Christmas is BIGGER...

...than simply a baby born and put in a manger. It's one of the climactic moments of God's entire redemptive plan that was set in place before the creation of the world...a redemptive plan that is not finished...YET!


This might be a great video to watch with your kids...take the 12 minutes to watch it together and see what kinds of conversations form, what questions are asked, and what they truths they might be able to connect!





Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

Hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving!

May you use this day to not just be thankful FOR things...but may you be thankful to the GIVER of ALL good things!


"Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:16-17)

One "thought-provoking" question

Psalm 145:4-7 says...

"One generation shall PRAISE Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.
They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness."

It didn't say, one generation shall educate each other.
It didn't say, one generation shall regularly attend church and hope it sticks.
It didn't say, one generation shall send them to Christian schools.
It didn't say, one generation shall let the pastors teach our kids about God.
It didn't say, one generation shall lecture.
It didn't say, one generation shall _________...

It said, one generation shall PRAISE your works to another.

As John Piper says, "there is a way to talk about God that negates the very truths about God you're trying to teach/pass on."

So, how are you "praising God" in the presence of those younger than you, mainly your children?. Do you talk about God in such a way that your children know He is the praise and glory of your heart and soul? Does the very thought of Him lead you to spontaneous praise in the good AND bad times?

Are you "praising" his works to the next generation?

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!

God is BIG!!!

I'm pretty sure you're aware of this, but God is BIG! Kids are acutely aware of how big God is. They are well acquainted with this idea of "wonder." As we move into adulthood, the "bigness" of God starts to become "less big." By "less big," I don't mean that somehow God is smaller. It's not His problem...but our problem.

I saw something the other day that helped me understand just how big things are that we think are. It's a completely different example an idea than God, but this helped me understand just how "BIG" some things are.

What does one TRILLION dollars look like?

Now, if that's what a "trillion" dollars looks like, can you imagine the size of the God of the universe who created everything (including the trillion dollars)? Want further proof, just google how many stars/galaxies exist.

How big is our God? [rhetorical question, no need to answer unless you really want]

Things I Love Too Much...

Last Saturday, I posted something on Facebook. I didn't think much about it at the time. I think, originally, my intent was to be a little comical and a little confessional. Here's what I wrote...

"There are some things in life that I love too much...#1 on that list...college football! (cut me some slack...at least I'm admitting that I have a problem)."

It's true. There are...

• Things that I love too much.
  
• Things that my affections are tied to.
• Things that I care about way more than I should.
• Things that are far from eternal.
• Things of which I need to confess.
• Things that hold too much sway over my emotions.
• Things that take way too much of the time I've been allotted on the earth.
• Things that I get more excited over than the worship of God on Sunday mornings.

All that to say, I don't have any plans to never watch a college football game again...I'm just wondering how much I love it. I'm trying to ask myself some of the hard questions that most people are really afraid to ask themselves.

So, here's the question for you today. What are those "things" for you? What are the "things" that you love way too much? An even scarier question...for those of you who are parents, what does that communicate to the little eyes that are constantly watching you from every angle?

It's a scary thought...but wasting your life on "things" that don't matter is an even scarier thought...at least for me.

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.

Friday Media...

Last week's "Friday Media" was geared around the memorization of Scripture. Well, I figured that we would continue the theme. Everyone knows how to "memorize" things. I can prove this because all of us can immediately pop off a whole slew of music lyrics right now. There's something about music that helps us memorize things forever. In fact, there are music lyrics from 20 years ago that are still in my head to this day.

So, one of the easy ways to combine memory and Scripture is to put Scripture to music. Luckily the folks at Seeds Family Worship who have done this for us. If you like it and think your kids will like it, there are lots of CD's available at their website.









Pretty catchy...I'm singing a couple of them right now!

Friday Media...

"I have hidden Your word in my heart...that I might not sin against God."

The author of the Psalms helps us connect the reality that memorizing Scripture is critical to living a life where sin is decreased and following God is increased. That is just as true then as it is now. There is a powerful link between knowing, memorizing, and storing God's Word in our hearts that helps us in the Christian life.

Ever wanted to think about how to get your kids to memorize scripture...well, below is a link to one prominent pastor's thoughts on the matter...

How Can Parents Help Their Kids Memorize Scripture?

There's your Friday media...enjoy!

Right On Time

Yesterday, I had one of those moments where I really enjoy being a pastor to the next generation. Here's the scenario. One of our families at church has three sons, and they have been inviting me to their community pool for weeks and weeks and weeks. I told them at the beginning of the summer, that I was going to come at some point during the summer months. Well, up until that point with camp and VBS preparations, I hadn't made it to the pool yet (or at least in the time frame they wanted). As you can imagine, there little brains had a hard time fathoming why I hadn't done it "YET"! I know this, because Sunday after Sunday, they would ask me, "when are you coming to the pool"? And each Sunday, I would respond..."I promised to come this summer, and before the summer is over, I'll be there. It could happen any day. One of these days you're going to be swimming at the pool, and I'm just going to show up...so you better be ready to be dunked and such."

Well, yesterday was the day that I showed up out of the blue...

As I got to thinking about it, it sounds really familiar. It sounds a lot like what Jesus promised when he said he would come back for those who have trusted in Him. And yet, month after month passes...year after year passes...and He hasn't shown up yet. The Bible talks about how no one knows the day or the hour that He will, but He has promised to.

I saw myself for a brief moment in those boys...aching/desiring for our "long awaited" guest to show up on the scene like he had promised. I have been promising them all summer and warning them that I would show up at a moment's notice...and our LORD and Savior has done the same thing. I wondered to myself if the boys ever thought...you know, I don't think Pastor Robert is going to come to the pool this summer...and I also wonder what the joy was like for them when they realized that I had finally shown up!

• "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoptions as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we are saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:23-25
• "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong until the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God who has called you into his fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is FAITHFUL." 1 Corinthians 1:7-9
• "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." Titus 2:11-13
• "...for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." 1 Thessalonians 5:2

What would you do if you knew He was coming today? What would be different? We are told time and time again in the Scriptures to be READY at all times for that day. Are you READY?

Watch this!

If you've got an elementary-age student at Firewheel Church, you're going to want to be filled in on what they're learning during the month of June in church. Below is one of the summary videos of all the lessons/theme they'll be learning about all month.

VIRTUE VIDEO: FAITH (June 2011) from Orange on Vimeo.

Watching this could definitely help you have great conversations all month about the things they're learning about at church. (wink, wink)

Forgiveness...

One of the hardest lessons that I've ever learned (Actually...I'm still learning it), is how to forgive someone who has wronged you. I'm not talking about when someone says something innocent that hurts your feelings or rubs you the wrong way...I'm talking about when someone has willfully and purposefully done something meant to harm you.

All this month at Firewheel, elementary-age kids are learning about Forgiveness. Here's a video that helped me out tremendously, and it might also help you continue the conversation as a parent week after week.

VIRTUE VIDEO: FORGIVENESS (May 2011) from Orange on Vimeo.

"Following" Jesus!

Saw this from a friend the other day, and thought it was worth a post. What an interesting way to take the story of Jesus and place it in a modern context. If you have older kids that are already in the social media world and understand the lingo, this is a pretty cool little video!

Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday #8

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:

Gauges

Every car has them...most factories are full of them. We've become so accustomed to seeing them, that we DON'T see them...or at least we don't pay attention to them very often. What am I talking about - gauges? Those little devices on your dash that give you vital information about the operation of your car.

Well, the family has "gauges" as well. How else will you know how your family is operating? Pay attention to the "gauges." They are there to make sure your familiy runs optimally. Here are a couple of gauges from a recent article I read...


1. The “speedometer” - This is the “pacing” question. Are we moving at a healthy pace that we can sustain or are we running “in the red?” We can’t just monitor the things from ministry that directly include us, but we must also factor in the other things that make life what it is: soccer, gymnastics, the kids’ school, health, marriage, money and home repairs. I never make this health assessment alone. Men are not typically emotionally intuitive and can be blind to the relational redlining occurring. If you don’t believe me, just ask your wife. She will tell you the real truth.

2. The “RPM”s - This is the stress question. How hard are we pushing to make this thing go? Are we shifting gears smoothly in our relationships or are we “grinding the gears” like a 16-year-old boy driving a stick shift for the first time with his critical Dad in the passenger seat? Do Mom and Dad need more time together--alone? Is more time or energy needed with a particular child? You can usually “listen to the engine” through the tone of the conversations taking place in home to monitor the stress level in the home.

3. The “gas” gauge - This is the margin question. Every ministry family I know is strapped for time and often other resources. The families that go the distance are the ones that have enough gas in their tank for the long haul. They are consciously and consistently refueling through weekly days off, “Date Nights,” “Daddy Dates,” vacations and daily spiritual tune-ups to keep the engine running more efficiently. Again, if you want to know exactly how much gas is really in the family or marriage tank, ask your wife. She knows.


Taken from - The Family Dashboard

Devotions on the Go!

Life with kids is a busy time, but that doesn't mean you can't teach some positive lessons along the way. There's always a chance to invest in your children, and some of the devotions can happen on the run. You can turn a trip to the zoo, a trip to the beach, or a trip to your backyard into a lesson for children. Want to find out how...click away!

5 On-the-Go Family Devotions for Summertime

Have fun!

That's Not Fair...

I don't know how many times I said this when I was a child. And I know for a fact that if I had a nickel for every time I heard "that's not fair" from children in my almost 10 years of ministry, I would be a very wealthy man. My dad would always respond to my "that's not fair" with "well, life's not fair." I never really understood what he was talking about until I really began to understand who God was and how life works.

So, what's the big deal with fairness? Do we really want "fair"? We often try to trumpet the cause of fairness (that is until something until we do something unfair to someone else...and then we want mercy/grace). Funny how that works!

I don't know about you, but when it comes to God, I don't want to be treated "fairly." If God treats me according to what I deserve, I'm dead (Rom. 3:23).

I read the article below, and, for me, it confirmed many of the thoughts I've had about how we can talk about fairness vs. grace with our children. I highly recommend going a little deeper with your kids about this "fairness" issue. Don't just leave it as "well, life isn't fair." Begin to talk to them about how deep down inside, we really don't want fairness.

Life is Not Fair (And Neither is God)

What kids want most...

...you might think it's the newest video game. It might be a new toy. It might be an iPod touch or a new cell-phone. It really could be anything. They may already be buttering you up for Christmas and that huge thing they're going to ask for.

But what do kids want most...

What Your Kids Want Most From You

This is definitely worth reading and considering.

Gauges

Every car has them...most factories are full of them. We've become so accustomed to seeing them, that we DON'T see them...or at least we don't pay attention to them very often. What am I talking about - gauges? Those little devices on your dash that give you vital information about the operation of your car.

Well, the family has "gauges" as well. How else will you know how your family is operating? Pay attention to the "gauges." They are there to make sure your familiy runs optimally. Here are a couple of gauges from a recent article I read...



1. The “speedometer” - This is the “pacing” question. Are we moving at a healthy pace that we can sustain or are we running “in the red?” We can’t just monitor the things from ministry that directly include us, but we must also factor in the other things that make life what it is: soccer, gymnastics, the kids’ school, health, marriage, money and home repairs. I never make this health assessment alone. Men are not typically emotionally intuitive and can be blind to the relational redlining occurring. If you don’t believe me, just ask your wife. She will tell you the real truth.

2. The “RPM”s - This is the stress question. How hard are we pushing to make this thing go? Are we shifting gears smoothly in our relationships or are we “grinding the gears” like a 16-year-old boy driving a stick shift for the first time with his critical Dad in the passenger seat? Do Mom and Dad need more time together--alone? Is more time or energy needed with a particular child? You can usually “listen to the engine” through the tone of the conversations taking place in home to monitor the stress level in the home.

3. The “gas” gauge - This is the margin question. Every ministry family I know is strapped for time and often other resources. The families that go the distance are the ones that have enough gas in their tank for the long haul. They are consciously and consistently refueling through weekly days off, “Date Nights,” “Daddy Dates,” vacations and daily spiritual tune-ups to keep the engine running more efficiently. Again, if you want to know exactly how much gas is really in the family or marriage tank, ask your wife. She knows.


Taken from - The Family Dashboard

Studying the Bible as a family...

Here are some helpful hints from another pastor about the way you can make Bible study in your family a priority. As fathers, weaving the Scripture and truths about God into everyday life is one of the most important tasks that you have. I found these practices to be extremely basic, but, in the end, they could make a world of difference in your attempt to raise your children up to know and love God. Dads, you should consider how you can weave these practices into the life of your family.

Upon reflection, though, four things are constant:

Lots of Bibles - We have tons of Bibles all over the house. We have Bibles for every age, lots of translations, and lots of formats. To be honest, if a member of my family finds a Bible they like that is faithful, I am not at all legalistic about which one they prefer. Most days, every room of the house has a Bible of some kind in it,
ready to read.

A love of Bible reading - I love to read the Bible and want my family to love reading in general, and Bible reading in particular. It’s not a forced rule, but a fun part of life. Everyone in our family likes to read the Bible and does so daily. I’ve never made a rule about daily Bible reading, but we all do as a habit that we enjoy by God’s grace. We all read Scripture and pray at night before bed as a sort of wind-down wrap-up to the day and the kids like it a lot.

Life integration - Throughout the daily moments of life, the window of opportunity opens up to sit down with my spouse and the kids, either one on one or as a group, to open the Bible and apply a particular portion to something happening in their life. As a parent and a spouse, it is a great honor to be on watch, appointed by God to capture these sacred moments of bringing Scripture to bear on a teachable moment.

Age-appropriate discussion - We eat dinner together and have a Bible at the table that I use to lead discussions. We also keep a notebook of prayers for people and the kids really like seeing prayers answered and checked off. Some nights the family gets down some rabbit trail of conversation that is not overtly theological, and as a dad I don’t force a big theological discussion upon them, but rather follow the Holy Spirit as we just enjoy one another. Other nights we have some big theological discussions that I lead out of the Bible. After church on Sundays, since I’m still working, my spouse is faithful to ask the kids what they learned in the service or their class and draw out of them what God revealed to them from Scripture. Anyone wanting to grow in this skill can read Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware, in which he shows how to teach theology to kids in an age-appropriate fashion.

Source: Studying the Bible with Spouse and Children

I'm Not Being Fed...

In his recent book entitled "Stuff Christians Like," super-blogger, Jon Acuff (http://www.stuffchristianslike.net/) wrote about a common happening in churches. I thought it was humorous, and, yet at the same time, haunting.

He writes about how Christians like "Complaining about not being fed at church." We writes...

"If you want to become a professional church grumbler, not just some amateur occasionally throwing rocks at the worship service, minister, or other attributes of the church, there's one key phraise you need to know:

"I'm not being fed."

This simple complaint - the teaching is lacking, the sermons are thin, the worship music is not uplifting enough, or a million other things that people find inadequate - is the official complaint of church grumblers the world over. If we could figure out a way to monetize it, we could permanently end world poverty. Forget cold fusion; if we could generate energy every time someone says this phrase, we'd be able to break our dependence on foreign oil in about four minutes.

It's such a perfect thing to say because it deflects any attention away from me, while at the same time creating false humility and making me seem spiritually mature and advanced. "It's not you, it's me. I just want to learn. I'm admitting that I am incomplete. I'm hungry for deep, real spiritual teaching. I'm humbly confessing that I'm not getting enough out of church. Please help me get the rich faith-building experiences that I so desperately need."

Just be careful who you say this to. Pastors are starting to get wily. When people tell my friend, "I'm not being fed," he replies, "I'm perfectly happy to spoon feed my one-year-old. But if I'm still spoon-feeding him when he's five, we've got a problem. Here's a fork. Feed yourself.""

This is exactly what the writer of Hebrews spoke about in Hebrews 5:11-14.

"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have TRAINED THEMSELVES..."

I thought it was a good word for me...I'm hoping it is for you as well.