Honoring Fathers

 Children hear our words, but they see our lives.  It’s this time of year that we set a time aside to honor our fathers.  A faithful father imparts not only words, but also his life.  May I encourage our fathers to not only live but invest your lives in your children. 

Children are always in a learning process.  They’re going to learn from someone.  Let it be a good example.  Children learn a proper set of values from Dad.  They learn what’s important from Dad.

The reason many children never learn the value of spiritual things is because it just wasn’t important to Dad.  For a father to say one thing and do another causes confusion in the child because they are inclined to be like us!

 Children discover their attitude about work from their fathers.  A poll was taken a while back asking men about job satisfaction.  It was interesting to note that 85 percent said they were not satisfied and some said they hated and despised their employment.

Show me a father who hates work and I’ll show you some sons who won’t know how to work.

The Texas State Police offered a bulletin on how to raise a juvenile delinquent.  Number 1 on the list was “give him what he wants.”  This young generation in America has been given too much and when Dad can’t many expect the government can.

Dad, God bless you this Father’s Day for your faithfulness.  You will be rewarded one day for all your labor.  We, in this nation, will be rewarded because you raised strong, responsible citizens.

                   

See ya Sunday!
Pastor

"We are more than conquerors..."

      As a young college student in Northern Indiana I was approached by one of the leaders on campus. He told me of a meeting taking place that evening.  I spoke to a friend of mine in regards to this meeting and his reaction was negative.

 Long story short it was a small group of preacher’s that felt they could attain sinless perfection. I backed away, however I spoke to the leader and discussed my concerns.

At the conclusion of our conversation I asked him “You feel you will never sin again?” he responded “I feel we make mistakes but we do not believe we sin.  I respectfully said “Well, what you call a mistake, the Bible calls a sin. "

 There are those who follow that doctrine, and as those fellow students of mine I feel they are good people trying to live clean before the Lord.

As humans we will always have a problem with sin. At salvation God did not discard our old nature. It is still corrupt and fleshly. A constant battle.
 

To say we will never sin is inconsistent with the human experience we know. Read the lives of great men and women of the Bible and you will not find one that ever got to the point where they could not sin.
 

The apostle Paul claimed in Philippians 3:12 “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”

It is also inconsistent with our own hearts. The older I get and the more I learn about myself. I become aware of my own sinfulness. This has often been a problem with young converts. They have trouble living the Christian life and battle the life. They ultimately drop out of the Christian walk altogether.

Living in this world is often a trial. Be encouraged this week by knowing that the Bible teaches us that with Christ we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. It is often difficult living for Christ, but it is the greatest thrill we will ever know.
 

See ya Sunday, Don’t miss it, it’s going to be great!

Pastor