Leading the Kids to love doing good.

Kids learn by watching what we do and what we don't do. Especially from the ages of 0 to 12. The hard part is to notice and talk with my children about how they are interpreting what I'm trying to teach them.

For example, by being a part of a church and being involved in serving others, I want my children to know that a relationship with Christ and doing His work is the best thing in the world. For Christmas, we're going to find ways we can take our money and time and help those in need. We're going to have family members who want to buy our kids toys to rather donate money to our kids charity of choice.

It's a tough balance. I don't want them to feel that they can just skip church when they don't feel like going. If we based things on when we feel like, we probably won't do a whole lot. It's often that when we do go when we don't feel like it, we end up feeling better and are glad that we went. I don't want them to give their money only after they've acquired the things they want. I also don't want them to think that God wants them to live a poor and oppressed lifestyle.

So do I change things up on purpose, like skipping church on a frequent basis? Do I only serve others when it fits conveniently in my schedule, and when I can do it with the whole family? But I also don't want my sons to think that I cheated on the family with God's church. Do I share with them how much we make and how much we give to church and other people?

I also don't want them to confuse serving God with church attendance. I also don't want them to confuse serving God as being on church staff. I want them to see that serving God comes from a desire to do what God wants us to do, love him and love people.

I think this is best done by letting them make some decisions but also teaching them which choices are the better ones and why. I don't think letting a 6 yr old determine for the family to miss church because they want to do something else. But it's my responsibility to work what my son wants to do into the near future if not immediately after church. I also have to know that if I forsake what he wants to do all together and "force" them to church and make a habit of this routine, I've failed as a father and as well as making a relationship with God something to be desired.

How old and what level of decisions have you set up to make a good balance? What have you done to promote God and living a life fully devoted to Him without being oppressive or a military commander?

Yo Dad!

Dear Heavenly Father,

I'm sorry you get blamed for everything. It's not all your fault. I make choices and follow my sinful heart, motives, and desires. I don't take the effort to learn who you really are and what you say are the best ways to follow. I don't read your bible enough or pray to you enough. I don't spend time with enough of the right people to encourage me in your ways either. And sometimes, I think I would have a better way, but I guess I can make those kind of calls when I create my own universe. Can I borrow your tools?

Anyways, I live in a world of sinful people who do what's right in their own eyes and in that whole realm, people get hurt. I don't like it and I know you don't like it, but you get blamed as though you did it. I wouldn't like it if I got blamed for everyone else's choices. I guess I think that you have to come down and discipline the whole world right now. But I probably would think that was mean too and blame you as a poor Father.

Sounds like you probably really know what you're doing. Thank you for your love and mercy for not spanking us the moment we make sinful failures. Hope to spend time with you soon.

Team Work

You have talents, I have talents. You need me and I need you. We cannot happen if you're not with me. We cannot happen if I'm not with you.

I need to humbly accept your talents working with mine and do my part to make we work.

I need to not push my talents on you as more important.

There are times that my talent may take more precedent, and there are times that your talent will take more precedent.

Humbly accept the times my talents are taking the precedent as well.

Thank you. See you tomorrow. Enjoy working with you.

Making it Spicey?!

if all things fall away and come back in style, will the internet loose it's touch or is it now like food, we just dress it up and mix it up with different things to make it more appealing? How do you make your hamburgers?

What is mine is yours?

Personal Space.

Everyone wants a spot in the house, a place in their work, a time in their day that they can claim as theirs and only theirs.

But if you live and work with people, your space becomes smaller and smaller.

I've discovered that at home, there is no place that becomes purely just mine.

No drawer, no desk space, no counter space allotted as my second desk spot, no side table, no night stand, no book shelf, no clean vehicle.

As annoying as that is, it would be pretty sad to not be around people for the sake of mine and tidiness.

Life goes on.

Annoying?

Annoying.

Things that are annoying are not necessarily things of injustice.

They are usually not things that deserve criminal punishment.

They aren't even people sinning against you.

But they can drive a person mad.

What's With Mowing Grass Anyways?

Millions don't have clean drinking water and it's all about survival.

Millions live in places where there is no fertile soil and it's all about survival.

Millions don't want to live that way and it's all about survivial.

Millions water their lawns to make them greener because it's all about image.

Millions wash their cars every week because it's all about image.

Millions mow grass on fertile soil just because it's all about image.

Forsake image for other's survival?

What if we turned our grass on fertile ground into gardens and used the water to grow for the millions who need the help?

Sure beats mowing! That's for sure.

Thoughts for making change.

Secret? Agent Man.

We are to be agent men and woman for Christ. But secretively? I'm still thinking about this message Jesus taught in Matthew 6. In the beginning of the chapter He says to pray and fast and give to the needy in secret.

But even Jesus saw what the poor widow gave to the church (I know theologically it's not the church, but go with me on this one) in Mark 12:42.

James talks that faith without works is dead (2:14-17). And although we are not able and should not come to a conclusion about someone's spiritual faith based upon what is seen and what is not seen, works of good are evident and noticeable at some point.

Paul in Galatians encourages the counselee to share with their counselor the good things of progress (6:6). Pastors thrive off hearing about their "sheep" ministering to others.

The writer in Hebrews says to PROVOKE one another in doing good deeds (10:24). It's hard to be provoked if you feel like you're the only one doing it. Elijah even was discouraged because he thought he was alone in his efforts (1 Kings 19:14).

Teaching others how to be generous without showing what generosity is, is ineffective. Paul challenged the Corinthians to give what they promised to give and had even told other churches about the amount they promised to raise (2 Corin. 9:2-5). He must have known how much they had given and how much more they needed to give.

There are always people watching. There are always people who know. Always people privy to information. So should you stop giving to the church, giving to those in need, praying at a public restaurant, praying in your life group, because someone will see? Of course not. I think I've blogged on this before. The point is to do good to others in God's name for the sake of truly loving and caring for others and obedience to God whether people are watching or not. Our good deeds are not to be done for show or to please people. But if people are watching or people do see, still keep going strong. You might even encourage them in doing good deeds as well.

(side note for church leaders and pastors: beware that you don't judge someone's spiritual state because you see little of a person's giving, serving, worship, praying or caring for other people, or lord forbid, not come to hear you speak at "church." They are your "sheep" and you are to provoke, rebuke, and encourage them, but they are also to be co-laborers with you in Christ. Love them, get to know them, and they might share with you what's really going on in their life. That's being a true shephard. If you find yourself upset at people's giving, serving or coming to "church," make sure it's because you care about their relationship with God and not because you want them to please you and your ministry.)

Hot Pursuit in Rocking Chairs

I was reading Matthew 6 this morning. Matthew 6 is right in the middle of Jesus' sermon on the mountain, his first message after going public with his ministry. The chapter starts out talking about doing our prayers, giving to the needy and fasting, all in secret for God. The point being that we do those things not for the praise of people. The second half of the chapter talks about not worrying in getting the things we need to survive (clothes, water, food).

The students at Fellowship Church acted out this second half about a month ago by sitting in rocking chairs and trying to rock towards signs we made saying clothes, water and food on them. It was a great illustration. Most of us find ourselves at one time or another and in our own ways spending a great amount of energy and time chasing after money and possessions the hard way. Jesus says straight up "Do NOT store up treasures for yourselves here on earth!"

If God says he'll take care of us, why do we strive so hard for these things?

One suggestion is found right in the middle of this whole chapter. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (v. 22, 23).

It matters what we're looking at. The word for healthy means pure, sound, a seeking after the righteousness of God kind of thing (some have suggested that the meaning is being generous. It definitely fits within the context and being generous is certainly an attribute of living out God's righteousness). The point being that when our focus in on those things, our body will be full of light, a.k.a, we'll be able to know where we need to be and go and do. We'll be able to know that our path is good or evil. We'll have a peace of mind in being able to see. You can't see if everything is total dark. And that's what happens when our focus is not pure, sound, and seeking those righteous things of God.

You may already know what God says to do. Maybe you've been a Christian for some time now. Maybe you're even a leader in the church. But you still refuse to give up your pursuit of getting for "me and my circle." Maybe He even convicts you with the Holy Spirit about those things if you're a follower of Jesus, He does that sort of thing you know.

David says in Psalm 119:35-37 "Guide me in the path of your commands, for I delight to walk in it. Give me a desire for your rules, rather than for wealth gained unjustly. Turn my eyes away from what is worthless!Revive me with your word!"