By Nicole Massie Martin, August 22, 2016

You don’t realize the value of what you have until someone else is willing to die for it. This is how I feel about my faith in Jesus Christ.

When I boarded the plane headed for Indonesia by way of Dubai, I was captivated by the joys of travel. We hadn’t even left the airport and I was already relishing the various languages around me, preparing my palate for different foods, and basking in the bright colors of national wardrobes. When we landed, my eyes couldn’t take the sites in fast enough as we whizzed by landscapes covered by huge rustic buildings and small shanty homes. By the time we arrived on the conference site, I had already met participants from South Africa, Serbia, Jamaica, Niger, and Barbados. I was overwhelmed with everything around me and overjoyed by the fact that it was a love of Jesus that brought us all together.

Yet, as the week progressed, I realized that I was there for more than just an international Christian party. As an American Christian, God placed me there to remind me of what faith should be. It wasn’t until I listened to their stories, heard their perspectives and understood their struggles that I realized the deep faith gap between Western Christians and the rest of the world. I was struck with the reality that I don’t always live like I believe God.

As a Christian living in a religiously free nation where wealth can be easily gained, I admit that I have subtly and slowly subscribed to the notion of the “God of the Gaps.” I depend on God when there is a gap in my own ability or in the abilities of those around me. If I can do it or if I can get someone to do it, I rarely depend on God. Some critics could call this Christian atheism: believing in God, but living as if you don’t.

One night, as I was wrestling with these ideas, Becky Pippert, a world renown speaker on sharing your faith, made the following statement: “The greatest weakness of the Western Church is her lack of dependence upon the Holy Spirit.” With her words, I felt a deep sorrow, not only because of the state of the church, but because of the state of my own heart. I recognized in that moment that my greatest desire is to live a life dependent on God through the Holy Spirit; a life that looks like Jesus.

This does not mean that we are called to abandon the gifts that God has given us in good doctors, quality education systems, or well-paying jobs. But, it does mean that we must constantly deny their power over us in an effort to reaffirm God’s sovereign power over them.

We must live in a mindset that acknowledges that doctors don’t heal, God does. Jobs don’t provide, God does. Education doesn’t give wisdom, God does. While these are tools that God can use, we must learn, by depending on the Holy Spirit, that God is still in control of all things and all things come to us through Him. While I have been gifted, I cannot fall into the trap of depending on myself more than I depend on God.

These notions came to clarity while listening to the story of a participant who shared that he was not sure how long he would live after leaving the conference. He had come from a Muslim country and his conversion would very well cost him his life. Yet, knowing what was on the line and understanding the risk of coming to the conference, he boldly declared that he was not afraid of dying for Jesus. He believed so deeply and understood God’s grace so fully that nothing would keep him from following Jesus in this life and into the next.

I stood with the crowd, clapping in standing ovation as tears rolled down my face. I want to have a faith worth dying for. I want to be bold in sharing the Gospel. I want to depend on God as if my life depended on Him. As my mind whirled through clarifying statements, a song bubbled up in my soul that my grandmother used to sing:

Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart.
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart.
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.

The day we stop singing that song, the day we stop praying that prayer, is the day we loose the core of what it means to follow Jesus. This is what faith is all about. Through the stories of my sisters and brothers from around the world, I was reminded that faith is not just about what you gain from following God, but more so about what you’re willing to give up to do so. Lord, make us Christians in our hearts.

Accessed on February 2, 2023 from: https://www.sfiministries.org/blog

Dr. David Jeremiah

The word “always” is frequently misused in our everyday conversations, simply because the definition and its application often do not match. The definition of “always” is “at all times.” If you think about it, no one is “always” late or “always” on time, but when we speak of the faithfulness of God, always is the correct word. God is always faithful to His promises, and understanding this attribute is the key to the life of faith that we long to experience.

If you desire a stronger faith, then isolate a difficulty and find a promise in the Bible that speaks to that problem. In Deuteronomy 7:9 the Lord is called “the faithful God.” Psalm 36:5 says that His faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 37:3 tells us to “feed on His faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “…His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” As we trust the Lord to be faithful to His promises, we experience an inner peace that crowds worry to the corners of our minds, and then out the door.

When we realize that God is faithful to every promise He has made in the Bible—it instantly revamps our perspective. We can become Abraham-like, following in the footsteps of the man who “did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:20-21). He is always faithful to His promises.

Likewise God is always faithful to His plan. The books of Daniel and Revelation (among other passages in the Bible) lay out God’s plan for the ages. One of the joys of my ministry has been studying biblical prophecy and teaching the doctrine of the end times. Prophecy and providence go hand in hand. Prophecy is the prediction of what God is going to do; and providence is His engineering of events to accomplish it. Providence is God guiding the course of global history as well as the affairs of the individual lives of His children.

He knows the plans He has for us; our steps are ordered by the Lord; and He leads us in an appointed way. When tragedies befall us, we can’t minimize or ignore them; but with the passing of time we increasingly understand that “God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.”

George Truett was thirty when he was named pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. His life took a tragic turn when he accidentally fired his gun and killed the Dallas Chief of Police during a hunting trip. Truett was inconsolable in his grief. He felt certain that he would never return to the pulpit. But Psalm 31 came forcibly to mind: “But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD… My times are in Your hand…” (14-15). Finally, it was announced that Truett would return to the pulpit, and churches across Dallas cancelled their services to join him as a sign of support. He made it through the service and remained pastor of the church for the rest of his life. During his tenure, church membership increased from 700 to 7000. The tragedy at the beginning of his ministry led to a helplessness of heart that enabled God to take over.

Our heartaches cannot be downplayed. They often cannot be understood. But God is bigger than our burdens, and He is always faithful to His providential plans for our days.
God is always faithful to His people. How important it is to remember that truth! Even during a season of thanksgiving, we’re prone to worry. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by world events or with personal circumstances. But the One who has promised is faithful.

This is the time of year when our minds whipsaw from elections to thanksgiving; but come what may don’t grow frenzied, troubled, or panicked. You’re under God’s providential care. Our God is faithful to His promises, His plans, and His people.
He is faithful to you. He always has been; He always will be.

Accessed on February 2, 2023 from: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/turning-point/read/articles/always-faithful-17678.html

By David Mathis, March 28, 2021
Have we ever ached for stability as much as we do now — for the semblance of some new normal, for a return, unmasked and undistanced, to human life?

Many of us alive today have lived through little societal turmoil and upheaval. We have not endured wars on our native soil. Until now, we have not faced anything like a global pandemic months on end, and the uncertainty and chaos it’s brought around the world, even to the seemingly steadiest of societies.

In wisdom and love, Jesus allowed Peter to be sifted (Luke 22:31). So too his church has been sifted in these days. Our plans, our work, our finances, our relationships, our information sources, our preferences — we have seen that many of the structures and seeming givens in our world are not as sure and steady as we assumed. The instability has exposed a softness, fickleness, and frailty in those around us, and in our own selves. Some humble, long-overlooked saints are shining like never before. Other people have been washed away, revealing they had built their lives on sand.

The stability we need most in days like these, however, is not first and foremost our own. We need the fulfillment of the great prophetic promise that our God “will be the stability of your times” (Isaiah 33:6). How does he do that? We look first to a stability outside ourselves. The old word for it is steadfastness, as Paul prays, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.’ (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

Steadfast may be a less familiar word today, but we know steady. To be steadfast is to be fixed and solid, stable and not shifting (Colossians 1:23). To be immovable but also abounding (1 Corinthians 15:58) — not just defensive, holding fast against the tides, but also active, advancing, on the offensive. “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it” (Colossians 4:2).

Paul thanked God for the steadfastness he heard of in the embattled Thessalonians — an endurance, he said, that stemmed from their “hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). In the early days of the church, when Barnabas came down from Jerusalem to visit the fledgling church in Antioch, he “saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose” (Acts 11:23). This is a great start — now hold steady! Trials will come; don’t be blown over. Be unbending and undeterred. Remain faithful.
In their respective Christian virtue-progressions, Peter, Paul, and James all highlight the need for endurance, or steadfastness (Greek hupomoné) — the ability to bear up under trial. “Make every effort to supplement your . . . self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness” (2 Peter 1:5–6). “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character” (Romans 5:3–4). “The testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:3–4).
Steadfastness, holding fast, is a critical facet of Christian maturity. We do not become complete or godly without it.

Hebrews 6:19 may give us the single best biblical image for steadfastness: an anchor.
Every word from God is gold — and how much more so when he adds an oath, as in Psalm 110:4: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind . . .” This, says Hebrews, we have “as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” Bet your life on this anchor. It will not move. Perhaps you’ve visited a port city and found an old anchor on display and seen how enormous they can be. A good anchor is unfazed in the everyday lapping of the tides, but also when the waves swell and rage in a storm.

The virtue of steadfastness presupposes such waves, big and small — trials, conflicts, difficulties, pressures that would move the ship, and even send her out to sea, were it not for the steadfast anchor, holding the vessel firmly in place. Peter, Paul, and James mention the waves that threaten to carry us away: “our sufferings” (Romans 5:3), “trials of various kinds” (James 1:2) , “the corruption that is in the world” (2 Peter 1:4). Steadfastness isn’t a virtue that shines in comfort but in conflict — under trial (James 1:12), in persecutions, afflictions, and sufferings (2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Timothy 3:10–11).

How amazing, then, to ponder that Jesus is not only “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29), precious and priceless as that is, but also steadfast. He has compassion indeed, and he loves his people with a “great love” (Ephesians 2:4) — and his heart for us is not fickle, flighty, or movable. He is steadfast.

So, like Paul, we celebrate not only “the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:1), but also “the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). Not only is he tender, with a heart that is warm and soft for his people. But he is also tough, thick-skinned, able to keep that heart through fire, with the strength and grit to persist in loving his people.

Again and again, the veritable refrain of the Hebrew Scriptures sings the steadfast love of God. It’s no accident that Paul pairs “the love of God” with “the steadfastness of Christ” in 2 Thessalonians 3:5. As God revealed himself to Moses on the mountain, he is

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty. . . . (Exodus 34:6–7)

Our God forgives, and he will not sweep sin under the rug. Every sin will be dealt with, either in hell or in the grace of the cross. He is a God of uncompromising justice, and yet mercy. A God with a backbone of steel, and a warm heart of compassion toward his people, “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” His love is not thin, fleeting, or fragile. His love is not impulsive or unreliable. For his people, his heart is tender, gentle, lowly. And with staying power: steadfast and unchanging.

Satan cannot chase away God’s covenant love. Or trying circumstances, however severe. His love is steadfast. Jesus won’t change his mind tomorrow about his own. He knows you through and through. He already knows the you of tomorrow, and your forthcoming failures. And if you are his, he has set his steadfast love on you, come what may. He loves his own today, and will keep loving them tomorrow. As challenges arise, as resistance comes, as reasons to the contrary emerge, he will not cave in, give in, or quit. His love will hold firm — secure, stable, settled, steadfast.

Such an unshakable, reliable, firm guarantee — such an anchor for the soul — will make us more steadfast in time. The steadfastness of Christ makes us want to be more steadfast. To not be flighty, fickle, impulsive, and momentary in our loves for what matters most, but settled and stable, fixed and firm.

There is an order. His steadfastness comes first, then ours. We can become steadfast because he is steadfast. So twice in Scripture’s final book, we hear a call for the steadfastness of the saints (Revelation 13:10; 14:12). Be steadfast, church, in a world of crashing waves. As the tides rise, be immovable (1 Corinthians 15:58). Be stable, not shifting (Colossians 1:23). Stay the course “in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring” (2 Thessalonians 1:4). Be steadfast under trial (James 1:12).

Be steadfast, as Christ your Lord is steadfast. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). We hold fast, without wavering, because we know we have an unwavering Christ.

Such steadfastness — thick-skinned, stubborn, weathered as it is — is not joyless, in Christ and in his people.

“The steadfastness of Christ — rugged, firm, solid, unshakable — comes with great joy, as Paul prays for the Colossians, “for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11). “We rejoice in our sufferings,” he says, “knowing that suffering produces endurance” (Romans 5:3). Knowing that testing produces steadfastness, we “count it all joy” even as we meet with various trials (James 1:1–3).

“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast” (James 5:11). Happy are they who hold their holy ground, who keep the anchor down in unstable times, because they are held firm by the steadfastness of Christ.

Accessed on February 2, 2023 from: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-stability-of-our-times

By Trillia Newbrell, May 15, 2018

Throughout Scripture, we see God working to redeem a people for himself, a people from every tribe and tongue and nation – colorful and diverse.

In the last 50 years, the term diversity has taken on many meanings. In the early 1960s, diversity most likely would have referred to the need for desegregation. By the 70s and 80s it would’ve been associated with affirmative action. Now diversity is often regarded as inclusivity.
The Bible, however, gives us a compelling vision for diversity in the kingdom of God. Diversity is already quite present in God’s kingdom, but we might miss it in Scripture if we aren’t looking for it. Here are four ways we can see a biblical basis for diversity and how it reflects the kingdom.

We are all created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Not one of us was made apart from the creative, thoughtful design of our Creator God (Psalm139:13-14). As image bearers, we were all made to reflect the Lord. So, if we are all created equally in the image of God, then as redeemed image bearers this is the first indication that God’s kingdom is diverse.

We are created equally in His image. God doesn’t discriminate in His design – He doesn’t create one human being greater than the other. Because we are all image bearers, we can know God’s kingdom includes a variety of people groups – all ultimately created to reflect and worship Him.

We are all created in need of God’s saving grace regardless of the color of our skin. The Fall of Man affects us all, and we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The good news is Jesus died for every tribe, tongue and nation. God loved the world and made it possible for anyone who believes to have eternal life. He made the way for all people (John 3:15-16). His mission was to seek and save the lost – everyone.

The Great Commission reminds us God’s mission is our mission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Jesus commissioned His disciples to make more disciples of all nations. He didn’t say, “Go and find people who look and sound just like you.” He said they (and we) should seek to love and serve people from every nation.

As Christians we are adopted children of God. Paul tells us of our new bloodline when he writes: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17).

Even before His death, Jesus affirmed the importance of being a part of the family of God. Addressing the people while His mother and brothers stood outside, He replied, ” ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’ ” (Matthew 12:48-50).

Jesus isn’t suggesting our biological families are no longer important (see Matthew 15:3-6). Rather, He is stating that following Him is far greater. He takes priority, and so does His kingdom – so much so that those who follow Him are counted as His brother and sister and mother – His family. The family of God, the kingdom of God, is colorful.
As we begin to view members of our churches as members of God’s family – and thus as members of our family – our prejudices begin to crumble.

Understanding the family of God is yet another weapon against racial intolerance in the church and beyond. Only in the family of God can people so distinctly different be the same (equal in creation and redemption) and counted as sisters and brothers in a new family.

The book of Revelation records striking accounts of the last days when all nations, tribes and tongues will be worshiping Jesus. Heaven won’t be filled with homogeneous people – except that we will all be glorified. What we won’t have in heaven is the sin that separates us from God and from each other.

We won’t fight against racism or wonder how to build diversity. We will be diverse. We will love completely and fully. We will worship together and enjoy one another for all eternity.
Creation, redemption, adoption and revelation prove there is a diverse kingdom. Throughout all of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, we see God working to redeem a people for himself, a people from every tribe and tongue and nation – colorful and diverse.

The church’s pursuit of diversity reflects the Bible’s description of the kingdom. We pursue diversity because the pages of Scripture are filled with it. Mostly we pursue diversity because the Gospel embraces and advocates for a diversity of people to be born again into a new family for a holy and good God.

Accessed on February 2, 2023 from: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/pro-life/united-by-love-how-diversity-reflects-the-kingdom-of-god/

By Christel Humfrey, May 29, 2018

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her (Luke 10:41).
This story of two sisters resonates with me. Like Martha, I like things done well. I’m not a laid back, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl. I may wish I was, but I have a deep-seated compulsion to cross my t’s and dot my i’s. I like my house clean, my meals balanced and my calendar organized. (Although I don’t accomplish this often!) Like Martha, I am frequently, as Jesus diagnosed, “anxious and troubled about many things”.

In Martha’s defense, she does have Jesus sitting in her living room. Jesus. This is not your average house guest. I imagine that Martha is not merely a resentful sibling; but she is sincerely distressed. She wants to please Jesus. She longs to be the perfect hostess, as defined by her family and culture.

Meanwhile, her beloved sister, Mary, was not helping. The text says that while Martha “was distracted with much serving” Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet” (v.39).
It’s not hard to understand Martha’s frustration when she asks, “Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” (v.40).

Jesus’ response to Martha is neither scathing nor placating. Instead, he cuts straight to the heart of the issue with both compassion and frankness; “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.”

When Jesus tells Martha that “one thing is necessary”, He doesn’t mean that food and shelter are superfluous. It was not that Mary had chosen a spiritual occupation (learning from Jesus) while Martha had chosen a carnal one (serving and hospitality). John 12 records how Jesus dined with them again, and again “Martha served” while Mary anointed Jesus feet with expensive oil. Jesus was not rebuking Martha for her role in the household—service and hospitality are Christian virtues–rather, Jesus was diagnosing a spiritual malady.

Those of us who resonate with Martha like to be able to control our environment. We trust in our own ability to make life comfortable, safe and sustainable. Jesus didn’t despise Martha’s servant heart; He loved her (Jn. 11:5). But Jesus loved Martha enough to tell her that her pursuit of perfection on earth was wrong-headed. Not only is it impossible for humans to control their circumstances with God-like ability, it’s also prideful and inherently unstable. There was a better way, and Mary had chosen it.

Anyone who struggles with anxiety can tell you that it’s torturous and exhausting. Jesus’ rebuke cuts through the ropes that bind Martha to false obligations of perfection. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.”

The simplicity of Jesus direction is paradigm shifting. Martha is not the linchpin upon which all other moving pieces depend. She is a valued part, but not the centre. Martha’s problem was that she had an over-inflated view of both her ability and responsibility. She was limited by humanity, but expected her work to reflect the perfection of Divinity.

Perhaps Mary should have helped Martha, but Jesus said that Mary had chosen the “good portion”. These words bring to mind numerous Old Testament passages that speak of close communion with God as the believer’s “portion” or “inheritance” (e.g. Ps. 16:5-6, 73:26, Josh.18:7). Mary took the posture of disciple and servant. She chose close fellowship with Jesus as her priority.

The irony for Martha was that she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. meanwhile, the One who actually “upholds the universe” was sitting in her living room (Heb. 1:3)! She was tore up about food, drink and hospitality standards, while the Creator, Sustainer and Savior of humanity was sitting at her table. I can’t help feeling embarrassed for Martha when I read this passage, and yet how often do I choose to fixate on temporal things while matters of eternal value fade into the background?

We may not have Jesus at our table, but distance doesn’t make a difference. Only Jesus holds the universe together by the word of his power. He dwells in us by His Spirit (1 Jn 3:24) and strengthens us for the tasks ahead (Phil. 4:13). And yes, this is good news for the Marthas among us.

For those of us who resonate with Martha’s control-anxiety, we need to constantly choose the better portion; we must prioritize time at Jesus’ feet. We may have emails to send, people to feed and responsibilities to fulfill. But when we choose fellowship with God first, we acknowledged that He is the centre of our universe. He is the linchpin that holds it all together.
When the stuff of life pulls us in twenty different directions, the good news is this: only one thing is necessary. The rest is transient. Like Martha, our role may be to serve, but when we choose to prioritize close communion with the Lord first, it allows us to relinquish our control-anxiety to Him. The day ahead may be filled with responsibilities, deadlines and scheduled events, but our hearts are not frantic. “My flesh and my heart may fail,” says the Psalmist, “but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Ps. 73:26)

Accessed on February 2, 2023 from: https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/article/good-news-for-the-marthas-among-us/

Dads and Daughters

Mother’s Day was last month, and now this month is Father’s Day! Let’s celebrate the wonderful men in our lives! I hope you are planning on doing something special for the dads in your life, and dads, I hope your family is planning something great for you! Fingers crossed for a great new tie!!?

I just wanted to say, right off the top, thank you dads! Those of you who are receiving this and are a dad to one of our wonderful kids, thank you. Whether you are a grandfather, stepfather, or even an uncle, you are a ‘dad’ in God’s eyes. The spiritual role that you play is so important to the boys and girls of our church. In honor of you, this month’s Online Parenting topic is especially for you.

This is such a huge thing in our current culture and the climate of our society.  Whether you are watching this video as a dad or a mom, these quick hints are HUGE for the young girls in our group. Please take the time to watch and think through these and other ways to connect to your daughter’s heart.

We want our young girls that are growing into women to know and understand a healthy relationship with the men in their life. It starts through their relationship with their dad or a Godly man in their life.

Moms: We know that not every girl in our group has a dad in her life, so let us know how we can come alongside them (and you as parents). We are always seeking ways to build into them Godly self-image and set them up to be the women God has set them up to be! Let us know how we can encourage your daughter and your family!

View this month's online parenting video here: https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/257632682/af60c47729

Here are something to challenge you. Think through each suggestion using these questions:

• Take them out on simple and fun dates and adventures.
  o Where would your daughter want to go on a “date” if she could choose?
  o Where was your first date? Would you be willing to share that with your daughter?
• Have intentional conversations every day. (It’s ok to leverage tech!)
  o When was the last time you sat down with your daughter, just the two of you, and had an intentional heart-to-heart talk?
• Let them know you love them and they are beautiful as much as possible!
  o When was the last time you intentionally told your daughter you loved her and she was beautiful?
• Listen to them when they are hurting.
  o What is hurting your daughter’s heart right now?
  o When was the last time she cried about something that was not a physical hurt?

Dads (and moms), these years are so important for your young daughter. Please take and make the time to spend with them, getting to know their heart.

The People Kept Sinning
Judges 2

In the Book of Judges, we see a cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, rescue, obedience, and then back to sin. The condition of man's heart when left to himself will "do what is right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Our own hearts lead us to sinful behavior that leads to enslavement to sin. Judges reveal who we are apart from God's grace.

The Book of Judges also uncovers what God is like. He is rich in love and quick to restore those who turn to Him. He is gracious; every time the people of Israel repented and turned from their sins, He sent deliverance. He restored Israel from the edge of destruction. God also revealed Himself as able to save no matter how difficult or deep the captivity. In fact, we see God's mercy clearly when He sent the judge Samson when the people didn't even ask for deliverance. In these warrior-deliver stories, God showed that what His people really needed was a king— not just any king but a perfect king who would rule His people with perfect justice and mercy.

It is easy for us as modern readers to judge the people of Israel harshly. How could they turn away from a God who delivered them from their enemies over and over again? But how easy is it for us to be tempted away from love for God and love created things more than the Creator?

What gives us hope and comfort is that in a world where it feels like there is chaos all around us, we know that God in His mercy is a God who rescues. He didn't send a flawed warrior to deliver us from the effects of our sin temporarily. He sent His only Son to defeat sin and death and restore the relationship that sinners could never fix on their own.

Rest in the knowledge that God has gone before you. Prepare your heart to point kids to Jesus over and over as the true Deliverer and the true peace for which their hearts desperately long.

Big picture question and answer:
What is the fair payment for sin?
The fair payment for sin is death.

Key Passage:
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Joshua Challenged the People
Joshua 23-24

Joshua was getting along in years, so he gathered the people at the place where God had made a promise to Abraham. (See Gen. 12:6-7.) Joshua wanted the people to remember and to live based on what they knew to be true about God: God can be trusted. He is good, and He is faithful.

Joshua issued a challenge: “Be very strong and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses.” Reading, studying, and obeying God’s Word is a mark of belief in God. Joshua reminded the people that they were successful over their enemies because of their obedience to God. Joshua also gave the Israelites a warning. Just as all the good things God promised had been fulfilled, so would all the bad things He promised if the Israelites disobeyed Him.

Further, Joshua reminded the leaders of their nations’ history—from the birth of Isaac to Israel’s escape from Egypt. Over and over, God had demonstrated His power and goodness to the Israelites. Their ancestors had repeatedly turned from God to worship the false gods of other nations. Joshua said, “Choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship … As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD” (Josh. 24:15).

The Israelites had a choice: Continue to worship God or choose to serve other gods. In response to God’s faithfulness to His promises, the Israelites renewed their covenant to be faithful to the Lord.

As you share the story of Joshua’s legacy, point to a greater legacy found in Jesus Christ. Jesus gave a similar type of farewell speech at the Last Supper, exhorting His disciples to not only love God but love one another. After His resurrection, Jesus sent His disciples out to tell the nations about Him. Jesus calls all people who trust in Him to tell others about Him.

Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is a miracle?
A miracle is something God does that usually cannot be done so that we can know He is all-powerful.

Key Passage:
You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
Psalm 77:14

God Gave the People the Land
Joshua 7-11

In today's story, we see that God fights for His people and gives them peace and rest. We live in a world filled with conflict and pain. We desperately want peace. The reality is that true peace doesn’t come from any amount of solitude or self-confidence; we need true peace that comes from being forgiven. Peace comes as we trust in the finished work of Jesus. His forgiveness, not our own effort, brings us lasting peace.

Read the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:12-14. In a world of conflict, Christ is our hope. In a world filled with division, He is our peace. This peace and hope Paul speaks of are available to us when we place our trust in Christ alone for our salvation. This is a continual, daily dying to self so that we may live in Christ.

What is so interesting about the section of Scripture your kids will be learning about today is that it shows us that we humans have not changed and God has not changed. Israel obeyed God at Jericho, and God fought for His people. They enjoyed good success.

Next, they went up against a smaller city and relied on their own strength rather than seeking God's strength. They disobeyed and took things devoted to God and fought a battle at Ai without consulting God and His plan. Their lives were filled with disunity. Sin is the reason our world is in disunity. The lie we believe is that sin is personal and doesn't affect anyone else. Sin is the rejection of God Himself and the placing of our trust in things He has made. The sin of one Israelite—Achan—affected him, his family, and the whole nation.

Joshua's response was right. He humbled himself, appealed to God's covenant-keeping power, and responded with obedience when God spoke to him.

When we sin, we must recognize the damage that it creates in our lives and in the world. Our response must not be to cover it up but to run to Christ because He is our hope, our life, and our peace.

Dwell on these words from theologian Charles Spurgeon: “My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!”

Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is a miracle?
A miracle is something God does that usually cannot be done so that we can know He is all-powerful.

Key Passage:
You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
Psalm 77:14

God Gave the People the Land
Joshua 7-11

In our Bible story today, we see not just mercy, but courageous mercy. Rahab by faith, courageously trusted God and hid the Hebrew spies. Mercy is not courageous until being merciful costs us something. Rahab's mercy was pushed to the testing point. She had compassion and, in doing so, risked her life. She showed mercy; as a result, she received mercy.

Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. Mercy was one of the marks of Jesus’ ministry. He modeled it for us on earth. There are countless examples of Jesus’ showing compassion and forgiveness to those who didn't deserve it.

Mercy always involves courage because you have the power—and often the right—to punish rather than forgive. In our world today, the act of forgiveness is often seen as a weakness. It's risky. Mercy that lacks courage will be sporadic in its application. We, like Pilate, will forgive until it costs us something. We will have compassion, but only from a distance. This is the beauty of Christ that we see in stories like Rahab.

The God we serve is lavish in His mercy and rich in His kindness. What Rahab experienced is a glimpse of God’s mercy we see in Christ. Jesus is the full expression of the mercy and kindness of God. Jesus isn't concerned from a distance; He took on human flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus didn't just act mercifully when it was convenient. He laid down his life so that we could be forgiven.

Rahab modeled for us what Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Let us today be extenders of mercy to others because of the tender mercy of God in Christ we have received because of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.

Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is a miracle?
A miracle is something God does that usually cannot be done so that we can know He is all-powerful.

Key Passage:
You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
Psalm 77:14

The Bible Helps Us Live For God
2 Timothy 3

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul points out that Scripture is enough for us. It is our source for godliness and our final authority in matters pertaining to doctrine. The confessions of every Protestant denomination affirm the sufficiency of Scripture.

Why does this matter for kids? We need to teach our kids that even though the Bible may not mention everything in life, it mentions everything we need to know about God, His plan to save us, and how we can live a holy life to please Him. It is important in a world that has become increasingly hostile to the Bible that we teach our kids the value of reading it and applying it to our lives daily.

What is important for us to remember and for kids to know about the Bible? The Bible is how God speaks to us. The words of the Bible are not like any other document on earth. They are the way God chose to tell us what He is like.

The Bible is about God and for us. One common misunderstanding about the Bible is that the Bible is about us. As we are reminded each week in our Christ connection, the Bible is about Jesus, but it is for us. It is how we can understand, apply, and teach others what God is like.
The Bible is how we can know how to love God and live for God. God speaks to us through His Word, shows us what He is like, and tells us how life works best and how we can live for Him in the world He has made for us.

Take a moment to thank God for the Bible and ask God to show your kids the beauty of Christ in the pages of Scripture. Paul told Timothy that all of the Bible is important for us to grow and to know. This is just as true for kids. The question is not what parts of the Bible we should teach kids but how we should teach all of the Bible to kids.

Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is the Bible?
The Bible is God's Word that tells us what is true about God and others.

Key Passage:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

Playing the Comparison Game

Have you ever had one of those days when you just barely make it out the door?  House is a wreck, you haven’t had a shower today and the kids are already fighting.  Your parenting self-esteem has already taken a hit when you run into that family.  You know the one:  they look like they just stepped out of the pages of a magazine, kids are behaving perfectly and mom has brought homemade goodies for the kids to share.  How do they do it?  Why can’t we do that?  Why can’t our child excel like theirs?  Sometimes you feel like a parenting what-not-to-do.

It is completely normal to compare ourselves and our kids to others.   Unfortunately, we often can pick out our own faults and flaws and they seem to be amplified next to those “perfect people”.  The truth is that no parent and no child is perfect.  Even those seemingly perfect families have their own problems, too.  So what can we do when we catch ourselves falling into the comparison trap?

1.  Remember that milestone development is relative.  Of course, you want to make sure that your child’s development is on track, but obsessing over it is not helpful.  Don’t let others set the standard for where your child should be.  Talk with your child’s pediatrician.  If they are comfortable with how your child is growing, you should be too.  If you don’t trust your pediatrician, you need to find a new doctor.
2. Don’t turn parenting into a competition.  Being a parent is hard, even on a good day.  Why make it even harder by setting unrealistic expectations for yourself and especially for your child?  Every family has their own set of issues that they struggle with every day, some just hide it better than others!  You never know what someone else may be dealing with behind closed doors.
3. Realize that comparisons can steal your joy.  Why purposely invite any sort of conflict into your life?  We should be striving to be joyful and to find joy every day.  Comparisons can lead to envy and jealousy.  Proverbs 14:30 states “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”  Find parent friends who are supportive rather than competitive and be that friend to others.
4. Be able to admit and own weaknesses, and at the same time recognize and utilize strengths.  What is your child good at?  Celebrate that and let them know that you are proud of them.  Help them to find activities and projects that interest them and that they enjoy.  Your child is a unique individual who has things they are good at…do you know what they are or are you too focused on what they cannot do?   Apply this to yourself as a parent as well.  You may not be the best goodie-baker, but you tell the best stories.

Take a good look at your child.  Are they happy, healthy, safe, and loved?  Congratulations, you are a good parent.  Ultimately, these are the things that are important.  Enjoy your children for who God created them to be and appreciate the job you have been blessed with as their parent.

Here is the link to the parenting topic: https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/90162336/2b9dba9f43

Cheering for you!

Melissa Davis & Holly Richards
Southport Pres Kid's Ministry

God Stopped the Jordan River
Joshua 3–4

The children of Israel often gave in to worry and bitterness. Their attitude revealed deeper heart issues: their belief that God had failed to take care of them and would fail in the future. It was in the 40 years of wandering in the desert that God showed them over and over that He was worthy of their trust. Yet they still did not trust Him.

When God provided supernatural food for them to eat, they craved the food of Egypt. (Num. 11:4-6) When they first encountered the inhabitants of Canaan, they were filled with fear because they didn't trust that God would be with them. (Num. 13:33) God went out of His way to deliver His people, protect them, and provide for them. He showed He is all-powerful and trustworthy.

Read Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 6:20-24. Moses implored the Israelites to remember what God had done and testify to their children of His faithfulness. God had brought them out of Egypt to keep His covenant with Abraham. He gave them instructions for their good.

Meditate on Moses’ proclamation: “We were slaves in Egypt, but God, by his grace, set us free.” This truth is particularly helpful for us when we face difficulties and periods of anxiety. We can have peace in the present by looking backward in gratitude and forward with hope. When we look back at our lives and the millions of ways God has provided and protected us, our hearts should be filled with gratitude. Based on God's character as revealed in Scripture and in our lives, we can look forward with hope, knowing that God, who has preserved us, will continue to do so until He comes to bring us home.

Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is the Bible?
The Bible is God's Word that tells us what is true about God and ourselves.

Key Passage:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

God's Miracles Prove Who He Is
Mark 16

This week on Palm Sunday, our kids learned about the Easter story.

The Bible is a supernatural book filled with accounts of supernatural events. Dozens of miracles are recorded in the Bible. Each miracle points to a greater reality and reveals to us what God is like.

In the story of Israel’s crossing the Jordan, we see how God hears our cries and provides for us in miraculous ways. Throughout Israel’s history, we see miracles that reveal the kind of God we serve: a God who is close; a God who sees, hears, and acts.

In his book Miracles, C.S. Lewis said, "The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares the way for this, or results from this."

All of Scripture reveals the kind of God who comes close, who miraculously took on flesh and lived a perfect life among us. God the Son died in our place and rose from the dead. In His death, He conquered both sin and death. He came back to life and ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He lives to make intercession for us. (Heb. 7:25) We should be moved when we consider that not only do we have a God who hears us, but who sees us, lived among us, and lives to make intercession for us.

Through the miracle of Christ’s finished work, we can be forgiven and reconciled to God. We who were far off and without hope in this life have hope because of the miraculous birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Enjoy Easter Sunday with your family!
We will not meet for Sunday School at 9:45 on Easter morning. 

God Encouraged Joshua
Joshua 1

We often think that fear is the absence of courage, and to some degree, it is. However, true courage is not someone who is free of fear. Courage comes to us most often, and especially when we are young, from the presence of another. In C. S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lucy, the young heroine of Lewis' stories, was on a boat that went into the dark night of a cave where their worst fears were realized.

Going into the cave, they all were afraid. Inside the cave, their fears were realized. They were in the middle of the night and without hope, and Lucy (whose name means “light”) asked Aslan to send help.

Aslan (the Christ figure in Lewis' work) answered by sending his light into their darkness and his word to her heart. He said, "Courage, dear heart."

The gospel tells us that our greatest enemy, sin, and our greatest fear, death, has no hold on us—not because of courage that rises up from within us, but from the courage that came from outside of us. Jesus came from outside of us and said to us through his life, death, and resurrection, "Courage, dear heart."

The promise of peace, true rest that Moses and now Joshua sought, was not conditional on what they saw in front of them. It was based on the character of God. The promise God gave to Joshua was the promise of His presence in the middle of the dark night. This promise is true for us and is experienced in the person and work of Christ.

Take a moment to allow the Person of God's Spirit to whisper to your heart what God's Word proclaims to be true, no matter how difficult your week or dark your night. You are loved, you are cared for, you are not alone. Christ is with you. Christ has gone before you; Christ is interceding for you.

Remember the words God gave Joshua: “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). What a promise. What a Savior.

Next week, we will jump to Mark 16 for our "big truth session" learning God's Miracles Prove Who He Is. This will be our Easter lesson. We will not meet on Easter Morning, enjoy worship with your families!

Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is the Bible?
The Bible is God's Word that tells us what is true about God and ourselves.

Key Passage:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

Body Image: 3 Ways To Set A Solid Foundation

Even as adults, waking up and looking in the mirror can be a struggle. Sometimes we can be our own worst critics when it comes to body image and how we feel about how we look. If that’s a challenge for us as adults, imagine what must be going through your older child’s mind.  As children receive messages about body image from endless sources, we want to ensure they receive a positive, solid message from the most influential one of them all…their parents! In our quick and encouraging video, we give you three ways you can set a solid foundation for body image.

Here are three simple and easy tips you can do today!

We are thankful for the privilege to partner with you. If you have any questions or thoughts, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Melissa Davis & Holly Richards
Southport Pres. Kid's Ministry

No One Is Like Our God
1 Peter 1

Peter began his first epistle by reminding believers that we are not of this world; our true citizenship is found in God’s kingdom. As such, we live in the present world as exiles and ambassadors—representatives of our true King.

With this reminder established, Peter explained how Christ’s ambassadors are to live, which can be summed up in God’s words recorded at the end of 1 Peter 1:16, “Be holy, because I am holy.” Peter draws this imperative from Leviticus 12:44-45, where God had told the Israelites this twice in rapid succession.

To be holy is to be set apart, to be different in a good way. As such, holiness is at the core of the Old Testament law. The reason behind many of God’s commands that may make us scratch our heads is holiness. These commands were to teach Israel what it means to be holy and to model holiness to the watching world. All of this points us to the even greater idea of God’s holiness. God’s people—His image bearers–are to imitate God.

So far so good, right? But this is where the wheels fall off of the cart. When we turn our attention to God’s holiness, we quickly come to the point of recognizing that this is an impossible standard. God is perfectly holy. There is absolutely no sin in Him. He is perfectly loving, kind, and good without an ounce of hate or evil. How are we supposed to be this holy? Why would God command us to do something we cannot do?

The answer to that last question is that God gave this command exactly because we cannot do it. We cannot be holy enough—not even close. Not on our own, that is. But the beauty of the gospel shows us another way. We can indeed be holy as God is holy because Christ is holy. And when we trust in Christ, our sin is removed and in its place we are credited with Christ’s perfect righteousness. (2 Cor. 5:21) We obey this command of God by trusting in Christ!

But it doesn’t end there. We are holy in our identity in Christ, but each day we are to strive to live out our new, true holy identity. Every day, our goal is to live as who we now are, rather than who we were. Even this though, is done not in our power, but in Christ’s power. No one is like God in His fullness, but in Christ, we as His children are called and empowered to be like Him in many ways.

Our Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is God like?
God is holy, good and loving.

Our Key Bible Passage:
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
Exodus 15:11 (ESV)

God Healed the People
Numbers 21

If there was one thing the Israelites were good at, it was grumbling. They weren’t just good; they were experts: “We have no food. We have no water. Why are we in the wilderness left to die? The land has big people in it.” And on and on and on. We have to wonder how Moses put up with it all.

In Numbers 21, we encounter another time when the people grumbled—once again about food and water. Each time they doubted God’s goodness and truthfulness, God had shown them mercy and grace. But on this day, He sent serpents into the Israelites’ camp to strike them for their unfaithfulness. Many people died.

We might not like to think of it, but this is what the Israelites deserved all along. Their sin earned them judgment and death. God was perfectly just and righteous to give His people what they deserved.

Yet, as we have seen so often in the Old Testament and will continue to see throughout the rest of Scripture, God extends grace and mercy along with judgment. When the people pleaded for Moses to intercede on their behalf, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it on a pole. Whoever looked upon it would be healed.

Notice two things. First, God’s response was not to remove judgment but to provide salvation through judgment. This is another theme we have seen throughout the Scriptures (e.g. Noah, the plagues).

Second, God’s instructions made little to no sense. Imagine you are an Israelite and were just bitten by a serpent. Although other serpents are all around still, you are to take your eyes off of that threat and turn them upward to look at a bronze serpent on a pole—an image of the very thing that has brought death to your door?

This detail in the story is a foreshadowing of what God has called us to do in Christ. While our faith is far from blind, it always has an aspect of not making sense, at least to the world around us. But this is how we are saved too: by taking our eyes off of the sin in and around us, and looking upon Christ lifted up on the cross—He who became sin (2 Cor. 5:21). We too are saved through judgment, for our judgment has been placed on Christ.

Our Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is God like?
God is holy, good and loving.

Our Key Bible Passage:
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
Exodus 15:11 (ESV) 

Moses Disobeyed God
Numbers 20

Many of us categorize sins, whether we intend to or not. There are the major sins—the really bad ones like murder that are clearly wrong. Thankfully, few of us are prone to commit these sins, so we are pretty safe from them.

Then there are the significant sins, like getting angry or lying. We know these are harmful, but we don’t see them on the same level as the major ones. These are the sins that trip us up. If it weren’t for these sins, we would be such good people.
 
Then there are the little sins, like jaywalking or taking some paper clips from work. We know these are wrong, but they are so innocent and do so little harm that we tend to excuse them. In fact, we often live as if these sins are not really sins—they don’t feel wrong to us.
 
Sound familiar? There’s a big problem with this though. While sins might have different consequences, the Bible teaches that all sins are serious because they are rebellion against a holy God. If all we ever did was jaywalk, God would be just to pour out His wrath on us.

If we approach Numbers 20 with a flawed categorization of sin, we will likely walk away from this passage confused. What did Moses do that was so wrong? All he did was hit a rock instead of speaking what God said, right? And for that, God would not allow Moses to enter the promised land. After all that Moses had been through, this was how his story would end?

But we must remember that all sin is rebellion against God and is therefore serious. Moses’ rebellion here is quite serious. Notice what Moses, with Aaron standing next to him, said just before striking the rock: “Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” Who was Moses crediting for the miracle that would transpire? Surely not God.

That water flowed from the rock even in Moses’ disobedience shows once more that God is a God of mercy and grace. But there is another way we see God’s mercy and grace in this account, only we need to turn to the Gospels to see it. God graciously allowed Moses to enter the land long after this generation had died off. At the Transfiguration (Matt. 17), Moses stood in the land—along with Elijah—and Jesus, the One who had come to provide living water to God’s people.

Our Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is God like?
God is holy, good and loving.

Our Key Bible Passage:
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
Exodus 15:11 (ESV) 

The People Didn't Go into the Land
Numbers 13-14

If you’ve ever bought a house, you likely know that even the “most perfect” house really isn’t perfect. There seems to always be some compromise that must be made: location, yard size, location of a bathroom, school district, price, and so forth. The choice is then ours to make: do we live with the compromises we need to make, or do we pass on the house—no matter how perfect it is in other ways—and keep looking?

When the Israelites reached the border of the land of Abraham and their ancestors, they sent in twelve men to scout the territory. The report was glowing: The land was amazing—plenty of room and abundant crops. It was perfect in almost every way. There was a concern, and it was a big one: the people living there were scary-big.

Think back to that house you had fallen in love with. You were already imagining what it would be like to live in it. You were deciding where your furniture would go. It seemed too good to be true. But then, you discovered that imperfection, and your hopes and dreams came crashing down. Now magnify that many times over, and you can begin to relate with what the Israelites must have felt like in that moment. Now where would they go? What would they do?

The tragedy of this account is not found in what the people felt in that moment; rather, it is found in their failure to recognize that the land was indeed perfect in every way. There was no drawback or compromise. The people living there were inconsequential.

Why? Because this was the land of promise—of God’s promise. The same God who had promised this land to them and to their ancestors before them was the same God who had revealed His infinite power in rescuing them from the Egyptians. He was the same God who was with them at that moment. Did they believe the people were too big, or did they believe God was too small?

Joshua, Caleb, and Moses would try to plead with the people to trust in God, but the people refused. Instead of entering the land in faith, they turned from the land in fear. Not one of the adults of that generation, except Joshua and Caleb, would step foot into that land. Instead, they were forced to wander in the wilderness of judgment because of their rebellion against God. That is the tragedy of this account.

Our Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is God like?
God is holy, good and loving.

Our Key Bible Passage:
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
Exodus 15:11 (ESV)

Hello, Hello Moms, Dads, and Amazing Adults in the Lives of Kids!

We are back with another great online parenting topic, to inspire and inform you! It is a quick couple minutes of your month to give you the tools you need to continue to do what God has blessed you to be able to do, raise Godly kids!

This month is another great video, that I am sure you will love. It is about “Parenting from a United Front”.

We all have those moments when we feel like Satan is trying to “divide and conquer” us as parents. An issue arises, and we find ourselves feeling at odds with each other as parents. Suddenly, our unity is being challenged by an issue, big or small, and we are not sure what to do!

There are FOUR great things the video suggests as solid advice. I especially love the idea of making it an opportunity to get a babysitter and have some dinner privately to talk intentionally.
I also completely agree with the idea of making sure to support each other publicly while waiting until later to talk privately. It’s such a common-sense suggestion, but one we often struggle within the moment.

The final suggestion is one that I have never thought about in the way they suggested. Once again, being intentional in parenting by making a yearly plan that matches up with each child’s age/stage of life. This is one that I would love to help you with as part of our ministry to you as parents. We have some great resources about each stage of your children’s lives, that we would love to share with you if you are interested.

I hope you enjoyed these suggestions. Please keep me informed on how I can continue to support you and pray for you throughout this month!

Here's a quick video to help you parent from a united front:

 https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/257631271/199de01d1f 

God Deserves Our Worship
Leviticus 1-4

Think back to Eden. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, their eyes were opened and they realized their nakedness. What was once no problem in their innocence had become shameful in their sinfulness. So the couple took leaves to try to cover their bodies and their shame. But what did God do just before expelling the couple from Eden to face a fallen world on their own? He made clothing for them out of animal skins. (See Gen. 3:21)

Why? God may have had a practical reason; leaves would not last very long as clothing. But there is likely a deeper, spiritual reason for what He did. In order to clothe Adam and Eve with animal skins, animals would have to die. God had told Adam and Eve that death would result from the Fall, and this was a way to affirm God’s word. As Adam and Eve exited the garden, then, they wore on their bodies an ever-present reminder that sin leads to death—perhaps not immediately, perhaps indirectly, but always.

Fast forward to Leviticus. By this time, we have seen animal sacrifices offered to God (e.g. by Abel, Noah, Abram, and the Israelites during the Passover). But now, God was taking the next step and sharing His requirements of how sacrifices were to be made. Leviticus gives great detail of what specific sacrifices were to be offered for what purposes. Some of the sacrifices were voluntary, but some were not. Blood must be shed because of sin, as God had promised would happen.

But, we have to be careful not to go too far with these animal sacrifices. These sacrifices themselves could not save anyone. (See Heb. 10:4.) So what did they do? Why were they needed then? When God commanded His people to perform these sacrifices, He was calling them to act upon their faith in Him. This faith was anchored to the awareness that their sins had separated them from a holy God and that God’s word is true: death was required because of sin.

God had promised that a Person—a descendant of Eve—would be the snake crusher. This is the faith that Israel’s sacrifices pointed to: a future once-and-for-all death of a Savior, a sacrifice that was made by Christ Jesus.

Our Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is worship?
Worship is celebrating the greatness of God.

Our Key Bible Passage:
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
Psalm 95:6-7 (ESV)

The People Built the Tabernacle
Exodus 35-40

One of the key themes of the Bible is God’s desire to live with the people He created. We see this first in God's creating the garden of Eden, placing Adam and Eve into this paradise, and then presumably coming down regularly to be with them.

But when Adam and Eve rebelled against Creator God, one consequence of their sin was expulsion from the garden. No longer would God live with them as He had before.

Generations later, God instructed His people to do something curious: build a tent. Why? This tent, the tabernacle, would not be a place for treasures or food; no animals or people would live in it. This would be God’s tent, where He would dwell among His people, pointing back to Eden.

Whenever the Israelites traveled, they broke down this tent and carried it with them. Then, when they arrived at their destination, they set up the tent once more—strategically and meaningfully placed in the center of the camp. God was not just with His people, He was at the center of His people. That was the place He deserved.

Note one feature of the tabernacle that would later give way to the permanent temple built in Jerusalem: the veil, or curtain. The innermost chamber of the tabernacle was called the holy of holies, or most holy place. This is where God’s presence would be manifested above the ark of the covenant and mercy seat. This sacred area was separated from the next outer chamber—the holy place—by a heavy curtain.

We later learn in Leviticus that only the high priest could enter into the holy of holies once a year—on the Day of Atonement. This curtain, then, was a picture of the ongoing separation between humanity and God because of sin. God wanted to dwell with people, but sin was preventing that from happening in full.

When Jesus came and paid the sin penalty for people, that curtain tore from top to bottom, symbolizing that entry into the holy of holies had been made through Jesus. But sin continues to corrupt the world, which is why one day Jesus will return, put an end to sin and death, and renew creation.

This is how the story of Scripture ends in Revelation—with Christ establishing His kingdom in a new heavens and earth and dwelling with His people forever. What God intended from the beginning will mark the beginning of eternity.

Our Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is worship?
Worship is celebrating the greatness of God.

Our Key Bible Passage:
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
Psalm 95:6-7 (ESV)

The People Worshiped a Golden Calf
Exodus 32-34

After all God had done for the Israelites, the story of the Israelites’ worshiping a golden calf may seem surprising. How could God’s people turn so quickly from God, who delivered them from slavery and provided for them, even after they explicitly agreed to do everything He had commanded? (See Ex. 24:3.) When we think about the reasons why Israel fell into idolatry, we recognize that we are vulnerable to the same follies.

First, we fail to obey God’s Word. The Israelites disobeyed the second of the Ten Commandments: “Do not make an idol for yourself.” This might sound like an easy commandment to keep; you aren’t crafting little statues to worship, right? Idolatry is dangerous because it’s rooted in the heart. Our idols don’t always look like golden calves. Idols are anything or anyone our sinful hearts look to, seeking what only God provides—such as true joy, meaning, or hope.

Second, we distrust God’s purposes. The Israelites stopped trusting in God, who showed Himself to be powerful and good. They wanted their false god to save them. They thought God’s plan wasn’t working, so they made a plan of their own. Are you ever tempted to do the same? When we forget who God is and think too highly of ourselves or others, we put a person in the place of God.

Third, we forget God’s grace. Aaron gave credit to the man-made idol for bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. We might convince ourselves that our success comes from the work of our own hands or the favor of other people. When we forget that every good gift comes from God, we fall into idolatry.

Finally, we fail to use our gifts to the glory of God. Don’t miss that the Israelites used the plunder from Egypt—God’s provision to them—to make the calf.  We too can often use the gifts God has given us for our own satisfaction and to draw attention to ourselves, rather than to the One who gave them to us.

God was angry with the Israelites. He is a jealous God who will not give His glory to another. (See Isa. 42:8.) Yet we see how Moses stepped in between God and the people to intercede on their behalf. As those who have Jesus Christ as our Mediator, we trust in His power to overcome our idolatries and empower us for His mission.

Our Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is worship?
Worship is celebrating the greatness of God.

Our Key Bible Passage:
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
Psalm 95:6-7 (ESV)

God Gave the Ten Commandments
Exodus 19-20

As the rescued people of Israel traveled toward the promised land, God met with Moses at Mount Sinai and made a covenant with the Israelites. We refer to this covenant as the Mosaic covenant. God promised five things in this covenant: 1) Israel will be God’s own possession; 2) Israel will be God’s kingdom of priests; 3) Israel will be a holy nation; 4) God will defend Israel from her enemies; and 5) God will be gracious, merciful, and forgiving to Israel.

Unlike His covenant with Abraham, God’s covenant with Israel was conditional: “Carefully follow every command I am giving you” (Deut. 8:1). “Be careful that you don’t forget the LORD your God by failing to keep his commands” (Deut. 8:11). “If you ever forget the LORD your God … you will certainly perish.” (Deut. 8:19). Isn’t it interesting how remembering God and obeying Him are so closely linked? You spend the most time thinking about that which you most care about. What occupies the most space in your mind? If we aren’t thinking about God, we aren’t loving Him. And if we aren’t loving Him, we aren’t obeying Him.

We can group the Ten Commandments into two categories: The first four deal with a person’s relationship with God (love God), and the last six deal with a person’s relationship with others (love others). These laws encompassed every part of the Israelites’ lives and showed what righteous living looks like.

Some people think of the Ten Commandments as a burden, but God’s rules are good and are meant to help us. The Bible is clear that we are all sinful and fall short of God’s standard for holiness. Why should we seek to obey God? Consider Jesus’ words: “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15).

Read the Ten Commandments with Jesus in mind. Our obedience cannot earn us God’s favor, and our disobedience does not separate us from Him. God is pleased with us because He looks at Jesus, who never sinned.

Because of Christ, we have a right relationship with God. He gives us power through the Holy Spirit to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37,39).

Our Big Picture Question and Answer:
What is worship?
Worship is celebrating the greatness of God.

Our Key Bible Passage:
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
Psalm 95:6-7 (ESV)