Every year, Jews from all over the Roman empire travelled to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. In the courts surrounding the temple, merchants set up shop to sell sacrificial animals to the out-of-towners, whose long journeys made it very inconvenient to bring their own animals for sacrifice. In addition to this, these same Jews would have possessed foreign currency, not the required currency to offer the temple tax. To solve this problem, money-changers were available for currency exchange. Seeing the opportunity for profit though, they would rip their customers off. Making matters worse, this all took place in the Court of the Gentiles, the spot designated for God-fearing non-Jewish people to worship the one true God. As such, the market had pushed these Gentiles out of their own place of worship, disrupting the temple’s very purpose of being a light to all nations.

For all this, “gentle Jesus meek and mild” began overturning their tables and driving them out of the temple with a self-made whip. Two-thousand years later, culturally far-removed from the circumstances of this time, it might be difficult for us to fully appreciate the ways that this passage can speak to us today. To make this connection, let’s look more closely at the problems with the money-changers’ and merchants’ worship:

For starters, they weren’t worshipping God. They were worshipping themselves and their own greed. Moreover, they were worshipping themselves while doing things that appeared to be godly (serving in the temple). They looked religious, they cried “Lord, Lord,” but in the end they are those to whom God says “I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23) “Worship” for them was about making a buck.

Secondly, the Jews from out of town weren’t offering costly worship to God. It was far more convenient to them to just buy animal sacrifices rather than bringing their own animals from home to sacrifice, animals they had themselves raised. Their worship was comfortable and cost them little.

Finally, the worship of the money-changers and merchants had no mission, and was thus not worship at all. They crowded out the Gentiles from worshipping God, the very group that God had promised to bless through Abraham’s offspring. Their worship was all about themselves. It had no aim of worshipping God or blessing others.

The sins we see in this passage should force us to search our lives for modernized versions of the same sins. For example:

Discussion Questions

• The money-changers hid their greed behind the appearance of religious duty. What are we disguising as religiosity?
• The Jewish travelers opted out for more convenient forms of worship that cost them less. In what areas do we just “check things off” the religious list? What has your faith cost you? How does it inconvenience you?
• The money-changers’ and merchants’ worship didn’t spread the glory of God to others. It was all about themselves. In what ways is church all about us? Is it about what we want in a church or what God wants? Is it about what we want (a certain preaching style or worship style) or what others need (the Gospel)?

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The main point of this text is found in verse 11, which tells us that Jesus performed this miracle as a sign to manifest his glory to the effect that the disciples believed in him.  This lines up with the overall purpose of this gospel which is found in John 20:31.  This miracle is a sign because it points to a greater work that Christ will accomplish on our behalf.  The key to understanding this miracle as a sign is in verse 4 when Jesus says, “My hour has not yet come.”  The “hour” is a reference to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (John 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 12:27).  Jesus did not turn this water into wine just to save this wedding feast from ending too early.  He performed this miracle to point forward to the glory that will be revealed through his death and resurrection.  In this miracle, we see the purpose of the cross.

The significance of Jesus producing this wine is that it shows that he is the one that mankind had long been waiting for who would bring salvation and completely purify us of our sins (see Isa. 25: 6-9).  Jesus used the water jars that the Jews used for purification rituals to show us that we can never completely cleanse ourselves from our own sins.  Just as Jesus turned this water into wine, we must completely be transformed into a new creation.  The scripture teaches that those who belong to Christ are made into a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).  Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins and we when receive him by faith, our sins are washed away and we are made into new creatures.  This miracle also shows us that Jesus is the true bridegroom who is preparing the ultimate wedding feast for his bride, the church (see also John 3: 28-29).  Just as Jesus produced an overabundance of quality wine for this wedding feast, he is the giver of abundant life for those who receive him.  Producing this life for us cost Jesus dearly.  Jesus shed his blood and gave up his life on the cross to give us eternal life.  To those (the bride) who follow him (the bridegroom), there is an eternal wedding feast waiting for them (Matthew 26:27-29).

Just as the disciples saw the glory of Christ and then believed in him, we need to see and believe.  The wine running out at this wedding party shows us that we need to confess that we are deficient – that we are sinners in need of grace.  Just as the bridegroom of this Cana wedding party receives the credit for the wine Jesus produced, we need to humbly in faith receive the forgiveness and life purchased for us on the cross.

Discussion Questions

• Describe in your own words how this miracle pointed forward to the death of Christ
• What is the significance of Jesus calling his mother “Woman?”  Discuss what it means to be part of Jesus’ family (Matthew 12:46-50)
• What areas of your life are you seeking to cleanse yourself instead of turning to the grace of Christ?
• What areas of your life has the “wine run out” and do you need Jesus to provide abundant life?

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This text revolves around the next two disciples Jesus called, Philip and Nathanael.  A very simply command, “Follow me,” was all it took for Philip to run alongside Jesus Christ. In the following verses we see the immediate incendiary results in Philip’s life – he had a burning desire to share the gospel. One lighted torch lights another torch. So Philip went forth to share the gospel and soon he found Nathanael.

Nathanael had not heard about Jesus, but he knew his Old Testament. He knew that Bethlehem was named as the birthplace of our Savior, not Nazareth. Besides, Nazareth was just four miles from Cana, which was Nathanael’s hometown, and the two towns were something like arch rivals. Therefore, Nathanael’s challenge in verse 46 reveals much about the man Jesus was about to call. In verse 47 Jesus calls Nathanael an Israelite in whom there was no deceit. He put deliberate emphasis on that word because Jacob, the Old Testament patriarch, was Israel, and he was full of deceit – a scoundrel who loved God. Jesus was saying that Nathanael was an ideal Israelite because guile had gone out of his life. Jesus not only knew Nathanael’s character, but also had already seen him under the fig tree. Thus, Nathanael quickly realizes that Jesus must be God for He just demonstrated omniscience, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus response was something to the effect of, “You haven’t seen anything yet.” For Jesus takes Nathanael back some 2,000 years to the time of Jacob – in Genesis 28 – where the original Israelite wrestled with God and saw a ladder bridging heaven and earth.  Significantly, Jesus calls himself the ladder (v. 51) on which the angels will ascend and descend.  Jesus Christ is the bridge between heaven and earth.  This reality is the “greater thing” that Nathanael would soon see.
Discussion Questions

• What is Philip’s response to Jesus command? How does this encourage you?
• What does Jesus mean when he says, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”?
• Compare the words of Philip in verse 45 to those of Nathanael in verse 49. What is significant about the different titles?
• What Old Testament text would verse 51 have brought to mind for Nathanael? How is Jesus the “true ladder” between heaven and earth?

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There are two main themes brought out in the verses of this text, the first of which is that the witness-giving of John was immediately picked up by those who believed as the result of his testimony. So much so in fact that Andrew and Philip, and eventually John the evangelist, Peter, and Nathanael, became the next witnesses. What is more, they followed the same pattern of witnessing that John the Baptist had followed. That is, (1) they did not attract attention to themselves, (2) they bore a verbal witness to Jesus, and (3) they did so in order that those to whom they were speaking might believe in him also.  The second major theme of the text is that of discipleship.  Four main points bring this out:

1. Discipleship begins with understanding – 1:36-37. True disciples of Christ first understand their sin nature and its corresponding penalty then behold the mercy of God in Jesus Christ.
2. Discipleship involves following after and seeking Christ alone – John 1: 38-39. Jesus asked the men, “What are you seeking?” His desire was to search out their hearts and help them see if they were looking for fulfillment outside of Himself.
3. Discipleship results in a desire to be with Christ and make Christ known – John 1: 40-41. The result of day spent with Jesus is that Andrew rushes back to bring his brother to Jesus.
4. Discipleship transforms our identity – John 1:42.  Jesus changed Simon’s name changed to Peter, which means “Rock.”  Throughout the Bible we see God changing names and indicating a new calling and mission as a result of faith in Christ.

Discussion Questions

• What is the initial starting point of discipleship shown in this text?
• What is the ultimate thing that you are seeking with your life?
• Is your desire to be with Christ? Is it to be with someone or something else?
• How does Jesus change our identity?
• Who can you tell about Jesus this week?

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How would you summarize Jesus’ ministry? In this passage, John the Baptist highlights two aspects of what Jesus came to do: take away the sins of the world, and baptize with the Holy Spirit.

It is significant that John chose these two aspects of Jesus’ ministry to highlight. The Old Testament expectation of the Messiah’s coming included the promise of a far greater work of the Holy Spirit than any of God’s people had ever known (see Joel 2:28). God didn’t just promise to pour out his Spirit, though. Sin still needed to be dealt with. So God told Ezekiel that he was going to do two things in the new covenant: he would cleanse the sins of his people, and he would put his Holy Spirit in them. (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

These twin blessings are given to every person who puts their faith in Christ. In theological terms, these blessings are called “justification” and “sanctification.” As a believer in Christ, your sins have been completely forgiven and you now receive credit for the perfect life that Jesus lived (justification). And as a result of being forgiven, you have received the promise of the Holy Spirit (also called the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”- Acts 1:4-5) and are enabled to live in increasing freedom from sin and its effects in your life (sanctification).

Discussion Questions

• Do you ever feel like you have to prove yourself to God or others? How does the doctrine of justification speak into this?
• If you are a child of God, God’s Spirit lives in you, producing his fruits. Which fruit of the Spirit have you seen most evidently in your life? (See Galatians 5:22-24)
• Where else in the New Testament do you see the removal of sins and the outpouring of the Spirit linked together? For starters, look up Acts 2:38-39 and Galatians 3:13-14.

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John 1:18-29 represents the first narrative account in John’s Gospel. In the scene that unfolds we find John the Baptist under interrogation at the hands of priests and Levites. Throughout a series of seven questions the Baptist continually points to the exalted nature of the coming Christ by denying himself. Six instances of self-denial are demonstrated in these ten verses: 1) the Baptist denies being the Christ – v. 20; 2) the Baptist denies being Elijah – v. 21; 3) the Baptist denies being “the Prophet” – v. 21; 4) the Baptist is only “the voice” – v. 23; 5) the Baptist’s refuses to dwell on his ministry – v. 26; 6) the Baptist is unworthy to untie Christ’s sandals – v. 27.

Self-importance had no place for John because he was only the voice crying out in the wilderness; self-seeking had no place for John because his work of baptism only paved the way for the work of Christ; self-worth had no place for John because he wasn’t even worthy to untie Christ’s sandal straps. The text highlights the paradox that confessing Christ begins with denying self. If we are to witness for Jesus Christ, we must first of all deny ourselves – our likes, our dislikes, our needs, our personal interests, our free time, even at times our work or our ambitions. Christ can never be and will never be confessed as the supreme Savior if self is not first removed from the throne. Thomas Boston said it well when he wrote, “Self is Christ’s great rival in the world; and no man can serve the two masters: he must either deny himself and go after Christ, or he will deny Christ and go after self.”

Discussion Questions
What do we learn about John the Baptist’s ministry in 1:19-28?
In what ways does John the Baptist display self-denial in 1:19-28?
Why is self-denial necessary for one’s witness unto Christ?
What are some fruits of self-denial in the Christian life?
Name some ways that one can grow in self-denial.

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The gospel of John is very unique in how it presents the birth of Christ. We have the nativity scene presented to us in Matthew and Luke. In Mark we read that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, the birth of Jesus is not mentioned. John’s gospel does not focus upon the nativity scene either, but we are given a great theological truth.

Incarnation of Christ – John ends this section with the capstone; Christ in flesh. One of the major themes in the gospel of John concerns the deity of Christ. We see in this section that the Word became flesh. If we look back up to verse 1 we also see that the Word was God. This is known as the incarnation of Christ. God came down to man in the form of man. J. I. Packer says that “the supreme mystery with which the gospel confronts us . . . lies not in the Good Friday message of atonement, nor in the Easter message of resurrection, but in the Christmas message of Incarnation.” If we can comprehend the fact that Jesus was fully God and fully man, then it is much easier to understand the miracles, death, and resurrection.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. – Philippians 2:5-7

Dwelt among us – Jesus did not simply come to this Earth, accomplish a task and then leave. He dwelt and lived among us. He ate food with many people, and had conversations with people. He didn’t come to us, set things in motion, and remove himself. This carries with it a meaning to tabernacle, such as the Old Testament tabernacle.

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. – Exodus 25:8

Discussion Questions
Why does it matter that Jesus was fully God and fully man?
Was it required for Jesus to become flesh?
What are the implications of the fact that Jesus chose to dwell among us?

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John continues the prologue to his gospel by pressing further into the truth that Jesus is the light of the world. The implications of this are huge. Light is the source of life and Jesus is the true light. This Jesus has granted us adoption as sons and daughters of the most-high God (Galatians 4:4-7).

So… how did we become children of God?

We were born…

1. Not of blood – This is not physical birth. Your “credentials” are not based on the families you were raised in. It has nothing to do with how good your parents were. It has nothing to do with your ethnicity.

2. Nor of the will of the flesh – You can do nothing to “will” yourself into becoming children of God. It has nothing to do with your desire.

3. Nor of the will of man – Again, the birth that John speaks of has nothing to do with your own effort.

4. Of God – Start to finish, it is a work of God. God, in his sovereign grace looked down on you and said, “I want that person in my family.” He chose you and then granted you the faith to believe in his son and to become adopted sons and daughters. This is a profoundly beautiful truth… let it cause you to worship your creator.

Discussion Questions
What does it mean that John called Jesus the true light?
What is belief in Jesus?
What are the implications of the fact that, in Jesus, we are children of God?
Have you been born of God? Take a moment to reflect on your story.

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In these three verses, John the apostle introduces us to John the Baptist, a man who was prophesied about all the way back in Isaiah 40:3. In this brief account of John the Baptist, the apostle draws our attention to three aspects that characterized the man and his ministry:

1. John was sent by God. God himself had called John for a specific purpose.

2. John witnessed about the light. The specific purpose God was calling John to was to come before Jesus to serve as a forerunner to him and to point him out for everyone.

3. John was not the light. The apostle emphasizes that even though John the Baptist had an incredibly important task, he was only a man and not “the light of men” (John 1:4).

While in one sense John had a unique task in that he was to serve as a forerunner to Jesus, in another sense our task is the same as his. The greek word for “witness” (martureó) in verse 7 (from which we get our word “martyr”) also shows up in Acts 1:8 when Jesus tells his disciples that they will be his “witnesses” to the ends of the earth. While we have come to associate the word “martyr” with death, it simply means to bear witness to something. So to be a believer in Christ is to be a martyr. And so we too can point out three things that should characterize our lives:

1. You are sent by God. Your mission in life isn’t getting that job you want, making sure your kids get in to Harvard, or getting the house with the white picket fence. It is so much more. You have a mission in life which comes to you from the God of the universe.

2. You are to witness about the light. Your life is to be spent making Jesus famous by growing in your knowledge of him, helping other believers to know him more, and by telling others about him who don’t yet know him.

3. You are not the light. Your job isn’t to fix people or save them. You job is merely to point them to the one who alone can do both. God doesn’t need you to make himself famous, but he graciously lets you be part of his mission.

Discussion Questions
Do you sense your God-given mission throughout your normal day?
What would it practically look like to bear witness to Jesus in your day-to-day life?
Do you ever feel like saving people is your responsibility? How does this passage remove that burden from you?

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The first verses of John chapter 1 represent a wondrous summit in the revelation of God. To come to these verses is to scale a peak of God’s glory and stand at the highest altitude of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. These verses contain, as J.C. Ryle said, “A statement of matchless sublimity concerning the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ.” For what see in these verses is the John making good on his aim that readers know Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The main point of this text is to show us that Jesus is God. He does this by giving his readers five specific truths concerning Christ:

1. Jesus is eternal – In the beginning was the Word. To be eternal is to exist beyond the bounds of time and reign as Lord over time. Jesus is from everlasting to everlasting.

2. Jesus is personal – The Word was with God. Jesus didn’t merely co-exist with God, but He had an active and intimate relationship with the Father from all eternity.

3. Jesus is God – The Word was God. Jesus is not merely like God; He is not merely similar to God; nor is He just an adopted Son of God; Jesus is God.

4. Jesus is the Creator – All things were made through him. All things – big and small, visible and invisible – were created through Christ Jesus and they would soon fall asunder if Christ does not uphold them by His powerful Word.

5. Jesus is the Source – In him was life. All physical and spiritual life flows from Christ alone.

Jesus Christ is the eternal and personal God, who is the creator and source of life and light. In short, the Word is worthy of worship.

Discussion Questions
What truths about Christ do we find in John 1:1-5?
How do these verses point to and prove the divinity of Christ?
How can these verses encourage your relationship with Christ?
In what ways can we offer worship to Christ?

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Thankfully, the reader of John’s Gospel never needs to wonder why the “disciple whom Jesus loved” wrote his account of the life and ministry of Christ. In John 20:20-31 we are told that the purpose of the book is that readers would believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for eternal life.  Notice how the flow of John’s argument and purpose is marked off and reinforced by the word “that”:

This book is written
that you may believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and
that by believing you may have life in his name.

In the books traditionally ascribed to the apostle John, particularly the fourth Gospel, the deity of Christ is the overriding theme. The purpose of Mark’s Gospel, if it may be so narrowed, is to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ as God’s servant. Matthew portrays him as the Jewish Messiah. Luke stresses Christ’s humanity. But in John, Jesus is revealed as the eternal, pre-existing Son of God, who became man in order to reveal the Father and bring eternal life through His death and resurrection.  Given this purpose, it will be no surprise to see John extol the glory of Christ’s deity in the first verses of chapter one.

And so it is, in this text, we are introduced to three main themes that we will encounter repeatedly throughout the course of our series: 1) The necessity of faith, 2) the deity of Christ, and 3) the offer of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Discussion Questions
What is the purpose of the Gospel of John?
Why is it necessary for salvation to depend on faith?  Consider Ephesians 2:8-9.
What are some things that we trust in for life other than the person and work of Christ?
Why is the deity of Christ essential to Christianity?
In light of John’s evangelistic purpose, who can you aim to share the Gospel with this week?

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C.S. Lewis in his book The Great Divorce says those who end up in hell look back on their lives and see that all was hell, and those in heaven look back on their lives and see that all was heaven. What he was saying is that for those of us in Christ at the end when we look back at our whole lives, at everything that happened, we know that it was for bringing us into the Kingdom of God, into adoption as sons, into the very presence of God. And those who at the last find themselves outside the gates, condemned by a just God, all of their lives, even the good that they did and that happened to them was actually condemnation and hell on earth. Some pretty bold, but I think accurate, words from one of the 20th century’s greatest minds.

In his letter to Titus, Paul describes how Jesus brought the grace of God to give us a hope (“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…”), and also has given us a present purpose (“training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and live self controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age…”). Redemption assures us of hope in the future, final redemption of the revelation of God’s glory, and that gives us a sure foundation for hope in our present circumstances. We don’t have to wait until we die to see how the grace of God changes everything in our lives for good; it happens as we live, even the very moment we are born again, which is a picture or shadow of the final reality. God redeems us from sin and death, from lawless hearts, and He gives us grace to train us to die to this world and live as a present citizen in his Kingdom, as his people (v. 14). He cleanses and purifies us from the defilement of sin and suffering. Step by step these are the facts of redemption.

Sadly, sometimes we lose sight of this present reality of redemption. We do not see what God is up to or how far he has brought us, how far we are in the training from verse 12. When this happens we can tend toward despair or worse, apathy, and we give up the fight against ungodliness. This is where the hope of the return of Jesus sustains us because for you, Christian, that hope is sure, like an anchor for your soul (Hebrews 6:19). When we cannot see present redemption at work in our lives we should cling to the promise of our final redemption and place our faith in the inevitable reality of verse 13, Jesus will come back.

Now lest we think that this is all about us, at the end of this great paragraph Paul brings the ultimate end into clear focus for us. Verse 14 tells us why Jesus “…who gave himself for us” came; “to redeem us from all lawlessness” (that’s about us) “and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (that’s about Him). It is amazing that God redeems us when we are in rebellion against him (Rom. 5:6) and then by his grace trains us, “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions” (because we just don’t renounce them automatically), to bring himself glory and pleasure (Ps. 147:11, Luke 12:32). What?!? Redemption is not primarily about you or your circumstances (although it does change you in spite of your circumstances). No, redemption is about a great God, who has a great purpose, and who will accomplish his purpose for the fame of his name. However, we miss that this is our eternal good. God alone can satisfy you, and so redeeming you from slavery to all that you were seeking to satisfy you, for his glory, is your greatest good. You can know that your redemption will be accomplished (Phil. 1:6) because you know he will be glorified. That is the promise; that is the anchor; that is the sure foundation of your change. To him who is able be praise and honor and majesty and glory forever and ever, amen and amen.

“We exist to glorify God through Lives changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The gospel that Jesus came to bring was one where he identified with the poor, making himself like them and showing them great mercy (II Cor 8:9, Matt 9:13). The Bible calls us to do the very same thing (II Cor 8:8-15).

While in Frisco poverty seems a world away, facts around us remain that demand an answer from the Gospel:

• A child dies from hunger every five seconds.
• One third of the world’s children live in extreme poverty.
• More than 1 billion (one in five) people live on less than $1 a day.

One of the ways we as Providence invite you to participate in lives changed through the Gospel is through Compassion International.

Why Compassion

What is Compassion International, and why does Providence Church partner with them? Simply put, they are an amazing Christian organization committed to, “Releasing Children from Poverty in Jesus’ Name,” and essentially their mission is the same as ours, to glorify God through lives changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They partner with local churches in developing countries around the world. Through your sponsorship they are able to provide each child with the Gospel, learning development, health care, social skills development and Christian training from birth through high school!
Compassion is completely unique in that it is not the kind of program where you just send your money each month, and never know where it goes. You will have a meaningful connection with the child you support. The child you sponsor will know your name, write to you, and you will have the opportunity to bless them with self worth and confidence through your letters and prayers. In short, you have the opportunity to build a relationship with the child you sponsor, and to play a significant role in his or her life! This truly glorifies God through lives changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

How to Engage

If God has been working in your heart, and you would like to sponsor a child through Compassion International. Praise God! There are a couple of ways to do this.

1. Sign up at Providence Church on COMPASSION SUNDAY. Mike and I will have a table set up after both the 9am and 11am services this Sunday, April 10th. We will have 25+ specific children who desperately need a sponsor today! You can read all about them in their information packet as well as some great information about Compassion is and what they do. We will also be on hand to answer any questions or concerns you have about sponsoring a child.
2. Can’t wait a whole week? You can go to Compassion International’s website and sponsor a child today. www.compassion.com. Or you can just go check them out to see what they are all about. When you visit the site, I would encourage you to watch some of the video testimonies from some of the people (both sponsors and children) whose lives have been impacted by their amazing program!

Poverty facts and photo courtesy of Compassion

THE FALL

It all began in Genesis 3:5.  Satan knew he could get Eve to sin if he struck her need to control. “You see Eve, God doesn’t want you to know good and evil.” “You mean there is something I don’t have? Well I must do whatever it is to get it, even if it means disobeying God.” Then she gets caught. What is her response? “The serpent deceived me.” (3:13). Blame. Manipulate. Then, we see the result of the fall – the curse of a need to control. “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” (3:16) She would not only desire to control him, but anything else she felt was not going as she planned.

HOW DOES THIS IMPACT ME?

Why is it so important for Christian women to understand the impact of our fall? Most importantly, because we all fall short of the glory of God and we need The Savior. Then, when we understand the sin that wages war within us, we can battle it more effectively. Is trying to control a sin? YES. It’s pridefully thinking we deserve something, when scripturally we actually deserve death. It’s thinking we are God – that we have control. Is manipulation sin? YES. It’s lying covered up to be pretty. We have become sly at making it look better than it is. Have you shed a few tears, softened your voice, added a few “godly” words, reworded your sentence to get others to come over to your point of view, or even given the silent treatment? We’ve all done it!

WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS?

When you love God deeply, a desire to glorify Him naturally grows! When God reveals to you this repulsive vial in your heart, (whether it’s situational manipulation or a stronghold), beg Him to enter in and empty it out! Fill it with truth! Surrender this sinful tendency, beg for mercy, and ask Jesus to purify every inch – making us more like Him for His glory. Ask God to show you how to trust Him, not yourself. Psalm 51:6-10 -

“Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Lord Jesus – make the women of Providence women of Truth. Cleanse and purify our hearts that every motive may be pure and for your glory. When you reveal to us otherwise, may we be faithful to surrender it to your feet and to ask forgiveness from those it affects. Amen.

photo credit: Dave – aka Emptybelly

I am not my own.

The Heidelberg Catechism begins with the simple notion that my only comfort can
be found in this truth – that I am not my own.

Many times I’ve read in Scripture where Paul says that I am not my own and I have
been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This truth has allowed me to see
all that the Lord has entrusted to me. Not only am I not my own, but neither is my time.

Lately, God has been successful in interrupting my plans. Last Thursday, I set aside
40 minutes to read at a coffee shop. But God, in His goodness, decided I needed
to spend that time talking with a complete stranger who sat down at my table
when she saw I had a Bible. Even today, God decided that my one hour in between
meetings should be spent listening to a dear friend who needed to talk. God has a
bigger picture in which I am currently only seeing the inconvenient parts.

I even caught myself feeling a little envious of my friends that get to sleep in on
Sundays and go to their evening church service. Are they aware that when they go
see a late night movie on Saturday that I will be in bed several hours before they
even buy their tickets? We often view such joys as serving on Sunday mornings as
interruptions. We desire our own comfort and our children’s comfort in only going
to one service.

But as I look at these so-called “interruptions”, I see that God has purposed them
for one thing – His glory. He would rather interrupt my Sunday morning slumber,
knowing that children will get to hear the Gospel. Ultimately, He is not as concerned
with children’s naptimes or soccer games as much as He is with their spiritual
formation. What a great opportunity to teach children how to honor others above
ourselves by serving! I’m often convicted by Romans 12 in which Paul instructs us
on how to live as followers of Christ:

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one
another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Are we intentionally loving and serving the people that God has entrusted to
our care? Parents, do you model for your children how to cling to what is good?
Leaders, are you constantly in prayer for your church body? Church, do you seek
opportunities to contribute to the needs of others, within the church walls and out? I
pray we can be a people that seeks to display the genuine love of Christ to a hurt and
dying world.

photo credit: plousia

My husband (then boyfriend) had a “two year rule”. Said rule states that you can fool someone for a year, but you’re sure to disclose the “real” you by year two. At this point you should be able to tell if your sweetie reveals any red flags and is suitable to marry. As a twenty-two year old romantic, this seemed like torture to me. We decided that we wanted to marry about 5 months after meeting, thus I had 19 months to learn about patience.

Before the ring is on your finger you put your best face forward. As women, we have that extra time to dress up. Men put forth a little more effort and clean out the car before a date. When you see each other, the responsibilities of everyday life melt away. Needless to say, our expectations for marriage tend to be a tad skewed.

This is where solid, biblical premarital counseling comes in. Are we merely planning a wedding or preparing for marriage? What does the Bible say about marriage? Talking about our roles and expectations for each other are important, but what does God expect from each of us? Yes, communication, conflict resolution, in-laws and financial preparedness are important topics to cover.

And we do. But the crux of the issue we deal with in premarital counseling is this: We are fallen people, married to fallen people. There will be joy and happiness. There will be times when we feel our spouses are easy to love. But, what happens when our loved ones disappoint us? How do we respond when our spouse forgets to put gas in the car when the tank’s been dry as a bone for three days (I’m SO guilty)? Or, when your spouse tells you they’re running late, AGAIN.

What does it look like to live out Ephesians 4:32 in everyday situations?

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

God uses marriage to help refine us. Contrary to popular notion, marriage is not about being in love. We are confronted daily with our own sin in marriage. If we go into marriage with this in mind, it can make a huge difference in the way we respond to each other. Our marriage is a testimony to the world around
us. Make it a great one!

Premarital counseling shows couples how they can not only survive, but thrive in marriages that proclaim the gospel. We encourage, as well as, challenge all engaged couples to take part in this vital preparation. Fortify your union and then enjoy the cake. Just try to resist the temptation to smash it in your beloved’s face!

As you gave the ring to one another and have now received it a second time
from the hand of the pastor, so love comes from you, but marriage from love, from God. As high as God is above man, so high are the sanctity, the rights, and the promise of love. It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love.

DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, Letters and Papers from Prison, 27-28

Every month in Providence Kids, we memorize a new verse. We believe there is great eternal value in kids memorizing Scripture, no matter what age they are. This month for the preschool ministry, the verse is Matthew 6:33:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Here are some tips to make Scripture memory easy and fun for your preschooler:

Make it fun
We try to keep our Sunday morning classes as interactive as possible so we do hand motions with our memory verses. The motions are usually very simple. For example, the hand motions to this month’s verse are holding up one finger (“seek first”), pointing to the sky (“His kingdom”), arms spread out (“all these things”) and putting hands out towards the child (“will be given”). Children love coming up with new motions to verses so if you can’t think of any motions to a particular verse, chances are – they can!

Make it musical
This probably isn’t a surprise but children love music. Your child probably knows the theme song lyrics to their favorite show. When they hear music, they often start to wiggle around and dance. It’s almost second nature for some kids. Playing Scripture memory songs in the car is a great way to redeem your time driving to and from school. Seeds Family Worship puts out some of the best memory verse songs out there. (Adults seem to enjoy it too.)

Recommended listening:

• Seeds Family Worship
• GroupMusic

This month’s verse, check out “Seek First” on the Seeds of Purpose CD.

Make it messy
Grab some construction paper and get creative! There are many crafts your child can make for their memory verse. Door hangers, fridge magnets, picture frames and cardstock puzzles are just a few possibilities. If you have a young preschooler, try cutting out pictures from a magazine that represent the words in the verse (otherwise known as a ‘rebus’ craft). Cut out a crown for ‘kingdom’ and so forth. That way, the child can look at the pictures and say the verse without having to read.

By memorizing these verses, our hope is that children can begin to understand what it means to love and trust Jesus. This month, we pray that they learn how to seek God first, above all else.

If you have any other Scripture memory ideas, please feel free to leave them in the comments below!

photo credit: Shereen M

Kevin and I had many conversations about what Christmas would look like for our kids when we were pregnant eight years ago. We knew we wanted to focus on Christ, we knew we wanted to build traditions, and we knew we wanted it to be fun for our kids.

From the start we decided that each person in our family would receive three gifts, in honor of the gold, frankincense, and myrrh that was given to Jesus. It gave us a great avenue to fully incorporate the real Christmas story into our gift-giving. For several years we have participated in Operation Christmas Child and purchased toys to fit into shoe boxes with our children for other children of similar ages who might not have Christmas presents otherwise. This year we have been challenged by the question, “What does Jesus get for His birthday?” And so we have decided that starting this year, our kids will each choose a gift to give Jesus at Christmas.

Here are the steps we took to make this happen for our family:
• Research which charity you would like to support from a reputable independent charity evaluator like charitynavigator.org. We also look for organizations that actively tell people about Jesus and try to steer away from those who claim Christian roots but don’t tell those they serve about Him.
• Request a Christmas catalog from the charity of your choice.
• Reduce your gift-giving by 10-50% to allow for money to be used for this purpose.
• Limit your kids’ choices to fit your budget.
• Tell your kids what you are doing and why.
• Let them pick what they want to give to Jesus.

The beautiful thing about this is that it can really fit any budget. (We also love that most of these options have long-term benefits.) Here are some of the options we found:
• Warm blanket $6
• Life-saving mosquito nets $10
• One dozen chicks $14
• 30 fruit-bearing seedlings $45
• Fishing boat $50
• Goats or other dairy animals $70
• Clean water for a thirsty community $10,000 (See why you need to limit their choices?)

Christmas is a great time to demonstrate the love God has shown for us by loving those who are in need. We are called to live our lives with Jesus as our example. Jesus spent His life reaching out to the poor. He gave His perfect life to extend to us the perfect gift of salvation. The perfect Giver became the perfect Gift. Giving in the name of Jesus is a tradition we hold dear and there are many interesting and tangible ways a child can experience the love of Christ.

(I only entitled this article “Jesus is Better than Santa” to get your attention. If you were interested in this article to read about an opinion on Santa, read Mark Driscoll’s great article here: http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/mark_driscoll/2010/12/what_we_tell_our_kids_about_santa.html)

photo credit: CharlotteSpeaks♥{Charlotte.Morrall}

Kyle and I decided long before we decided to have kids that we want to do more than just attend church. We want to be a part of a growing body and be able to love people by serving. When we came to Providence it was no different. We want to model for our children the importance of loving by serving. One of the greatest needs in any church bodies is Children’s Ministry volunteers. We consider it a joy to serve and love on kids as much as possible, EVEN THOUGH that comes with a little sacrifice. We know that it is so important to model Godly behavior, love, and service to the church body to our children so that they will grow up with service as part of their daily behavior and vocabulary. At the same time, we also know we need to be personally fed with the word and worship. I am so glad Providence provides the opportunity for both.

BUT, it is still isn’t always walk in the park for the child. I mean, try explaining in a loving voice the importance of service while said child is screaming and clinging to your leg in front of an audience of twenty other people, right? But since in this case the long-term benefits out-weigh the short term, we work to make it happen every week.

We still have not perfected the “Sunday Morning Survival Kit” by any means, but we are learning some things that help the morning go more smoothly.

• Think ahead. Get good sleep on Saturday night and prep your kids at bedtime by praying for servant hearts that would glorify Christ. It helps Sunday mornings go more smoothly if the diaper bag is packed, clothes are laid out, and alarms are set.
• Come prepared. Make sure you bring any security item your child needs for comfort (lovey, passy, sippy cup, etc…) If your child normally would eat lunch during the time of the second service, bring a snack to feed them between services.
• Ask for advice. Talk to other parents or children’s leaders and teachers, and brainstorm with your spouse.
• Pray. Pray. Pray. Before-during- after. Ask the Lord for a good morning, for patience, and that he would honor your service and sacrifice that HE might be glorified.

If you are not serving in Children’s Ministry because of the difficulty of having your child in both services, I would encourage you just to TRY and keep trying. The need is GREAT and you CAN help. We have an incredible ministry that does miles more than just baby-sit and there is a place for you to be able to serve with your giftings and abilities and be able to model Godly service for your children.

photo credit: eye of einstein

But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. – Psa. 38:15

I read a great short story the other day that really left me with a deeper understanding of what it means to watch and pray. The story is called Expectation Corner by Emily Steele Elliott written back in 1828. You can read the entire story online here: Expectation Corner

It’s a short story about a man named Adam, who lives in a little cottage on Redeemed Land. The reason why it was called Redeemed Land was because long ago there was a rebellion among the people which devastated the land and placed all of its citizens under bondage. But the land Owner sent his son to live among the cottage people. The Son rescued and bought back the people and leased their property back to them and even gave them special rights and privileges of love and favor while they lived in the land. If they had a request or a need all they had to do was refer to their book of the Covenant and write up their need on a slip of paper and send it to the Owner of the land. Each day the Land Owner would send out his messengers to his various storehouses where each request was filled with the request or with something better and then delivered on wagons to every home.

Unlike his neighbors who lived richly around him, Adam lived poor in the land. His windows were dulled over and darkness filled his little house. He often complained about his own lack of fresh water. His next door neighbor would often remind him that he needed only to check his pipes to make sure they were connecting to the right place and that they were not blocked then he could enjoy the fresh water from the living fountain just over the hills like he did. But Adam never got around to checking it and he never wiped the dust from his windows that would have flooded his little house with so much sunlight. Adam never took advantage of the rights and privileges that his citizenship in the Redeemed Land afforded him.

Adam was old and weak. He just didn’t consider himself to be the scholarly type like his neighbors and his sight wasn’t that good to look things up in the Covenant-book. One day his good natured neighbor Widow Full-joy talks him into sending his request into the rich Father, who lived in the Great Palace and reminded Adam of how difficult it is for the rich Father to watch his children go around poorly clad and complaining of scarcity when he had provision stored for them at his Great House according to the Covenant-book that laid on Adams table.

With Widow Full-joy’s help and encouragement, Adam drafts up a petition and sends it off to the Great House. Widow Full-joy reminds Adam that in accordance to the Covenant-book in sending in his petition, he must wait by continuing in prayer and watch for the delivery to be made.

The very next day a messenger from the Great House arrives at Adam’s house in answer to his petition. The messenger cleans Adam’s window and cleans a bunch of rubbish out of Adam’s pipes and begins telling him of the Lord’s loving care for his tenants and the great may storehouses that the Lord has to provide for all his tenants needs.

The messenger takes Adam to the center of the Redeemed Land to see these grand storehouses for himself so that he might understand the goodness of the Lord and his great provision for his tenant. It is here that Adam sees all the attempts that were made by the Lord, to deliver daily provision, answer petitions and even send him gifts of favor, but they were all returned because Adam in his great depression, and dark windows never watched and never answered the door to receive them.

The story continues and Adam soon comes to enjoy all the benefits of living in the Redeemed Land through learning how to watch and petition the Lord for all his daily needs. He no longer lives as a poor man in the Lord’s rich land.

It is a great story that reminded me of our great position living in the Redeemed land, and how I too often neglect to take advantage of the benefits our new land has to offer. Not making requests, or not being prepared to receive them when they do. I wonder how many petitions I have missed because I did not wait for my Lord to answer but rushed ahead with my own solution or didn’t believe he would take the time and answer them anyway. I wonder how often I too have eaten stale bread when fresh bread was waiting to be delivered to me. I am reminded of C.S. Lewis quote,

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Rebekyah Brewer

photo credit: Katie Tegtmeyer

For as long as I can remember there was always an expectation (and usually requirement) that a Stone child would regularly work. When we were younger our “work” consisted of regular chores around the home and it was a rare occasion that we got a pass on our domestic duties. To this day my twin sister is somewhat bitter about having to pull weeds for an entire morning on her birthday.

She does not always remember that I was there too, pulling weeds on our birthday absolutely living out, “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Philippians 2:4.

At least that is how I remember the story.

At the age of twelve we were encouraged to earn a steady wage in order to save up for a future payments on insurance for a car when we hit sixteen. If there was no cash in the bank for the gecko of Geico, then there was no driving to be had. To make money, most of the girls I knew would babysit and most of the guys I knew would mow lawns. I married the two worlds together by mowing on weekdays and babysitting on weekends.

Entertaining children before bedtime could sometimes be a challenging task because this was before every child had a computer, iPhone, Wii, or Xbox to occupy their minds. One game that never failed to occupy young minds was good ‘ol “hide and seek.” As I played this game over and over each weekend I stated to notice a trend with the children . . .

The average child liked to either hide or seek, not both.

As I reminisced over this fact the other day I thought about how much it relates to our pursuit of the knowledge of God. Just as the average child was somewhat one faceted in the game of “hide and seek”, we are often prone to be one-sided in our pursuit of a majestic God. We must be a people that seek the truth with all our hearts (Jeremiah 29:13) and that Truth must be memorized and written on our hearts (read Psalm 119).

For most, Bible memory is a daunting and difficult task. But it does not have to be!
There are many great resources available for you to start memorizing the truth of our glorious God, so allow me to point you to a great resource put together by Sally Michael.

http://www.hopeingod.org/resources/scripture-memory/fighter-verse-program

photo credit: Keith Park

However let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Eph 6:33

There are not a lot of scriptures about marriage and your roles as husband and wife. We have to hold onto tightly to the verses that do mention these things. One of them is Ephesians 6:33. It is simple, yet cuts to the core of how God created us as man and woman. Women long to be pursued, romanced and loved deeply by their husbands. Husbands long to be respected and trusted as a man and leader of their family. Yet, it is easy to forget these simple truths in the craziness of life. We have jobs, we have babies to raise, bills to pay, people to see and time for our spouse often gets pushed down the list.

One simple thing we do in the Looney family is have biannual check-ups (or more if we need them) to help focus on loving and respecting and to see what is working and what is not. These have been wonderful at keeping our communication lines open and guiding us to fulfill our spousal jobs well. Keeping in mind, the purpose is a productive conversation, not one that leads to an argument.

Try the following to have your own check-up:

Set the time and place. Always go to a public environment such as a coffee shop or someplace you can sit for awhile. Don’t stay at home. It’s amazing how getting away can diffuse the tension of a difficult conversation.

Pray about your attitude and your words, and ask God to be glorified in your marriage.

Pray in the car on the way and ask the Lord to bless your time together. Once you’re there, talk about the great things that the Lord has done in your lives over the last 6 months. Give each other two compliments on what the other has done well in your marriage (be thinking of these before hand so they can be detailed). Then share one thing that you would like your spouse to work on in relation to loving and respecting. When you are sharing things that need to be worked on, holding hands can make it easier. Granted, this can be hard! And it’s hard to hear things that you need to improve on, but remember the goal is a marriage that gets better and better every year.

Happy Lovin
J

photo credit: Yelnoc

In my personal study, I’m walking through several books of the Bible, one of which is Romans. I love the richness found in Paul’s letter to the Believers in the capital of the Roman Empire. Doctrine, spirituality, practical living, coaching… Paul hits on quite a few elements. And, overarching the different aspects to the book, there is so much joy! Romans, for the Believer, is such an encouraging book.

Many times, though, this joy gets lost in a dogmatic, unloving sort of hyper-Calvinism. Scripture should do nothing but humble the Believer and both break their heart and give them such joy in remembering what Christ has done and continues to do, even now. There are times where I lose sight of this, though, and begin to fall into the sin of living in arrogance. But, oh, to be broken of this mindset and reminded of the beauty of what Christ has done in the cross! To the Believer, Romans 8v.29-30 should both humble us and cause us to have unbelievable, uncontainable amounts of joy in Christ.

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Romans 8v.29-30

Far too often, the idea of predestination causes great amounts of friction and conflict. Focusing on this one particular word, though, and losing sight of the rest of the passage is a sign of naivety and can cause us to lose sight of the joy that should accompany reading this text.

Despite all of my sin and everything in life that I have done to attempt to rob from Christ and set myself up as king of my own little kingdom, the Lord has deemed it fit that I should be his and conformed into his image. Not the worldly sense of being a “good” person, but hammered, molded and chiseled into the image of Christ, in order that I might be adopted as an heir to God!

Not only this, but the Lord has called his children. He knows his sheep and he lovingly calls them out to follow him. Then, and this is what breaks my heart, though in a joyful way, he justifies us! We are declared “right” with the Lord because of what Christ has already done. Though sinful, our lives are declared righteous because of faith in the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus! Me, so unrighteous and mired in sin, am made right with the holy God? And then, not only this, but I will be glorified? I will be brought into where the Lord is and be in his presence to work and worship for eternity? Such sweet bliss to imagine these things! But what joy to know that we don’t just imagine these things with some sort of fleeting passion. This is truth! It is reality! It is the life we live when we confess our need of a Savior and turn from our lives of utter wickedness and walk in newness of life in Christ.

What joy this brings to the Believer! What message of hope this brings to the doubter! May we meditate on this truth and the hope it can (and should!) bring to our souls. Be refreshed and remember what the Lord has done for us, but, more importantly, for his glorious name!

Kyle Wiley

photo credit: WTL photos

When my dad came out of anesthesia from a surgical procedure, he had the sensation of not being able to breathe. It took six nurses to hold him down to keep him from panicking and fighting.

The same scenario can be applied emotionally and spiritually after life trauma, and especially-trying times. At least, that’s how I’ve felt after walking through some very difficult days as of late. Emotionally, I felt like I was gasping and although you might not see it on the outside, on the inside I was near panic at times. Just when I felt like I could take a breath, something else would drop in my lap.

Finally, the fight gave way to weariness. But the Lord met me there, and I feel like I’m breathing again.

Breath One

A few weeks ago, I read a verse that has given me purpose for this season:

“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary” Isaiah 50:4a (NIV).

That word “weary” jumped off the page at me. Reading and believing the word “sustains,” I took my first deep breath.

Breath Two

“When you walk through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” Isaiah 43:2 (NIV).

I read this verse in connection to the Bible Study I am going through right now, and it encouraged me greatly beyond the obvious. Notice the movement verbs in the middle of each phrase – “walk through”, “pass through”, “walk through” – going from one place to another, from one river bank to the other side. This encourages me because it shows that the hard times are only part of the journey. The difficult season is not going to last forever. I will reach the other side.

My lungs inhaled with the sweet breath of truth for a second time.

Breathing

When studying my purpose verse (Isaiah 50:4a), I noticed that the verse reads “a word (singular) that sustains the weary” and not “the words (plural)”.

So what is the word that sustains the weary?

The Lord reminded me of the familiar story of Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14. The disciples have just finished watching Jesus feed the 5000 and after a long day, they get on a boat. Jesus comes to them, walking on the water, and the disciples were terrified, convinced they were seeing a ghost.

Jesus tells them, “Don’t be afraid, it is I.”

Peter says, “Lord if it’s really you, tell me to come out with you on the water.”

Jesus replies with one word: “COME”.

One word to sustain the weary. One word to change our surroundings. One word holding out its hand to us, offering us breath.

Why one word? Because when you are wounded and weary, you can’t handle more.

Why that word? Because Jesus is the rest-giver. “Come to ME all you who are weary and burdened,” He says, “and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

As my head and heart met in the same place of understanding and began to involuntarily run with abandon towards the Father, I realized for the first time in months…

I was breathing.

“Make me the breath of God, and I’ll show them the one that means the most to me. They’ll see the face of love, be touched by the very one that died upon the tree.” –Shane Barnard

Carrie Wiley

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,- 2 Peter 1:3-5

Something keeps telling me that God’s promises are meant to be more than a distant vision, more than a beautiful work of the heavens that we can only gaze on from a distance and admire. Something tells me his promises are more than ideology but are intended to be realized.

Some of God’s promises seem this way to me at times. They are quite wonderful and extraordinary. They stand out like a bright shining star placed high in the night sky above me and captivate my attention. My eyes keep coming back to them, to enjoy them, study them and take them in; but as beautiful and as real as they are, that is as far as my possession seems to come. I have yet to pull them down from the heavens and make them mine. They are too far away, too good to be true, outside my realm, outside my reality, but always within my vision high above my head calling me to look up.

This is the way this verse initially struck me. It appeared to be a truth that seemed too high and too extraordinary for me to grasp, I could only gaze and admire it from a distance, but never quite possess it.

For all things are you …all are yours and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. – 1 Cor. 3:21-23

For his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence… 2 Peter 1 :3

Can you grasp the truth that all things are yours already? All we need to have, we have already available to us through Christ. “In every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge…so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end”, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” (1 Cor. 1:7; Luke 15:31)

God’s promises are not just beautiful truths to be wished upon, dream about and admired from a distance. They are extraordinary, but then again so is He so what else are we to expect from Him? As an extraordinary God, he offers us extraordinary gifts that we can never hope to obtain by our own efforts. These gifts are as far outside the reach of this world as He is. But to us, to those who belong to Him, they are within our reach as He is within our reach. His promises to us are as close to us as He is, for they are to be found in Him who dwells within us.

So how does one lasso the heavens and draw them near to grab hold of? It sounds like stuff fairy tales are made of doesn’t it? But we don’t have to. For as Romans says:

But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) or “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); – Romans 10:6-8

Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise given to us by God and he is already near us, in our mouths and in our hearts. When I look up and see a promise that seems too great, too far away for me to grasp and realize in my life, I only have to look to Jesus and remember how God made his extraordinary promise flesh that he might dwell among us within our reach so that his promises are fulfilled in our lives. God’s great promises have been grounded, there is no need for me to wish or dream for their fulfillment to take place in my life any longer. In Christ, they are fulfilled. This is the extraordinary and great promise that I am able to cling to and possess as my own.

We are excited to announce that Afshin Ziafat is joining our body as new Lead Pastor. Afshin and his wife Meredith will join us for their first Sunday on October 31st.

Afshin joins us after spending the last 10 years leading a ministry that took him all over the world to preach and teach. In recent months, God has been moving in his heart that it was time to pastor a church.

Along with leading our church as Pastor, the Elders have requested that he continue speaking at Vertical, a Monday night collegiate ministry in Waco as well as other key speaking engagements.

To find out more about Afshin, you can follow him on twitter or on his current website http://www.afshinziafat.com

If you have questions, please email elders@insideprovidence.com. We will be providing more information here on the blog and at our Covenant Service October 18th at 6:30pm.

Worship at St. George’s Cathedral couldn’t have been any more different than a usual Sunday at Providence.  Other than Jesus, it seemed everything was different at this Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Addis Ababa.

First, there was the leper who was begging outside the gate. I flashed in my mind to the story in Acts 3 of Peter and John healing the beggar outside the temple gates. Unlike the apostles, I didn’t tell him to stand up and walk. Instead, I began to think of how ancient this place was.

We walked into the courtyard and began to worship. Now, realize the whole service was liturgy in Amharic, so we couldn’t understand a word they were saying. But it was beautiful, I thought on how long these people must have been worshiping like this, back to when the Gospel first came to the Ethiopian people in Acts 8.

As we stood, we all noticed a blind woman who was making her way around the courtyard. She would take a shuffle forward, poke around with her stick, then reach down with her hands to make sure she wasn’t about to fall down a step.
It was painful to watch — I can’t imagine how her back felt after a day, much less a lifetime of this.

As she made her way around, worshipers would walk up to her and give her some change. To give you an idea of her usual donation, the most valuable Ethiopian coin is worth 1/2 half a birr — about a US nickel. One member of our team stepped forward to meet her needs as well. He quietly slipped her a 100 birr bill — the equivalent $10 USD.

As she pulled out her money purse from around her neck, a nearby woman stepped up and began to talk to her. It wasn’t until someone explained it that I understood what was happening.

Being blind, she didn’t know how much she had been given. She couldn’t read the bill. The blind woman assumed it was only 1 birr, which was probably as big a gift as she ever got. It wasn’t until the stranger intervened that she realized the gift was 100 times what she thought.

This woman fell down on her face and worshiped Jesus, for the great and unmerited gift she had been given. As I watched her weary bones rest and give heartfelt thanks to the King, I wondered how much I needed to do the same thing. How often God gives me a gift, and I treat it as routine and mundane, just enough to get me by.

I am increasingly convinced that this is what we do with God’s grace.  With think that God’s grace is enough to save us, and tuck it way and forget about it.

Yet God’s grace is some much richer than we ever imagine.  It’s not just enough to save us, but it’s enough to sustain us through the everyday.

When Paul was struggling through the thorn in his flesh, Jesus said it this way:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. -2 Cor 12:9

Jesus is the ultimate gift of grace.  The question I face everyday is, Do I think Jesus is sufficient? Is Jesus enough?

I pray I will grow in grace enough to realize He is enough — everyday in every way — He’s enough for what I need.

Editor’s Note: Jamie Preached a sermon expounding more on this topic you can listen to here.

photo credit: the|G|™

It was not too long ago that I saw a construction site just around the corner from our office proclaiming it was the future home of a 7-Eleven. Oh, thank heaven indeed.

You see, I have what some people would call an addiction to the blessed nectar of Diet Coke, so a 7-Eleven sitting around the corner with its veritable buffet of Big Gulps suits me just fine. Now it was not until just a couple years ago that I actually drank anything with carbonation or indulged in the supposed cancer-causing artificial sugar-y goodness. Those days seem to be long gone as it is normative to have a can or two as I work away in the office. I guess 12 ounces or so four times a week is not that bad, bet every so often having that 7-Eleven around the corner gets out of hand.

Out of hand because three out of the five Providence staffers are Diet Coke aficionados which means it is not rare to get a phone call from a staff member saying, “Want anything from 7 Eleven?” My normal response is, “I will take the usual.” And here is where the addiction comes in, “the usual” is a 44 ounce Super Big Gulp. Thus, on a day like this past Monday if “the usual” shows up on my desk twice in one day, I drink no less than 88 ounces of the righteous and sweet liquid.

My purpose for drinking such large amounts of the fake version of The Real Thing actually has nothing to do with thirst, rather it has everything to do with hunger. It is on pretty rare occasions that I eat lunch while at the office, so Diet Coke serves to trick my stomach into thinking it is full, maybe it is because of the airy qualities of carbonation or just the sweet taste – who knows. Call it suppressing the appetite, satiating hunger, or just a demented diet (one that I would never recommend); the fact is that I am substituting drink for food. In place of more, I am taking less.

As the Spirit was doing the normal work of conviction within my heart, I came to realize how often the Christian substitutes less for more. For example, how much more time do we spend reading books about the Bible than reading the Word itself? Is our mind more committed to the memory of sports statistics than Scripture verses? Are the songs we sing ones that are formed by the Word of God or are we singing cheap contemporary phrases about God formed by pop culture?

I guess the real question is: Is the Word alone sufficient for our life or do we need a substitute?

So here’s to the sufficiency of Scripture, may we taste and see that the Lord is good, and may we know that substitutes cannot satisfy!

. . . I think I am going to bring my lunch tomorrow.

photo credit: h.koppdelaney

I have always wondered what it would like to be a patient person.   An average day in the life of Jordan Stone is filled with instances and actions that scream impatience.

I am in a hurry whenever I drive somewhere, regardless of whether or not I am in the proverbial “pinch.”  And if you know me well, for me to be late means that the previous night brought the rarely seen blue moon.  I talk write fast, read fast, and talk even faster.  Every time my wife and I go out on a date she has to remind me to eat slowly – you have no idea how hard that is for me – so we can enjoy our meal together.

The constant impatience and hurry is a problem not just practically, but spiritually. Paul exhorted his young apprentice Timothy to

Preach the word; be read in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching – 2 Timothy 4:2

I love to meditate on this verse, but up until a few weeks ago I rarely thought much about the command to preach and exhort with patience.

Too often I am anxious (read impatient) for people to grow in maturity of the grace and knowledge of our Lord, forgetting how long it took me to grow in grace and knowledge.  And I am still not there.  So what can we do to grow in the fruits of patience?

Pray and remember the patience of God in His dealings with us.  Let us not be like those who presume upon the patience of God (Romans 2:4), rather let us stand back in amazement that God is continually patient with sinners like us.

Resurrection Eggs

1 – A piece of a cracker, broken (Matthew 26:26)
2 – 3 silver dimes (3 pieces of silver) (Matthew 26:14-15)
3 – 1 purple piece of cloth (felt or material – represents the purple robes) (Mark 15:17)
4 – Thorns (from any bush or rose) (Matthew 27:29)
5 – Scourge (piece of thick string or rope tied to a twig) (Matthew 20:19)
6 – Cross made of toothpicks (John 19:17-18)
7 – 3 Nails (John20:25)
8 – Sign that says “King of the Jews” (Luke 23:28)
9 – Sponge (Matthew 27:48)
10 – Spear (toothpick or straight nail) (John 19:34)
11 – Rock (Matthew 27:59-60)
12 – The tomb is empty!!! (Matthew 28:6)

Talk about the significance of His resurrection and that we can find new life in Jesus, just like He found new life being raised from the dead!

This Psalm provides a great example of how to teach our children what God has done in the Scriptures and let those events reveal His character and love. I would encourage you to spend some time in Psalm 78 by yourself, and then with your children.

What should we tell them?
We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. (verse 4)

How should we do it?
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. (verse 3) (the rest of the Psalm gives a great example of how to tell a story)

Why should we tell them?
So that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments. (verse 7)

May we shepherd our children with upright heart and guide them with a skillful hand (Psalm 78:72).

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

With those promises in mind, I encourage you to sing Scripture over your children and even have it playing in the background as you go throughout your day. There are several groups that publish verses put to song. Because we have the promise that God’s Word will not return empty, why wouldn’t we want to let it go forth over our children on a regular basis? So grab some cds, turn the volume up, sing along and have faith that His Word will penetrate the hearts of our little ones.

Recommendations:

Seeds Family Worship

Godprints – Scripture Memory Songs for kids (no site – available on ITunes)

But teaching a child the importance of spending uninterrupted
time with God every day is very important. Beginning to establish the home as a
place where we can hear and speak to God in the quiet of our hearts is a
powerful thing. I want to encourage you to consider working on this discipline
with your children. Here are some tips:

• Model this practice. Show your child that it is important to you to spend
  uninterrupted, quiet time with God. When your child sees you doing and enjoying
  it, he will be more apt to emulate it.
• Start small. It is not realistic to assume that on day one your child will
  sit still and quiet for any extended period of time. Set measurable, attainable
  goals and work your way up. Ten minutes a day is an appropriate amount of time a preschooler can be expected to sit quietly.
• Give specific ideas of things for your child to do. Some ideas are: flip
  through a picture Bible, draw pictures of Bible stories you’ve recently read
  together, draw pictures of things you’re thankful for or praying for. Drawing,
  looking at pictures or encouraging specific ways to think and pray are good
  places to start.
• Talk about what you both learned, felt or experienced in your quiet times.
  If you child knows he will be sharing his experience with you, he is more likely
  to take it seriously.
• Call it a quiet time. Whether the practice is already established or is new,
  make sure it looks and feels differently than normal self-play or “alone time.”
• Pray together before each day’s quiet time, setting the tone for your child
  and committing your time to the Lord.

Entering into a time of quiet worship and study can change the atmosphere of a home and usher in countless opportunities for growth and discussion. Try not to be intimidated by the idea. Start small, be faithful, and trust the Lord to work in your heart and the heart
of your little one as you both set time aside to be with Him.

May the Lord bless you in your times with Him

A – Adoration
This part of the prayer with your daughter might go like this:
Mom: Dear God,
Daughter: Dear God,
Mom: You are…
Daughter: God, You are good! You are kind! You are loving!

And with your son it might sound like this:
Mom: Dear God,
Son: Dear God,
Mom: You are…
Son: God, You are awesome! You are strong! You are fast! You are so fast if anyone challenged You to a race You would win!

C – Confession
Prompt your child to confess sin to a holy God. Prompt her then to thank God for His forgiveness.

T – Thanksgiving
Simply have your child tell God “Thank you” for specific people and/or things. If she needs prompting, you could direct her to places she regularly goes (thank you for my school, my church, the park) or people she often sees (thank you for my teachers, my friends, my parents) or things she likes (thank you or ice cream, basketball, warm coats).

S – Supplication
Encourage your child to pray for specific needs of people she knows. Everyday. “God, please help the baby in Mrs. Charity’s tummy to grow strong and healthy.” Try to direct her away from always praying about herself.

But what about all the family portraits we receive? The ones where talented photographers captured our “natural moments” so that friends can see our love of the outdoors? So much time and energy were placed into the making and sending of these photo cards. Here’s a quick and easy project that will give you an easy lesson for your children.

Go to your favorite mega-store and purchase a small photo album or scrapbook. Place all the photos in this book and then label them with the names of the family members. (Don’t worry if you have to cut the pictures up, you were going to throw them out anyway.) Now use this book daily (during breakfast, family worship time, kids devotional time) and pray for one family each day for the year. Next Christmas, replace it with a new one. What a great way to help teach your children to pray continuously, without ceasing.

Children are beginning, at a very early age, to understand and value using our gifts and time to build up the church. They are learning the value of attending worship every week – of recognizing the worth of receiving the teachings of church leaders, of spending time in song, prayer, confession and communion. They are seeing that this practice, this tradition, is not to be taken lightly or to be engaged in when convenient, but that it is something to partake of weekly.

When we worship we celebrate what the Lord has done in the past week, we celebrate with
expectation what he will do in the week ahead, and we proclaim to our children that this is a sacred time. Children will come to see Sunday worship not as a duty, but as a joy. They will understand it not as something obligatory, but as a necessary celebration and preparation in the midst of a life of distractions and obligations.

Anticipate – Communicate an excitement, a hope and confidence in what the Lord will do during service. Communicate it through words, attitudes and actions. If the week has been hard, you communicate your dependence by leaving your hurt at the foot of the Cross. If the week has been fun and exciting, you communicate your praise by celebrating and rejoicing before the King. Your child may not sit with you throughout the service, but they observe your attitude before and after. They can hear your prayers. And they can certainly tell when Mom and Dad are not excited to go to church. What is your attitude before worship communicating to your children?

Pray for your children.

After that, take some time as a family to think through some things you want to see God do in your lives this year. Consider things within your home, opportunities within the church or community, and hopes you have for extended family or friends. Write down your prayers and goals for this year and spend some time praying over them and asking God for the things on your list.

At the end of your time together, remind you children that God is Good and that as a family you will trust Him to do whatever He wants to within your lives this year. Spend a few final minutes praising God through song or prayer for His power, provision and love.

Truthfully, I’m not sure. But just like in evangelism, we must trust the Lord to cultivate belief. You can teach your children all the right answers, but it is God who changes their hearts to love.

I’ve written before about the importance of sharing your own story as a method of evangelism. Let me encourage you to take a similar approach when teaching your children about Christmas. Don’t stop at explaining what the birth of Christ means to the world, tell what it means to you. When you talk about the difficulty surrounding Mary and Joseph’s lot, explain how you would have felt were you in their place. When you describe the angels’ song of celebration, relay how you would have felt were you in the field with the shepherds.

Give your child a glimpse into your own love for Christ as it relates to the Christmas story. Share what it is about this time of year that stirs your heart to worship and that excites your faith and increases your joy.

Catechizing your children is not a bad thing. But don’t rely only on question-and-answer methods. Use Scripture and your own testimony to teach your child why Christmas reveals the Father’s deep love for His children and His plan to redeem them from sin.

• Mary was an unwed girl who became pregnant.
• Joseph would always carry the stigma of a man whose bride was pregnant before she was married.
• The parents of Jesus were lonely, poor and unknown in Bethlehem.
• King Herod planned to find and kill the child once he heard of His birth.
• Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt to escape the plans of Herod.

Depending on your child’s age (the older they get, the more they can comprehend and be exposed to) be honest and forthright about the actual events surrounding the birth of our Forever King. Because, interwoven amidst the unmarried mother, the poor, outcast shepherds, the murdering king and the fleeing family, there is the beauty of a world redeemed. Amidst the story of shame and scandal, there is a greater one of grace, humility and mercy. Miracle after miracle overshadows the ugliness of the fallen world.

In the context of a story we might otherwise try to protect our children from hearing, they can see and understand how “God works all things for the good of those who love Him,” (Rom 8:28) and in so learn to trust the Lord during hard times. After all, if Mary and Joseph could worship in the midst of all they were going through, so can we!

I encourage you to talk through some of your child’s favorite Christmas Carols. They often convey very deep, very sweet theological truths that unless looked for or explored, may be missed by you and your children. So talk through the lyrics to Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, and other favorites. Even secular carols can communicate the excitement of the holidays and provide a transition to talk about the spiritual.

So take some time these next few weeks to talk about the words we are singing, and, like always, let me encourage you to sing with your child often and loudly, and in so doing convey a joyful worship to our King!

The most precious gift we’ve ever received is the gift of our salvation and that is what we should daily be most thankful for. When talking with your children about the things you are thankful for, tell them that you are thankful that God, in His mercy, gave us Jesus to die to pay the price for our sins. Tell them that you are thankful that God gave us a way to be made right again even though we are so full of sin. Explain that God gave us Jesus to take all of our sins on Himself on the cross and that if we love and trust Jesus and accept His gift of death on the cross for our sins, we can be made right before God.

Don’t neglect to express joyful gratitude over your salvation this Thanksgiving and in doing so share with your children the most important message in the world!

When a child notices something out of the ordinary – an advent wreath, Scripture hung on the wall, a story told over a candlelit dinner – a parent has a unique and engaging opening to tell about the story of Christ. Establishing traditions with your family that will cause your child to take notice and ask questions is a powerful way to gain a hearing, and not just an obligatory ear, but a curious inclination to know and understand the reason behind new practices and activities. Anytime we can pique a child’s interest for spiritual things, we want to take that opportunity. This Advent season, I encourage you as a family to establish a new tradition that is rooted in the gospel story and will be an engaging exercise for your children and provide you as parents with the opportunity to worship as a family and to share with your child the reason behind the celebration and reverence of the holiday season.

Possible new traditions:

• Sunday night Advent story – each Sunday preceding Advent, gather as family to retell in part or in whole the Christmas story. Give 1 small gift a week.
• Carol Songs – sing traditional Christmas carols with your children before bedtime, but explain the words and meaning of the songs. Choose songs that talk about the birth of Christ and worship of Him.
• Nativity Scenes – make a new Nativity scene every year out of paper, cookies, clay, etc. Use this time as an opportunity to retell the Christmas story.
• Christmas Invitation – make an invitation inviting a friend, neighbor or family member either to Church or to a special family dinner. Include part of the Christmas story on the invitation. Deliver it by hand and retell all of the Christmas story to the recipient.

Now that I have given you the logistics, let me present a few ideas that you could use to involve your children in the process. Be sure to explain to them what you are doing and why. Let them know that one family will receive everything in the box that you choose for them. So on Thanksgiving Day they will be preparing and eating what you have chosen to give to them. Help them to pray for the family throughout the process.

• Read the list aloud as your children look through your pantry for items that you already have (make sure they haven’t expired). Several things on the list you may already have such as canned fruit and vegetables, macaroni & cheese, or an extra bottle of mustard. Even children as young as 18 months could help in this way, finding food they know.
• Print out the kid-friendly list, and bring it as you and your children go to the grocery store to choose items for the family. Read over the list together so that they know what all the items are. Using the pictures, your child can help you find everything on the list (the optional items are not included in this list). This will help them be involved in the process and you may find that your preschooler or elementary child has more fun at the store than usual when they have a job to do. Give them a pen or crayon and they can even check off the items as you find them.
• Make a huge pile of all the items on the list you have found or purchased. Get your list and call out the items as you pack them into a box. Very young children can help find things, and older children will be practicing spacial reasoning and logic skills as they try to fit everything into the box and not crush anything in the process.
• Get your family together and make a Thanksgiving card from your family to theirs. Preschoolers can dictate kind words, older children can write their own thoughts, budding artists can draw pictures of turkeys and potatoes, babies can even add their own scribbling. Have each child sign their first name to the card. Let the family know you will be praying for them.
• Pray for the family that will receive your box. Help your children remember to pray as you gather and shop, as you check and pack, and as you deliver the box to the church (by November 9th). Remember to pray for that family on Thanksgiving Day. And thank God that He has blessed your family so that you can help another family.

At Providence, we believe in redeeming Halloween. It is the only day in the year where the community comes to you – literally to your door. Because of that, we have a unique opportunity to meet people where they are (on our doorstep!) and bless them.
With a view to that end we take a couple of simple steps:

• Giving away full-size candy bars. We want the children to tell their friends about our house so we give away the best candy. Not only is it big, but it has a large sticker on it with information about the church. We take advantage of the real estate on the candy bar to get a message out.

• Yard Parties – Another way to make your house the best on the block is to do it up big. We do bounce houses, hot soup or chili or burgers and drinks for the parents, face-painting and little carnival games. This way, you’re not only seeing the children and interacting with them, but you get face-time with the parents while their children play. No longer are parents waiting at the base of the driveway while their children run up to the door and back down.

These ideas might be hard to achieve based on limiting variables. The point is, there are steps we can make to get out into the neighborhood, meet both parents and children, and show others that Halloween can be redeemed for God’s glory. A day that is taboo to some and downright wrong to others has the potential to bring people together and open up opportunities for the gospel.

So, should you choose to partake, make the most of your opportunities.

Happy Halloween!

Depending on the age of our children and the nature of our salvation stories, being honest to tell our testimony may be difficult. But let me encourage you to, as much as is appropriate, share your stories with your children. Our testimonies can be the most powerful tool we have for evangelism because they are our stories. So talk with your children about why you love Jesus. Tell them what He saved you from. Be honest about the life you now lead because of the saving work of our glorious Lord.

Let your children hear the stories of the God who saved you. May He be the God who saves them also.

It is amazing to me how much I can learn by writing or teaching a children’s lesson. The Bible says this about itself in Hebrews 4:12:

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

When we are teaching the Bible to our children, there is so much we can learn ourselves. Regardless of how many times we may have heard the stories, they are new! So my challenge to you as you teach your children is to search the Scriptures both for lessons and truths to communicate, but also for lessons and truths that you yourself can learn.

May we never be a people who think they have gotten all they can from any particular story or passage. May we always come before Scripture ready to learn.

But Sunday’s Bible story can serve to encourage spiritual conversation all throughout the week. Depending on how much your child remembers, you can add to the story each day or night. By mid-week, your child should begin to be able to tell you the story. By later in the week, maybe they can write it, act it or draw it out.

Make the story review a regular part of each day. Share what the particular story has taught you or how you felt when you heard the story. Talk with your child about what a particular story teaches about God, His love for us and our need for Jesus.

May Sunday’s stories serve to teach, encourage and equip you and your child throughout the week!

Music can be a powerful tool to communicate foundational truths, namely, the greatness of God. Children can begin to understand not only who God is, but why we sing to Him and what those songs communicate.

There are numerous CDs with songs that present Scripture, biblical attributes, character values and other spiritually enriching content that are fun to listen to and sing along with.
The great thing about singing with children is that they don’t care how good you are! I have absolutely no musical abilities, but when I sing with or to the children on Sunday mornings, they love it! I think it’s because children hear the heart behind my voice, a heart that loves to sing praises to our Lord.

Singing with the children not only teaches them truths about God, but it models praise and worship. Our children typically do not go to church with their parents, so for them to get to see Mom and Dad singing at home with them shows them what it looks like to come before the Lord in worship through song.

I want to encourage you to make singing with your child a part of every day. Be intentional in your song choices and choose music that reinforces the truths of what you’re teaching about God at home. Play the music during playtime or craft time and take time to sing along. What a great thing for a child to grow up in an atmosphere saturated by the Word of God expressed in word, deed and song!

A couple of my favorites:
Phil Joel
Seeds of Praise, Seeds of Worship

There are seasons in life when we give up things that normally play a large role in our day-to-day activities, in this case eating, in order to more eagerly and deliberately pursue the Lord through prayer. Just as we are intentional in our pursuit of God, so should we be in how we communicate this new season with our children.

Children notice when things change. When mom and dad don’t sit down for dinner, when snacks are left unopened and dessert left unprepared, children understand that something out of the ordinary is going on. Take the opportunity to have an open dialogue about why you and your spouse are not eating. Explain that when we go without, it is so that we can pursue the Lord in a more disciplined and uninterrupted manner. Explain that while food is a gift from God and something that we can partake of in worship, foregoing eating for a season can serve to renew purpose, insight and direction and increase worship and trust.

Instead of catching up on the day over a family meal, think of the testimony as your children watch you come together in prayer for your church. Instead of hearing the latest news or the plans for the coming weekend, imagine how powerful it would be for your children to hear you call out to God for wisdom and direction. Instead of the laughter and casual conversation that may accompany the normal dinnertime, think of the significance in a home in quiet contemplation and sober prayer.

Consider also ways you can encourage your children to fast. Maybe your child can fast from television, video games, or a favorite toy or electronic. Be creative in involving your children and helping them to see the part they can play in prayer and fasting. Walk through this practice with them, helping them to pray and worship as they give up some form of entertainment. What a sweet time you can share with your child as you seek the Lord together!

As with every act of worship, we want to deliberately communicate the heart behind the things we are practicing. As you obediently spend time in prayer and fasting during this season, make sure you are being careful to talk openly, pray openly and worship openly before the God who sees.

May the things you partake of and the things you refrain from serve to reveal to your children your love for God and His glory.

We were reading “How to drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God” and if you’ve never read it, it is truly convicting. The basic idea of the devotion is taken form 1 Corinthians 10:31. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Piper addresses living a life in which everything you do brings God glory. I don’t know about you, but this was a blow to my wonderful little world. You see, I live a good life. I love God, study my Bible, pray, serve in the church and obey the law. So, I consider myself a “good” person. Unfortunately, when you hold my life up to the light of this Scripture, all of the sudden, my good life seems dark. If I were truly honest, the “all” that I do each day seems to do little to bring God glory. So, with a lot of prayer and trust that God will one day complete this good work in me, I began working to change the way I approach life and the activities of the day.

I truly felt my heart was being changed and I was well on my way to “doing all to the glory of God,” when yet again my life was changed forever. In November of 2006, God blessed Barry and I with a son. All of the sudden, I was not only responsible for living a life that brought God glory, but I was also responsible for raising a son to do the same. The weight of this responsibility seemed almost overwhelming. Suddenly, I began to pray like never before. And, I began to seek out ways to make each moment I have with my son moments that would reveal the beauty and majesty of God, hoping that one day, God would save his soul and he would begin his own journey of living a life that glorified God.

Here are just a few ideas to help turn a basic necessity into a wonderful time of worship for your family.

First, mealtime is a time families need to spend together. This is a foreign concept in America, but I would encourage you to sit down together and share a meal.

Secondly, take a look at where you eat. Does your table look like a place of worship? This is not an excuse to go out and buy a new dining set (although I have tried to convince my husband we should!) It is an encouragement to be intentional about surrounding yourself with things that draw your mind and heart to God.

My favorite thing at our kitchen table is a placemat I made for my son. We actually have about 10 placemats that I made because I tend to go overboard. Kids (and adults) like color and things to look at while they eat. It’s why we read the back of the cereal box. So, give your children something beneficial to look at during mealtime.

Use construction paper or poster board to make your child their own placemat. If your child is in a highchair, trace the tray onto poster board to make a custom-fit placemat. Cover it with things you are trying to teach your children about: animals, their name, family pictures or maps. Then, pick a Scripture that relates to your placemat and write it on the placemat. Do the same thing with a different theme on the back. Take the placemat to Staples or Mardels and have it laminated. Now you have a two-in-one placemat that teaches your child. Make sure you talk about what is on the placemat during mealtimes. Read the Scripture to your child. If they are old enough, work on memorizing the Scripture. You can use this concept to teach your children Bible stories. You can use crafts they do at church to decorate their placemat. Have fun and be creative. These placemats can costs as little as $1, but can help create an atmosphere that opens up discussion to the things of God.

Additionally, use your words to bring glory to God and teach your children during mealtime. Start each meal with prayer. This is not a task or duty, but a brief moment to show gratitude to God for meeting our basic needs. Children need to see and hear their parents not only acknowledge God, but show affection for and the need of God himself. If you have children who can speak in complete thoughts, let them pray. Sure, sometimes their prayers will be difficult to understand or even silly, but they are learning to interact with God! Allow them the opportunity pray – you will often be amazed at the depth of their words.

Finally, be intentional and glorify God in what you feed your family. I’m not saying you should slave over a three-course meal where everything is made from scratch. But we should make sure our families are fed in such a way that gives them strength and health. As believers, we are daily at war with the evil one who will use all means necessary to bring us to destruction. Protect your family by keeping them healthy.

None of these ideas are groundbreaking, they are just simple ways to take a moment of the day and begin using it to bring God glory. Hebrews 10:24 tells us to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” My hope and prayer is that we can stir one another to honor God in our homes. Think about how you use your time and resources and look for ways to teach your children about God and glorify Him in all you do. Hopefully, one day soon we will all celebrate the salvation of our children.