daddy4ms

Introduction: As I was thinking about what it means to stand strong, I was reminded of a movie I saw recently which most people saw months ago.   It was Avengers: End Game.   The scene that came to mind was the final battle scene where the Avengers with their specific gifts and powers come together and stand strong against Thanos. I could not find the exact image online, but the following picture illustrates my point.   Just like the Avengers needed everyone to come together to win the battle, our passage from Ephesians is a reminder that the battle we are going to look at today is very real and is done not only individually but together as the church body.   Let’s look at our verses for this morning. Strong vs. 10 ·          In the Lord o    Greek Word means to be or become rendered (more) capable or able for some task; receive strength; be strengthen for service or action §   You do not make ...

Let me first state that I am not an expert on this topic.  The counseling community has been doing this for years.  However, when it comes to those in the church, we seem to forget this as we deal with situations and our own sin. What am I talking about?  Fixing symptoms rather than the roots. Three Scriptures that I want to share are: 10  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV) 3  For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4  For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5  We destroy...

Today, I am posting over at http://www.1corinthians13parenting.com/blog/ My post is about passing on faith to our kids based on Ephesians 6:4.  Stop by the site and read it or one of the many other great posts by members of the 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting Team.

Opening Illustration-What is your New Year’s Resolution?   According to Time Magazine the Top 10 Commonly Broken New Year's Resolutions As we begin 2014, I want 2014 to be your best year yet.   One of the ways we do this is by being aware of the world around us.   This begins by recognizing the spiritual battle we are in.   2 Corinthians 2:11 says, “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” Background- The Christian should not be morbidly occupied with the subject of demonism; neither should he live in fear of demons.(Believer's Bible Commentary pg. 1952) (1) Satan is real.  (2) Satan is defeated (Colossians 2:14-15)  (3) Satan lies (John 8:44) & accuses (Revelation 12:10-11) Read Ephesians 6:10-18 (Vs. 10-13) Posture Vs. 10-Be Strong. How?   In the Lord and in his power. Vs. 11-Put on the armor so that you can stand against devil’s schemes 4 times in NIV in verses 11...

This might not be a typical post during the Christmas season. However, I am preparing to preach from Ephesians 6:10-18 on January 5th and so I was loaned this book.   Prince has a great style of writing and most of his books are easy to read within a few hours.  Here are a few quotes to consider regarding  the Sword of the Spirit during spiritual warfare: First, neither Jesus nor Satan even questioned the authority of Scripture. Second, the basis of every temptation against Jesus was a temptation to doubt. Every time Satan began with the word "if", he called something into doubt. Third, as I have already indicated, Jesus did not vary His method of dealing with Satan, but always used the same weapon of the Word of God against him. It is written. . .It is written. . .It is also written.

There is nothing like holding a newborn baby.  Today, I had the great opportunity to hold Kohen Hershberger.  This is one of the perks of being a Pastor of Children and Family that never gets old.  Congratulations to Chad & Tara on the birth of their baby boy! As I was driving home, I was thinking about my own kids as babies.  In many ways, it seems like yesterday, but when looking at my 12, 10, almost 9, & almost 5 year olds, I realize the time is actually flying by.  It has been a joy watching them grow up and I wonder if I am passing on the most important things.  I know my most important goal is to raise my kids to love God & love others.  Let me leave you with a verse to remind us as parents (especially fathers) what we are called to do.   " Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.( Ephesians 6:4) By the way, this is a picture of me holding Molly n...

So, there is a lot of talk right now about the importance of families talking about faith at home. Right now, there are more resources to help in this area than ever before. Many families are realizing the importance of these times and making the decision to start. So, what happens when you decide you are going to do family devotions and the experience is less than desirable? In other words, what happens when family devotions go bad? I happen to be able to speak from experience about this. Recently, I had planned and prepared our time together well to have one of my kids make the experience difficult. Bad attitudes were not the only issue, but it also included verbal distractions. I am not sure anyone else was able to worship that evening. Why do I share this? To realistically explain, that when you decide to do this, there will at times be resistance. Sometimes this resistance can come from yourself, your spouse, or your kids. Know this fact-Satan does not want you personally...

Today, I had the privilege of leading the parent/child dedication at church. I have done a couple before. As I reflected on the dedication, I was again reminded of the importance of church and home. As I meet with parents, I make it clear that Scripture shows it is their responsibility to pass on their faith to their kids as seen in Deuteronomy 6, Ephesians 6, and Psalm 78. We in the church have said this for a long time, but we have failed because we do not then equip parents how to do this. I pray and hope this will change in the body of Christ. As Associate Pastor, I want to equip parents through training and teaching that will help them impact their kids. I want to encourage and pray for parents to do this well. This is just one part of the equation. The next part is my role as a parent. Not only does Scripture speak to this topic, but research is also supporting it over and over. Mom, you are the number 1 influence in your kids' faith development. Dad, you are number...