GOD’S PLAN & YOUR KIDS

What if God’s plan for your children isn’t about their happiness?

Now, that’s not to say that God doesn’t care about their happiness; He does. But what if their happiness is only a by-product of His primary agenda for their lives? What if we, as parents, are unconsciously working against God’s best plan for our kids?

That would mean that we need a completely different parenting model to rear effective kids in this defective world.

Bringing up Christ-centered kids in a culture that is at odds with scriptural priorities is no easy task. As parents, we often act based on cultural cues we don’t even recognize. There are many parenting myths that run rampant in our culture.

God says that my goal as a parent is not to make my kids happy; but to make my kids holy—set apart for God.

Our culture’s focus on making our kids happy is dangerously shortsighted. The result is children who constantly strive for more and better. And we need to realize that enough will never, never be enough.

This Sunday @Gatetree

Beginning this Sunday October 3, Gatetree will offer a wonderful parenting class called, “Shepherding a Child’s Heart.” I strongly urge you to be there on Sunday @9:30 AM for the first session. The class is dvd supported and each family will also receive a study guide.

Face it—every parent (Christian or not) faces enormous challenges and obstacles when it comes to rearing children. And even the best, most conscientious parent will stumble and fall from time to time. But there is help available and you can get in on it @Gatetree this coming Sunday.

I hope to see you there.

ROOTS OF OUR FAITH

The issues gripping our world today, inside and outside of the church, have a lot to do with how people think, don’t think, or how thinking has changed. We have a problem, and it’s a gaining ground at an alarming rate.

The problem is this: what do you really believe? It’s a question that’s become more difficult to answer as our society rejects the existence of right and wrong and replaces the concept with relative truth and subjective morality, i.e. tolerance.

I’d argue that in the last ten years a key component to the decline of the church in the United States correlates with a decline in the ability (or willingness) of Christians to speak and live the truth about tough – and often controversial – issues. I’m talking about more than the friendly, "comfortable" parts of Christianity. What I’m talking about is our ability to respond Biblically to some of the most challenging issues out there. Issues like abortion, sex, evolution, politics, feminism, homosexuality and the environment.

As foundational Christians values lose their voice in our society, two very real consequences emerge:

1. The evil one is gaining ground at a dangerous rate. Even worse, a godly perspective is frequently misconstrued and vilified to the point that it creates a very real barrier that keeps people from seeking the Lord.

2. The next generation of believers aren’t able to articulate a Biblical response to difficult issues because they’ve never learned how.

Sunday at Gatetree

On Sunday, I will begin a new message series titled, "The Roots of Our Faith." Over the next four weeks, we will discover what we believe and how to articulate it in the face of today's most challenging issues. Furthermore, when you know what you believe and why you believe it, you’ll gain confidence as you understand God’s perspective and learn how to respond in a way that accurately (and lovingly) communicates your values as a follower of Jesus.

Our service begins at 10:45 AM. The music is great, the people are authenticly warm and welcoming, and we'd love for you to be our guest. If you're in the area, feel free to drop in.