Category Archives: Courage

Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Courage, Encouragement, Evangelism, God's Will, Inspirational, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Testimony, Witnessing

GOD OR MAN

ACTS 5:29

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

This verse is part of the story in Acts when Peter and the apostles had been arrested by the High Priest and thrown into prison for preaching about Jesus. They had been warned earlier about it but kept on preaching. God sent an angel who released them and where did they go? Right back to preaching.

In this verse Peter is before the High Priest again. He doesn’t back down. You don’t see Peter and the apostles wringing their hands. They stayed committed to their calling and kept preaching the Gospel. When it came down to whom to obey, they didn’t blink. They would obey God.

APPLICATION

Teaching our children to obey God is probably one of the most important tasks we have. We can’t make them obey, of course. But as we correct behaviors, we point them to the Word of God, which is God speaking to us. Our corrections are not what we think are best. They are we know God says is best.

Obeying God can be costly. Our kids need to know that. The world will, at some point, present a situation to your kids when they must choose. When that time comes, you as Mom and Dad must be there to support their decision to obey God, even if it costs them dearly.

Will you obey God or man? If presented a situation that will cost you dearly if you chose to obey God, would you do it? Standing up for God is the safest place you can be. When you stand up for Him, He will immediately be there. Will it be hard? Sure. But knowing the Master of all is there with you brings you comfort.

I will obey You, O God. Obedience to You is more important than anything else in my day.

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JUDGE IF YOU HAVE TO

Acts 4:19

“But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;”

Obeying God can have consequences. Peter and John faced this dilemma when the Jewish authorities ordered them to stop preaching about Jesus. People were coming to Christ due to the miracles they were performing and their message about repentance. The Jewish leaders didn’t want that.

But Peter and John knew they had to answer to a higher authority. They weren’t trying to be ugly or hard to get along with. They just knew the Lord had told them to preach the Gospel, so they had to. They were willing to accept the consequences that could have come from the authorities.

APPLICATION

Years ago, I served as Chaplain at a Children’s Home. Occasionally, former residents of the home would want the Chaplain to marry them in the Chapel on campus. When I could, I was honored to do so. On one occasion, however, I was asked to marry two former residents who both had multiple former marriages. I couldn’t do that and remain true to my calling. I was questioned by the Superintendent why I refused. Fortunately, he understood and supported my decision. But I was prepared to leave my job if necessary.

Your children may face a decision between standing up for Christ and their beliefs or giving in to pressures from others. You have to prepare them now for those times. They have to know why they believe what they believe. They need to know that God will be with them to support them. Share with them how you have handled similar situations.

Are you willing to stand up for Christ? There may be a day when you are faced with that decision. Are you ready? He is. He will stand beside you. Then you can say as Peter said, “you be the judge.”

I am ready to follow You, Lord, wherever You lead me. If that means I am judged by others, so be it. I will be proud to be named as Your follower.

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TRUE KNOWLEDGE

Acts 4:13

“Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”

Where did these guys get their knowledge? That’s what the crowds were wondering. These men were ignorant fishermen. How could they know so much now? They hadn’t been to school. They weren’t educated men.

I love it says “they were amazed.” The Greek word there means they were astonished out of their senses. This didn’t make sense, until… They began to realize that Peter and John’s wisdom wasn’t from themselves. It was from Jesus. Jesus had taught them well the past three years.

APPLICATION

You may have a brilliant child, one that makes all A’s. Well, congratulations. But your child needs to know that didn’t all come from him. God made them with the ability to learn and retain that knowledge. God made them able to study and do well on tests. Yes, we have to do our part, but it is the Lord who empowers.

If you have more than one child, you have probably noticed they have different learning styles. One may be a visual learner while the other one is more auditory. Neither is wrong. God equips us to learn according to how He made us. God spent three years equipping Peter and John as they spent time with Jesus. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, all that knowledge is pouring out.

My sister-in-law once said she wasn’t going to any more Bible conferences until she started living out all she had learned from the previous conferences. So true. Knowledge is great, but it needs to be put to good use. Peter and John used their new found, God-given knowledge to lead others to Christ. What will you do with yours?

I am thankful for the knowledge You have given me of Your Word. Give me opportunities to share with others. Give me courage to speak out when called upon by Your Spirit.

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NO PAYBACK

1 PETER 2:23

“and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

Most of us want payback when we’ve been done wrong. What do I mean by that? When someone hurts us, we want to hurt them back. We take revenge seriously. I’ve known people who planned that revenge and waited months to get that person back. That kind of thinking is not of Christ.

Look what Peter wrote about our Lord in today’s verse. He said, “He did not revile in return.” That word “revile” means to spew hateful words. Can you even imagine Jesus doing that? He was always speaking the words of His Father. He had no intention of talking that way. But we lash out at others if they insult us or speak evil against us. That is not the way of Christ.

APPLICATION

Boy, this is definitely a lesson for our children. They definitely are going to face insults from others. What can we do, as parents, to steer them in the right direction? I can think of two things. The first is model the correct behavior. Little ears are always listening. When we encounter someone who is not kind to us, we need to be kind in return. I don’t mean to be a doormat, but I do mean to be like Jesus.

Secondly, we need to teach our children to pray for those individuals. That person may not know Christ, and our reaction to them could mean the difference in them coming to Him. Or that person could be a believer who is just having a hard time right now and is lashing out at anyone in their path. We should forgive as Jesus does. That teaches our children lifelong lessons.

Are you a reviler? Are you someone who lashes out at those who insult you? Take a lesson from Christ. Even during His trial and crucifixion, He forgave. He, unlike you, could have called ten thousand angels to defend Him, but He didn’t. His forgiving actions had one purpose – to draw men to Himself. Shouldn’t we be doing the same?

Forgive me, Lord, when I retaliate against those who harm me. I have no right to do so. Let my actions reflect You in all I do.

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FIRSTS

ACTS 2:14

“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words.’” 

I remember the first sermon I preached. It was at Harmony Baptist Church in Pelham, GA. I was asked to preach at their annual Youth Sunday. I prepared what I thought was the perfect sermon and was sure it would last the allotted thirty minutes. Lo and behold, I was done in about seven, lol. But I found out something. No one complains about a short sermon.

Peter had been transformed by the arrival of the Holy Spirit. He was filled with the very presence of Christ now. He was no longer that disciple who had denied Jesus. He was now the leader of a new movement to evangelize the world. And here he is preaching his first sermon. What a message! What a transformation.

APPLICATION

Do you recall the first time your child performed at church or school? Perhaps their first solo or part in a play? I sure do. I was so proud of them. My shirt almost lost buttons, lol.  Tell your kids about that. Tell them how proud you still are of them. They won’t soon forget that.

Then tell them how proud the Lord is when they share Christ with someone for the first time or when they make that first gift to the church. First times can be hard and challenging, but the Lord will give them the courage to follow through. Challenge your children to take on those “firsts” just like Peter did. He was accused of being drunk when the Spirit came upon him and the other disciples. But he didn’t get mad and leave. He delivered his first sermon empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Are you fearful of stepping out on those “firsts”? Don’t be. Trust the Lord to use the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and give you the courage. He loves to encourage us. We just have to step up and trust Him. Will you do that today? Who knows, maybe your first sermon may last longer than seven minutes.

I will trust You, Lord, to empower me to step out and do what You ask, even if it is for the first time. I want to honor You with my obedience.

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TRACING LETTERS

1 PETER 2:21

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,”

Have you ever traced letters? That’s how we used to be taught how to write the alphabet. I remember distinctly tracing the letters until I could write them just as they appeared on the paper. It took hours of practice to get them right, but I kept on until I had it.

The Greek word for “example” is only used right here in the New Testament. The word is hupogrammos, which comes from two Greek words, hupo and grapho. It literally means under writing, to trace. We are to “trace” our lives after Christ’s life. We are to follow His example of suffering. Yippee! Aren’t you excited? But that is the example He left us. He endured the cross for us, and He was innocent, unlike us.

APPLICATION

Have a tracing contest with your children. Find a picture you all can trace and see who can trace it the fastest and not mess up. You see, tracing doesn’t work unless you stay in the lines. Share today’s verse with your children when you’re through and explain that we are “tracing” Jesus. We are to follow His example. And just like tracing a picture, we need to stay within the lines when we are tracing Jesus.

Now, does that mean you won’t ever make a mistake? Of course not. We are human and we fail. I am far from perfect. Sometimes I find myself tracing the wrong picture. I have totally gotten my eyes off of Jesus and am tracing the world or a hobby. Your children will mess up too. When they do, give them a new piece of paper and help them to start “tracing” again.

What are you tracing right now? Are you following the example of suffering left to us by Christ? Too many of us run from the very thought of suffering. But suffering with Jesus can be a sweet experience as He meets us in the valley. He will bring us out, if we will continue to follow His example.

I hate suffering. I’m just being honest, Lord. But I trust you. So, I will follow Your example and embrace the suffering You send my way.

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TAKING LEADERSHIP

ACTS 1:15

“At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,” 

If you notice, whenever lists of disciples are mentioned in the New Testament, Peter is almost always listed first. I wonder if that was because of his big personality or because he was seen as the leader of the bunch.

We know that Jesus put him in charge after the resurrection, but I also believe that Jesus was grooming him those three years they were together. He knew it would take a strong man to lead in the face of the coming opposition. Peter begins right here taking the leadership role. They were moved to fill the vacancy left by Judas Iscariot’s betrayal. Verses 16 through 26 tells us how they selected Matthias to fill that spot. But it was Peter who led them through this.

APPLICATION

Do your children have natural leadership skills? Many do. You can see it in their play when they take over to direct the other kids. You can even see it in their bucking of the rules sometimes. It is our job as parents to help develop those leadership skills so they can lead in a positive way.

I will never forget a young man I that I dealt with in a children’s home where I served. He was always in trouble because he was always fighting against the rules of the program. He was a natural born leader, but he wanted to lead in the wrong way. When I recognized that, I started giving him some opportunities to lead on campus in a positive way. I put him in charge of a work crew. The staff thought I was crazy, but that one little thing turned him around. He took ahold of the leadership opportunity and embraced it.

Has the Lord selected you to lead? Are you doing it? You may be fighting against it. Don’t do that. God needs strong, Christian leaders in today’s society. He wants you to step up, and like Peter, take charge. Many are depending on you to lead. But remember – the Lord is right beside you. You are not leading by yourself. In fact, you are co-leading with Jesus. Now get started.

I know You have called me to lead, Lord. Give me the courage to step out and do that. I will hold Your hand as I do it.

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GRACE IN SUFFERING

1 PETER 2:20

“For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”

No one wants to suffer, right? Who wants to suffer at any time for anything? Peter’s words here, though, should encourage us. Why? Because of one little word toward the end of the verse – “favor.”

Now, that word is a precious word. Do you know what the Greek word is there? It’s charis. This is also translated “grace” throughout the New Testament. So, what Peter is saying is God extends grace to you when you suffer for doing right. God sees what is going on, and He remembers you. He hasn’t forgotten you. He is watching and observing.

APPLICATION

Teaching this life principle to children is difficult. It’s hard on the parents, as well. No one wants to see their children suffer. So, when they do the right thing and suffer for it, we want to defend them. We want to retaliate against those who have harmed our little ones.

But our children must learn this principle too. Facing ridicule from friends for taking a stand for Christ could happen. Being passed over for a part in that play because of their Christian testimony could happen. But God’s grace is sufficient for them. He will see them through those difficult times. He will show them favor.

Have you suffered unjustly? What did you do? I hope you didn’t seek revenge. God allows things to happen in our life for a reason. Perhaps He allowed that unjust suffering so He could extend grace to you. As I said earlier, He is not caught off guard at your suffering. He is very aware. Trust Him to bring you through it.

Father, I don’t want to suffer. Who does? But I will trust You in the midst of it. I will wait on Your grace and favor.

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YOUR BOSS

1 PETER 2:18

“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.”

It’s easy to be submissive to your boss when he’s nice and treats you right, isn’t it? But Peter doesn’t say that. If he had just stopped with “gentle.” Right? But he continued on with “but also to those who are unreasonable.”  Come on, Peter. Couldn’t you to pull up short once?

But that word “unreasonable” needs explaining. It’s more than that. The word means crooked, perverse, unfair, curved or tortuous. Have you ever had a boss like that? I have once, a long time ago, and it was tough. I wish I could say I was always submissive, but I can’t. But he was my boss, and God intended for me to submit.

APPLICATION

This is one of those verses our children need to hear early in life. They will have to submit to others all their life. When they get their first job, they may have a boss who is “unreasonable.” They are to submit. They may have teacher who is “unreasonable.” They are to submit. Submission is not weakness. It’s strengthening. Why? Because our ultimate submission is to God who gives us the strength to submit to others.

I remember counseling my own children regarding bosses they have had. My advice has always been to submit (unless it was illegal or immoral). If God gave them the job, then He intended for that boss to be in their lives for a reason. I know my children both learned from “unreasonable” bosses in their past, which has prepared them for where they are now.

Are you one who is always complaining about your boss? Stop it! Begin praying for your boss. Ask the Lord to give them spiritual eyes. If they aren’t saved, pray for their salvation. Maybe the Lord intended for you to be there under them for just such a purpose. Thank God for your boss today.

Father, thank You for those who are authorities in my life. May they be blessed with Your love and mercy. Give me the attitude to bless them in Your name.

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YOUR TESTIMONY

1 PETER 2:12

“Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

So often Christians are ridiculed and made fun of by the world. Sometimes, as in persecuted countries, Christians are seen as evil or lawbreakers. This was the case in Peter’s day. Not only did the Jews hate the Christians, the Roman government persecuted them.

Peter is telling the believers to continue living in an excellent way. Let their behavior talk for them. He wanted those who persecuted them to see their good deeds and eventually glorify God. This “day of visitation” is hotly debated among the scholars. Some think it meant a day of judgment while others believe it was a day of blessing. Either way, we must conduct ourselves as He would have us live.

APPLICATION

This is a perfect verse (not that all verses aren’t perfect) to talk with your children about. They understand behavior, whether it be good or bad. Ask them what they think “excellent” behavior is. It doesn’t mean they have to be perfect. The word actually means to behave in such a way to inspire others to want to act like you. Be a role model.

How many times have you told your older children to do that? How many times have you said, “Be an example for your brother”? This is the verse to use to back that up. God’s word says it, not just you. You want them to behave in such a way that you can glorify God. Right?

How are you living right now? Do your work colleagues even know you are a Christian? Walk the walk. Your faith is personal, but it’s not private. Everyone we meet should know what we believe and why we believe it. We should live in such a way that they too can be drawn to a saving knowledge of Christ and give God the glory for our testimony. Is that you?

O Lord, help me live in such a way that others see Jesus in me. Let me never say or do anything that would drive them away from You.

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