“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it”  –Proverbs 22:6

Pastor Your Family

The Puritans remind us of the value and importance of family ministry. Family worship was one of the hallmarks of the Puritan era and one of their greatest legacies. The Puritan pastor Richard Baxter knew the importance of family ministry:

We must have a special eye upon families, to see that they are well ordered, and the duties of each relation performed. The life of religion, and the welfare and glory of both the Church and the State, depend much on family government and duty. If we suffer the neglect of this, we shall undo all…. I beseech you, therefore, if you desire the reformation and welfare of your people, do all you can to promote family religion.

Your Home Is a Church

The Puritans believed that their home was their church and the primary place of learning the Bible and moral instruction. They knew the call to “make disciples” begins in the home. Discipleship begins in our marriages, by loving our spouses with the love of Christ and by teaching, loving, and disciplining our children. The Puritans believed that it was a parent’s spiritual responsibility to disciple and teach their children about the faith.

“Family worship was one of the hallmarks of the Puritan era

”

As Christian parents, we should also want to raise our children to grow up to love Jesus and know the Bible. It is important for children to begin learning about God and the Bible at home. If every family in every church got serious about making disciples in the home, it would change our nation and our world.

How are you creating good discipleship in your home?

Especially appreciate what the girl said at the end, “If you love students and Jesus and want to teach them His Word, you are not doing to bad.”

The question comes after reading Matthew 25:14-30.

When I get to Heaven I so want to hear those words, but what is the criteria for such an honor?

In particular, I have been asking this question is three areas of my life, as a parent, church leader and as a youth pastor.

As a parent, what must I do to hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant”?

As a church leader, what must I do to hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant”?

And as a youth pastor, what must I do to hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant”?

Until I know, I am doing the best I can to be faithful in each of those roles and pursue what I believe God wants from me in each.

As of right now, I am anxiously anticipating the sound of my Father saying “Well done good and faithful servant.”

5 Signs We May Be Ashamed of the Gospel

Text:  Romans 1.14-16

#1.  If we feel that what we offer is not of real value.

#2.  If we don’t know how to handle our faith in a relativistic, pluralistic, post-modern, multi-cultural society.

#3.  If we are afraid because the Gospel condemns men as sinners.

#4.  If we are afraid to called “hell-fire and brimstone preachers”

#5.  If we are fearful to take the Gospel into the public square.

It was a great challenge to what we are called to do as Great Commission Christians–and that is preach the Gospel with passion and fervency.

I was reminded again of this in a reading I was doing for grad work. Clinton and Ohlschlager, in their book, Competent Christian Counseling, state:

Within a community committed to acceptance, education, and appropriate discipline and consequences for conduct unbecoming a disciple of Jesus Christ . . . people are brought to maturity.

The spiritual reparenting required is often best accomplished through cell (life) groups, that assemble for the purpose of Bible study, encouragement, exhortation, worship, and the practice of a series of spiritual disciplines within a circle of accountability (Foster, 1988; Willard, 1998).  In keeping with our giftedness, no member of the believing community is excused from involvement with these groups or the means of personal spiritual growth they seek to establish (Ephesians 4.14-16) (p. 113)

Our Pastor of Discipleship, Tom Houser, does an AMAZING job fostering and training our community of believers on the importance of the Life Group community.  For more information on Tom’s thoughts and guidance check out, http://runinsuchaway.com/.

At Grace Point, Terry stresses the importance of TEAMWORK.  Whether it is our Pastor Pow-Wows, or staff meetings, base coach (ministry team) meetings or elder’s meetings, the word “TEAMWORK” seems to always come up.  But not only does Terry stress the word, he practices it as well and that makes all the difference. 

But it doesn’t stop there!  I have an AMAZING group of EPIC leaders who I LOVE more than they will ever know.  I love them because we work well as a team because we are friends working toward a common goal–changing the lives of students!!!

So in honor of Terry and as a thanks for being such GREAT team leader and to show my appreciate to my EPIC leaders, I thought I would post this video I found on TEAMWORK.  Hope you enjoy!!!

I believe that most all, with the exception of Peter, were disciples or young men.  Here is my reasoning:

1.  Only Peter is mentioned as being married (which the average Jewish man was given a wife at around 18 years of age).

2.  Peter we assume was older since he often took leadership roles among the 12.

3.  The other disciples, when called, said they had to go tell their parents what they were doing.

4.  Most Jewish men didn’t have a “real” job until they were 21.  In the meantime, they were in apprentice positions.

5. Exodus 30.14-15 states that every male over 20 years old is to pay a temple tax when visiting.  In Matthew 17.24-27 Peter “fishes” for the temply tax–enough for two, he and Jesus.  I believe this points to the others age as being too young to pay.

6.  Jesus also uses the term “little ones” in referring to His disciples. (Matthew 11.25, Luke 10.21 and John 13.33)

7.  And the last reason I believe they were teens was their constant asking of questions, bickering and having to have things explained over and over again.

To me, this is why I am in youth ministry.  If Jesus can use 11 teenagers to change the world then most certainly He can us 100 students to change Delaware County!!!

Middle School:

High School:

www.tennesseebuckeyes.blogspot.com