Category Archives: Completeness

Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evangelism, Following, Inspirational, Ministry, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Promises, Service, Surrender, Witnessing

THE FIRST

MATTHEW 10:2-4

“2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.”

Of all the apostles, Simon, “who is called Peter,” is listed first. You could suppose that was because he was the very first one called by Jesus. But I think it was more than that. He was the only one whom Jesus changed his name. He was making a point. Simon would now be called Peter. He called him a rock, specifically a pebble that could be thrown.

Some scholars argue this referred to his future role as leader of the church. Jesus appointed Peter to be resolute and firm, compared to his original rashness and hot-headedness. Whatever the reason, Peter is the first of the disciples. Jesus chose him first. Jesus changed his name. Jesus used him fully. Jesus saw in Peter what he couldn’t see himself.

APPLICATION

Children often pick teams when they play games. I remember being chosen for teams during recess play times. No one wants to be chosen last. If you were picked first, it usually implied the one picking saw you as a good player and one who could help win the game. You had skills or at least the ability to make the team stronger.

Your child will probably face that situation and may come home dejected from being the last one chosen. Take them to this verse. “But Carl, won’t that make them feel worse?” Just wait! Listen, Jesus chooses ALL of us. We ALL have something to provide the team. Jesus sees in us what we can’t see ourselves. He sees what He will do to make us whole and complete. We just have to say “yes” and allow Him to use us.

Will you say “yes” today? Will you allow Jesus to make you part of His team of ministers spreading the gospel to a lost world? Peter was a fisherman. He was uneducated. He was brash and crude. But Jesus transformed him into the leader of the early church which shook the world. Jesus did in and through Peter what Peter could have never done on his own.

Father, take me and use me however You choose. Knock off my rough edges. Make me into an instrument of Your choosing.

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Bible, Child Raising, Completeness, Encouragement, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Scripture, Surrender

POURED OUT

TITUS 3:6

“whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”

Notice the first word of this verse – “whom.” Whom? Someone is poured out? That’s right. You have to look back at the last two words of verse 5 to understand this. It’s the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is “poured out upon us richly.” And look at how this done. “through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Only He can do that. That’s why He came. That’s why He ascended back to heaven.

At salvation Jesus infuses us, pours out on us the Holy Spirit. He fills every pore. He indwells us. How? Richly! Abundantly! Jesus doesn’t give us part of the Spirit. He doesn’t measure out a portion of the Spirit based on our potential. No! He sends THE Holy Spirit, all of Him, to fill us. He fills each of us simultaneously. That blows my mind.

APPLICATION

It’s important to remember that the same Holy Spirit that fills you as a believer is the same Holy Spirit that fills your child. You are connected by something far more powerful than shared DNA. The third person of the Trinity indwells both of you. How do you teach your children this? Well, I’ve got a simple object lesson that falls far short, but it gives a visual.

Get a large plastic tub. Fill it with water. Then get several glasses or jars, one for every family member. Label the tub “Holy Spirit.” Submerge each glass into the tub until all of them are under water. Ask your child which one is the fullest. Of course, they are all full. Explain to your child that’s how it is with the Holy Spirit is us. We are all filled without affecting the fullness of the other. And our filling does not diminish the ability of the Holy Spirit to fill others. The Holy Spirit is still whole. He just makes us part of His wholeness. Amazing.

Now, you can tear this analogy apart, I’m sure. Don’t analyze it. Just look at it as a simple object lesson to represent a Biblical truth. The Spirit has been poured out on every believer. And not just a small drop. No, richly! Abundantly. We are filled! Will you surrender to that fullness today?

O God of the Universe, thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit. I have no reason to not do as You ask because You are in me. Help me pour out Your Spirit on others.

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Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Completeness, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Eternity, Faith, Faithfulness, Fighting, Holy Spirit, Obedience, Parenting, Testimony

THREE GOOD F’S

2 TIMOTHY 4:7

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;”

Most of the time when you hear someone has three F’s you think failure. But not this time. Paul has “fought,” “finished,” and remained “faithful.” Those are three awesome F’s. First, he fought the good fight. Both the verb “fought,” and the noun “fight” come from the same Greek word from which we get the word “agony.” It means to strive as if in an athletic contest or a battle.

He finished the course. The word for “finished” has the word picture of the old pirate’s scope that unfolds to complete it for use. It reaches an end. And “course” is a race. Paul has come to the end of his race. Finally, he kept the faith. He has guarded and protected the faith he has proclaimed. The most important thing about these three F’s is they are all in the perfect tense which means the action has lasting results. That’s cool.

APPLICATION

Ask your children if they think it’s okay to fight. If you have taught them well, they will probably say it isn’t. Then read them this verse and explain some fights are worth fighting. We have to be ready to defend our faith. Have they ever run a race? If so, they know the fulfillment of completing that course. All the energy expelled is worth it when they cross the finish line. One day they will experience that, if they are a believer, when they finish the race we are in as Christians. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

And how do we teach them to guard the faith? By teaching them the truth of God’s Word. It’s not just a Sunday, feel-good book we read. It guides every decision they make. It is the truth above all truths. When they understand that, they will eagerly defend it against all attacks, thus defending their faith. The three F’s are still worth pursuing.

How’s your report card? Are you fighting, finishing and staying faithful? Sometimes we get tired in the fight. Don’t stop. The Lord is there to lift your hands. We get weary in the Christian race. Don’t throw in the towel. Keep your eyes on the finish line. And keep defending your faith against the enemy. Don’t give him an inch.

I will pursue these three F’s today. Above all I want to please You, O Lord my God. I know my efforts are strengthened through Your Spirit who indwells me, making all things possible.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Encouragement, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Service

FULLY EQUIPPED

2 TIMOTHY 3:17

“so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

There is nothing much worse than to plan a trip, get there and realize you left something at home. You had it ready – you just forgot it. You purchased it with the intention to use it. And when you get home, there it sits on the kitchen counter. It doesn’t do much good there.

Then Word of God is like that. Verse 16 tells us it is good for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. But is we don’t use it, if we don’t “pack” it, it is no use to us. We are given the Word to use, not to put on a shelf in the house. It is more than a Sunday book. It’s an everyday book that never gets old. It never gets dated. It stands the test of time.

APPLICATION

The next time you get a phone call from your son or daughter asking you to bring a something to school they forgot, remind them of this verse. That’s never happened to you? Just wait, it will. Playing basketball without your shoes is difficult. You are aren’t fully equipped. Presenting your science project without the poster board is impossible. You just have to have some things to complete the task.

It’s no different for your child spiritually. They can’t live the Christian life without relying on the Word of God to guide them. That’s why it is so important to teach them that the Word has applications to every life scenario. There is literally not a situation for which you cannot apply His Word. And the sooner they realize that, the more fully equipped they will be.

Are you half packed? Are you trying to get by on your wit and wisdom? Stop it! Take the Word and apply it to your life. Allow the Word to seep in and totally engulf every crevice of your existence. Living the Word frees you from making decisions that are based on your own experience. Now, that has a part in it, but it is always filtered through the Word.  Believe it.

Your Word, O Lord, is my guide. It fully equips me for every situation life throws at me. Give me the wisdom to apply it each time I need it.

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Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Contentment, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Scripture, Wisdom

WISDOM

2 TIMOTHY 3:15

“and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

What makes you wise? Knowledge? Not necessarily! I know a lot of people of who are very smart but aren’t vey wise. They know a lot of stuff, but don’t know what to do with it. Wisdom is far more than knowing stuff. It’s knowing what to do with the knowledge you have obtained. That’s Paul’s point here to Timothy.

And what is that source of knowledge? God’s Word. Since he was a boy, Timothy had been taught God’s Word by his mother and grandmother (see 2 Timothy 1:5). That knowledge leads to true wisdom – salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Because, come on, be honest. If you have all that knowledge and die without Christ, that’s pretty stupid.

APPLICATION

Wise children are obedient children. Wise children are respectful children. Wise children understand the importance of obeying parents, adults and most importantly, the Lord. And the only way to have wise children is through the instruction of God’s Word. They could have a 4.0 GPA and be dumb as rocks. It’s like I said earlier. Knowing what to do with knowledge makes you wise.

So, here’s the hard part. You have to let them apply their knowledge. You have to let them make choices that will affect their lives. They have to learn how God’s Word lives out in their lives through relationships and circumstances. If you continually rescue them from difficult situations where they have the chance to apply that knowledge, they will never gain the wisdom necessary to maneuver life’s challenges.

Where does your wisdom come from? Are you applying the knowledge of God’s Word you already have? If you have followed the Lord in salvation, you have already made the wisest decision of your life. Now, you simply need to continue in that pursuit of wisdom through salvation. You are in a process of salvation your entire Christian life, becoming more and more like Christ. What higher goal could you pursue for wisdom?

You are the all wise God who gives us exactly what we need when we need it. Help me pursue only the truth of Your Word to guide me in all wisdom.

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Blasphemy, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Contentment, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Money, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture

DO YOU SEE YOURSELF?

2 TIMOTHY 3:2

“For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,”

Paul begins a long list describing how people will act and live in the last, difficult days. There is no way we can look at each word, so I looked at similarities. Guess what I found. Most of the words in today’s verse (in the Greek) were totally changed by the prefix. Yep, that little thing that is attached to the front of the word.

That got me thinking. Do I have any prefixes on me? Do I allow outside influences to change me? For instance, do I use money or love money? Do I work to improve myself or love myself? Am I obedient or disobedient? Am I grateful or ungrateful?  Am I holy or unholy? I don’t want prefixes hanging on me that move me away from the Lord.

APPLICATION

Ask your child to describe themselves to you, as if you did not know them. They can use any words they want. Write those down on a poster or sheet of paper. Now ask them to describe how they want to be seen by others in twenty years. Write those words down on the same sheet of paper.

Are there any descriptors on the first list that will conflict with the desired descriptors on the second? Talk about that with them. The Lord wants to show us through His Word how to become more of what He wants us to be. But without direction, without purpose, we tend to drift to be more like the world and just fit in.

Do you have any prefixes hanging on you? Look closely. Are you allowing the world to change who you are? If you are consciously pursuing Jesus each day, you can rest knowing that He will only lead you in a direction that honors and lifts Him up. Let your influences come from within, from your Jesus-filled heart.

I praise You for transforming me at salvation from a godless person to someone who loves You and others. Help me focus on pleasing You and leading others to do the same. You are my prefix remover.

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Advice, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Contentment, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Family, Godliness, Life, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Service

MY DAD’S TEA GLASS

2 TIMOTHY 2:20

“Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.”

When I was growing up in my parents’ home, my dad had a special gold colored tea glass. That was his glass. We knew not to use it and for goodness sake, when we were washing it (yes, we hand-washed dishes back then), not to break it. That glass pretty much stayed full of sweet, iced tea in the refrigerator and by his chair in the evening. He did love his tea.

That glass was nothing special. I mean, we actually had nicer glasses in the house. But that glass served its purpose as my dad’s tea glass. Each of us have our purpose in the body of Christ. We may think some roles are more important or look nicer, but each and every role serves the purpose it is designed to do for the body of Christ. We should not look down on someone who is fulfilling the “wooden” or “earthenware” roles.

APPLICATION

This is so important to teach our children. In fact, I truly feel it is important for our children to have several of those “wooden” or “earthenware” roles in the family as they grow up. Taking out the trash is certainly NOT a “golden” role, but let that job not get done for a few days and see what happens. How about cleaning the bathrooms? Let that go undone for a week or two, and no one will want to go in there.

We teach our children these lessons in the home so they understand that in other areas of life. In the church or in school, they will have the opportunity to serve in a variety of roles. Keeping that servant’s heart in whatever role they fill will give them opportunities to be Jesus to others. Isn’t that our goal – to teach them to be more like Him?

How is your attitude when you are asked to roll up your sleeves and perform a menial task? Do you think you are above that or do you dive right in? Take the opportunity to serve wherever you are and however you can. Don’t let your ego or pride get in the way of receiving a blessing from someone you have the chance to serve.

Thank You, Lord, for giving me plenty of opportunities to serve You by serving others. Help me to not ever think I am above the job. I want to exemplify You in my service.

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SELF AFFLICTED

1 TIMOTHY 5:12

“thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge.” 

Have you ever known people who complain about how awful their life is only to find out their troubles are the result of their own decisions? People lose their driving privileges from DUI’s – self-afflicted. Getting a speeding ticket – self-afflicted. I could go on and on, but you see where I am going with this. Now, every situation is unique. However, most of our troubles (me included) are the result of self.

In today’s verse, the younger widows receive judgment or condemnation for deserting their first love, not for wanting to get married again. They had pledged to serve Christ but abandoned that calling. Before you judge them, however, we are the same way. We all just want what we want when we want it, disregarding previous commitments.

APPLICATION

We have the responsibility as parents to teach our children to keep their commitments. Once they agree to be a part of a team sport, they should complete that season unless injury or team conduct merits leaving the team. Once your child begins a project, they need to complete it. Finality is important. Seeing the project through to completion teaches great lessons.

Today, too many of us get bored with something and just drop it. We have forgotten the discipline of completion. We have forgotten the discipline of commitment. Don’t let your children do that. Hold them accountable. In the future they will thank you.

Are you guilty of quitting when it gets hard? If you are, go back and pick that project or task back up again. Finish it. Set some goals and accomplish them. Set reasonable goals, some you know you can meet. Then next time you can raise the bar a little bit. But just don’t quit.

Master and Teacher, You never quit on us. So, I will not quit on You. I will accept and complete the tasks You give me.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Completeness, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Eternity, Gifts, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Hope, Inspirational, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Thanksgiving

YOU’VE GOT A GIFT

1 TIMOTHY 4:14

“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” 

Don’t you just love getting gifts? I mean, even the smallest of gifts can be so exciting, especially when they are unexpected. The old saying goes “It’s the thought that counts.” That may be true, but that gift counts too, lol.

As a believer in Christ, we receive spiritual gifts from the Father when we accept Christ as our Savior. Strong’s Concordance defines this word as “divinely empowers a believer to share God’s work with others, i.e. Spirit-empowered service to the Church to carry out His plan for His people.” So, these are gifts you receive for one purpose – to share with others.

APPLICATION

Try this with your little Johnny or Susie. Give them a gift but explain to them that they have to share it with their siblings. What kind of response to you think you will get? Depending on the gift, you may get a “Sure Dad, I’ll be glad to do that” or “What!? This is mine. They can get their own.”

It’s not about the sharing, though, with spiritual gifts. It’s about benefitting someone else. You see, our spiritual gifts actually help others grow spiritually. Our gifts never run out. We can’t exhaust them. They come from above, so the power source is eternal.

What is your gift? Are you sharing it? God wants you to use your gift (and if you are believer, you have one) to build the Body of Christ. He wants you to exercise that gift in a way that blesses the church and those in it. He wants you to enjoy using your gift. If you don’t know your gift, talk to your Pastor. He can help you find a good Spiritual Gifts Inventory to use to help you.

Father, thank You for the gifts You have empowered me with to help others grow. I do enjoy using those gifts. But more importantly I love pleasing You with my obedience.

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WE ALL NEED NOURISHMENT

1 TIMOTHY 4:6


“In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”

We have ANOTHER one-time used word today. The Greek word for “nourishment” is only used right here.  It means to be “in the state (condition) of being nourished, to be trained by continuous instruction in the area of skill and practical knowledge. This happens by receiving God’s gift of faith which has lasting effects.”

That’s a long definition, I know, but I wanted you to see what this word really means, especially the “lasting effects” part. Proper nourishment, whether it’s physical food or spiritual food, should have lasting effects. It should sustain us. It should strengthen us. It should help us grow in our faith. Look at what  does it. Paul says “the words of faith” and “sound doctrine” are our nourishment.

APPLICATION

The next time you sit down at the family table for a meal, read your little Gertrude or Elrod this verse. Explain that just as important as good nutritious food is to their bodies, our spiritual life needs nourishment. Ask them what they think would happen to their bodies if all they ate was candy and colas. I am pretty sure they will have some great answers.

Then ask them what will happen to their walk with Christ if we put false teachings and other beliefs in our minds and hearts. And what will happen if we don’t feed our spirits at all? It will starve to death just as our bodies will without food. They really need to understand that is why you spend time with them in the Word and in prayer. You are feeding them spiritually.

How healthy is your spirit today? When is the last time you had a nice, nutritious spiritual meal? When is the last time you ate spiritually? Is your spirit starving? Turn to God’s Word. In it you will find all the sound doctrine and truths you need for healthy living.

O God, You feed me but only when I come to the table. You won’t force feed me, I know. I want to grow healthier in my daily walk with Christ.

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