–Originally published on FWB21 June 23, 2011– The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to something today. As I was reading this morning, the realization dawned on me that the Deuteronomy 6 way of teaching was perfectly modeled by Jesus Christ himself. I’m sure this is probably not news to most of you, but I personally had never really thought about it that way before. Even though he was not a parent, Jesus taught his disciples both in the house and walking by the way, when lying down and rising up. Think back on the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. He was constantly teaching His disciples. After encounters with various individuals, He would take His disciples aside and explain some truth […]
Involving Children in Service
–Originally published on FWB21 February 16, 2013– The following excerpt from The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson really resounded with me this morning: I believe Jesus will hold each of us responsible for the stewardship of the good news he has given us. If we are to succeed in our calling of raising children with hearts for God, then we must see ourselves responsible for all of those who are like sheep without a shepherd. We must involve our family deeply in meeting needs if our children are ever going to understand that they were created to serve God by serving others. When Jesus asked the disciples to “follow Me,” he was asking for each man’s entire life–time, allegiance, […]
Seeking Discernment
–Originally published on FWB21 January 29, 2013– What do you do when bad things happen, or difficult times come, or a door seems to be closing? Do you stubbornly push through? Do you break down and give up? How do you discern the will of God when everything seems to be going wrong? Is it even possible to know? This week in our trek through I Thessalonians, we read 2:17-18 and compared it with Acts 16:6-8. In one instance, it is very clear that Satan was the one hindering Paul and his companions, and in another instance it was clearly the Holy Spirit. How on earth did they know the difference? Better yet, how on earth are we supposed to […]
Motherly Fasting
–Originally published on FWB21 January 9, 2013– When women talk about their roles and activities as mothers, rarely is fasting even mentioned, much less considered at any length. I am learning, though, that fasting has powerful implications in family life, and that we mothers do well when we put it into practice for our families. Fasting is altogether rather new to me as a regular spiritual discipline. Only within the past few months have I practiced it with any regularity. But I have seen powerful effects on my walk with Christ and on my family. First, fasting causes me to rely on God in a whole new way. When hunger (or, more frequently, a craving) strikes, I am reminded to […]
Wife = Helper
–Originally published on FWB21 October 5, 2012– The foundation of the husband/wife relationship and roles is found in Genesis 2:18-25. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper […]
City Life: A Call to Action
–Originally published on FWB21 November 12, 2012– Culture is shaped in the city. It’s true, you know. What happens in NYC, Chicago, and L.A. has a far-reaching impact on places like Dickson, Tookiedoo, and Indian Trail, but what happens in those small towns generally stays in those small towns. With few exceptions, culture shift flows from the city outward to the more rural areas. I just got back from my first trip to New York City where I saw this truth with my own eyes. I am no longer shocked by things I see on T.V. or in the news because I have seen the source from which they flow. The vibes and currents I felt as I wandered about […]