Worship defined

I woke up this morning being convicted that I had had idols in my life, Food, anger, pride, lust. These, and others, are idols, and I have bowed my knee to them. While I am doing these things, I am not worshiping, adoring God. I am adoring these thing in my heart. I am trading God for pancakes. What holds my heart, and how often does it hold it. Thousands per day. Matthew 5:28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Jesus is the standard, not me. So If I break His standard, I have sinned. His standard is "and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Cor 10:5. This life is choking out the word of God in my heart so I don't hear or obey. Parable of the seed sower, Matthew 13. At a Promise Keepers event they quoted a stat that over 80% of men are hooked to porn, and now over 60 % of women are, that stat, has never been that high. That's worship, that much time and energy says that's an idol in our lives. How many sinful thoughts occupy our minds daily, all idols begging for our attention, when Christ is the only one worthy of that attention. Here are just a few of definitions of worship: Worship: It’s meaning and purpose, and what we do with it There are many words in the Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic words, the original words for both old and new testament, and I am looking at each one to see it’s meaning, and what we are to do with it; since we are to worship the one true God, and none other. Latreuo to serve for hire to serve, minister to, either to the gods or men and used alike of slaves and freemen in the NT, to render religious service or homage, to worship to perform sacred services, to offer gifts, to worship God in the observance of the rites instituted for his worship of priests, to officiate, to discharge the sacred office Ethelothreskeia voluntary, arbitrary worship worship which one prescribes and devises for himself, contrary to the contents and nature of faith which ought to be directed to Christ said of the misdirected zeal and the practice of ascetics Col 2: 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religionand self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. Eidololatreia the worship of false gods, idolatry of the formal sacrificial feats held in honour of false gods of avarice, as a worship of Mammon in the plural, the vices springing from idolatry and peculiar to it Col: 3: 5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. Koinonos a partner, associate, comrade, companion a partner, sharer, in anything of the altar in Jerusalem on which the sacrifices are offered sharing in the worship of the Jews partakers of (or with) demons brought into fellowship with them, because they are the authors of heathen worship 1 Cor 10:20 No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God ; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. Aven Aven = "vanity" a name used contemptuously for the following places of idolatrous worship a city in Egypt, possibly On (Eze. 30: Bethel with its calf worship (Hos. 10: A town or region in Syria (Amos 1: Na'aph to commit adultery (Qal) to commit adultery 1a usually of man 1a always with wife of another 1a adultery (of women) (participle) idolatrous worship (fig.) (Piel) to commit adultery 1b of man 1b adultery (of women) (participle) idolatrous worship (fig.) Proverbs 30:20 20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth , and wipeth her mouth, and saith , I have done no wickedness. Threskeia religious worship esp. external, that which consists of ceremonies religious discipline, religion James 1:26-27 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his ownheart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. Ioudaismos the Jewish faith and worship, religion of the Jews, Judaism Sebazomai to fear, be afraid to honour religiously, to worship Romans 1:25 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator , who is blessed for ever. Amen. Sebomai to revere, to worship Matt 15:9 In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men Sebazomai to fear, be afraid to honour religiously, to worship Romans 1: 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Own On = "strength or vigour" city in lower Egypt, bordering land of Goshen, centre of sun-worship, residence of Potipherah (priest of On and father-in-law of Joseph) A name Hadarah adornment, glory holy adornment (of public worship) glory (of the king) 1 Chron 16: 29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Chamman incense altar, sun-pillar, idol, image used in idolatrous worship Cagad (Qal) to prostrate oneself (in worship) Isaiah 44: 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith , Deliver me; for thou art my god. P@lach (Aramaic) to serve, worship, revere, minister for, pay reverence to (P'al) to pay reverence to to serve Daniel 3: 12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up . Polchan (Aramaic) service, worship Ramah height, high place as place of illicit worship Ezekiel 16: 24 That thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street. 25 Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred , and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by , and multiplied thy whoredoms. Ni'uph adultery idolatrous worship (fig.) Ethnikos adapted to the genius or customs of a people, peculiar to a people, national suited to the manners or language of foreigners, strange, foreign in the NT savouring of the nature of pagans, alien to the worship of the true God, heathenish of the pagan, the Gentile Epistrepho transitively to turn to to the worship of the true God to cause to return, to bring back to the love and obedience of God to the love for the children to love wisdom and righteousness intransitively to turn to one's self to turn one's self about, turn back to return, turn back, come back Galatians 4: 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to theweak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage ? Latreia service rendered for hire any service or ministration: the service of God the service and worshipof God according to the requirements of the Levitical law to perform sacred services Hebrews 9: 6 Now when these things were thus ordained , the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. Parapipto to fall beside a person or thing to slip aside to deviate from the right path, turn aside, wander to error to fall away (from the true faith): from worship of Jehovah Used one time: Hebrews 6: 6 If they shall fall away , to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh , and put him to an open shame . Porneia illicit sexual intercourse adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc. sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18 sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11, metaph. the worship of idols of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols Matthew 5: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery : and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery . Towdah confession, praise, thanksgiving give praise to God thanksgiving in songs of liturgical worship, hymn of praise thanksgiving choir or procession or line or company thank-offering, sacrifice of thanksgiving confession Jonah 2: 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed .Salvation is of the LORD. T@raphiym idolatry, idols, image(s), teraphim, family idol a kind of idol used in household shrine or worship atsab to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest (Qal) to hurt, pain (Niphal) to be in pain, be pained, be grieved (Piel) to vex, torture (Hiphil) to cause pain (Hithpael) to feel grieved, be vexed to shape, fashion, make, form, stretch into shape, (TWOT) worship (Piel) to shape, form (Hiphil) to form, copy, fashion Nehemiah 8: 10 Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared ; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy ; do not be grieved." Epistrepho transitively to turn to to the worship of the true God to cause to return, to bring back to the love and obedience of God to the love for the children to love wisdom and righteousness intransitively to turn to one's self to turn one's self about, turn back to return, turn back, come back 1 Peter 2: 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. Shachah to bow down (Qal) to bow down (Hiphil) to depress (fig) (Hithpael) to bow down, prostrate oneself 1c before superior in homage 1c before God in worship 1c before false gods 1c before angel Genesis 24: 26 And the man bowed down his head , and worshipped the LORD. Ekklesia a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating the assembly of the Israelites any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance, tumultuously in a Christian sense an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order's sake those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven Matthew 16: 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. James 5: 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: Darash to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require (Qal) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place) to consult, enquire of, seek 1a of God 1a of heathen gods, necromancers to seek deity in prayer and worship 1a God 1a heathen deities to seek (with a demand), demand, require to investigate, enquire to ask for, require, demand to practice, study, follow, seek with application to seek with care, care for (Niphal) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God) to be sought, be sought out to be required (of blood) 1 Sam 28: 7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. Shachah to bow down (Qal) to bow down (Hiphil) to depress (fig) (Hithpael) to bow down, prostrate oneself 1c before superior in homage 1c before God in worship 1c before false gods 1c before angel Pipto to descend from a higher place to a lower to fall (either from or upon) to be thrust down metaph. to fall under judgment, came under condemnation to descend from an erect to a prostrate position to fall down to be prostrated, fall prostrate of those overcome by terror or astonishment or grief or under the attack of an evil spirit or of falling dead suddenly the dismemberment of a corpse by decay to prostrate one's self used of suppliants and persons rendering homage orworship to one to fall out, fall from i.e. shall perish or be lost to fall down, fall into ruin: of buildings, walls etc. to be cast down from a state of prosperity to fall from a state of uprightness to perish, i.e come to an end, disappear, cease 2b of virtues to lose authority, no longer have force 2b of sayings, precepts, etc. to be removed from power by death to fail of participating in, miss a share in James 5: 12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. Hebrews 3: 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. John 11: 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was , and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died . John 12: 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die , it abideth alone: but if it die , it bringeth forth much fruit. Eidolon an image, likeness i.e. whatever represents the form of an object, either real or imaginary used of the shades of the departed, apparitions, spectres, phantoms of the mind, etc. the image of an heathen god a false god Used only 4 times in the bible, but what I thin of most often when I think of worshiping, or having an idol of something! Eidololatreia the worship of false gods, idolatry of the formal sacrificial feats held in honour of false gods of avarice, as a worship of Mammon in the plural, the vices springing from idolatry and peculiar to it Col 3: 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinateaffection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Sebazomai to fear, be afraid to honour religiously, to worship used once: Romans 1: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator , who is blessed for ever. Amen. Sebasma whatever is religiously honoured, an object of worship of temples, altars, statues, idolatrous images Sebomai to revere, to worship SO what will I do with this new knowledge that I have been an idol worshiper? I will serve the one true God, and not any idols, in Jesus name.

Seeing is NOT believing!

We seem to be teaching people to lower the bar. The bar, the standard is Jesus Psalm 18:28 For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. 29 For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall. 30 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. As for God, His way is perfect, so, is ours? Is it supposed to be? Are we supposed to be in Christ, or in ourselves? If we are in Christ, then our ways become His ways, His desires become ours, His love becomes our love, and isn't that perfect after all? But we will mess up? Are you sure, is that what you're banking on, you? What if we focused on Him instead of us, or our circumstance, our situation? Then we could walk on the water, for good. The only reason Peter stopped was because he started doubting God's word and started believing in his understanding instead. Yeah, we'll sink too if we do that, but what if we don't doubt. I mean, do we have to doubt, does it say that somewhere? Are we commanded to doubt, because I wouldn't want to disobey God, and trust or something, when I was supposed to be doubting this whole time. Peter believed and walked on the water, last time I checked, that's impossible. then he doubted, and he sank. So, why doubt? Why believe you have to doubt? Why not just have the faith of a child, and believe? It's only when we're taught otherwise do we start to doubt. Think about it; When you were a child, you believed a red fat man could come down your chimney and deliver your presents, and you didn't even have a chimney. Then what happened, you were finally taught that he wasn't real, so you stopped believing. You got old. When we become mature in Christ, we're still supposed to believe as a child. Believe, it's a lot better than doubting!

Christ at work in you, proofs of your faith, and of Christ through scriptures

December 1, 2013 Proofs of the Pudding “If you know that He is righteous, you know that every one that does righteousness is born of Him.” (1 John 2:29) The little book of 1 John provides a treasure trove of “proofs” that demonstrate the reality of the invisible spiritual change brought about by the new birth. There are two emphases: proofs based on personal experience and proofs based on intellectual awareness. Here is a short list of proofs we experience: Obedience to God’s commandments (1 John 2:2-5) 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. The Test of Knowing Him 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.Experience of God in our lives (1 John 2:13-14) Obvious “antichrists” in the world (1 John 2:18) 18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the[a] Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.Worldly ignorance of Christianity (1 John 3:1) 3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God![a] Therefore the world does not know us,[b] because it did not know Him. Sinners’ ignorance of righteousness (1 John 3:6) 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Our love for fellow Christians (1 John 3:16-18) 16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. The indwelling Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13) 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. Our love for godly behavior (1 John 5:2) 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. Here are proofs we have intellectual confidence in: The Holy Spirit’s anointing (1 John 2:20) 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. The holiness of Jesus Christ (1 John 2:29) 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. The Father’s love for us (1 John 3:1) 3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God![a] Therefore the world does not know us,[b] because it did not know Him. Our eternal bodies to be like Christ (1 John 3:2) 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Hating a brother is like murder (1 John 3:15) 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Scripture’s message of eternal life (1 John 5:13) 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,[a] and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Assurance that we belong to God (1 John 5:19) 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one Assurance that Christ has come (1 John 5:20) 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. These evidences are primarily for the believer—that is, they are intended to assure the believer’s heart and mind of his security in Christ. John’s list is not intended to be complete but only to focus our thoughts on the obvious. When you count your blessings, remember these. HMM III

Thanksgiving

The was a man named Joseph and another man named Squanto, or Tisquantum, and strangely enough they are connected. Joseph was a brother of 12, whose father highly favored him, but he was so despised by his brothers that they fake killed him, and sold him into slavery. Squanto was kidnapped from America and sold as a slave in England. Both had to lean new languages, both were separated from their families. Both were educated and excelled at their educations. Tisquantum longed to be returned to America, and finally through Christian Englishmen, who bought his freedom, helped send him back. When he arrived his entire tribe was decimated by a disease probably brought by other whites, or English. Joseph was delivered from his prison eventually to interpret a dream Pharaoh had. His dream was a warning that there was going to be 7 years of plenty and 7 years of drought. Joseph was given the task of saving all the people by storing up grain for 7 years. Tsquantum, because he now spoke perfect english, came to a white settlement and communicated to the settlers ways of having enough food for the coming winter, which if he had not, possibly all would have died. In thanks, the whites invited Tisquantum and his new tribe to a celebration that lasted days, playing games, and eating a feast. God saves, He delivers, He rescues. He uses all things for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes. This morning my wife and I prayed, and we thanked God for His faithfulness of bringing us through all the betrayal, sickness, and trials of these last 9 months. God has birthed a new ministry from it. He has delivered my wife from cancer, and He has faithfully sustained us miraculously without a pay check. We have much to be thankful for. Thank You Lord so much. What people meant for evil, You have used for good, throughout history, and in our history. You are a good God, and we are thankful. In Jesus name, God bless you all, this day, and everyday. May you receive His blessings, amen.

Pride

Pride has been and always will be a horrendous, bad sin that even got angels kicked out of heaven. Pride has now been redefined and used excessively in the church, "I am proud of my daughter" people now say with fluency. Pride is evil, it always has been, and it always will be. Here is the full definition from Webster's 1880's dictionary: PRIDE, n. 1. Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others. Martial pride looks down on industry. Pride goeth before destruction. Prov.16. Pride that dines on vanity, sups on contempt. All pride is abject and mean. Those that walk in pride he is able to abase. Dan.4. 2. Insolence; rude treatment of others; insolent exultation. That hardly we escap'd the pride of France. 3. Generous elation of heart; a noble self-esteem springing from a consciousness of worth. The honest pride of conscious virtue. 4. Elevation; loftiness. A falcon tow'ring in her pride of place. 5. Decoration; ornament; beauty displayed. Whose lofty trees, clad with summer's pride. Be his this sword Whose ivory sheath, inwrought with curious pride, Adds graceful terror to the wearer's side. 6. Splendid show; ostentation. Is this array, the war of either side Through Athens pass'd with military pride. 7. That of which men are proud; that which excites boasting. I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. Zech.9. Zeph.3. 8. Excitement of the sexual appetite in a female beast. 9. Proud persons. Ps.36. This is what pride used to mean. But now we have redefined it to be a good thing. Nowhere in scripture is there any good pride, there just isn't. If you think about having pride in filthy rags, nasty, blood ridden filthy rags, we might get a small picture of how silly it is for us to have pride in ourselves, in something we've done. Scripture is very clear that we are not to think highly of ourselves, because our worth outside of Christ is just that, filthy rags. So what is there to be proud of? Instead of pride in people, and none of us are worthy of that. How about love instead. Instead of us being proud of someone, how about we just love and bless them. We don't need pride, and besides, it's bad! Here are just 25 scriptures on pride, there are many more: I will break down your stubborn pride. Leviticus 26:19 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ Obadiah 1:3 His pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God. 2 Chronicles 26:16 In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Psalm 10:4 For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. Psalm 59:12 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Proverbs 13:10 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor. Proverbs 29:23 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Ecclesiastes 7:8 The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:11 I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. Isaiah 13:11 Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. Isaiah 13:19 The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth. Isaiah 23:9 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. Daniel 5:20 “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. 1 Corinthians 4:6 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Galatians 6:4 Your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 8:14 Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low. Job 40:11 Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Psalm 138:6 The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5 Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. Proverbs 16:19 Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:12 The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled). Isaiah 2:12 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4 Use a different word, but don't use pride when you're describing your affection and feelings for others. I love my daughters, but I never want them to feel my, or anyone else's pride, just their love. Love replaces faith and hope as the greatest thing, do that, and everything else will come into it's reightful place, even pride, which belongs with the other dung we've been freed from.

How to raise a pagan kid in a Christian home; reprinted!

I read this, and thought it so touched on many of the things the Lord has shown us as parents, I had to copy paste! How to Raise a Pagan Kid in a Christian Home *Authors note: This post has gotten quite a lot of traffic. Several people (mainly practicing pagans) have pointed out that I used the word "pagan" in a way that doesn't fit the official definition. For my purposes here, I used that word to broadly define someone who rejects a biblical world view, fails to place God at the highest place in their lives, and is depending on something other than the cross for salvation. In hindsight, I probably could have gone with a different word. If you are a practicing pagan, please accept my apologies. Every Imperfect and Normal Family wants their kids to turn out right. So, we establish goals for character development and try to create an environment where our kids can mature. Church, school, sports teams, family relationships... each of these provides a context where our kids can learn to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Unfortunately, our “good” objectives might have absolutely nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we inadvertently end up raising pagans instead of Christians. Too many times, (Christian) parents have it as their goal to make their kids good and moral. It is as if the entire purpose of their family’s spiritual life is to shape their children into law-abiding citizens who stay out of trouble. The only problem with this goal is that it runs in stark contrast to what the Bible teaches. The gospel is not about making bad people moral, but about making dead people alive. If we teach morality without the transforming power of the gospel and the necessity of a life fully surrendered to God's will, then we are raising moral pagans. We end up teaching the wrong thing because we have the wrong objectives. This sentiment was stirred in me afresh when I read an interview with Veggie Tales creator Phil Vischer. He was reflecting on how the “Christian message” he was trying to teach wasn’t Christianity at all... "I looked back at the previous 10 years and realized I had spent 10 years trying to convince kids to behave Christianly without actually teaching them Christianity. And that was a pretty serious conviction. You can say, "Hey kids, be more forgiving because the Bible says so," or "Hey kids, be more kind because the Bible says so!" But that isn't Christianity, it's morality. . . And that was such a huge shift for me from the American Christian ideal. We're drinking a cocktail that's a mix of the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, and the gospel. And we've intertwined them so completely that we can't tell them apart anymore. Our gospel has become a gospel of following your dreams and being good so God will make all your dreams come true. It's the Oprah god.” So what is your objective? Do you teach your kids "be good because the Bible tells you to" or do you teach your kids that they will never be good without Christ’s offer of grace? There is a huge difference. One leads to moralism; the other leads to brokenness. One leads to self-righteousness; the other leads to a life that realizes that Christ is everything and that nothing else matters. I want my kids to be good. We all do. But as our kids grow up, the truth of the gospel can easily get lost somewhere between salvation (where we know we need Jesus) and living life (where we tend to say “I’ve got this”). My experience is that the vast majority of parents are encouraging moral behavior in their kids so that God will bless their (usually self-centered) pursuits. It's the American Dream plus Jesus. And it produces good, moral pagans. Consider the key objectives you have for your kids. Seriously, take a minute to think about what would deem you a successful parent. If your goals are focused on your kids’ behavior, their happiness, or their accomplishments (but don’t include a dependence upon Christ and a submission to His will and work), then you might want to make some adjustments. Because the world has enough pagans. Even plenty of really nice ones. What we need is kids who fully grasp the reality that they have nothing to offer, but who intimately know a God who has everything they need. Phil Vischer finally got this. What about you? *Check back in early 2014 for information on our new book, The Talk(s): A Parent's Guide to Talking about Sex, Dating, and Other Unmentionables. You can click on the link to read a brief excerpt. The book has been developed to assist parents as they help their kids navigate our hyper-sexualized culture. *And we always appreciate it when you share INFO posts on social media. If you want more from INFO for Families, you can subscribe on our home page, like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, or even find us on Pinterest.

The Game of Trouble; The Game of Life

How many of us have played the kids game, Trouble? You push the thing, and the dice tumbles and then you move your plastic, thimble looking pieces around the board and the first one to get all your yellow, (My wives favorite) blue, (My favorite, and every other boy in our house's favorite, which means I usually don't get, lay down my flesh right!?) red, (Everyone else's favorite, and my 2nd favorite, which means I usually don't get this one either) and green (The color no one usually wants, which means it's the one I usually get!) pieces home wins. I felt the Lord guiding me last night as I was playing. I've felt Him do this many times before. This time I decided not to listen, and I got pummeled, lost my peace, and did not do well! If God can guide a game, can't He guide our lives too? Let me tell you this; if He doesn't guide you, you, I, we, WILL be in trouble, and I'm not talkin' about the game!