I once asked a Jewish friend to forgive the church and me for what we did to Jews in the name of Christ. I waited for him to tell me to get lost or, maybe, to forgive me. Instead, he started weeping. I had no idea why and asked him. “Steve,” he said, “I didn’t hear a ‘kicker’ in your remarks. Often people will say something like what you said to me but there is always a kicker. You guys want me...
Children notice from a young age when something about their appearance makes them different. A little girl may not like her freckles, or a young boy may be picked on because his ears stick out a little bit. It’s important for our kids to understand that even if they feel different, God made each of them special. God Made Me in His Image: Helping Children Appreciate Their Bodies by Justin S...
It was just a friendly game of racquetball. Our racquets were tethered around our wrists in case things got slippery, and then we started pounding the dickens out of the ball, all in the spirit of friendly fun and exercise. Maybe my friend expected to win handily; maybe he expected consistently great shots from himself. But whatever was going on within him, he was getting louder. What began as a...
Why do children lie? For that matter, why do any of us lie? We exaggerate details in our favor, twist the truth to make ourselves look good, and hide facts to protect our guilt. No matter the form, we lie because we love ourselves and want to protect ourselves at all cost. Children are no different. Like us, they will even deny the obvious to save face and avoid consequences. Lying shows a lack...
We are quite familiar with the Lord Jesus giving his great commission to his Church to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them and teaching them to obey all his commandments (Matthew 28:19–20). We are also aware that fathers are called to instruct their children in God’s Word (Ephesians 6:4). Those of us with children soon realize that the call to make disciples begins in the home...
