Psalm 78:1-14 gives us four principles to follow in parenting with purpose. It also challenges us to be the person that God desires us to become. Parenting is not just about raising children to honor the Lord, it is a process designed to make us more like Christ. You will never learn more about God’s love for us, and what forgiveness is all about than when we take on the role of a parent! As we do so, the first principle that is seen in this passage is found in verse 14 “In the daytime also [God] led [the Israelites} with the cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.” We must begin by learning and teaching our children about God’s greatness. It is our responsibility to teach our children, grandchildren, and our spiritual children of God’s greatness! Psalm 145:3-4 reminds us, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” God is working mightily all around us, we just need spiritual eyes to see those mighty deeds. Pray today, that the LORD will allow you to see and … READ MORE

In Ephesians 4:16, we see that the power for being equipped and matured into lovingly authentic proclaimers is not in believers themselves, in their leaders, or in church structure. The Body receives its authority, direction and power as it grows “up in all aspects into Christ, from whom the whole body [is] fitted and held together.” The proper working of each individual part recalls the importance of each believer’s gift. The growth of the church is not a result of clever methods but of every member of the body fully using their spiritual gift in close contact with other believers. Christ is the source of the life and power and growth of the church, which He facilitates through each believer’s gifts and mutual ministry in joints touching other believers is to stay close to Jesus Christ, faithfully using their spiritual gift in close contact with every believer they touch. As with all living organisms, spiritual growth in the church does not come from forces outside but from the vital power within that causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself. When the church is built up according to Christ’s plan, the world will know it is … READ MORE

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church,” But he did not specifically say how that would happen. This is explored in Ephesians 4:11-16 where we read, “[Jesus] gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastor/teachers” (v11) Paul then sets forth God’s progressive plan for the church in verses 12-16. The purpose of the pastor is to prepare the people to do the work of the ministry! Not to do the work themselves. It seems that today many churches have “professional teams” designed to do all the work of the church, and those attending are there to support that work financially, and be entertained by the services. Great expense is being laid out to create a platform where the performance will take place every week. Pastor’s are being trained in administration, and oversight, but not theology, and teaching. The church has great speakers, but not great theologians. As a result those who are attending are often weak in their understanding of the truth. We spend an hour and a half singing, and 15 minutes with a devotional thought designed to make those in attendance feel good about themselves. While this is not necessarily bad, … READ MORE