Dads - take note! We think we have the “L” thing down with our kids. And as a result they’ll “L” God too. Right? Let’s back up a bit and take a look (and maybe a hard swallow) at what we are or can do to better train our kids in “L”oving God. We call it “Affection”.
“Abba”. Daddy. Pop Pops. Terms of endearment. All heart warming to the one they’re aimed at.
Romans 8:15, 1 John 4:19, Mark 14:36, Gal 4:6
The ultimate goal as parents is to help our children gain trust in the right person: Jesus. In the process though, they’re watching US. How do we build a relationship with our kids that helps them learn to trust in the right people? AND what if we blew it… and now we’re trying to regain that trust? What now? Hebrews 2:11-13, Matt 21:21, Matt 14:22-33
How do you know if you have a good relationship with your kids? When it’s tested. The importance of open, trusting relationships with our children, grown or not cannot be overstated. Putting principles from God’s relationship with us is a useful guide - even down to the detail. And if you’re relationship with your children isn’t stellar, we have some ideas for you as well. Are you a grown child or teenager? Fear not! This episode has something in it for you too. Uncle Philmore makes sure of that.
Responsibility. If we’re going to do right by our children, we need to train them to be responsible. Easier said than done! What are some pitfalls we find ourselves falling into as parents, what are some principles to help avoid them? A little bit-o-been-there-done-that and a lot of looking at how Christ does it with us… His disciples. Mark 25:14 | Mark 9:28-29
Disclaimer: We’re not experts. However, when did that stop us from tackling a subject? When it comes to growing as Christians, the family is often the incubator for that growth. As far as raising respectful children are concerned, there are some principles that parents need to respect as well. If you don’t have kids, this is for you as well as we attempt to break down the topic in a way that has application for everyone. And Uncle Philmore makes an appearance too.
The Family. If there is an ideal incubator for learning valuable lessons and gaining many of the character traits necessary for productive Christianity, it might well be our families. In this series we tackle various character traits that mark Christians, in relation to how those might be best imparted to our kids. Also, we get a little vulnerable in these episodes, revealing shortcomings and lessons learned along the way, even as we are still learning. If you have kids, you just might benefit from the open, frank discussion. If you don’t, the principles still apply, as we aim to make this worth your time as a growing Christian too. After all, we ARE family in Christ.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle unbelievers must overcome is the impotence of their so-called Christian friends. It’s easy to fall prey to silence or adopt the trappings of faith, without actually having it. Do we believe what we say we believe? Let’s prove it. 2 Corinthians 4:13, Romans 10:17.
Why do some claim there are “rules” on what a person must do to be saved, anyway? Aren’t they just little technicalities that people use as control over others to convince them they’re going to hell? And why did Jesus say the path to salvation is narrow? Lastly - how narrow is TOO narrow? Hint: The problem isn’t the number of ‘rules’, the problem really is that when we object to clear Bible teaching regarding salvation, we’re objecting to the idea that God has ANY rules at all.
So now that we’ve discovered there is a moral basis for Hell, the next logical question is, “Why does God make it so hard to go to heaven, especially since you claim He loves us so much?” Put another way, “Why is the path so narrow?” In this episode we ask the question, “Is it?” and then dive into whether or not God has a moral justification for making requirements of people for eternal life. And what about people who have never had the chance to hear the gospel, anyway? A person in the remotest parts of the earth? How can God be justified in condemning them to Hell? This is the first in a two part series that gets to the heart of the issue: Is God really love and are we really in need of a Savior.
In this episode, we continue our apologetics series - answering frequently asked questions about God, the Bible and Christianity. Perhaps no other topic is too hot to handle (sorry - couldn’t resist) in the way this topic is. The subject of hell has been used by religion over the years as a means of profit and control. This worked so long as enough people resonated with the message - that “If you don’t do this or that, you’re gong to hell.” Like any good business though, man made religion now shies away from the topic becuase it doesn’t resonate with the target audience. In fact, the idea of hell is repulsive to many. Talking about it is just to risky to the business model - which requires growth in attendance, donations and public standing.
However aside from all that, the question still stands: How could a loving God send people to an eternal punishment? Does the punishment really fit the crime? What about people who are good people but commit an eencie weencie violation… is hell justified for them? In the words of a recent U.S. presidential candidate, “C’mon man!”.
These are legitimate questions that have legitimate answers and we hope to do our best in giving those.