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BEHAVE YOURSELF

1 Timothy 3:15b “I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

PROPER CONDUCT

I love the way Paul wrote this.  In verses 1-13 Paul gives instructions about choosing elders and deacons.  He says all of this so they will know how to behave.  Proper conduct is important for Christians.  It is especially important for Christian leaders.

How will the world know we are different if we don’t act different?  I am far from perfect.  I have made and will probably still make a lot of mistakes in my life.  I don’t always live “properly.”  I sin.  I wish it wasn’t true, but it is.  But I know God’s Word will direct me, if I will let it.

TEACHING MOMENT

This is why we must teach our children to live lives that honor God.  We want them to honor the family name and not do anything to bring shame on it.  But how much more important is it that they not bring shame on the name given to them by their Heavenly Father.

That name is “Christian.”  They are a child of the King, if they have asked the Lord into their lives.  While mistakes in life may shame their earthly name, no one is going to lose their salvation over that.  But if we bring shame on God’s name by our lifestyle of sin, we could possibly turn someone away from the Gospel.  That would be tragic.

How’s your conduct?  Do others know you are a follower of Christ?  Do they see you as different?  If not, perhaps you need to take a fresh look at your walk with Him.  Walk in such a way that others will WANT to meet your Jesus.

Forgive me, Father, when I fall short of Your commands.  I do want to please You.  I do want to lead others to Your throne of forgiveness.

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FORGETFUL GOD

Psalm 25:7 “Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.”

REMEMBERING GOD

Why do you think David was asking God to forget his youthful indiscretions?  Probably the same reason we do.  Don’t you have stuff in your past which you wish you could forget?  Don’t you have things you wish God would forget?  Who doesn’t?

Well, there’s good news.  He does.  Once we confess those as sin and ask for forgiveness, they are gone.  God extends His lovingkindness to you and me and all is forgotten.  Pretty awesome, right?

TEACHING MOMENT

We forgive our children for their wrong doings.  We confront them and possibly discipline them, but we forgive them.  The difference between us and God though is we can’t forget them.  The next time your little Susie does the SAME thing again, what do you say?  “Susie, I told you before that you would be in trouble if you did that again.”

Just like that, they are reminded of their failure.  Now, children need to be reminded of the rules and your expectations.  But we, as parents, need to work on not holding things over their little heads.  Believe me, they know they have done this before.  They don’t need reminding.  Just deal with it and forgive.

I bet there are things you need to confess today.  Do that right now.  There are probably people you need to forgive today.  Do that too.  Ask the Lord to give you the ability to forget those things.  Only He can do that.

Jehovah God, forgive me and forget my sins.  I claim the blood of Jesus over all my transgressions. I am secure knowing that He has paid the price for me.

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LOVE THAT’S VISIBLE

2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;”

GROWING LOVE

What a beautiful tribute to the Thessalonian believers.  Paul is thanking God for them.  He is grateful for their growing faith and their love for each other.  Wouldn’t you love for someone to say that about you?  How about your church?  Could that be said about your church?  If not, how can you change that?

I believe their growing faith is the very reason their love for each other is growing.  Be honest!  There are some people in your church that are hard to love.  But as your faith grows, so does your love for them.  You see them as Jesus does, and you know He loves them.

TEACHING MOMENT

Your little Susie will love others more as she loves Jesus more.  Your little Johnny will see others with “Jesus eyes” only after he knows Christ personally. You can model this love for others, but you really can’t make it happen.  This only comes through the growth of their own faith.

But you definitely can show them how you love others.  Be careful what you say about others.  You don’t want little ears to pick up the negative comments in your head.  And when they start to complain about someone, ask them how they could be kind to them.  And then help them do that.

I am sure there are people in your life whom you would rather avoid than talk to.  We are only human.  But today, look at them with the eyes of Christ.  Would He talk to them?  Would He listen to them?  I think so.

Lord, I can’t love others as You do.  But I can allow You to love them through me.  Help me to yield my life to You today and show someone in need the love You have for them.

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LIFE

Psalm 21:4 “He asked life of You, You gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.”

ETERNAL LIFE

You really need to read this whole Psalm.  David is thanking the Lord for giving him life.  But there’s so much more.  David was bold enough, secure enough in his relationship with Jehovah God, to ask Him for life.  That caused me to ask myself a question.  Do I have that kind of relationship?

Now, I know that I have eternal life promised to me through Jesus.  But am I bold enough to ask the Lord to lengthen my days?  Of course, that request must be asked with the right motive. I must ask, not for me, but for others. Will the Lord lengthen my days so I can be used longer?

TEACHING MOMENT

Children come into this world with no promised number of days.  The Lord knows that number, but we don’t.  We, as parents, need to pray for the Lord to lengthen their days.  We should ask the Lord to remove their enemies.  We should pray Psalm 21 over them.  We should be as bold as David.

“Well Carl, that’s kind of presumptuous, isn’t it?”  No, not at all.  We are told to bring our requests to the Lord.  What better request than to ask the Lord to bless our children and use them in His kingdom work for years and years?  What better way to honor the Lord?

Are you that bold?  Do you dare to approach the throne of God and request life? I am.  You should be too.  Let Him hear you cry out for life abundantly.  He loves you and wants what is best for you.

Lord, thank You for giving me life. Thank You for extending my days.  Let me use them to honor and bless Your name.

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MY STRENGTH

Psalm 20:7 “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.”

 OR HIS

It seems there are a lot of verses on bragging and boasting.  We are warned again and again about not being conceited or “stuck up.”  We have plenty of examples of individuals in Scripture who did just that.

But here in this verse we are given the very thing to brag and boast about – the name of the Lord, our God. Now that is something to brag about! Why?  Because He is eternal.  He is never going to change.  He ALWAYS wins.  His name is comforting.  His name is “I AM.”

TEACHING MOMENT

Try this!  Keep a brag book.  That’s right, I said keep a brag book.  But here is the guideline.  Only write down things that the Lord has done in your family.  Every night at dinner ask your family what the Lord did that day. Now some days it will so easy to name something, and other days it will be hard. It will be hard, not because the Lord hasn’t done anything, but because we weren’t watching.

Right now, take a moment and write down one thing the Lord has done for you in the last 24 hours.  Go ahead…I’ll wait. – Got it?  Good.  Now start your book.  You will be amazed when you go back and read your entries.  You will have forgotten a lot of these blessings.  Remind your children of some of them when they are struggling. God is always at work.

Are you doubting God?  It’s okay.  We all go through times when we feel closer to Him than at other times.  Reflect on His past blessings in your life.  Thank Him for being faithful to you.  He loves to hear our praise.  Boast in His name today!

O Lord, our God, I will boast of You today.  I will brag on You to others.  I will give thanks for all You have down in and through me.

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THE APPLE OF HIS EYE

Psalm 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.”

SPECIAL

Isn’t this a special verse?  You’ve heard it said, maybe even about you or your child, that someone is the apple of their father’s or mother’s eye.  You know what that means, right?  It means they are the center of their universe.  That child is all the world to them.  God says that about us.  We are the apple of His eye.

Don’t you feel special now?  Come on, don’t you?  Maybe you are having a bad day and are not feeling very special. Read this verse again.  It says, “Keep me…”  That implies that we already are.  If that is true, how can you feel bad.  God is focused on you today.

TEACHING MOMENT

Now, let me warn you about something. Don’t make your children “the apple of your eye.”  Now hear me out!  Don’t put all your attention on your children to the detriment of your relationship with the Lord.  Don’t substitute your devotion for your spouse for that of your child’s.

There is an order to things.  We love God first and family second.  And the order in the family must be your spouse first and then your children.  You don’t love your children less, but you love your spouse first.  After all, isn’t that how it all got started?

 So, today focus on the Lord.  He’s focusing on you.  You ARE the apple of His eye.  Pay special attention to your spouse today.  Make them feel like they are the apple of your eye.  And finally, give that child the extra hugs they need today. They will always receive that.

Father, I am amazed that You even look at me, much less call me the apple of Your eye.  I am not worthy, outside of Christ, for any such attention.  But I thank You for “seeing” me that way.

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SALTY SPEECH

Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”

 I THOUGHT THAT WAS A BAD THING

Whenever you hear someone described as having a “salty tongue” that usually implies they are prone to use curse words or harsh tones a lot.  It does not mean they are always eating salt.  LOL.  But here in this verse Paul is giving the Colossians advice on how to deal with people.

What does salt do?  It gives flavor.  It makes things taste better, if used in the right proportion.  It can even make bitter coffee less bitter if you sprinkle a little in your cup.  How about that?  We should make our remarks to others less bitter.  We should measure our words carefully.  This will allow us to be able to respond to people properly.

TEACHING MOMENT

Children definitely need to learn this when they are young.  We must teach them to talk to others with respect and honor, even when they may not “deserve” it.  Our response to them is a reflection of Jesus.  They may only know Jesus through us, so we must represent Him well.

Children can be cruel.  If you have or have ever had a middle schooler, then you know what I mean.  They can say the meanest, harshest things to each other.  Teach your children to respond with grace, as though seasoned with salt. I promise in the long run, it will do them good.

Do you struggle with a salty tongue? I don’t mean that in a good way. I mean, do you say harsh things to others if you are offended.  Hold your breath, count to ten and ask yourself how Jesus would respond.  I am not pulling out the old WWJD slogan (even though it is a good one).  I am suggesting that you remember whose you are.

Lord, it’s hard at times to hold my tongue.  It’s hard to speak grace when I want to hit someone. I’m just being honest, Lord.  Give me the words to say that will speak Jesus to others.

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SING TO THE LORD

Psalm 13:6 “I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.”

 SONGS OF THANKSGIVING

How great is the bounty of the Lord! No matter what I am facing, He is faithful.  He always comes through and meets me right where I am.  David says here that God has “dealt bountifully with me.”  How true, how true!

But what does that mean?  How does the Lord “deal bountifully”?  The word means to do good to, to deal well with. In other words, God always does the right thing at the right time in the right way.  We can depend upon that.  Everyone else may let us down.  Not God! He is there!

TEACHING MOMENT

Oh me!  How important is this to teach our kids!  They are going to face disappoints by friends.  People are going to turn on them and let them down.  They will come home heartbroken over a lost love. They will feel shunned not getting that party invitation when all their other friends did.

I am not making light of their feelings.  These hurts are real and they…well…hurt.  These are the times you can read them Psalm 13.  The first four verses sound downright depressing. But then David realizes the Lord is still there.  He has always been.  Your children need to see this too.

Are you feeling kind of down today? Has someone hurt you?  Have you been abandoned by a loved one?  Turn to Jesus.  He is faithful and true.  He will deal bountifully with you.  He will do the right thing for you as well.

Abba Father, You are always there for me.  I cannot thank You enough for Your faithfulness in my darkest moments.  I know I can always depend on You.

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FLATTERING LIPS

Psalm 12:3-4 “3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things; 4 Who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’”

BEWARE

Oh, brothers and sisters, beware of those who boast of themselves or others.  People who are “good talkers” can win a crowd with their words.  We see it all time.  Some politicians are great at it.  Of course, they almost always boast of themselves.  Lawyers are skilled at influencing jurors with their side of the argument.  Even preachers can use their words (instead of God’s) to sway a congregation.

We are warned about their motive. They say, “Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”  They truly believe no one is over them.  What they say goes.  Their tongue is their weapon of choice.  Beware! If someone pays you unsolicited compliments, step back about 10 feet and ask yourself what they really want.

TEACHING MOMENT

What is my point?  We should only boast in the Lord! He is the only one worthy of praise, not ourselves or others.  Teach your children that.  Boasting and bragging is not really flattering at all.  It is conceited and obnoxious.  It drives people away.  Don’t let your children get into this habit.

Teach your children to direct all praise about them upward.  Give credit where credit is due.  It is God who gives us the abilities to perform well.  He gifts us with strong minds or bodies.  When we see others excelling, praise God for their achievements, even if they don’t.

Are you boasting about yourself? Are you bragging on your kids too much? Let the Lord do the exalting.  He is quite capable to making these things known if they are worthy.  Humbleness is rewarded in due time.  Let the Lord boast on you.

Lord, the song says, “O Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.”  I know that is not true.  Help me show the other side – humility – each and every day.

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THE FACE OF GOD

Psalm 11:7 “For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.”

WE SHALL BEHOLD IT

Can you imagine?  Beholding the very face of God!  God’s Word says we will, if we are named among the righteous. If you are a Christian, if you have asked the Lord Jesus to come into your life and dwell, if you have surrendered your will to His, then you too are called righteous.  Not because of anything you have done – no sir!  You are called righteous solely based on what He has done.

And because He has declared you righteous, you will behold the face of God one day.  What will you do when you see God?  I don’t know about you, but I plan to fall flat on my face and stay that way for about a million years.  Just to be in the presence of God will be overwhelming – much less to see His face. Wow!  I can’t imagine.

TEACHING MOMENT

Ask your little Johnny what he thinks of when he sees you each day.  Ask him what comes to mind when he sees your face after you have been out of town for a couple of days.  His words just may surprise you.  Words like “love” or “joy” or excitement” might be used.

Tell him that as good as it seems to see you each day, one day, as believers in Christ, we will get to see the perfect face.  We will see the holy face.  We will see the pure love face.  As good as your face may look to your child, seeing God’s face will be so much better. They will literally see love and light.

Are you tired of looking at sad faces? Take a minute and catch a vision of God. Imagine looking into His face one day. Imagine something even better. Imagine Him looking into your face with His eyes which will pierce your soul.  I can’t wait.

Oh Lord of eternity, look my way.  Allow me to look on You.  I long to see Your face.

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