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Clearly Playing: Balancing Playtime and Proper Behavior

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

Here’s a quick take article on two different real-life scenarios that I think illustrate a similar principle. Scenario 1: I was having dinner with a friend when he mentioned an issue he was having. (I have permission to share.)  My friend can be serious and sober about the things of God. But when he gets on a roll, he can be hilarious, sarcastic, and snarky. I love it.  Sauce served with a smile. The problem has come because, as he is playing around with his son, my friend has found himself relating to his young son in this way. It is fun and…

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Glimpses of the Believer’s Glory

By Christian Living, Family Discipleship, Leadership, Podcast
Have you thought biblically and clearly about your coming glory? That's right. Your glory. Does that sound heretical to you? Then, you'll want to listen to this episode. In this episode, you'll be surprised at the findings that we, as believers, are headed for a glorious existence that we can't even imagine and will receive rewards or glory from Christ that will shock us. This is the third episode in a three-part series on glory. ----- 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...
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Thoughts for the Strong-Willed Child

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

When I am out speaking, the Q and A time can help bring up issues that I did not cover. And they’re great questions. The following is one from a recent conference. You will notice that much of the material comes from Parenting with Confidence. “I’ve got two young children. One is strong-willed, and the other is very sweet. I feel like I am correcting and disciplining the first one all the time. It feels out of proportion. Do you have any suggestions?” That’s a great question! Here are some things to keep in mind that apply to parents of younger children. I’m sure…

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Glory: Understanding a Confusing Religious Word

By Christian Living, Family Discipleship

At different times, I have been asked, “Why do you write?” One reason is when something is bothering my brain. I feel like I have to figure it out and clear in my head. I hate fuzzy thinking! That is part of the motivation behind this three-part series that I am posting on the podcast. I became increasingly bothered by our regular use of the word glory. What do we mean when we speak of God’s glory and our glorifying him? I ended up preaching a series of three short messages on Sunday night at my church. The first is entitled Glimpses of God’s…

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Glimpses of Christ’s Glory

By Christian Living, Family Discipleship, Leadership, Podcast
Do you feel stuck in your spiritual walk? Are you an older Christian who opens his Bible and thinks, "I've heard this before?" Do you worry that you are coasting in your Christian life? In this episode, we will look at the key to finishing strong, which is pressing more into the glory of Christ. We will learn Jesus is the focal point of God's glory, and we are to sense that glory increasingly. This is the second episode in a three-part series on glory. ----- We want to help you raise strong disciples of Jesus Christ, who can stand...
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Words That Last Forever: The Importance of Scripture in Today’s World

By Christian Living, Discerning Culture, Family Discipleship, Scripture & Scripture Lists

In 1949, George Orwell wrote 1984 as dystopian novel in which books are banned.  Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1931 as a dystopian novel in which books don’t have to be banned. They are ignored by people. As many have noted, we are living in Huxley’s world. Between the Internet, our phones, and our conversations, who knows how many words a person encounters in a day? Yet, how many are the word of God? We don’t have to ban the Bible because it’s getting drowned out. The following list might encourage you with the gift you have in your hands. Read, meditate on, memorize, and…

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Leading Well in the Storms

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

The following is a rough excerpt from a resource I am working on. In this chapter, I argue that “managing our household well” does not mean we will have no problems. It does not mean we have to appear as we have it together all the time. But it does mean that when the storms come, we will handle them in a godly manner. Understanding the storms will come, how does a leader respond in a godly manner? I would suggest there are at least three steps in the cycle. First, we seek to prevent problems. Rather than having a reactive leadership, a wise father…

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Glimpses of God’s Glory

By Christian Living, Family Discipleship, Leadership, Podcast
Have you ever wondered what the word "glory" means? As Christians, we throw that word around a lot, but we don't actually know what it means. In this three-part series, we will cover the topic of glory. In this first podcast, Glimpses of God's Glory, you can listen in on a short topical sermon as I take us through four different uses of the word. ----- 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 free. Simply visit: http://www.thedisciplemakingparent.com/freeaudiobook/...
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When You and Your Spouse Don’t Agree

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

What if my spouse and I disagree on child-rearing decisions or philosophy? The classic conflicts that newlyweds face–where to squeeze the toothpaste, which way the toilet paper rolls–have their equally classic counterparts in parenting: What activities do we choose and how many? Can the kids play before their chores are done? Do the kids even have chores? What’s the response to someone not finishing what’s on her plate?” Disagreement in child-rearing can be a common occurrence. After all, two well-intentioned Christian parents will have different approaches to child-rearing, child discipline, and the individual decisions we each have to make for our children. The…

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Hospitality: A New Testament Value and Duty

By Christian Living, Church Life, Family Discipleship

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer…Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Acts 2:42, 46, 47 Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13 Now the overseer must be…hospitable. 1 Timothy 3:2 There is something mystically bonding when true hospitality occurs. The more a church becomes building oriented, the more this spiritual activity will atrophy. In a healthy church, hospitality and table fellowship are occurring in families and across families. There is nothing…

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