Category Archives: Parenting

Advice, Bible, Bosses, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Courage, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, God's Will, Honor, Inspirational, Labor, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Submission, Testimony, Witnessing

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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Affection, Bible, Child Raising, Denial, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, Grace, Inspirational, Love, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Repentance

DO YOU LOVE ME?

JOHN 21:15-17

“15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My lambs.’ 16 He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.’ 17 He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’”

Do you get the feeling from this passage that Jesus is trying to get a point across to Peter? Most scholars agree that is was no coincidence that Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him. Peter had denied Jesus three times just days earlier. I believe these three questions were on purpose.

But what you can’t see from the English is that Jesus uses a different word for love in the first two questions than Peter. He uses the Greek word agapao which is God’s kind of love. Peter replies with phileo which is a friendship kind of love. It was as if Jesus was asking him how deep was his love for Him – love like God loves or just as a friend.

APPLICATION

Ask your children how much they love you. They may stretch out their little arms and say This much! Don’t you just love that? My daughter, Casey, and I have this little thing we do when she tells me she loves me. I always reply I love you more. In fact, she gave me a key chain that says that on it. She knows I love her.

The question for us to really ask our kids is if they love Jesus. And I don’t mean just as a friend. Have they accepted Him as Lord and Savior and do they love Him with that agape love, a love that can only come from God? You see, His love accepts us just as we are and is totally unconditional. That’s real love!

How about you? How do you love Jesus? He has to be more than a friend. Friends come and go. Jesus is eternal. He deserves a deeper, richer love. If Jesus appeared to you today, as He did to Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and asked you Do you love Me, what would you say? I pray you would say I agapao You. Love Him today.

Father, I do love You. You have done so much for me for which I could never repay You. You are worthy of all praise, glory and love.

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Advice, Child Bearing, Child Raising, Commands, Conceit, Fear, God's Will, Honor, Inspirational, Love, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Reputation, Scripture, Submission, Surrender, Testimony

NOT AN OPTION

1 PETER 2:17

“Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”

Peter gives us four commands in this short verse. And he pretty much covers everyone in these commands. Honor all people means to place value on someone according to how precious you consider them. He says to do the same toward the king. That’s convicting, isn’t it? How precious do you consider everyone? How precious do you hold your “king”, which for us would be our President or leaders? Hmmm!

Then Peter says to love the brotherhood which refers to all believers. Be honest, aren’t there some believers you don’t like? Peter doesn’t leave room for that. He uses the Greek word for love agapao which means always doing what the Lord prefers. Ouch! And finally, he says to fear God. Now, he doesn’t mean to be scared of God, but rather to be in awe of, to show reverence toward.

APPLICATION

Teaching our children to honor, love and fear is no small task. Some of these they won’t get until they are older, but we must start when they are young. But all these are best taught by example. We have to model these behaviors. Therein lies the rub, eh? Children learn the easiest by observing us, we have to love, honor and fear.

Ask your children what they think it means to love, honor and fear. You just might learn something. Often their answers are convicting to we adults. They speak with such innocence (at least most of the time) that it drives the point home. You know Jesus often used children to illustrate faith. Don’t you think if He used them, we could learn something from them?

How are you loving, honoring and fearing? Well Carl, I’m doing pretty good with the fearing thing, but that loving thing is tough. I know it is, but all four of these are in the imperative which means they are commands, not suggestions. If you are aren’t doing so good on one or more of these, you need to ask the Lord to show you how. He will you know.

Honor, love and fear need to be more a part of my daily behaviors. I need to spend more time loving and less time judging. I need to depend on You for my ability to do these.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Encouragement, Faith, Following, Inspirational, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Service, Surrender

QUITE A CATCH

JOHN 21:11

“Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.”

From catching nothing the night before to an overwhelming catch! One hundred fifty three, not fifty two or fifty four! This catch was so big with large fish that the disciples counted the fish. John records the number of fish. Why? Because this was an unusually large catch. This miraculous catch of fish convinced them all that it was indeed the Master on the shore.

And Jesus tells them in verse ten to bring some of the fish to Him so they can eat, even though He already had some fish on the fire. Why? Matthew Henry’s commentary says He wanted them to eat some of their labor. He wanted them to taste of the miracle that He had just performed. Aren’t we all supposed to bring to the Master anything He has done through us? Peter ran to do that.

APPLICATION

How many fish can your children catch? When we have our Family Fishing Rodeos at our church, some of the children are especially good at catching fish. Some catch stringers full of nice fish to take home and eat. Catching fish is always fun.

Ask your children what they have done if Jesus had helped them “land the big one.” Would they bring the fish to Him or run off to show their friends? This lesson isn’t about the fish. It’s about bringing to Jesus whatever He chooses to do through us. He deserves all the praise, not us. Anything we do on our own is temporal. Everything He does through us is eternal.

What has the Lord done through you lately? Did you give Him praise for using you? I have known some people who love getting attention for things they do in the church. They love the praise others pour on them. Don’t be like that. If you are being used right now by the Lord, make sure everyone knows who it is who deserves the praise.

I thank You for using me, Father. Let all the praise be given to You. I am only the net You use to gather the fish.

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Advice, Bible, Bondslaves, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evil, Faithfulness, Following, Freedom, Inspirational, Love, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Testimony

DON’T COVER UP

1 PETER 2:16

“Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.”

Peter gives us some very good advice in this verse and uses a word that is only used right here – the word covering. It actually means a covering, a cloak, a veil. What is Peter saying here? He is telling us, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to not pretend to be one thing while saying we are something else.

In other words, live truthful. Remember, we, as Christians, are bondslaves of God. We have willingly indentured ourselves to our Lord. We have committed ourselves to serving Him. If we are in service to Him, there is no room for doing evil. There is no room for cloaking evil in our lives.

APPLICATION

Have your children ever tried to cover up a wrong done? Most children will do that at one time or another. Perhaps they made a mistake or accidently broke something. That is not what I am talking about. I talking about deliberately choosing wrong and then trying to hide it. Read them this verse. You can’t get much plainer than this verse.

I remember when I was growing up, I did this on several occasions. I didn’t want to get spanked (and boy, could my dad spank). I would hide my wrongdoings. Some my parents never found out about. But guess what? God still knew. I became more aware of that after I came to Christ. I always knew it, but it wasn’t until I became a bondslave did it really sink in. The same is true for your kids.

Are you cloaking your sin? Are you hiding your wrongdoings now? God is aware. You can’t cloak your sins from Him. Confess those now and bow in obedience to His sovereign will. A bondslave loves his master and is loved by His master. A bondslave lives to please the master. Is that you?

Forgive me, Lord, for trying to hide my disobedience. Forgive me for not bowing before You each day as Your bondslave. Today I will bow and obey.

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Advice, Bible, Busyness, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Confession, Contentment, Encouragement, Faith, Following, Forgiveness, Inspirational, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Prayer, Scripture, Wisdom

PUT ON YOUR SWIMSUIT

JOHN 21:4-8

“4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you do not have any fish, do you?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.”

I love this fish story. I really love how Jesus asked the question. Take it from a fisherman. That was a little jab. He could have asked, “Do you have any fish?” But He asked, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” He already knew they didn’t have any fish. Remember, this is the Son of God. He’s all knowing.

But the funny part of this story to me is what Peter does. When John tells him the man on the beach is Jesus, He puts on more clothes and jumps in. You normally take off clothes if you are jumping in water. More clothes make you heavy. Maybe he was hoping Jesus would walk on the water again and bring him to shore. Peter had a strange swimsuit.

APPLICATION

Do your children like to swim. Most kids love the water. The next time you are helping them get ready to go swimming, tell them this story. Ask them why they think Peter put on more clothes before he jumped in. Ask them if they would do that. I think I will ask Peter that question when I meet him one day, lol.

The real lesson here is Peter wanted to get to Jesus. Remember how he left Him. He had seen the resurrected Jesus earlier, but he had not had a chance to talk about his denial of Jesus. I think Peter wanted to get to shore before the others to talk privately with his Lord. I am just speculating here, of course. Remind your children that they can talk to Jesus any time.

Are you putting on your swimsuit to jump in and talk to Jesus?

Are your conversations with Him one way or do you listen as well? Jesus will find you wherever you are. He is ready to meet you, even if you are worn out and tired from fishing all night or working night and day. Take the time to talk to Him. Run, don’t walk, to Him today. He’s waiting.

I need conversation with You today, O Lord. I depend on Your guidance to make my decisions. Talk to me, and I will listen.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Contentment, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, God's Will, Inspirational, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Reputation, Scripture, Surrender, Testimony

DO RIGHT

1 PETER 2:15

“For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

People are always wanting to know God’s will. Well, right here Peter tells you part of it. He says it is “by doing right.” That Greek word is only used 10 times in the New Testament, 4 of them in 1 Peter (2:15, 20; 3:6, 17). Peter must have had some experience in “doing right.” Or maybe he learned by doing the opposite.

But I really like what doing right does. It silences the ignorance of foolish men. Isn’t that great? By doing right you totally keep foolish people quiet. They can’t speak evil against you. They can’t point fingers at you in accusation. Why? Because you are doing what is right according to God’s will. That’s awesome!

APPLICATION

What a great verse for kids. If we can teach them to do what is right according to God’s will, they don’t have to worry about what people say about them. They are innocent in God’s eyes, and that’s all that matters.

Doing what is right isn’t always easy, is it? Sometimes we just want to lash out at someone who has been on our case. But we have to remember that we are representing the Lord in all our actions and words. His desire is for us to do His will, even if it requires us to suffer. Suffering for doing what is right may not feel good, but it pleases the Lord.

Are you doing the right thing? Are you making your decisions according to what pleases the Lord? I challenge you to today to do that and watch the critics get silenced. The Lord is our defense. If you can trust Him with your eternity, don’t you think you can trust Him with your today? Do the right thing!

I do want to do what is right, Lord. Help me to choose that each day and not fall into the traps my enemies have for me. I will choose right today.

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Advice, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Contentment, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, Inspirational, Obedience, Parenting, Waiting

I’M GOING FISHING

JOHN 21:2-3

“2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will also come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

Anyone who knows me knows I love to fish. I love being at the lake or pond, whether I’m bank fishing or on a boat or kayak. There’s just something about fishing that soothes my soul. So, I can relate to Peter in this passage.

Remember, Jesus had sent word after His resurrection to the disciples for them to go to the Sea of Galilee and wait for Him. We don’t exactly how long they had been waiting, but Peter got bored. So, he said, “I am going fishing.” Before you know it, several of them joined Peter. However, they came up empty. They caught nothing.

APPLICATION

Have you ever taken your children fishing? Most kids love it. We have “Fishing Rodeos” at our church where families can come to a local pond and fish for the day. Memories are made, whether fish are caught or not. Just being with mom and dad makes the event worthwhile.

The next time you go fishing, read your kids this verse. Remind them that even Peter, James and John, who were professional fishermen, sometimes didn’t catch anything. I don’t whether Jesus cared if they fished or not while they waited for Him. I just know their minds were elsewhere while they were fishing and that never helps you catch fish.

Are you waiting on the Lord right now? Stay busy while you wait. Go fishing. Read a book. Study a book of the Bible. Don’t just sit there. Jesus can get your attention. When He’s ready to tell you something, He will. He’s never late. And if you don’t “catch anything” hang on. He’s got a better plan.

I will wait on You. However long You want me to wait, I’ll wait. But as I wait, I will stay busy about Your business.

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Advice, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, Inspirational, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Praise, Punishment, Sanctification, Scripture, Submission, Testimony

PUNISHMENT OR PRAISE

1 PETER 2:14

“or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.”

I don’t know about you, but I had much rather be praised than punished. It just feels better, doesn’t it? Working with people as I have for over 40 years in ministry, I have tried to practice the sandwich principle. If I had to discipline a staff member or a child, I always tried to begin and end with some kind of praise and put the hard part in the middle. That wasn’t always possible, but I tried to.

Peter is continuing the command he began in verse 13 (there weren’t verses numbered in his letter, by the way). If you do what’s right, you are subject to praise. If you insist on doing evil, well…punishment is your reward. Your choice. What do you choose today?

APPLICATION

Children especially need praise. I used to tell my staff at the children’s homes, say yes if you can. Some of us automatically say no to children’s request. Let me encourage you today to say yes, unless there is a very good reason to say no. You may be surprised at your child’s response to you in other areas.

Praise your children or grandchildren for making their bed. Praise them for taking out the trash. Praise them for being kind to their sister or brother. And when you must punish or discipline, make sure you pay special attention to praise before and after. Let the last words out of your mouth be praise.

Are you a “praiser” or a “punisher”? Some of us relish the latter. We think it gives us power. Real power comes from the Lord. He had much rather praise you than punish you. He isn’t waiting to zap you every time you fail (and we fail a lot). Jesus was a praiser. He saw the potential in people and tried to draw that out. He took Peter, a crude, uneducated fisherman, and turned him into the leader of The Way. He can change you too.

O Father, I am thankful I can praise people rather than punish them. You give me that power. Let my words encourage rather than discourage those I meet.

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Angels, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Death, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Eternity, Faith, Heaven, Inspirational, Joy, Parenting, Resurrection, Scripture

WHERE DID HE GO?

JOHN 20:6-7

“6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.” 

Don’t you know Peter’s first thought was Where did He go? I am sure he didn’t remember right away that Jesus had told them He would rise from the dead. Jesus had told them but not in so many words. All Peter knew was Jesus had died and now He was not in that tomb. He had been told by Mary that He was alive, but he needed to see Him for himself.

And what about the linens? There were two piles – one where the body was and another with the wrappings from the head. It was as if Jesus had unwrapped Himself. Was that possible? Or did the angels he heard had been here done that. This was just too much to take in. Where was Jesus?

APPLICATION

Sometimes we see things that we just can’t believe. I have a friend who is a Christian illusionist. He can do things that make you scratch your head. I have often said when I watch him perform that there is no way he just did that. Of course, all his illusions are tricks. He will tell you that himself.

Jesus had not just performed a parlor trick. He had really risen from the dead. Ask your children if they have ever met anyone who has done that. Of course, they will think you’re crazy for even asking that. But then remind them, when you meet Jesus and ask Him into your heart, you just met someone who has done that. No one else has defeated death themselves. Jesus simply threw off the grave clothes and walked out of a sealed tomb.

Do you believe everything you see? You shouldn’t. But you should believe this. Jesus is alive. He is seated right now beside His Father, as much alive as when He walked the earth. His position in heaven does not diminish His life in the least. And He wants you to live each day with that knowledge. Live knowing He’s alive.

Knowing You are alive gives me hope for tomorrow. You are always watching over me and walking beside me. I may not can see You now, but I know You are there.

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