In twenty years of ministry to men, I have heard countless stories of fathers who raised their children with this tragic philosophy: “Do as I say, not as I do.” The legacies of confusion and brokenness left in the wake of such instruction is both sad and sobering. Children naturally observe and mimic whatever their parents do, even more than what they say. Therefore, if you are a father, you have...
By God’s grace, many Christians can testify of being blessed through the legacy of a godly grandmother. But how about the spiritual impact of grandfathers? Are we Christian grandfathers also impacting the coming generations with the gospel of Christ? When our grandchildren look at us, do they see tangible proof that the gospel changes people? That the gospel has changed us? What a blessing it is...
When Tina’s husband left, she was devastated. Even though she and her husband had struggled with problems, she was shocked that he would actually leave her. When she asked him why he was leaving and what he planned to do, he had no answers. His only response—he needed space. This common beginning to many unplanned separations is the first surprising reality about marital separation. Although it...
When my kids were little, we read books every night. Some they picked, and some I picked. One series that I never chose, but they often wanted to read was The Berenstain Bears. I thought the books were a bit moralistic, and Papa Bear was a bumbler who needed lots of direction from Mama Bear. But my children loved the bear world, the true-to-life problems, the silly things that happened, and the...
Psalm 90:11–12 reminds us to number our days so that we can present to God hearts of wisdom. Ephesians 5:15 tells us to be wise, making the most of our time. Scripture often calls us to use each day to the fullest. But when we have a major event looming on the calendar, it can often make us forget the importance of today. Your deployment can seem so overwhelming that the days slip by without your...
