Husbands are called by God to serve and lead. But we are all vulnerable to viewing the family vacation as a well-earned time away from work where we can rest and relax! But this attitude and approach to a vacation normally reveals a self-centeredness that does not please God or serve our families...The pursuit of this goal last summer, though not perfectly attained, proved fruitful and very encouraging to myself, Molly and the kids. Most importantly, I believe God was glorified.
And you will know you are serving and leading effectively on your vacation when y ou fall into bed at night more exhausted than at the end of the most grueling day of work. The father must enter family vacations committed to serve, lead, plan, initiate, and work, and do all this with joy. This isn’t your time to rest. Only your wife deserves to rest on vacation (because no one works harder than she does the rest of the year).
But for the husband, vacations are a unique opportunity to serve and lead and work harder in some ways than he does during the normal work week. But this kind of work is a pure joy like no other work. (Read the entire article here)
bolizes the pouring out or Christ’s blood for us (1 Corinthians 11:26).This week I came across a great resource by Mark Driscoll. You need to get and read this little book called Pastor Dad: Scriptural Insights on Fatherhood.
You can download the pdf file for free and print it off yourself or buy the book for $8 here.
You can also read the chapters only below – see table of contents.
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Table of Contents PrefaceChapter 1 |
Matthew 7:13-23 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. (14) For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (15) "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (16) You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (17) So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. (18) A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. (19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (21) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' (23) And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
1 Timothy 6:11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
To Be Like Jesus contains twelve worship songs that teach the fruit of the Spirit in a creative and memorable way. Through these songs kids will learn that Jesus is our perfect example of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. More than that, they’ll discover that we can’t be like Jesus unless we trust in the power of his cross to forgive us and the power of his Spirit to change us.
It can be very easy to submit to (and even seek to justify) the fear that we all experience to some degree; especially in light of the institutionalization of our fear. However, despite the ease of doing so, we must fight against it by clinging to the promises of God and choosing, by the power of the Spirit that lives in us, to obey rather than to disobey. We must recognize the need to pray for ourselves and each other. We must avoid any guilt-based methods of spurring one another on toward obedience in evangelism; but we must create a culture of evangelistic expectation at Grace by our words and actions.
Another way of expressing our personal vulnerability is through our experience of need. There is a close connection between what we fear and what we think we need.
If we need comfort, we will fear physical pain.
If we need approval from others, we will fear being criticized.
If we need love, we will fear rejection.
If we need admiration for our attractiveness, we will fear getting fat.
Whatever you need is a mere stone's throw from what you fear.
Two prominent categories of fear are those fears related to money and people. Their power to provoke fear is directly related to how much we need them. If we need what people can give us, they are in control and we will fear them. If we need what money can give us, we will notice rising insecurities whenever we do the bills. (p. 41)
| 6.7.09 | The Obedience of Discipleship | Matthew 7:21-27 | | Read | Listen |
ounsel?If I profess with the loudest voice and the clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ no matter how boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point. -Martin Luther
Proverbs 21:31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.
Brethren, I would point out that obedience is taught throughout the entire Bible and that true obedience is one of the toughest requirements of the Christian life. Apart from obedience, there can be no salvation, for salvation without obedience is a self-contradictory impossibility. The essence of sin is rebellion against divine authority.
I am satisfied that when man believes on Jesus Christ he must believe on the whole Lord Jesus Christ - not making any reservation! I am satisfied that it is wrong to look upon Jesus as a kind of divine nurse to whom we can go when sin has made us sick, and after He has helped us, to say "Goodbye" - and go on our own way.
I thank God that heaven is the world of God's obedient children. Whatever else we may say of its pearly gates, its golden streets and its jasper walls, heaven is heaven because children of the Most High God find they are in their normal sphere as obedient moral beings.
I Call It Heresy! - A.W. TOZER Twelve Timely Themes From 1st Peter CONTENTS 1 - I Call It Heresy! | ||
I praise God for His grace in my life. Today marks the one year birthday of my fourth child and third son - Barnabas John Calvin Patz. He is mostly walking now, he has teeth, he eats everything except baby food, he gets a new bump almost every day, he has adapted to life with three older siblings (ages 6, 5, and 3) and he has potty trained himself (just kidding -- just wanted to see if you are paying attention).
Click here to view album
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| Barnabas 1 year |
Here is what I posted last year at his birth:
Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. (Acts 4:36-37)
I praise God with amazing wife, Molly, for the healthy birth of our third son (and 4th child), Barnabas John Calvin Patz, who was born at 8:47 PM on Friday, June 6th 2008 at the
Barnabas was a hefty 9 lbs and 10 oz and was 21 ½ inches tall. Both the mom and boy are doing great (oh, and dad)!
