled? What aspects of this do you agree or disagree with?
How do you think children should be disciplined?
Have you decided how household chores will be completed?
How would you describe the immediate family that you grew up in?
Has divorce occurred in your family? If so what is the impact?
What traditions or aspects of your family life do you and do you not want to be a part of this new union (eg: eating meals together, birthday celebrations, camping)?
How much influence should your parents and in-laws have on your relationship? What boundaries need to be made in that relationship?
Should both spouses be working?
What sort of neighborhood do you plan on living in?
What type of dwelling do you expect to live in (apartment, basement suite, house, live with parents)?
Do you plan on having children? If so, when and how many?
What are you planning for birth control if any?
How will children change your relationship (whether you are planning or not)?
Describe the style of parenting your parents modeled? What aspects of this do you agree or disagree with?
How do you think children should be disciplined?
Have you decided how household chores will be completed?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
We couldn't talk about everything
Here is a link to the book 'Porn Again Christian'. I encourage all the men in our church to read it, but ask that the women do not. It's simply not written for you. However, it is appropriate for husbands and wives to talk about pornography.
http://relit.org/porn_again_christian/
http://relit.org/porn_again_christian/
Marriage Questions - Part Two
Here are the second group of questions to talk through as married or engaged couples.
Session #2 - Sex
Have you adequately talked about all of your past relationships?
Do you feel comfortable talking about your physical/sexual relationship with your future spouse?
Are you content with the physical/sexual intimacy in your relationship?
What do you expect to happen on your wedding night?
Do you feel your sexual desire matches that of your spouse?
Is there anything sexually that makes you embarrassed or inhibited (consider oral sex, masturbation, fantasies)?
What do you believe about pornography?
Do you agree with the statement “For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does”? What will that look like in your marriage?
How has sin (abuse, previous sexual relationships, pornography, teaching that sexual desire is shameful) affected your view of sex?
Should physical intimacy always be a part of your marriage?
Session #2 - Sex
Have you adequately talked about all of your past relationships?
Do you feel comfortable talking about your physical/sexual relationship with your future spouse?
Are you content with the physical/sexual intimacy in your relationship?
What do you expect to happen on your wedding night?
Do you feel your sexual desire matches that of your spouse?
Is there anything sexually that makes you embarrassed or inhibited (consider oral sex, masturbation, fantasies)?
What do you believe about pornography?
Do you agree with the statement “For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does”? What will that look like in your marriage?
How has sin (abuse, previous sexual relationships, pornography, teaching that sexual desire is shameful) affected your view of sex?
Should physical intimacy always be a part of your marriage?
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Marriage Question - Part One
When Karis and I meet with an engaged couple to talk about their wedding and marriage we don't question whether they are 'compatible' for marriage, rather give them an opportunity to discuss important questions to encourage emotional intimacy. Since emotional intimacy is not something just for soon-to-be-marrieds and our preaching is focusing on marriage will be making these questions available for you to discuss as couples. If you are married you will obviously need to change the questions slightly (ie: from 'what will leadership look like' to 'what does leadership look like'). If you are not married they could be helpful to a dating couple, but please exercise boundaries as the answers to some of these questions will be beyond what is appropriate to share if you are not going to be making a marriage covenant together. I will post new questions each week. And, yes, Karis and I will be discussing them as well.
Session #1 – Foundations of Biblical Marriage
What do you want to get out of your pre-marital counseling sessions?
How long have you known each other and how long have you been engaged?
Are you well acquainted with your future spouse’s immediate family? Describe your relationship with them.
Do your families approve of your choice of spouse?
Why have you decided to marry this person?
What do you think makes a good marriage?
What will leadership look like in your marriage?
Name a strength and a weaknesses in yourself.
Name a strength and a weaknesses in your future spouse.
What makes you as an individual ready to be married?
What would you consider grounds for divorce?
What are your goals in life?
What does the Bible say about marriage? How is this relevant to your marriage?
Session #1 – Foundations of Biblical Marriage
What do you want to get out of your pre-marital counseling sessions?
How long have you known each other and how long have you been engaged?
Are you well acquainted with your future spouse’s immediate family? Describe your relationship with them.
Do your families approve of your choice of spouse?
Why have you decided to marry this person?
What do you think makes a good marriage?
What will leadership look like in your marriage?
Name a strength and a weaknesses in yourself.
Name a strength and a weaknesses in your future spouse.
What makes you as an individual ready to be married?
What would you consider grounds for divorce?
What are your goals in life?
What does the Bible say about marriage? How is this relevant to your marriage?
Friday, October 24, 2008
What kind of church should we be?
Often people ask about what kind of church we are, or what kind of church I would like our church to become. We are part of an association of churches by which our name "Fellowship Baptist" comes from, but such associations have less to do with our priorities than they used to. I get questions about how 'charismatic' we are, and some people have attended our church for several weeks in the end to leave because we are not 'charismatic' enough. If you have attended for a long time, in particular, if you were a part of the preaching in Jude, you will know that we don't put much emphasis either way on what we call 'non-essentials'. So what do we put much emphasis on? What kind of church are we? If we don't care about anything, we really aren't a church after all. I agree along with the men in the video I have posted below that we are and need to become a gospel-oriented church. This is the major point of everything the New Testament teaches. This is our work as a church, our focus, and the foundation of our church. Because God's word is absorbed with the gospel, then I want nothing more than for us to do the same. We sing songs about the gospel, take communion regularly (right now twice a month), preach from the Bible, and see the answer to all of our problems in what God has done. I will as your pastor work to make sure nothing else takes over the main emphasis in our congregation.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
How I make bread
I have been asked several times how I make bread. I have been learning how to make bread this past year and as a result the following process is what I follow. Please mix it up, keeping it tasty is all about using different ingredients. Buy some different flours, throw in some seeds, or sprinkle the top with something interesting. Let me know how you made out and how I can learn from your creations!
Melt ½ Cup of butter in a large pot on the stove (take off heat as soon as melted)
Pour ½ cup of warm water into a large bowl and add 1½ tbsp of traditional yeast
Add 1 tbsp of salt and ⅓ cup of honey or molasses to the butter
(I usually use honey for lighter recipes and molasses for darker grainier bread)
When cooled to about 100 degrees add 3 cups of milk
Pour the contents of the pot into the yeast after it has percolated for 10 minutes
Add 3 cups of (whole wheat, mulit-grain, etc) flour and 1 cup of white flour
Mix (at this point add any raisins or seeds, etc if they are going in)
Slowly add 3 more cups of (whole wheat, multi-grain, etc) flour and 1 cup of white flour
Knead to perfection
Place in a large buttered bowl with a warm, wet towel overtop in warm quiet place
After at least an hour knead the dough again slightly
Divide into pieces (it makes two big loaves, or many buns, etc)
Shape and place in pans
(I really recommend stoneware for bread, use butter if you use anything else)
Let rise 10-20 minutes depending on how dense you want it to be
Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of the bread
Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Marriage, Sex and Children
As we continue to study God's good creation order in the first chapters of Genesis I am preparing for sermons on 'Marriage', 'Sex', and 'Children'. The scripture has clear teaching on all three of these issues and one week at a time we will look at them. As I prepare to teach what God's word is saying I thought you could help me with the application by hearing what questions or specific topics you would like covered on Sunday morning. Please respond to this post with your questions and I will work diligently to respond. The dates for these sermons are October 26 (Marriage), November (Sex), November 9 (Children).
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Why I don't believe the earth was created in 6 days anymore
After teaching on the creation of the earth I have had more agreement from many of you than I thought I would have. I'm thankful for this as I really don't want to just stir the pot with a topic that is well-mixed as it is. Since I consider myself someone who places the Bible as my highest authority, I have for years assumed a literal six-day creation. Since I have no real deep interest in the scientific arguments against such a belief I was content with my 144 hour earth. The following reasons though, have me not stirring the pot of 'old earth/young earth', but rather throwing the whole pot out. Here's why...
1. The point of Genesis 1-2 is not to answer the question of how the earth was created, but who created the earth. Our obsession of seeing Genesis 1-2 as a history of the earth's coming into being is only because our defenses are up since Charles Darwin and his followers have threatened. The ancients were not concerned with such questions as comparable creation myths show (ie: the Enuma Elish).
2. Everywhere else in the scriptures where the creation of the world is described the focus is on 'who' created it, not 'how' it was created.
3. Pre-Darwin, the question for Christians was not why it took only six days to create the world, buy why did take so long.
4. Discussions and arguments around how the earth was created only create discussion over what is unimportant (how) at the expense of the important (who). At this Christians are guilty of poor stewardship as 1 Timothy 1:3-4 points out.
Since the scriptures do not speak to the question of how the earth was created we are not meant to know. I'm fine with this and more comfortable not trying to make the scriptures say something thing I want them to say.
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