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“Biblical Parenting - The Call to Formative Instruction” by Ted Tripp

Have you ever been to a Christian Parenting conference? Ever wanted to go to one? Mars Hill Church shared a series of talks from their Biblical Parenting conference via online video so that all can benefit from it even if they couldn't attend. “Biblical Parenting - The Call to Formative Instruction” by Ted Tripp HT: The Resurgence

Parenting Resources

As Brittney and I prepare for Sophia's arrival in March, we desire to be ready to instruct and teach her to love Christ, love others, and to walk in wisdom.
Here are some resources which are on the top of my reading list as they've been suggested and reference by many pastors, teachers, and leaders that I trust and respect.
Proverbs 1:8 "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching."
Proverbs 31:26 "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."

Quote - Martin Luther

"...if ever a monk could get to heaven through monastic discipline, I was that monk....And yet my conscience would not give me certainty, but I always doubted and said, 'You didn't do that right. You weren't contrite enough. You left that out of your confession.' The more I tried to remedy an uncertain, weak, and troubled conscience with human traditions, the more I daily found it more uncertain, weaker, and more troubled." Martin Luther

God of Elizabethtown, KY

This is a cool video of our town/area...Elizabethtown, KY...with the song and lyrics from "God of this City" by Chris Tomlin. Thanks to all who made this...may it inspire us to more effectively reach and love the lost of our area with the Good News of Jesus Christ! HT: Micah Johnson & Valley Creek Baptist Church

Quote - Andrew Murray

"Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation." Andrew Murray

Marriage and Men

All men (single, divorced, or married) should watch THIS MESSAGE by Mark Driscoll titled "Marriage and Men." Set aside a full hour so you can watch it all at once. Over 200,000 people have watched it and I guarantee that if you do, it will radically convict you in your current or future marriage. HT: My brudda Stephen for pointing me to this message in its entirety

The Lord's Servant - 2 Timothy 2:22-26

Do you desire to be used by God for noble purposes? To be made holy? To be prepared for any good work? If so, then read what instruction the Lord has for you... 2 Timothy 2:22-26 "22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."

2 Timothy 3:1-5 - Our Day & Age

How unfortunately, yet accurately, this passage parallels our day and age. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."

Sacraments = Efficacious? Not according to Scripture.

Although this video (Mass: We Pray) is simply a parody for humor (and an advertisement, see note below), it does bring up the sad fact that some churches/traditions elevate rituals and works as means of grace. This video is funny...but the subject matter behind it is a very serious issue that we need to consider Biblically. NOTE: This game IS NOT REAL…it is simply an advertisement for a video game called Dante’s Inferno that is releasing in the Spring…Dante’s Inferno is not for young eyes or something I support. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1131) defines “sacraments” as “"efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions."’ The problem with the Catholic practice of "sacraments" lies in the reality that their focus is not on Christ's completed work on the cross, but in the human attempt to earn/accomplish "sanctifying grace." Grace is accomplished through faith in Christ alone....apart from observing the law...not by works. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.” Romans 3:28 “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” "Are the seven Catholic sacraments Biblical?" - by http://www.gotquestions.org/ Romans 10:8-10 "8But what does it say? 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." HT: Church Matters

Are You Rich? Test Yourself.

How much do you get paid a year? $20,000/yr...$30,000/yr...$40,000/yr...$60,000 a year...more? Do you consider yourself rich? http://www.globalrichlist.com/ shows you how rich you are relative to the rest of the world. For the vast majority of those reading this blog, WE ARE RICH. YOU ARE RICH. What specific instruction does God have for you? Read closely...think hard about some of the implications and self-evaluation this requires. 1 Timothy 6:7-10 "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
  • What do you hold on tight to?
  • How do you discern between what you "need" and "want"?
  • Do you want to get rich? Do you want temptation/traps/ruin/destruction?
  • Do you love money? Do you invest your emotions/energy/time/spirit into getting money?
  • Are you wandering from the faith?
  • Are you pierced with many griefs?

1 Timothy 6:17-19 "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. "

  • Are you arrogant?
  • Do you trust your wealth more than God?
  • Does your enjoyment/joy come from God or from this world?
  • Are you rich in good deeds towards others?
  • Are you generous, willing to share?
  • Are you laying up treasure in your bank account or in Heaven?

Quote - Blaise Pascal

"Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it." Blaise Pascal

Living in a Romans 1 World

What kind of world do we live in? What kind of America do we have today? While some relish and reflect on the past glories of our nation, the present reality is enormously disturbing. It seems to me that American society is seeking to outdo Sodom and Gomorrah through the degree of creativity to which sin is practiced, encouraged, upheld, advertised, and promoted. Instead of sin being labeled as sin, our society is labeling righteousness, holiness, and virtuousness as "intolerant," "close minded," and "ignorant." I just got done watching Chaz Bono (formerly known as Chastity Bono) being interviewed on Good Morning America. Throughout the interview, Chaz, extolled the "virtue" of her decision to try to make herself resemble a male and her journey into lesbianism and then transgender "therapy". Do we call transgenders by their desired "gender identity" or by their God-created gender? As I write this post I wonder, could I be charged with defamation or hate speech for referring to Chaz as a "her" and "she" instead of how she desires to be addressed (and was addressed on national TV) as a "his" and "he"? The entire interview was a clear representation of depraved and fallen our world is. Anyone read Romans 1 lately? Some excerpts... Romans 1:21-22 "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools "
  • "I feel gender is more between the ears than between the legs." - Chaz Bono
Romans 1: 24-25 "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. '
  • "I felt more male than female." - Chaz Bono
Romans 1:32 "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.'
  • "If you're happy, we're happy for you." - GMA anchor Chris Cuomo to Chaz Bono regarding her 'transgender identity'
Romans 1:18 "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness" Want to see the continued economic, military, social, and moral decline of our nation? All you got to do is keep standing by, enabling, allowing, and supporting our nation's sprint ahead of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. I hope and pray that Chaz Bono stops worshipping her own "feelings" and "identity" and decides to worship the Creator of the heavens and the earth. I hope and pray that Chris Cuomo, and every other passive sympathizer or active supporter of sin, realizes and repents from their sin of encouraging wickedness. I hope and pray for myself and other Christians, that we do not become desensitized to the fallen state of our world and subconsciously exchange the truth of God for the lies of Satan. As a West Point graduate and a combat veteran I have no doubt that we live in a nation of freedom. What are some of the freedoms we value most?
  • freedom to sin extravagantly and creatively
  • freedom to worship the creation instead of the Creator
  • freedom to exchange the truth of God for a lie
  • freedom to be fools while claiming to be wise
  • freedom to degrade our bodies
  • freedom to approve and encourage wickedness
  • freedom to earn the wrath of God

May our nation and all of its people repent of their sin and turn to Christ.

Quote - Wolfgang Goethe

"Men show their character in nothing more clearly than by what they think laughable." Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Nor Sharing Your Faith = Hatred of the Lost?

Avowed atheist Penn Jillete, best known for his illusionist work with Teller, expresses in this video how he understands and respects those who choose to share their faith. Listen closely to what he thinks of those who posses exclusive truth claims yet don't share it with others.



I hope and pray that Penn Jillete comes to repent of his sin and trust in Christ as his Lord and Savior before he dies. He has heard the Good News but has rejected it. What about the billions who haven't heard the name of Christ?

Romans 10:14-15 "14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

HT: JT

Texting Acronyms - Do You Know What You're Saying???

In the last two years of diving into the world of texting and Facebook, I've been shocked and surprised at the acronyms some teenagers use...some thoughts:
  1. Do the teenagers really know what the acronyms they use mean? (wtf, fml, etc...)
  2. Do the parents know what their kids are saying?
  3. Is it intentional or unintentional? How can I get them to be intentional in speech?
  4. How can I inspire them to be more careful with the language they use?
  5. Foul acronyms are just as awful as foul language.
  6. If you wouldn't say it out loud to your parents, grandparents, teachers, or pastor...you shouldn't be texting/IMing/FBing it as an acronym.
  7. The fingers on a keyboard or cell phone are just as dangerous as the tongue.

James 1:26-27 "26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Proverbs 12:18 "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. "

Previous posts with texting/technology connections:

Prayer - A Scriptural Study

This is a cool, FREE, online resource about prayer from a Scriptural perspective. It has six awesome, brief study sessions:
  1. Praying for People Facing Hard Times - Part 1, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
  2. Praying for People Facing Hard Times - Part 2, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
  3. Praying for Leaders in High Places, Nehemiah 1:4-11
  4. Praying that We Will Do More for God, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
  5. Praying for God to be Famous, 1 Kings 18:36-39
  6. How to Pray for Your Children, Matthew 20:20-28

It is convicting to me how weak my prayers are compared to the intensity, passion, godliness, specificity, breadth, and depth that saturate the prayers we find within the Scripture. How many opportunities to be used have I missed as a result of a lack of God-centered prayer? I hope and pray to draw closer to God every day in order that He may use my supplication and life in a way that glorifies Him in the way He deserves.

Ephesians 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints"

Quote - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Quotes - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Hebrews 11 - Matt Chandler

This is an excellent sermon (HERE) by Matt Chandler of the Village Church, given November 12th at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Chapel. It is geared towards anyone (lay and clergy)seeking to serve, lead, and teach within the local church. There are some convicting words of admonishment towards the loves of our life and our motives in service within the church. 2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" Proverbs 5:21 "For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths."

A Witness of an Ultrasound-guided Abortion

Abby Johnson shares with Mike Huckabee about the ultrasound-guided abortion she witnessed that caused her to quit serving as a Planned Parenthood director. This is a very interesting and detailed perspective that the public often does not get to hear on the abortion process. HT: JT

Quote - Hannah More

"...No man ever repented of being a Christian on his death bed." Hannah More

What if I blow it? - Parental Discipline Mistakes

ParentLife online offers three simple fixes to parental discipline mistakes:
  1. Apologize
  2. Determine what you will differently next time
  3. Do it!

Colossians 3:21 "Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged"

Ephesians 6:4 "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

The Abomination of the "prosperity gospel"

John Piper gives a short summary (10min) of Biblical and personal objections to the "prosperity gospel" via video ("Why I Abominate the Prosperity Gospel") Here is a short video (8min) from Christianity Today on the "prosperity gospel" as it is sent abroad from America. This is an interesting, documentary view of the "prosperity gospel" in action abroad exploiting the poor in Africa.

The Prosperity Gospel from The Global Conversation on Vimeo.

HT: Desiring God Blog & Justin Taylor Blog

Quote - St. Ignatius of Antioch

"My dear Jesus, my Savior, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece." St. Ignatius of Antioch

Quitting Abortion - Planned Parenthood Director Resigns in Disgust

An article published Monday at foxnews.com shares the story of a Planned Parenthood Director in Texas, Abby Johnson, who quit Planned Parenthood and joined a pro-life group after viewing an ultrasound of an abortion. Some excerpts:
  • "she says she knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus 'crumple' as it was vacuumed out of a patient's uterus in September"
  • "'When I was working at Planned Parenthood I was extremely pro-choice,' Johnson told FoxNews.com. But after seeing the internal workings of the procedure for the first time on an ultrasound monitor, 'I would say there was a definite conversion in my heart ... a spiritual conversion.'"
  • speaking of the abortion business she states, "It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers"
  • "A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood refused to answer questions about Johnson's accusations, but released a statement noting that a district court had issued a temporary restraining order against the former branch director and against the Coalition for Life, an anti-abortion group with which Johnson is now affiliated."

If you want to be broken in spirit over this great sin that kills so many thousands daily in our country, go to www.abort73.com (NOTE: this website has graphic photos and videos of abortions that are not appropriate for children...keep in mind however, that it is children who are doing the vast majority of these abortions). It is especially disturbing, convicting, and motivating to see the carnage of the innocents.

TO THOSE WHO ARE 'PRO-CHOICE': Before you try to defend or maintain your 'position', I sure hope you have the courage to look at the torn, dismembered bodies on the above website. Their blood in on your hands as you equip, facilitate, and accelerate this great plague of murder that is spreading across our nation and world. I am so disgusted by those infatuated with the darkness but I am also filled with love, hope, and compassion that you might possibly change through the work of the Holy Spirit.

I hope and pray that many shall rise up in prayer and petition to our God, and to the authorities over us, for change!

Psalm 82:3-4 "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. 4 Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. "

Matthew 5:44-45 "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Psalm 139:13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. "

Quote - Augustine

"They, then, who are destined to die, need not be careful to inquire what death they are to die, but into what place death will usher them." Augustine
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