MLK, Racism, and You

You may think racism, segregation, and the like don't exist anymore. As long as human hearts are sinful, there will always be subtle and not so subtle ways that people believe, think, and act in such a way where they assume they are "better" than others. There may no longer be separate drinking fountains, but racism still lives in each of our hearts - whether we realize it or not. Only through the gospel of Jesus Christ do these walls come down. No legislation can and will ever change the human heart...that power belongs only to the gospel of Jesus Christ.


A few resources for you today...

Dr. John Piper is offering his book "Bloodlines" in a PDF document for FREE today - You need to read this one. This is a great read on the topic of racism, Jesus, and why we are still fighting this battle today...it's an absolute MUST!


MLK's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" - another must read!


Finally, a couple of videos for you...

The first is from MLK's final speech...the day before he will be assassinated.



The second is the entirety of the "I have a dream" speech...we normally focus on one part, but the entire thing is so good.





Enjoy!

"What Are You Singing?"

Whether or not you realize it, the more you hear/sing something, the more familiar it becomes. Sometimes, something can become so familiar that it loses it's power and ability to impact us. One of those "familiar" things I'm always faced with this time of year are Christmas songs.

Everyone loves "Joy to the World" and "O Come All Ye Faithful." Christmas songs have undoubtedly become part of our culture/world (i.e. - entire radio stations dedicated to them starting at the end of November).

On a hunch, I went and looked up many of the lyrics to these songs, and God was gracious and reminded me of just how powerful this Christmas idea is.

Listen to these lyrics...

"He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found." - Joy to the World

"The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight" - O Little Town of Bethlehem

"Born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth." - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing

What if, this Christmas, as you were listening to a song, you asked your children about the lyrics of the songs that they may or may not know by heart? Can you imagine what would happen if dads and moms and kids were driving in the car talking about the realities that some of those very popular, and yet familiar, Christmas songs pointed to.

If that's not a conversation starter...I don't know what is!

Friday Media

How are you leveraging this time of the year to talk about the things of God? There's so much more out there than just taking 20 minutes to read Luke 2 right before you open gifts. Have you given any thought to the teachable moments that might exist this time of year that don't normally happen.

Here's a link to an audio clip to help you get in the right frame of mind...


What Are Some Ways to Talk About the Meaning of Christmas?

Good luck...and enjoy!

You're in a War...

Because you live in the United States, and because you live in the suburbs (if you live within 15 miles or so of Firewheel Church), your kids will battle consumerism, selfishness, and materialism all their lives.

What's even scarier is that it's Christmas time right now, and the danger is for kids to begin to think that this time of year is all about them. I'm not saying throw out the presents and don't do Christmas this year, but I am asking you to consider how you can "war against" this mindset in your home and your families.

One of the easiest ways to battle materialism and selfishness is to begin to develop children with a generous heart and promote generosity in your family. Do you have a plan for that? Here's a quick little message to give you some inspiration.

What have you done to teach your children the importance of giving?

Throughout the month of December in in the elementary area, we will be talking about this idea of "GENEROSITY." There may be lots of opportunities for you as a parent to have discussions with your kids about what they're learning and why it matters.

Family Devotional 101 (Part 4 of 4)

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I'm going to take on a couple of different topics that will require some length. So, I'll break it into "bite-size" chunks!

Family Devotional 101 (Part 4)

A Plea to Dads

Dads, please hear my heart. Take the lead in your family. The Bible tells you to do it. With leadership comes responsibility. The Lord hasn’t given you leadership for your own sake but that you could serve your family. Leadership and responsibility work hand in hand.

I know it’s hard. I know you’re busy, and that there are so many days during the week that you come home exhausted and want to curl up in the bed. I know that sometimes you don’t feel strong enough spiritually to lead your family. The admittance of that to yourself and to your family is a wonderful example to them that you’re not “there” yet either.

I’m pleading with you, on behalf of an entire generation. Don’t let someone else, some TV show, or some other influence mold and shape your children. God gave them to you as a gift, to do your best with them for as many years as you have them. Find time with them every day to talk about the things of God.

Final Encouragement

You can do this…You must do this! Don’t leave the discipleship of your children to someone else, even if you feel like you’re not adequately prepared. Parents are the single most important influence in a child’s life. That can be a scary thought. It ought to produce fear and trepidation in the hearts of parents. But there’s a good kind of fear, the kind of fear that pushes us to keep pressing forward, to keep trying, and to never give up.

Family Devotional 101 (Part 3 of 4)

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I'm going to take on a couple of different topics that will require some length. So, I'll break it into "bite-size" chunks!

Family Devotional 101 (Part 3)

What should I do during this “devotional” time

I want to do my best to take the stigma off of “family devotional time.” Most people hear that phrase and they get really nervous, thinking that they have to have a grand 4-year plan for working through all the stories of the Bible. It really doesn’t have to be that hard, and if you were to over-plan or super-prepare, you might come off as cold and stale.

The number one thing you can do is to…Read the Bible! Read the Bible! Read the Bible! Why?

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes...More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:9-11

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16

There are so many more passages that talk about the impact of Scripture in our lives. It’s amazing how much kids get out of reading the Bible. Take a passage of Scripture. You can even have the kid(s) read it for the family. Then simply discuss what they heard, observed, learned, and think about that particular Bible passage.

Try an experiment. Open up to a story of passage of Scripture. Read it together as a family, and then ask a very simple question, “What did you think about what the Bible just said?” You’ll be amazed what a kid will come up with as an answer to that question. It doesn’t have to be long. You can do this in 10 minutes or less, but the impact may be far greater.

So many times, we get wrapped up in trying to teach our children all the books of the Bible and every detail of every Bible story. We don’t need any more Christians who grow up with huge heads (filled up intellectually about God) and tiny, weak hearts (with no passion for God). Personally, if I had to choose, I’d rather have a whole generation of kids who grow up knowing a couple of very simple things that have really gripped them and make a difference in their lives on a daily basis. I want them to know that every thing we have is a gift of God through his grace, including salvation. I want them to know that they can trust God in all situations (good and bad). I want them to know what it means for them to “love their neighbor” and actually do it. You don’t have to be the world’s best Bible teacher to do this! Pick out a couple of big ideas that you want your kids to know and believe with everything they are, and be relentless.

Another really important facet of a “family devotional time” is prayer. I implore you to teach your kids to pray. Model for them how to come to the throne of God and converse with God about what’s going on in their lives. Teach them to not only pray for themselves or the things that affecting them, but teach them, more importantly, to pray for others. Pray for your neighbors. Pray for your family. Pray for their siblings. Pray for their friends. Pray for missionaries around the world.

Do your best to model for them the kind of honesty that prayer requires before God. Pray, pray, and pray some more. Pray without ceasing!

The last part/conclusion is coming up on Monday...see you then!

Family Devotional 101 (Part 2 of 4)

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I'm going to take on a couple of different topics that will require some length. So, I'll break it into "bite-size" chunks!

Family Devotional 101 (Part 2)


When’s the best time

The real answer to that question is…ANYTIME. Anytime is the best time. Whatever works for you as a family within the natural flow of the day.

A natural time to do this is during a meal time or right before bed. It really depends on when you can get everyone in your family in the same room at the same time (a very difficult task considering the realities of the modern family). Another possibility is the car. The average, suburban family spends hours in the car each week. Use that to your advantage.

What about kids on a different level

Most families, if they have multiple children will always have kids who are on different levels intellectually, emotionally, and especially, spiritually. Sometimes this can be difficult, especially with really young children.

The Scriptures are applicable to everyone. Having said that, they are not always applicable in the same way. As your children get older, it will be extremely important to teach them how to apply the Bible to their individual, daily lives. That’s why open-ended thought provoking questions are a must. One kid might be dealing with a bully situation. Another may have some issues with how they use their tongues. You’re in this together as a family. Every part of the family affects the other, and I would venture to believe that your kids will learn from each other as much as they learn from you.

Still more to come...stay tuned!

Family Devotional 101 (Part 1 of 4)

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I'm going to take on a couple of different topics that will require some length. So, I'll break it into "bite-size" chunks!

Family Devotional 101 (Part 1)

The Question:

Should a family do devotions together? Why is it so important? Can you give me some tips on how to do this with a family that has so many different age kids who aren’t on the same level? Is it okay to do individual devotions for our children or do we need to find a time to do it all together?

Why should my family have a devotional time

If a child’s parents are supposed to be the #1 spiritually-shaping influence in a child’s life, then there are some things that are absolutely necessary. One of which is a consistent time where the Scriptures are opened, discussed, and applied. There is no way that parents can do raise spiritually healthy children effectively without it. Church attendance is not enough. Listening to Christian radio or CD’s is not enough. Even forcing them to watch TBN isn’t enough (that’s a joke…please don’t do that). How can you pass down the faith, a love for the Scriptures, and a passion for our Heavenly Father, if you never spend any consistent time talking about those things and modeling how that’s done?

One of the easiest ways to do this is to have a daily and intentional time where the things of God are discussed. Children are forming habits that will last them a lifetime. Imagine if from the earliest days a child can remember, they remember a daily time where they heard God’s word or talked about how amazing God is. I have a sneaking suspicion that those particular children will have a better shot at developing a daily time with God for themselves later on in life. It also must be intentional. Time with God doesn’t just happen by accident. If you don’t plan or make a plan, it’s just not going to happen.

The reality is that most families (please don’t hear a guilt trip here…I’m just pointing out realities for the average American family) spend more time talking about their children’s extra curricular activities (soccer, dance, etc.) or a particular TV show than they spend talking about God. The average family gets more “excited” watching a football game or other sporting event than they do when God reveals a little more of Himself to them. Now, I know that all of our families are the exception, but I’m just asking you to think about what we give our energies toward.

More coming later in the week!

An illustration for fathers...a reminder for everyone!

I remember standing at the edge of a pool with my Dad telling me to jump. We all have those memories, and if you have children, you've no doubt had the experience of encouraging your children to take that leap of faith and jump into the pool where you're waiting.

Below is a reminder of why our faith glorifies God...

"Your daddy is standing in a swimming pool out a little bit from the edge. You are, let’s say, three years old and standing on the edge of the pool. Daddy holds out his arms to you and says, “Jump, I’ll catch you. I promise.” Now, how do you make your daddy look good at that moment? Answer: trust him and jump. Have faith in him and jump. That makes him look strong and wise and loving. But if you won’t jump, if you shake your head and run away from the edge, you make your daddy look bad. It looks like you are saying, “he can’t catch me” or “he won’t catch me” or “it’s not a good idea to do what he tells me to do.” And all three of those make your dad look bad.

But you don’t want to make God look bad. So you trust him. Then you make him look good–which he really is. And that is what we mean when we say, “Faith glorifies God” or “Faith gives God glory.” It makes him look as good as he really is. So trusting God is really important.

And the harder it seems for him to fulfill his promise, the better he looks when you trust him. Suppose that you are at the deep end of a pool by the diving board. You are four years old and can’t swim, and your daddy is at the other end of the pool. Suddenly a big, mean dog crawls under the fence and shows his teeth and growls at you and starts coming toward you to bite you. You crawl up on the diving board and walk toward the end to get away from him. The dog puts his front paws up on the diving board. Just then, your daddy sees what’s happening and calls out, “Johnny, jump in the water. I’ll get you.”

Now, you have never jumped from one meter high and you can’t swim and your daddy is not underneath you and this water is way over your head. How do you make your daddy look good in that moment? You jump. And almost as soon as you hit the water, you feel his hands under your arms and he treads water holding you safely while someone chases the dog away. Then he takes you to the side of the pool.

We give glory to God when we trust him to do what he has promised to do–especially when all human possibilities are exhausted. Faith glorifies God. That is why God planned for faith to be the way we are justified." - John Piper

Kids can teach us all kinds of things...what a reminder for all of us!

Friday Media

Parents, wouldn't it be great if you knew what your kids will be learning about during the entire month of October at church? Wouldn't it be great if there were a video that could summarize it all, help you understand the big picture, and maybe give you some insight into how to have conversations with your kids after church is over each week? Wouldn't that be great?

Well, you're in luck...

Elementary

Preview: Imagine That (October 2011) from Orange on Vimeo.

Preschool

FL Preview : Fantastically Made (October 2011) from Orange on Vimeo.

Get ready...it's going to be a great month!

Friday Media

What does the Gospel have to do with parenting? It doesn't always seem like those two go together...but they DO!!!

The Gospel and Parents - David Platt

If you have a commute or enjoy listening to podcasts while you work out, make sure you grab this one.

The Apple Doesn't _________________

Can you finish the sentence?

It's an old cliche, but it's probably true...the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. I've been thinking about that a lot recently, since I will be meeting Lauren and I's little "apple" in November. If I'm honest, I'm kind of scared that he'll be just like me.

When someone uses that line, it is usually with a negative connotation. There are definitely times in life, where you're going to look at your kids and say "that's in THEM, because of ME, and I wish that weren't the case." But what about the positive potential that this statement holds? There are also positive traits/characteristics/habits that your kids are in them because you possess them.

Here's where I'm going with this...there's one area of life, where this statement is most definitively true...your relationship with God and your own spiritual growth. Many folks falsely assume that if I bring my kids to church, they'll grow spiritually. It's not that easy.

There are no guarantees that any of our children will grow up loving God and desiring to follow Him with their lives, but I do know this...they have a better chance of understanding what that's all about if they have parents in their life who are modeling that for them and doing their best to live out a genuine and real relationship with God in front of them.

If it's not in YOU...it's probably not going to be in THEM! When it comes to spiritual growth and desire for God, the old adage is true...the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

A little Friday media...

It's become the custom of the blog to pass along some good media on the topic of parenting. This particular author, Elyse Fitzpatrick has a fantastic book out there on parenting...I would recommend it to anyone.


Here she is talking about her newest book... (video below)





Gospel-Centered Parenting - if you can't see the embedded video

A Very Realistic Fear...

One of the things that scares most Christian parents is that their child would grow up in church all of their lives and then walk away from God/church/etc. These are far from irrational fears...in fact, they are very realistic fears considering some of the stats that are out there in the last 5-10 years. I recently ran across a student pastor who wrote an article/post about why young people stay in church and serve God all of their days. After you read it, I have one thought and a few questions for you.

Why Young People Stay in Church When They Grow Up


There are three things this pastor proposes are reasons that the next generation stay in church long term and serve God with their lives. One of these is the Holy Spirit's job, one is the church's responsibility, and one of these is the parents responsibility.

Are you pleading with God to do the first one, are you helping your church accomplish the second one, and how are you doing on the third one?

Parenting Beyond Your Capacity, Week 9

A months ago, we started a class up here at Firewheel on Wednesday nights. We titled it, "Parenting Beyond Your Capacity" because, as a parent, there's only so much capacity you have. This class's intent was to help parents thing about some of the ways they can increase the capacity they have.

Here's the description of the class and what we're talking about each week. This is week #9!

If you couldn't make it on Wednesdays, I'm going to start sharing the audio with you all if you're interested.

***Please remember that this class was not originally intended for audio purposes, and because of that, there may be things you don't understand because of not being able to see what was happening in the room. I'm just going to believe that something is better than not getting it at all.

If the audio player below doesn't work, just click on the link at the bottom of the post!

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Direct Link - Parenting Beyond Your Capacity - Special Topics #2

Parenting Beyond Your Capacity, Week 8

A months ago, we started a class up here at Firewheel on Wednesday nights. We titled it, "Parenting Beyond Your Capacity" because, as a parent, there's only so much capacity you have. This class's intent was to help parents thing about some of the ways they can increase the capacity they have.

Here's the description of the class and what we're talking about each week. This is week #8!

If you couldn't make it on Wednesdays, I'm going to start sharing the audio with you all if you're interested.

***Please remember that this class was not originally intended for audio purposes, and because of that, there may be things you don't understand because of not being able to see what was happening in the room. I'm just going to believe that something is better than not getting it at all.

If the audio player below doesn't work, just click on the link at the bottom of the post!

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Direct Link - Parenting Beyond Your Capacity - Special Topics #1

Parenting Beyond Your Capacity - Week 7

A few weeks ago, we started a class up here at Firewheel on Wednesday nights. We titled it, "Parenting Beyond Your Capacity" because, as a parent, there's only so much capacity you have. This class's intent was to help parents thing about some of the ways they can increase the capacity they have.

Here's the description of the class and what we're talking about each week. This is week #7!

If you couldn't make it on Wednesdays, I'm going to start sharing the audio with you all if you're interested.

***Please remember that this class was not originally intended for audio purposes, and because of that, there may be things you don't understand because of not being able to see what was happening in the room. I'm just going to believe that something is better than not getting it at all.

If the audio player below doesn't work, just click on the link at the bottom of the post!

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Direct Link - Parenting Beyond Your Capacity - Make it Personal

The Cure for Entitlement...

One of the things parents now-a-days lament most often is a general sense of "entitlement" that creeps into our children. It's more than just the general selfishness/center of the world issues that plague most kids. As kids get older, this entitlement issue gets more and more dangerous. So, how do we combat a sense of "entitlement"

My definition of Entitlement - "I am, therefore, I deserve."

So, as I've been thinking about this idea of entitlement, I began to ponder on what the cure for entitlement in adults and children is. How do we battle that in our own hearts and in the hearts of our children?

Here's the thought that the Lord put in my head, and I'm still pondering it and asking the Lord to reveal to me whether or not it is really true. Not only whether or not it's true...but what the implications are from it.

The cure for entitlement is a proper understanding of grace.

What I mean by "grace," is a the idea that everything we have (including your next breath) is a gift of God that is undeserved. And that all we deserve from a holy God who we fail to obey, honor, and worship every day of our lives, is death (Romans 3:23).

What do you think? Does a proper understanding of grace, help cure entitlement? Thoughts?

Parenting Class - May 1 - Audio

Firewheelers, in case you missed our recent parenting class on Sunday mornings during our ABF hours, I wanted to be able to share that with you as well.

Below is the audio for my teaching time to parents. Chad and I split up this time and tried to address some more age-specific topics. Hope you'll take a listen and catch up with everyone else who was able to attend.

We talked about 5 Ideas that can help shape your strategy in parenting...

Follow this link to get the audio - Parenting Class_May 1


***Please remember that this class was not originally intended for audio purposes, and because of that, there may be things you don't understand because of not being able to see what was happening in the room. I'm just going to believe that something is better than not getting it at all.

Throwback Thursday #9

For some who haven't been around here that long, this website is a few years old, and there are wonderful things that I'd like to put in front some of our "newbies" and remind some of the rest of you about. So, we're revisiting some early posts each week on Thursdays!

Original post below:

Raising Children Who Are Confident in God

If you have a few minutes...or if you have a commute...do yourself a favor and listen to this message on raising children who are confident in God. One of your goals as a parent is to instill a belief and confidence in the God of the universe who loves each and every one of your children. How will be the next generation be impacted for Christ...listen up!

Raising Children Who Are Confident in God