I recently witnessed two children combine to win a whopping 5 stuffed animals from one of those money-sucking claw machines. After their conquest with the one-buttoned joystick they laughingly said to each other, “That machine wasn’t a rip-off at all!” Would the next kid that walked up share the same success? Probably not. Seasoned gamblers know this fact all too well.
But isn’t it funny when we find pleasure in things of this world with no immediate repercussions we think, “Hey, there was nothing bad about that! In fact, I enjoyed it!”
So since we found satisfaction in earthly pleasures once-upon-a-time we allow ourselves to go back for more at a later date. And we eventually find that no matter how many times we plug a dollar into this world’s machine looking for joy…it just AIN’T gonna happen dude! It’s temporary. It’s fleeting. And it’s never enough.
Hopefully, we can be “stuffed” so full of God that the desires of this world fade away. Only He can give us everlasting love, assurance, peace, fulfillment and purpose.
]]>The best quote of the [...]]]>
Tony Dungy, retired NFL head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, recently wrote an article for Sports Illustrated that blew me away. Tony visited the recently released Michael Vick while the quarterback was still in prison serving his sentence for dogfighting. Unlike many others, Tony is not giving up on Michael Vick.
The best quote of the article included a comment about a recently drafted college quarterback from Kansas State by the name of Josh Freeman. It is important to note that Josh comes from a solid and stable family.
The quote: “What if Michael, who says his father was not a positive influence on his household when he grew up, had had the same family support system that Josh had? Would he have ended up in this situation? I really don’t think so.”
The power of a father’s influence is on display for all of America. I just hope that all of the father’s who watched Vick’s story unfold understand this fact.
]]>It is an incredible reminder that I am NOT the sole or even close [...]]]>
One of my favorite t-shirts at the moment has “1/168″ on the front, which represents the typical amount of hours in a week that I get to spend ministering to a child. 1 hour out of 168. And IT IS NOT ENOUGH!
It is an incredible reminder that I am NOT the sole or even close to the most important Children’s Pastor in each child’s life. It is their parents. Dad is the chief pastor to his children as the spiritual leader of the home, and Mom is the powerful pastor-helper. Both shepherd, both minister, both give of their lives for their children. And both have an overwhelmingly larger impact on their children’s spiritual growth than I ever will.
So parents, how can I help you? I won’t take over for you, but how can I minister to you as you minister to your children?
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“I believe in you”. Such powerful words.As I minister to numerous children from various styles of parenting, one of the desires of my heart is for them to hear those words over and over again. The phrase “I believe in you” accepts their flaws and recognizes their mistakes, but moves past them. “I believe in you” shows trust, excitement, anticipation, and respect for who God has created them to be. Oh, if we could only catch a glimpse of the great plans and desires God has for them! It would transform us.
So for today, please embrace your child with your words and tell them with conviction…
“I BELIEVE IN YOU!”
I came across this video on another blog, you might have already seen it, but: What does this mean for our children’s futures? How do you think this will impact children’s ministry? Parenting? Personally?
]]>I came across this video on another blog, you might have already seen it, but:
What does this mean for our children’s futures?
How do you think this will impact children’s ministry? Parenting? Personally?
It has become one of those phrases that you intend for children. And then God comes along and smacks you on the head as if to [...]]]>
It has become one of those phrases that you intend for children. And then God comes along and smacks you on the head as if to say, “it’s for you too, dummy!”
What’s up with the whole “practice what you preach” bit, anyway?
Question for discussion: How do you go about encouraging your children to obey God out of love and a desire to have a relationship with him? Sure, there is an aspect of obeying God because he’s God. But don’t we want our kids to desire to please him? Or is a sense of duty enough? Or not? Okay…don’t ignore the first question now.
]]>If it’s not exactly a curse word, is it still a curse word? For instance, the word “freakin”. Or calling something, not someone, “gay”. Or starting off your sentence with “What the…!”
I’m just curious. If somebody filled up a glass with half pure water and half sewage water, would you drink it? After all, [...]]]>
Chapel 4.29.09
If it’s not exactly a curse word, is it still a curse word? For instance, the word “freakin”. Or calling something, not someone, “gay”. Or starting off your sentence with “What the…!”
I’m just curious. If somebody filled up a glass with half pure water and half sewage water, would you drink it? After all, it’s “kind of” clean, right?
Or if I told you the mysterious fruit I was offering to you was “kind of” poisonous, but could be good for you…what then? Obviously, you wouldn’t opt for either the water or the fruit. So why the words?
And why do we create our own comfortable little gray areas for our speech? Is it so we can feel semi-rebellious and semi-obedient at the same time? So we can experience freedom to say what we want by justifying them through telling ourselves that they’re “not THAT bad”?
]]>Every morning I walk into my closet I have options. Warm clothes, work clothes, church clothes, summer clothes, and clothes I don’t even wear that need to be given away. And every day I try to find something I’ll “look good” in for that day.
Paul reminds us in Colossians to put on a different [...]]]>
Chapel 4.21.09
Every morning I walk into my closet I have options. Warm clothes, work clothes, church clothes, summer clothes, and clothes I don’t even wear that need to be given away. And every day I try to find something I’ll “look good” in for that day.
Paul reminds us in Colossians to put on a different kind of clothes. And we should be doing this daily. What are these clothes?
Colossians 3:12 says “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
I shouldn’t worry so much about the clothes that are hanging in my closet. Instead, I can see that my day would be totally different if I were more concerned about intentionally clothing myself with the attitudes & thoughts of God. It’s a conscious decision to clothe myself with a Christ-like persona.
I wonder if people are really that concerned with the clothes in my closet that end up on my back? Or if they really just want to see a kind and loving person?
Join me today in putting the right kind of clothes on, and hopefully others will notice Christ shining through us.
“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” 3:14
]]>As a jumping off point, please teach them the biblical truth that the Holy Spirit is a Person. Not an “it” or a “thing”. [...]]]>
As a jumping off point, please teach them the biblical truth that the Holy Spirit is a Person. Not an “it” or a “thing”. The Holy Spirit is not: an angel with wings, or like “the force” in Star Wars, or some mysterious life form floating around like a mist. In John 16:5-15, Jesus himself refers to the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, several times using the words “he” or “him”. And we should do the same with our children.
Since the Holy Spirit is a person who lives IN US, our children should gain an understanding of how personal it is to have God living in them. It’s so cool when a child begins to realize that they have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead! And this power, coming from the Holy Spirit, lives inside their temple, which is their body.
]]>But how do you know if it’s a good movie or not?
["Good" meaning 1) wholesome, good morals, good life lesson, minimum or zero "bad stuff", and 2) not a lame, complete-waste-of-time movie.]
Glad you asked! I’ve used a couple of these for some time, but recently [...]]]>
Everybody loves a good movie at least once in a while!
But how do you know if it’s a good movie or not?
["Good" meaning 1) wholesome, good morals, good life lesson, minimum or zero "bad stuff", and 2) not a lame, complete-waste-of-time movie.]
Glad you asked! I’ve used a couple of these for some time, but recently learned of some new ones through another blog I follow. Maybe you can remind me whose it was?
Here are the great resources for Christian parents to review a movie before wasting good $$.
Plugged In Online (James Dobson’s “Focus on the Family” movie review)
ChristianityToday Movie Review
Rotten Tomatoes (not a Christian site, but helps you avoid dumb movies)
Kids-In-Mind (pay an annual $12 subscription to this site)
Screen It (another site requiring membership, but solid resource)
IMDB (not a review site, but most popular movie database site)
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