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Chap Bettis

A Mature Leader Knows He or She Needs Wisdom

By Christian Living, Family Discipleship, Leadership

A mature leader will know he needs wisdom to honor the Lord and not hurt people. As mentioned in the introduction, knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is the art of skillful living. It is living in line with God and the way he has made the world work. It is weighing all the biblical information and knowing which principle to apply now given the current situation.  Leading well, whether in the church or home, requires wisdom. As Solomon began his reign, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and invited him to request anything. Solomon asked, “Give your servant therefore an…

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Made to Rule and Reign

By Christian Living, Family Discipleship

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. You know those names well. They are, of course, the children from C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. In Narnia the wicked witch has made it always winter but never Christmas. The four of them, as Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, are meant to rule and reign in Narnia, to bring the rule of Aslan back to a cursed land. This quest involves bravery, battle, faithfulness, and, of course, growth in their character. Who are Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy meant to represent? You and me!  You and I are meant to bring the…

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Pulling the Fire Alarm

By Family Discipleship, Leadership, Marriage

Several months ago our church hosted a marriage conference. You can hear one of the speaker’s session on conflict here. During the last session, there was a panel with couples who had been married for different amounts of time. Sharon and I were asked by our senior pastor to be on the panel as the older couple. At first, we objected. “We are hear to learn,” we told him. On the panel, we were open and honest about how hard we have had to work at our marriage. In Sharon’s words, “If marriage is a dance, then there are times it felt…

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Marriage Panel – A Real-Life Conversation and Encouragement

By Family Discipleship, Leadership, Marriage, Podcast
Marriage conferences can encourage and challenge us with the principles they teach. But how does it work in real life? Would you like to hear from some not so perfect couples? We’re continuing a short three-episode series on marriage and in this episode, you’re going to hear from two couples who have been married a while. They talk about how their marriages have endured and flourished over the years. ----- We want to help you raise strong disciples of Jesus Christ, who can stand strong in today's culture, and you can get the audiobook of the Disciple Making Parent absolutely...
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Deepak Reju – Handling Conflict in Marriage

By Family Discipleship, Leadership, Marriage
In today's episode, I want to share with you some information that's helped me. Our church recently hosted a marriage conference where Deepak Reju was the speaker. I found his third session on handling conflict especially helpful. In it,  he talked about how to deal with fights, how to pursue understanding your spouse, and how to make a genuine apology. So I believe you are going to be truly blessed by this episode. Deepak Reju serves as the pastor of Biblical Counseling and Family Ministry at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. He and his wife Sarah, have five...
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By Wisdom a House is Built

By Family Discipleship, Parenting: Childhood, Parenting: Early Years, Parenting: Teens and Beyond

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4 As a pastor, I have had the privilege of meeting with a number of couples to walk through some premarital counseling. More recently, it has been a joy to do this in partnership with my wife. In addition, we have had the honor of helping other couples struggling in their relationship. More and more I find myself coming back to the above verse as foundational to everyone’s thinking. By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by…

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Travis Rymer- 1 Peter 3 and Honoring Christ In Your Marriage

By Marriage, Podcast

Are you struggling in our marriage? What God intended for good can be incredibly difficult at times. How can God’s word help?  We know that marriage is the most intimate of relationships. Our marriages display the gospel to our children and to the world. God loves and blesses the institution of marriage. The Bible begins with a wedding and ends with the marriage of Christ and his bride. And yet marriage can be difficult. when two sinners are that close, problems arise.  Could this be why marriage rates have dropped? According to the US Census Bureau, only 25% of Americans age…

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The Godly Quality of Active Learning

By Christian Living, Parenting: Childhood, Parenting: Early Years, Parenting: Teens and Beyond

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. Luke 2:46 Jesus is our perfect Savior and Sacrifice. He is perfect God and perfect man. There are many aspects of his life that are not meant to be repeated. However, there are some that serve as an example for us. In the verse above, Luke records a moment in Jesus’ life at 12 that should serve as an example for both adults and teens. In this well-known story, Jesus had been brought to Jerusalem for the Passover. But as his family left…

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Chris Martin – How the Social Internet Threatens the People You Lead

By Christian Living, Family Discipleship, Leadership, Podcast
In today's episode, we will be thinking about social media. We know our devices go with us everywhere. We also know that one specific application, social media, influences us and everyone around us—including our children. So what are we to do? In this interview, we talk with Chris Martin about his new book, The Wolf in Their Pocket, 13 Ways the Social Internet Threatens the People You Lead. We cover a variety of different topics surrounding social media. ----- We want to help you raise strong disciples of Jesus Christ, who can stand strong in today's culture, and you can...
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Why are Christians so Judgmental?

By Christian Living, Church Life, Family Discipleship

“Everyone in our church is so judgmental.” So said one of my children when returning home from their sophomore year of college. “What are you talking about? Our church certainly has made many faults, but I would have never put some of the members of the church in the judgmental category. Help me understand where this is coming from. Can you give me some examples you have seen or heard that I may not be aware of?” As that child went on to try and explain the reason they said that, their real heart condition became clear to me and eventually them….

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