Category Archives: Faith

Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Encouragement, Faith, Faithfulness, Following, Inspirational, Modeling, Peace, Perseverance, Purity, Trust

PROVEN PRECIOUS

I PETER 1:7

“so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” 

Our faith is precious, more precious than gold. And Peter reminds us how gold is proven to be precious. It is tested by fire. The same is true about our faith. It, too, will go through testing.

One scholar wrote,
“Christians should be willing to pass through trials: (a) They will purify their religion, just as the fire will remove dross from gold.

(b) They will make it shine more brightly, just as gold does when it comes out of the furnace. (c) They will disclose more fully its value. (d) They will furnish an evidence that we shall be saved; for that religion which will bear the tests that God applies to it in the present life, will bear the test of the final trial.”

APPLICATION

So, how do you apply this verse? By living through those testings. As you encounter hard times, you have the God given opportunity to trust Him to prove your faith. Your children are watching. As you talk to them about how you are trusting the Lord in the process, they are listening.

You may not think these moments will be remembered by them. After all, they are young. But, oh, they will remember. God will make sure of that. Trusting moments stick. Faith producing moments make impacts, especially on young lives. And when God brings you through, and He will, celebrate that with your children.

Are you in a trial right now? Is your faith being put through the fire? Thank the Lord that He is purifying it. Thank Him that You know it is more precious than gold. Gold will not last forever. Even it is eventually destroyed. But not our faith. With each “firing” it becomes stronger. Believe that!

I praise You for the fires! I may not enjoy the process, but I am thankful for the outcome. Purify me, Lord!

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Advice, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Following, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Parenting, Praise, Salvation, Surrender

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

MATTHEW 16:16-19

“16 Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ 17 And Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.’” 

Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi could be seen as a pivotal point in the life of Peter. Here he is, a fisherman. But he is realizing this man he is following is more than just a rabbi. He makes this declaration and Jesus commends him. He, in a sense, empowers him right there to lead the church that is to come.

Do you understand that the moment you declare Jesus as Christ, He empowers you to lead also? Once you are His child, He comes to live in you through the Holy Spirit and wants to use you to expand His kingdom on earth. Jesus could save everyone immediately, but He still chooses us to do His work. Just like Peter, we have to answer that question, “Who do you say that I am?”

APPLICATION

Kids love knock knock jokes, don’t they? They can come up with some silly ones. We laugh and go along with them. Jesus doesn’t use these, however, to reveal Himself. He doesn’t play games with identifying Himself. He wants to disclose Himself fully to each of us. I believe He wants to do that as early as possible in a child’s life. He doesn’t expect them to fully understand everything about Him before accepting Him as Lord.

Many parents want to make sure their child is totally clear and knowledgeable before making their decision public and getting baptized. Do you think Peter fully understood Jesus when he made that confession? Hardly. He still had much to learn. Yet Christ confirmed his belief at the level it was then.

Who do you say Jesus is? Do you fully understand who He is? No one does. We won’t know Him fully until eternity, but we have the opportunity to learn more each day we surrender. As we do that, Jesus shows us more. Oh, the joy of learning more.

Praise You, Lord, for revealing Yourself to me. Help me grasp who You are. And then let me share with others.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Encouragement, Evangelism, Faith, Heaven, Inspirational, Parenting, Salvation, Testimony

OUR SENTINEL

I PETER 1:5

“who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Peter uses an interesting word here for “protected.” It’s not the usual word we see in the New Testament. This Greek word is only used four times and has the idea of actively displaying whatever defensive and offensive means are necessary to guard. In other words, God is going to protect us, no matter what. That’s pretty reassuring.

He is protecting us to preserve our salvation “ready to be revealed in the last times.” In simple terms, that means our salvation isn’t going anywhere. The perseverance of the saints is referred to here. Our salvation is forever. In the last days, when we are called to glory, the fulfillment of our salvation will be revealed. Until then, God is our sentinel, guarding it for His glory.

APPLICATION

Do your children understand that you serve as their sentinel? As mom and dad, we are to protect and guard our little ones. Ask your kids what that means. Ask them how they think you guard them. Better yet, get them to draw a picture. I love kids’ pictures. They are so revealing.

After talking about their pictures, explain to them how you actually do that. And also tell them the limitations. You can’t always be there. You have to sleep. You have to go to work. Unlike you, however, God is always there. And once they are His, once they give their lives to Christ, He guards their salvation forever. That’s real protection.

Do you have that protection? Do you know the assurance of that salvation? If you don’t, what are you waiting on? If you do, rest in Him. He’s got you covered. He’s not going anywhere. Isn’t that good news worth sharing? Tell someone today what you have. I bet they will want it too.

Thank You, Lord, for protecting me. Thank You for securing my salvation all the way to glory. I cannot wait to see the fulfillment of my salvation with all the saints.

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Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Courage, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Following, Inspirational, Obedience, Parenting, Rescue, Trust

WAVE WALKER

MATTHEW 14:28-33

“28 Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ 29 And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’”

How cool is this? Peter actually walked on water. He was the only one of the disciples who got out of the boat and walked. You didn’t see James or Nathaniel or Matthew do it. Nope, just Peter. And when he got a little scared and took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. He cried out to Jesus to save him, and He did.

But what strikes me here is that Jesus didn’t say, “Way to go, Peter. You got so far before you sank.” No! He said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” He practically scolded him for sinking. You see, Jesus knew Peter’s thoughts. He knew he went from blind faith, totally trusting in Jesus’ words, to sheer panic when he saw his surroundings. Jesus cannot work through us if we are doubting His power.

APPLICATION

Have you ever been in the pool and had your children jump into your arms? Perhaps this was before they even could swim. The first time you tried to get them to do this was a challenge, wasn’t it? They knew you were there, but that water was too. They believed your words, but they also knew they couldn’t swim. However, after the first time of jumping and you catching, they had no trouble doing it again.

We tend to want to have proof before we believe something. It’s hard to just trust. But Jesus wants us to just trust Him. He doesn’t have to prove Himself to us. He is God. His word is enough. If He says, “Get out of the boat and walk,” we should jump out. He will never ask us to do something He is not prepared to see us through.

What has the Lord asked you to do that seems impossible? It’s not! It may seem far-fetched. It may seem beyond your ability, but if He has asked you, you are capable. How? Because it is through His power. You can’t, in your own power, do it. He doesn’t expect you to. Trust Him.

I am ready to do the impossible. I am prepared only because You have called. Send me.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Direction, Disciplemaking, Evangelism, Faith, Following, Inspirational, Obedience, Parenting, Salvation, Surrender, Witnessing

WILL YOU FOLLOW?

MATTHEW 4:18-20 (MARK 1:16-18)

“18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” 

I want to intersperse this study of 1-2 Peter with the life of Peter (Simon) from the New Testament. What better place to begin than at his calling by Jesus in Matthew (also found in Mark). Look at the simplicity. Jesus is walking by the water and saw Simon and Andrew. What drew Him to them? He picked them out of probably lots of fishermen.

Don’t forget He was God. He knew they would respond to His calling, but He still asked. He still called them. He didn’t expect them to just drop what they were doing and fall in behind Him without first speaking to them. He spoke to them, just like He does us. He still speaks!

APPLICATION

Do you children come to you if you don’t call them? Try it! Sit in your Lazyboy and wait for them to just come to you. Of course, they won’t come. You have to call them by name. Now call them. And when they come, ask them why they came. “Because you called me Daddy!”

Bring them close and tell them the story here in Matthew when Jesus called Peter to be His disciple. Tell them Jesus calls them the same way. He calls them by name. Perhaps your child has already heard that call and responded. Celebrate that with them and talk about it. If they haven’t, tell them He’s calling. They have to listen closely. He doesn’t mince words. He wants them to follow.

Do you hear His voice today? You see, Jesus doesn’t just call you once and stop talking. Oh no! He is constantly calling us to follow. He wants us close. He wants us to walk with Him and listen to His words. He desires to be with us, and He knows if He doesn’t keeping calling, our flesh will slip back in. Are you listening?

I hear Your voice, O Lord. Tell me what You would have me do. I am willing to follow.

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Busyness, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Encouragement, Faith, Friends, Inspirational, Kindness, Mentoring, Parenting, Testimony

GREETINGS

TITUS 3:15

“All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.”

When you greet someone, what are you really doing? The Greek word here means “I greet, salute, pay my respects to, welcome.” Is that true for everyone you greet? Think about it. We truly should be welcoming because we represent Jesus. We really should be respectful because He would be.

Greetings today are usually rushed. We are all in such a hurry. Paul was purposeful in his greetings. He passed on the greetings from those who were with him and asked Titus to give his greetings to those who were with him in the faith. He didn’t just say, “Bye.” It was thoughtful. It was meaningful.

APPLICATION

We teach our children to say thank you, your welcome and all the other proper words, don’t we? How about greetings? Giving a proper greeting is respectful. Refusing to acknowledge someone is just plain rude. So, we teach our children to say hello or good-bye as appropriate.

But it isn’t just about manners. As I said earlier, we represent someone bigger than us as believers. If your child is a believer, remind them of that. As they meet people, they may be the only “Jesus” that person meets today. They need to greet them in the name and spirit of Jesus. Just a simple “Hello, how are you today?” can mean a lot.

This is a strange way to end Titus, but it’s how Paul ended the letter. If he ended it this way, it must have been important. So, from me to you, greetings from all those who are with me. Greet all those who are with you in the faith. May God’s grace be upon you until we meet one day here or in heaven.

Help me greet those around me today with the love of the Lord. May they Him and not me. May my greeting be full of Jesus.

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Advice, Bible, Busyness, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evangelism, Faith, God's Will, Inspirational, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Service, Witnessing

DO THE RIGHT DEEDS

TITUS 3:14

“Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.”

There are some qualifying words in this verse. If you read and stopped at “good deeds,” you might be led to believe that any good deed goes. But Paul goes on to say, “to meet pressing needs.” In other words, necessary needs, needs that are indispensable. Otherwise, you can busy yourself with deeds that really serve no purpose.

And then Paul finishes the verse with “so that they will not be unfruitful.” Romans 14:23 tells us all that all decisions not born of faith are sin. So, it is important that we make sure that all good deeds, no matter how good they may seem, are truly born of faith. Doing good deeds just because they are good doesn’t make them right in God’s eyes.

APPLICATION

Ask your children to make a list of good deeds. Tell them they can write down anything. After they are done, have them try to tell you how God’s Word backs up that good deed. Give them some time to think about that. Then take the list and see if you can help them. You will probably have some that just don’t match up to Scripture.

Now you can explain to them how this verse applies to their list. Some things that appear good are not given or implied in Scripture. We, as believers, need to focus our good deeds on things that draw people to Christ and share the Gospel. There are a lot of good intentioned people out there who have their own causes. They appear good, but are they fruitful?

What causes do you support? Are you sure your money and time are going to God’s good deeds? Let me encourage you this year to examine where you spend your energy. You want the good deeds you do to reflect on Jesus and not you. You want others to know that the only reason you are doing this is to share His love for them.

Father, help me focus all my good deeds on bringing glory to You. I desire to see others drawn to Your goodness, not mine. Point me to those opportunities daily.

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Affection, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Faith, Family, Friends, Inspirational, Love, Parenting, Passion, Scripture

FAREWELL PARTIES

TITUS 3:13

“Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them.”

Paul is urging Titus to make sure Zenas (who is only mentioned here in the New Testament) and Apollos are sent on to Nicopolis from Crete well supplied for the journey. Here is a link to show you the distance they would have had to travel from Crete to arrive in Nicopolis https://www.biblestudy.org/maps/apostle-paul-fifth-missionary-journey-large-map.html.

Paul needed Zenas and Apollos there to help teach the Word to the believers. So, he wanted a send off that was worthy of their calling. The word “diligently” means eagerly, with passion. Whenever I leave my brothers and sisters in Uganda or Kenya to come home, they give me this kind of send-off. I am usually given a gift and tons and tons of hugs. Their love for me is without a doubt.

APPLICATION

I’ve got a fun way to say good-bye at your next family gathering. It’s called the jelly roll hug. As each person or family group leaves have them make a line and hold hands. Then everyone else grabs one end of that line as they make one long line. When everyone has linked hands, the person on the end of the line opposite the person or family leaving starts to make a big circle around them. The person of family leaving stands still as everyone starts circling them over and over again. With each pass the circle gets tighter and tighter until the end of the line has been reached. Then, on 3, everyone squeezes those in the center.

It’s a fun way to say good-bye and something your kids won’t forget. Send offs can be sad, so anyway we can make them more enjoyable is much appreciated. Whether you are the person leaving or the person doing the sending, emotions can be raw. Make it a joyful experience. And don’t forget to pray for whomever is leaving, asking God’s protection and blessing on their journey.

When is the last time you have gone on a journey and had a great send off? When is the last time you have sent someone off? Remember Paul’s words and do it diligently.

I am grateful for friends and family who send me off with love and compassion. I know when that happens I am bathed in prayer. I know I am in Your hands.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Creation, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Forgiveness, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mercy, Obedience, Parenting, Redemption, Salvation, Surrender, Testimony

BORN AGAIN

TITUS 3:5

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,”

You’ve heard this expression, I’m sure. You are born again at salvation. Well, in today’s verse we have that expression defined in the word “regeneration.” The Greek word literally means birthed again. It’s only used twice in the New Testament. It’s used here and also in Matthew 19:28 where it refers to the rebirth of physical creation when Christ returns to begin His millennial reign.

But not only are you reborn, you are also renewed. This word means to have a whole new development, a renewal which is through God’s power. You see, this is all done by God. You didn’t rebirth yourself nor renew yourself. God saved you. That’s a fact. And if He does something, you can take it to the bank. It’s done. It’s complete. It’s forever.

APPLICATION

Explaining this to your children can be challenging, depending on their age. Do you have any videos of their birth? Drag them out. Show them the video and celebrate their birth. Then ask them this question. “Did you do anything to help in your birth?” Of course, the correct answer is “no.” All they did was surrender to the process. They were depending on mom pushing them out and the doctor delivering them.

The same is true for their spiritual birth. For that to happen they have to surrender to the One who is drawing them out of darkness. When they do, He delivers them into the light of His love. They are totally dependent upon the Lord to bring them into this new life.

Let me ask you this. If you are born again, are you living like it? Are you walking in your renewal? So many of us come to Christ and then try to keep one foot back in the old life. Regeneration and renewal imply a fresh start, a clean slate. The old has passed away. There is no room in the regenerated, renewed life for the old ways. Accept the change. Embrace your new life.

Lord, I will walk in newness today. I will lay aside all the past ways and embrace all You have for me in my new life. Thank You for my rebirth in Christ.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Disciplemaking, Faith, Family, Inspirational, Obedience, Parenting, Redemption, Salvation, Scripture

WE’RE HIS

TITUS 2:14

“who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

As believers, we know we belong to the Lord. You are told that from the moment of salvation. But you need to take a look at today’s verse to truly understand what that means. Paul breaks it down so perfectly and completely. First, we are His because He paid the price for us. He gave Himself to redeem us. Why was that necessary? Because of our lawless deeds. He wiped them away by the shedding of His blood. That was the purchase price.

Then He purifies us because He will not and cannot allow sinful creatures to abide in His presence. He personally selects each of us. He knows us all by name. We are specially chosen. We belong in His collection. Isn’t that precious? Just like a collector who loves to take out his collection of stamps and admire them, Jesus loves to marvel at His collection of saints. We are each special to Him.

APPLICATION

Do your children collect anything? Maybe “collect” is the wrong word. My son used to have a huge collection of Matchbox and Hot Wheel cars. He loved to play with those. He would get them out and line them up on the floor and play for hours. Each one had their special job in his imagination. But he loved them all.

We want our children to know just how special they are to Jesus. He has a special plan for their life, but it is part of the big plan. Their life is part of His master plan for His kingdom. He wants to use each of us to fulfill it. Can He fulfill it without us? Of course. But His perfect plan involves every believer doing their part. Point your children towards that – the bigger picture. You never know how He may choose to use them.

Are you being used by Jesus? What would He have you do today? Many of us are too busy to allow Him to redirect us. We have our days and weeks mapped out. Any “interference” from Him just gets in the way. Stop that now. Allow Him to take your calendar to the shredder if necessary. Yield to His plan today and enjoy the journey.

My day is Yours, Lord. Put me where You want me and use me however You see fit. I’m Yours.

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