Disciplemaking Parent

What's the message?

~ brandon ~ Leave a comment

So, our family has been out of the cable TV loop for about six years.  Today, a few things came together and I had the chance to watch a show on Nick.  While the show, clearly aimed at pre-teens, was cute, it left me wondering what message there are trying to send.  The basic premise was something like this:  a group of kids wanted to eat dinner at a really expensive restaurant.  Being teens, they could not afford to and they devised a scheme to eat there.  To get the money they defrauded their high school out of $1500 (convincing a teacher to assist them), then used the money for their extravagant dinner.  Did they get caught?  No, they did not.  Was there any lesson about lying, fraud or theft?  No, there was not.  In fact, the only message that I could see was, “There are no consequences for immoral or illegal behavior.”  Not exactly a message I want my kids getting.

Parents, watch your kids shows with them from time to time.  Watch them critically.  Ask yourself, “What lesson(s) are my kids learning from this?”

The Barna Group – Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research in 2010

~ brandon ~ 2 Comments

The Barna Group – Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research in 2010.

Makes me wonder why this is true.  All of the studies findings seem to come back to Barna’s first point:

1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.

A theologically illiterate Church might lose mission (pt 2), not care for spiritual principles (pt 3), prioritize community action over gospel proclamation (pt 4), become more pc (pt 5) and experience little/no impact on the world around.  Whether or not my thinking is true, one still wonders, “Why?”

I believe it starts with our evangelism.  We often try to downplay various aspects of the gospel, in order to win an audience or secure a conversion.  Some down play God’s justness and Hell.  Others downplay the radical commitment that Christ demands.  When we win people to a gospel that only requires a prayer and attending church once in a while, we should not be surprised by these results.

“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”  (Luke 14:33 ESV)

Contrary to our invitations, Jesus made a radical call upon those who would experience God’s grace–they must give up everything.  The response Christ demands is a willingness to lay down anything–and everything–in order to gain Christ.  When we have this attitude toward Christ Barna’s six findings will no longer true.

 

Men I’ve Learned From: George Whitefield | The Mars Hill Blog

~ brandon ~ Leave a comment

Whitefield’s priority list would have been Jesus, ministry, and marriage last, whereas marriage should have a higher priority than ministry in a biblical man’s life.

via Men I’ve Learned From: George Whitefield | The Mars Hill Blog.

Please read the whole post.  It makes a great point about the temptation to sacrifice family on the altar of ministry.  Yet, I’m not sure I 100% agree with the above quote.  I believe, for the father and husband, that marriage & family is ministry.  I’m not sure we can so simply divy them up.  Also, I’m sure Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple,” (Luke 14.26).

Certainly Jesus is speaking in comparative terms.  Our devotion to Him must out strip our devotion to ‘wife and children.’  So, in light of this, were Whitefield’s priorities out of whack, or are we in danger or idolizing our families?

Consider that it is the parent’s role to disciple children (admittedly, Whitefield did nt have children).  How will they learn that Jesus is #1 is my life if I never choose Jesus over them?  If my life never causes me to say, “I’d love to, son, but I must follow Jesus,” am I displaying Luke 14.26 to my son?

While we must take care of our families, we must also beware lest we fall into the opposite trap of putting our families in Christ’s place.

Be a Parent

~ brandon ~ Leave a comment

Yahoo! News is reporting a study that links some traditional family behaviors with healthy kids.

Apparently eating dinner together 5+ nights per week, making your kids sleep 10.5 hours a night and limiting TV to 2 hours a day correlate to significantly lower obesity rates.  It is almost like spending quantity time with your kids is more important that quality time.

The saddest part of the story?

Helmcamp said it can be hard to institute some of these behaviors. But she suggested that parents “make these behaviors a priority. Sit down and figure out how you can make it happen. Maybe your child doesn’t need to be involved in four or five different activities.”

She said if it’s tough to eat together five times a week, shoot for at least three nights a week. And, she also recommended removing TVs from children’s bedrooms, which can help with limiting screen time and with getting enough sleep.

Seriously?  ‘It can be hard?’  I didn’t realize parenting was supposed to be easy.  Of course it’s hard; it is supposed to be hard.  How could shaping and forming the next generation of mankind be easy?

Anyway, read the whole thing.