Joy in the Holy Spirit
I’m sure you’ve heard of the KISS principle, right? Keep it simple, stupid. Things aren’t always as complex as they seem. Sometimes the answers really are easy. Sometimes you don’t need a five point game plan, you just need to pray. Sometimes you don’t need to go for more counseling, you just need to read […]
Praying for Your Kids
How do you pray for your child? There are thousands of books, websites, and blogs out there showing us how to pray for our children. They teach us what to pray and even when to pray for our kids. We are not short on information and resources. Where I see a hole is in the […]
Will Your Teenager Leave the Faith?
We’ve been pastoring for 23 years now…and parenting for almost 19 of those. Speaking from BOTH perspectives, we’ve discovered that most parents’ greatest fear is that our kids will go on some crazy rebellious streak and reject the faith we hold dear. I ran across some interesting information, though, that says this fear is largely […]
Home on the Range
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. (Colossians 3:18-21, NIV) This is one of those household passages for […]
Grace-Filled Homes
We asked our daughter recently what she thought the biggest need was in homes of her friends. She answered without hesitation: Grace. “I want all my friends’ parents to have more grace with their kids. I want them to support them in what they are doing and what they are involved in by showing up […]
Your Family’s Mission
As the new year began, God spoke Isaiah 58:11-12 over the families of our church: The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient […]
Dangerous Freedom?
Dear Family Legacy, How do I set parameters related to our family’s faith in a secular environment? ~ Dangerous freedom? Dear Dangerous Freedom, That’s a good question. You’re kids are being bombarded by things through school, media, friends, that aren’t necessarily good for them (understate things much?). Of course we want to protect them. On […]
Turning Teenagers’ Hearts toward God
Dear Family Legacy, when a kid is a teenager, if they don’t want to spend time with God, do you make them? How do you handle that without making them resent you or God? ~ Wary Mom Dear Wary Mom, Great question! Every Christian parent wants his/her child to have a personal relationship with the […]
Father’s Day
This Sunday is Father’s Day and I want to encourage you to spend the morning in the Father’s House. In the same way we earthly fathers like to hear our kids say “Thanks”, I’m sure our Heavenly Father likes to hear it from us. I’ve been thinking about fatherhood a lot lately. My son graduated […]
Instilling Hope
Instilling Hope Over the course of the past month or so we’ve been talking with the 1st through 5th graders in Kid’s Church on Sunday mornings about how God gives us hope – hope through Jesus, hope in heaven, hope in the resurrection… knowing the hope we have in God. In the New Testament, the […]
Talking With God
Talking with God Today I wanted to take a minute to let you know about our next Family Legacy Workshop coming up soon! The workshop will be held on Wednesday, May 21st, from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm here at New Life Church. I hope you can attend this dynamic workshop, and would encourage you to […]
Protecting Their Heart
In our first Family Legacy Workshop, now over 6 weeks ago, we talked about spiritual safety. One thing we explored was how spiritual safety protects our heart. And one of our assignments as parents (or any adult who relates to kids), is to protect the hearts of our children. Our heart is that special place […]
