Notes of Faith June 5, 2023

Notes of Faith June 5, 2023

Show Faith Through Actions, Not Just Words

“Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

It’s reported that Saint Francis of Assisi said those words when asked by others how a person should express his faith. And while most who know me wouldn’t expect me to pull out a supposedly eight-hundred-year-old quote from a Catholic friar, when I heard the words, I thought immediately of Dad. He is the living example of those words.

Clearly my father always had faith in himself, but the faith he would tell you was more important to his success was his faith in God. It wasn’t a discussion he had with reporters; it has always been his — and our family’s — take on faith to keep this portion of our lives rather private. Within our house, believing in our Creator was a central part of our life and success, and I’m sure no one who has spent time with Dad would question his faith. The lesson that both my parents taught us as their children mirrors exactly the way I’ve shared the discussion regarding faith with my children.

As I was writing this, the importance of faith and how it was taught led to a great discussion with both of my parents. “Believing in Christ was just a way of life,” Mom said.

Then Dad summed it up. “I thought it was important to teach you about God the same way I taught you golf,” he said rather matter-of-factly. “Go through and make sure you understand the importance and the fundamentals, then let each of you come to decisions based on what you saw, not what you might think was being forced. If the decision becomes truly yours, the impact will be far greater. My father and mother taught faith to me, basically, the same way.”

Mom and Dad passed that faith on to us, one of the greatest gifts they ever gave us. And as a Christ-follower today, I know the way Mom and Dad set the example worked for me.

As often as she could, Mom made sure she and the five kids attended our Methodist church and Sunday school and learned about God and Jesus. She said she made it a point for us to sit in the front row so none of us would be tempted to nod off or misbehave.

We didn’t attend church every Sunday because as a family we traveled to Dad’s golf tournaments many weekends. Dad got to go to church far less frequently than we did. He worked on Sunday. (At least he hoped every week to be working on Sunday!) But Dad made the point that a church attendance roster was no way to define our relationship with God. Of the five children I probably traveled more with Dad than the others. I first caddied for Dad when I was fourteen years old and was on his golf bag many weekends as a teenager and beyond, missing many Sundays at home.

One of the most important teachings in the Bible is the admonition that each of us must love our neighbor.

PGA Tour players compete in twenty to thirty tournaments annually — Dad played in 586 PGA Tour events during his forty-three-year career. He traveled nationally and internationally, making pew appearances nearly impossible. On the tour, several players have, for many years, made it a point to gather for a group Bible study on Sunday mornings. Dad didn’t attend those gatherings, choosing to make his private time of worship his own. He read and prayed. But he did it alone.

Dad thought of the golf course as his place to witness.

When he was out there, the crowds were watching. In his mind it wouldn’t have mattered what he did on Sunday mornings if on Sunday afternoons he cursed and acted in ways that would have dishonored his Lord. Similarly, it wouldn’t matter how many times you pointed toward Heaven after a great putt if you disrespected your wife and family through your actions or words. Many people can put on a good show in public. But your core, who you truly are, is defined by what happens when nobody is watching.

I have tried to instill my parents’ commitment to faith in my kids through many of the same ways. I believed the way they watched a Christian life lived would help set an example, and I am proud of the direction each of them has chosen.

One of the most important teachings in the Bible is the admonition that each of us must love our neighbor.

I know there’s a chapter ahead in this book on my parents’ work for charitable organizations, but as I think about how my father and mother lived their faith, I think about many of the little ways they showed love to neighbors.

Dad would often encourage us, as children, to find little ways to help people. The greatest lesson in what he was teaching, though, was the importance of showing empathy for others, of not being judgmental of circumstances we might not understand.

You never know what other people are going through in their lives. Even a small interaction when passing someone on a sidewalk can entirely change a person’s day. Being respectful, appreciative, kind, caring, and listening to and learning from your friends, family, and strangers is very important. As big as our world is, it truly is small.

And in those moments, you may be opening a heart.

Excerpted from Best Seat in the House by Jack Nicklaus II and Don Yaeger, copyright Jack Nicklaus II and Don Yaeger.

Sacrifice is usually necessary when loving others. Doing something small can make a big difference. Smile, buy someone an ice cream cone in the line in front of you, thank a veteran for their service. These and many more little things can lead to opportunities to speak about eternal things. Try a little something today!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith June 4, 2023

Notes of Faith June 4, 2023

Walk Away from Worry

Trade Your Cares for Calm

Imagine your whole life untouched by worry. What if faith, not fear, were your default reactions to threats? Envision a day, just one, absent the dread of failure, rejection, and calamity. This is the possibility behind Jesus’ question, “Why are you afraid?” (Matthew 8:26 NCV).

Fearless

Fear Less Tomorrow

Fear may fill our world, but it doesn’t have to fill our hearts. It will always knock on the door. Just don’t invite it in for dinner, and for Heaven’s sake, don’t offer it a bed for the night. The promise of Christ is simple:

When I was six years old, my dad let me stay up late with the rest of the family and watch the movie The Wolf Man. Boy, did he regret that decision. The film left me convinced that the Wolf Man spent each night prowling our den, awaiting his preferred meal of first-grade, red-headed, freckle-salted boy. My fear proved problematic.

To reach the kitchen from my bedroom, I had to pass perilously close to his claws and fangs, something I was loath to do. More than once I retreated to my father’s bedroom and awoke him. Like Jesus on the boat, Dad was sound asleep in the storm.

How can a person sleep at a time like this?

Opening a sleepy eye, he would ask, “Now, why are you afraid?” And I would remind him of the monster. “Oh yes, the Wolf Man,” he’d grumble. He would then climb out of bed, arm himself with super-human courage, escort me through the valley of the shadow of death, and pour me a glass of milk. I would look at him with awe and wonder, What kind of man is this?

Might it be that God views our storms the way my father viewed my Wolf Man angst?

Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves, and it became completely calm. — Matthew 8:26 NCV

He handles the great quaking with great calm. The sea becomes as still as a frozen lake, and the disciples are left wondering,

What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!

— Matthew 8:27 NCV

What kind of man indeed.

We can fear less tomorrow than we do today.

God’s Word for Your Worries

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? — Psalm 27:1

So don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.

—Matthew 10:31 NCV

I tell you not to worry about everyday life. —Matthew 6:25 NLT

Take courage. I am here! — Matthew 14:27 NLT

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul.

— Matthew 10:28 NASB

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the Kingdom. —Luke 12:32 NASB

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me... I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am. — John 14:1, 3 NLT

Excerpted from Trade Your Cares for Calm by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

Fear not, for I am with you always! It would seem that drowning in a small boat on a stormy sea would be reason to fear, but not according to Jesus. Oh, we of little faith. Since faith is a gift, let us pray for greater faith! God has a great desire to provide us with spiritual gifts, so ask! You have not because you ask not, God tells us through James. Fear not!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith June 3, 2023

Notes of Faith June 3, 2023

Prayers for Dads

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. – Romans 1:16

Lord, by Your name alone are people saved.

Your unfailing love built the bridge from You to us. Your love conquers all. Help me be bold with my faith and unashamed that I follow You so I will speak freely about You. Help me walk in courage and faith every day because my strength and dependence flow from the Holy Spirit. Provide opportunities for me to share Your love with my friends and coworkers, and give me the heart to stand strong for You. Teach me how to be an example for my children.

Bless my family, Lord, so they will know You and will want to tell others about You. Give them an excitement and a deep joy in serving You. Fill our home with Your strength and courage.

Thank You for strengthening our hearts and our resolve to follow You without apprehension or wavering.

In Your Son’s name, amen.

*

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28

Dear God, You are great and mighty. You planned and purposed every moment of every life on earth. You know all and control all. You are Lord of all!

Remind me today that when unexpected, troublesome, or even painful things enter my life, You have allowed them for my benefit — to strengthen me. Help me to appreciate the difficulties and challenges and to have the proper attitude toward them.

As my children learn more about You and Your ways, help them realize You want only good for them. Teach them to pray and walk with You through the good times and bad. Reinforce their faith today.

Thank You for weaving the events and circumstances in our lives to fit in your amazing plan. I am grateful that Your plan includes my family.

In Christ’s name, amen.

*

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. – Joshua 24:15

Lord, You are all-knowing and all-powerful. Heaven is your throne, and the earth is Your footstool. I wonder sometimes if I’m teaching my family about You like I should. Guide me to be a godly man so I can be the kind of father and husband You want me to be. Break down any barriers that keep me from being that man.

Show my children and my family that Your ways are best. Create in them the desire to follow You so they will love You with all their hearts, all their minds, and all their souls.

I am so grateful I can come to You on behalf of my family. Thank You for carefully watching over them and leading them to You.

In Your holy name, amen.

Excerpted from Pocket Prayers for Dads by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

Early Father’s day note to emphasize how important fathers are in our lives. Of course the most important is our heavenly Father, who we seek to know, love, and imitate because He loved us first!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith June 2, 2023

Notes of Faith June 2, 2023

The Cure for Disappointment

Grace for the Moment

by Max Lucado

I am the Lord, the God of every person on the earth. Nothing is impossible for Me. — Jeremiah 32:27

We need to hear that God is still in control.

We need to hear that it’s not over until He says so.

We need to hear that life’s mishaps and tragedies are not a reason to bail out. They are simply a reason to sit tight.

Corrie ten Boom used to say, “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not. You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.”

The way to deal with discouragement? The cure for disappointment? Go back and read the story of God. Read it again and again. Be reminded that you aren’t the first person to weep. And you aren’t the first person to be helped.

Read the story and remember, the story is yours!

~ He Still Moves Stones

*

God is for you.

God Is For You

He will rejoice over you. — Zephaniah 3:17

God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for Him in the bleachers, shouting your name.

Too tired to continue? He’ll carry you.

Too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up.

God is for you. Had He a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on His bumper. If there’s a tree in Heaven, He’s carved your name in the bark.

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?” God asks in Isaiah 49:15 (NIV).

What a bizarre question. Can you mothers imagine feeding your infant and then later asking, “What was that baby’s name?” No. I’ve seen you care for your young. You stroke the hair, you touch the face, you sing the name over and over. Can a mother forget? No way. But “even if she could forget her children, I will not forget you,” God pledges (Isaiah 49:15).

Excerpted from Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

As we move through the years and become more feeble, our hard drive (our minds) not functioning as they used to, our joints clicking, the society in which we live becoming more and more difficult financially and ungodly, wrong is right and right is wrong…we must realize that God is still in control and right beside us providing the grace that we need for the moment. The back of the book says that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ come out on the other side of all earthly experience as winners! Eternal life with the God of creation and our lives is nothing to shake a stick at. It is as real as the judgment that will come on those who do not believe, worship and serve the Lord. It is eternal! God is for you. Come to Him today in humble faith and receive all of God’s blessings forevermore!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith June 1, 2023

Notes of Faith June 1, 2023

Don't Fear Weakness

Bear Grylls is a survivor. You’ve likely seen him on one of his many survival and adventure TV shows, such as Man Vs. Wild, You Vs. Wild, The Island, and Running Wild with Bear Grylls. In his life, Bear has served with British special forces, climbed Everest, crossed the north Atlantic unassisted, and he currently holds the record for the longest indoor freefall! But as much as Bear knows about adventure and survival, he’s come to realize that a deeper source of strength is needed in this life. As Bear says, “I find the journey hard. I often mess up. I feel myself teetering on the edge more often than you would imagine. So for me, starting my day with God really helps. It is like food. Like good fuel for the soul.” In his book Soul Fuel, Bear Grylls offers up 365 devotions, many of which he wrote on his phone during his countless adventures. Enjoy two selections today from Bear in Soul Fuel.

Don’t Fear Weakness

I often feel inadequate because of my many weaknesses. But sometimes God works through our weaknesses better than through our perceived strengths.

We see it in Gideon. Chosen by God to lead an army, he didn’t feel that he was up to the job.

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family”. — Judges 6:15

Often our doubts and fears only really surface when we’re about to be tested. But our sense of weakness is no barrier to God. “I will be with you,” said God to Gideon. And He says it to us too.

I often draw strength from the words of the apostle Paul:

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me… For when I am weak, then I am strong.

—2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Don’t run or hide from your weaknesses. Accept and embrace them, and lay them before the Almighty. He longs to enter, transform, and empower our lives. It is what He does — but only when asked, and only when there is room for Him to work.

A false sense of self-confidence often gets in the way of our progress in life. There’s a power to weakness, strange as it sounds. But when we admit that we’re unable to fight the big battles alone, that is when we learn to effectively rely on a stronger power. God-confidence is always going to win over self-confidence. Gideon knew that, as have so many of the most empowered men and women throughout history.

***************

Don’t run or hide from your weaknesses. Accept and embrace them, and lay them before the Almighty.

The Curtain Between Man and God

It is arguably the most poignant moment in human history: Pilate turned and looked at Jesus. Covered in blood, a crown of thorns biting into His scalp, soldiers on either side, Jesus didn’t look like much of a threat to the Roman ruler. I imagine Pilot half sneering, half despairing as he spoke:

Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you? — John 19:10

But Jesus’ reply was so calm and clear:

You haven’t a shred of authority over Me except what has been given you from Heaven. — John 19:11 MSG

It must have looked to many as though it was game over, as though Jesus’ life had been a failure — that hatred, jealousy, and ego had conquered over mercy, forgiveness, and love. But in reality, the greatest victory in the history of the world was about to be won. The conquered one, the man who looked as if He’d failed, was about to reveal a source of new life, a new vision for humankind, a new road to peace and unity.

At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. — Matthew 27:51 MSG

Whenever we’re struggling with the circumstances of our lives, let’s see beyond what other people see as failure and look instead to what God’s doing behind the scenes in our lives. Let’s choose to remember that the greatest triumphs sometimes occur when the circumstances seem to be hardest.

He went through it all — was put to death and then made alive — to bring us to God. — 1 Peter 3:18 MSG

When we think life is dark, Christ knows better. Look up. The light is coming.

Excerpted from Soul Fuel by Bear Grylls, copyright BGV Global Limited, 2019.

It has never entered my mind to attempt any journey that Bear Grylls seems to enjoy. The physical challenge, perhaps more than anything else fear of dying during some crazy event. But his dependence on God I agree with. Starting each day with God makes every day a good day. If failure, struggle, or illness invades the day, it is still a good day in the Lord, for He is walking beside us as we experience all that creation even in its fallen state, has to offer. There is no place that we could go where God is not already there. There is no journey, no matter how crazy even Bear Grylls might think up, that God is not there.

“I will never leave you or forsake you.” God is always with us even when we sleep!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 31, 2023

Notes of Faith May 31, 2023

Jesus Recognizes Anxiety

In the gospel of Mark, an interesting dynamic emerges. When the person approaching Jesus narrates their problem as an external problem happening “out there,” Jesus often refocuses their attention to their internal state. Jesus will deal with the external problem eventually; He’s not ignoring it. But often, He first wants the person to recognize their own anxiety as the starting point.

Take a moment to read about one such example from Mark 5:21-42:

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around Him while He was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet. He pleaded earnestly with Him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put Your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around Him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.”

Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched My clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against You,” His disciples answered, “and yet You can ask, ‘Who touched Me?’”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

He did not let anyone follow Him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at Him.

After He put them all out, He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.

When Jairus first approached Jesus, he narrated his problem as one that was “out there” — the health condition of his daughter back home. Natural and understandable. If I were Jairus, that’s exactly how I would narrate my problem and my request. The problem is my daughter’s illness, which is happening back there at my house, and my request is for Jesus to fix that situation.

Jesus accepts this man’s initial approach and travels with him back to his home, the supposed location of the problem. On the way, they are interrupted by the woman with the flow of blood, a condition that automatically marked her for shame. The woman starts telling Jesus her whole story. She has been sick for twelve years, has tried many doctors, and is discouraged because nothing worked — and so on and so on.

As this woman’s narrative of worries and shame drags on, you can imagine Jairus glancing at the position of the sun (since he didn’t have a watch) and tapping his sandal-clad foot. My daughter back at the house, my daughter back at the house, my daughter back at the house. That’s the real problem, and this is taking too long.

Jesus understands our problems. And He will ultimately respond. He has a plan for those problems.

Some messengers arrive with bad news: Jesus is too late, Jairus’s daughter is dead. Jairus’s attention naturally goes even more to “out there” back at the house. I imagine he launches into questions about what happened there. “Are you sure? When did she die? Who is with her now?”

If Jairus believes the messengers’ news, perhaps his mind switches to a “high-functioning anxiety” mode to deal with other external problems: “How am I going to comfort my wife? What kind of burial arrangements are we going to make? What will I say at the funeral?”

Notice Jesus’ response. He interrupts Jairus’s train of thoughts and redirects his attention. To where? To his internal state. “Don’t be afraid,” He says. Jesus directs Jairus to what is happening inside him.

Jesus wants Jairus to recognize his anxiety.

This response is especially striking. Jesus could have said, “Jairus, I’m raising your daughter from the dead even as we speak. We don’t even have to finish this journey.” Jesus responded that way in another miracle with a centurion in Luke 7. But with Jairus, He doesn’t even explicitly promise a specific external outcome. He doesn’t say a word about how He will deal with Jairus’s external problem. He directs attention solely to his internal state of anxiety.

Jesus cared about the dead daughter. Jesus cared about Jairus, whose pain is real and his situation heartbreaking. Jesus understands why it preoccupies Jairus, and He will eventually deal with her death with His resurrection power.

But first He wants to deal with the anxiety inside Jairus, which means Jairus must recognize what’s going on inside him. The journey must go there.

Notice what this means. Jairus does not know exactly what Jesus is going to do to solve his problem. He has to walk all the way home with Jesus while dealing with his anxiety.

Try to imagine what that journey was like for Jairus because it represents our own anxiety journey. In our own life, all sorts of external problems will trigger our anxiety. And we will naturally want to focus our attention on finding solutions for those problems. We may even ask Jesus to fix those problems. In fact, trying to get Jesus to fix those external problems will absorb an enormous part of our spiritual energy.

Jesus understands our problems. And He will ultimately respond. He has a plan for those problems.

The plan may or may not achieve the kind of solution we are seeking. Most of the time, Jesus doesn’t tell us ahead of time, just as He didn’t tell Jairus.

Before the plan is fully revealed, however, Jesus may first direct our attention to our own internal anxiety. He wants us to recognize what is going on inside us. Why? Because spiritual growth happens within us, not out there. From the soil of our inner anxiety, we grow closer to Jesus.

Back to the journey home. I envision Jairus and Jesus walking side by side. Jesus had essentially said, “Let’s start with your state of fear, Jairus.” In my imagination, Jesus now raises one of His eyebrows, tilts His head slightly, and smiles kindly. All of it signals, Shall we talk about that? The invitation hangs in the air.

How will Jairus respond? Will he keep focusing on an endless string of potential external problems? Or will he accept Jesus’ invitation? Will he recognize his own anxiety and make his inner reality the topic of conversation with Jesus?

Mark doesn’t let us in on how willing Jairus was to talk to Jesus on their journey. He leaves it open-ended. I think it is because we are supposed to insert ourselves into the journey.

Are we willing to recognize our own anxiety as we walk with Jesus? Are you?

Excerpted from The Anxiety Opportunity by Curtis Chang, copyright Curtis Chang.

As you try to solve the problems of the world, what is really going on inside of you? Give the issues that concern you to the Lord and He will begin to solve them by what is going on inside you! We need to be dependent on God and trust Him for everything in this life and the one to come! Praise Him for His love for you, His passionate concern for your well-being. He is preparing you for the glory of eternal life with Him.

Phil 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Don’t be afraid. Just believe.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 30, 2023

Notes of Faith May 30, 2023

The Beginning and the End

Enjoying the God-Centeredness of the Bible

Article by Stephen Witmer

Pastor, Pepperell, Massachusetts

Do you want to know an inside secret about sermons? You may have noticed it already. If you haven’t, you probably will from now on. Here’s the secret: Preachers often like to begin with an image, story, word, phrase, or Bible passage, and then return to it at the end of the sermon. Those bookends emphasize the preacher’s point, pushing it deeper into the hearts and minds of a congregation.

The biblical authors understood this. King David begins Psalm 103 with an exhortation to himself: “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 103:1). He ends the psalm in exactly the same way: “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” (Psalm 103:22). This bracketing (the technical term is inclusion) underscores the point of the whole psalm. David urges his own soul to praise the Lord. Everything in between provides reasons for praising the Lord, as well as exhortations for all of heaven and earth to join in praise.

If the borders of a psalm may point toward its main emphasis, what about the beginning and end of the Bible as a whole? When we examine the bookends of Scripture, what do we find?

The End from the Beginning

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God . . .” Before anything else existed — sunsets, seaweed, giraffes, algebra, lightning, tomatoes, laughter, supernovas, bubblegum, coffee — there was only the triune God, eternally happy within his triune self. Everything and everyone else came later.

At the other end of the canon, the close of Revelation describes an eternal future in which “the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3). Notice three truths about these bookends. First, God bestrides the Bible, vibrantly present at both the beginning and end. He’s the Alpha and Omega of the Scriptures, the first and the last. He never began to exist, nor will he ever cease to do so. He is absolute, unchanging reality. Of no one and nothing else is this true. Only God is present at both the beginning and end of the Bible.

Second, something important has changed from Genesis 1 to Revelation 21. At the very beginning of the Bible, God exists within the happy community of himself. At the very end of the Bible, he dwells with his people in a new creation. Where did those people and that place come from? God himself created and redeemed both the people and the place.

“The cry of God’s people is always for more of God.”

Third, it turns out that the story doesn’t end when the Bible does. It goes on and on and on, for eternity. The Bible’s penultimate verse is a cry from the heart: “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20), which means that the Scriptures conclude on tiptoe, yearning toward a deeper, fuller, richer experience of the presence of Christ. God’s story is an eternal one. The cry of God’s people is always for more of God.

Story Beneath Every Story

The implication of all this is that the Bible is not ultimately our story but God’s. God himself is the main character — and also the author who dictates the action. The Bible tells primarily of God’s works, ways, and words.

Yes, there are lots of secondary characters and interesting subplots. We learn about the material creation, including the abundance and variety of plant and animal life that fills the world. We read fascinating accounts of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Nehemiah, Peter, Paul, and hundreds of others, who make big mistakes and accomplish great things. The Bible bursts with stories of human frailty, rebellion, intrigue, love, courage, and tragedy. But none of those stories is the main one. None of those characters is the hero.

The overarching story line of the Bible is the story of God — the only one present at both the beginning and the end. Everyone (and everything) else is there in the story as an invited guest, beyond their deserving. All the complexities of human existence, and the vast lifespans of galaxies, exist within the eternal story of God.

Overlooking the Lead Role

It may seem blindingly obvious to claim that the Bible is mainly the story of God, but how easy it is to miss. Years ago, a famous Bible scholar wrote an article called “The Neglected Factor in New Testament Theology.” In it, he argued that God himself was the neglected factor! God’s presence was so often assumed by those committed to studying the Scriptures with care and rigor that it was largely overlooked. Yes, this actually happens.

On a more everyday level, many of us could honestly admit that we commonly place ourselves at the center of the stories we inhabit. When we grant God a place (all too often we forget him entirely), it’s to notice how he fits in around our own story. We may be mystified or angry or sad that he hasn’t intervened more frequently. Or we may be genuinely grateful for what he’s done. But at the deepest level, we’ve flipped the script: God inhabits our stories, rather than the other way around. Maybe God-centeredness isn’t so obvious as we thought.

Our tendency to minimize and marginalize God is sometimes evident in our approach to the great Bible bookends of Genesis and Revelation. Both are battlegrounds for fights about how and when exactly God created, as well as the timetable of events for his return. These questions are not unimportant. But sadly, they’ve sometimes overshadowed God himself. Our fascination with how God has acted (or will act) has too often led to gross neglect of the central truth that he has acted at all — and what that says about him.

Even a brief look at Genesis and Revelation (which is all we have space for here) shows that these two great books tell the story of God.

At the Center of the Beginning

In Genesis, all things are from and for God. He’s the originator of all, and he’s the first enjoyer of all. He creates by speaking everything into existence. That means all else is derivative and has its source in him. Even as he creates, he observes and appreciates what he makes. Over and over, he sees that his creation is good (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25), even “very good” (1:31). We get the sense that he’s really enjoying this. All things are from him and for him.

Moreover, humankind, the pinnacle of this “very good” creation, exists to display his worth. God’s creation of men and women in his image, after his likeness (Genesis 1:26), suggests that their vocation is to image him forth to the rest of the world, serving as agents of his rule. His command to be “fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28) demonstrates that their display of his worth isn’t meant to be merely local but rather global. And God is doggedly persistent in his project of blessing all mankind and displaying his worth everywhere. He doesn’t allow the rebellion of Adam and Eve to derail his project but persists in working with humanity. After the catastrophic judgment of the flood, he starts over with Noah’s family. Following the proud self-assertion of the nations (Genesis 11), he calls Abram to serve as a conduit of divine blessing for “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3).

Throughout Genesis, God is the sovereign planner, the persistent initiator, and the main actor. He’s the one who sends the flood, calls Abram, blesses Abram, renews his covenant promises to Isaac and Jacob, and sends Joseph ahead into Egypt to preserve his people (Genesis 45:7; 50:20). He writes the story and moves it forward at every step.

God is also the sweetest blessing, the ultimate treasure, of his people. After Adam and Eve’s rebellion, their greatest punishment is exile from God’s presence (Genesis 3:22–24). More precious even than the blessing of land and offspring is God’s promise to Abram “to be God to you and to your offspring after you” and his promise regarding Abram’s descendants that “I will be their God” (Genesis 17:7–8).

Genesis is a profoundly God-centered book. In it, all things are from, through, and to God.

At the Center of the End

The seven blessings scattered throughout Revelation (the first in 1:3 and the last in 22:14) show that the main purpose of this book is not to satisfy end-time curiosity or to solve apocalyptic puzzles, but to bring divine blessing to God’s suffering people. God means to give grace, as is evident in 1:4 (“Grace to you”) and 22:21 (“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all”).

“God’s blessing is not a gift that is separable from himself. Rather, the blessing of God is God.”

Importantly, God’s blessing is not a gift that is separable from himself. Rather, the blessing of God is God. In the new creation, he will “dwell” with his people (Revelation 21:3), a promise that recalls his presence among Israel in the tabernacle. In fact, the description of the new Jerusalem as a perfect golden cube (Revelation 21:15–21) nods to the Most Holy Place in the temple, suggesting that in the new creation God’s people will enjoy his immediate presence, as only the high priest was permitted to do (and that only once a year).

In the new world, his people will see his face (Revelation 22:4), a staggering privilege not even Moses was permitted. The long and painful story of exile from God’s presence that began after Adam and Eve’s sin and banishment from the garden, and continued through Israel’s exile from the promised land, will finally end. God’s people will enjoy his perfect presence in the new creation and will never again be sent away.

Meanwhile, as God’s people await this promised future, Revelation steadies them by insisting that nothing happens by chance, but rather all things occur by God’s sovereign plan. The book is “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1). That key word must expresses divine necessity. The book ends with the reminder that “the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place” (Revelation 22:6). It must take place because God has willed it. His sovereign control brings steady comfort and strength in the present.

Revelation is radically God-centered. The sovereign God ordains the ways of the world. The glorious, triune God is the aim and treasure of his people. His throne is set in the midst of worshiping angels and humans (Revelation 4–5).

Joys of a God-Centered World

The God-centeredness of the Bible’s bookends suggests that the whole Bible is, in fact, focused on God and meant to tell his story. And this is very good news for us. When we live for ourselves, life doesn’t go well. But when we live for him, we’re living along the grain of the universe, as he designed things to function. We therefore experience true, deep, lasting joy. When John the Baptist heard that Jesus was growing in prominence, he said, “This joy of mine is now complete” (John 3:29). John was happiest serving as the spotlight operator, shining his light on the one true star of the show.

The biographer Arnold Dallimore records a story about Charles Spurgeon, in whose day streetlights were gas-lit. Each had to be lit individually. One night, Spurgeon observed a line of streetlights being lit that went right up a hill, from its foot to the summit. He later described that moment:

I did not see the lamplighter. I do not know his name, nor his age, nor his residence; but I saw the lights which he had kindled, and these remained when he himself had gone his way. As I rode along I thought to myself, “How earnestly do I wish that my life may be spent in lighting one soul after another with the sacred flame of eternal life! I would myself be as much as possible unseen while at my work, and would vanish into eternal brilliance above when my work is done.” (Spurgeon, 162)

Let’s allow our joy to swell as we live within the one great story of the one true God.

It has always been my desire to see people come to Christ or grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ toward spiritual maturity through God using me. And yet, like Spurgeon, I want to be in the background, unseen, allowing God to do His work without praise and honor given to me. I still pray that prayer. In heaven, my hope will be fulfilled as I see the work of God that He has done through me. All I have to do is be faithful to Him. May we rejoice in giving all praise and glory to God! My joy is to know Him and make Him known! Please join me in this incredible journey . . .

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 29, 2023

Notes of Faith May 29, 2023

The Jewish people are still living in great anticipation of the coming of the Messiah. They really believe that He’s about to come and even if He tarries, they will wait. So Jesus came to Jerusalem, but Jerusalem was not ready. That explains, of course, why Jesus said, “Jerusalem you’ve missed your visitation.” Wow. What is a visitation? A visitation is when someone comes for a short period and leaves later. That’s a visitation. The Jewish people, Jerusalem, this city, missed the idea that Messiah has to come first as a suffering servant of the Lord, as a Passover lamb, as the lamb that carries the sins of the world. He has to be slaughtered, He has to bear upon Himself the affliction, and the sins, and the transgressions of the entire world. As Isaiah 53 says, “All of us have gone astray, each and every one of us turned to his own way, but the Lord laid upon Him the iniquities and the transgressions of us all.”

Amir Tsarfati: Don't Miss the Messiah

We have all heard a story or seen a movie with the scenario of an unknown or long-lost rich relative who left a fortune to their last surviving relative, and that heir’s life was changed dramatically. Many also know of the feeling of receiving a notice from a financial institution that reads: Paid in Full. We also know that the greater the debt, the greater the sense of relief when that notification comes.

That one single event changes everything about about how you live and experience life, especially if the debt was a huge burden. Stress levels are reduced, the ritual of monthly payments comes to an end, and extra effort to pay off that burdensome debt also ceases.

Imagine having a debt that is so large it could never be paid in full, no matter how may hours you work or years you pay on the debt.

This is what Jesus came to do for us all, and yet:

John 1:11-13

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Jesus came and paid the personally unpayable and unimaginable sin-debt of all mankind. Yet, His own, fellow Jews by and large, said, “We’ll just keep doing the works of the law and wait for someone else to come along.” Many are doing much the same thing today, thinking they can work off their sin debt through works and good moral behavior. They’ve missed the Messiah, just like most Jews.

Isaiah 53:6

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

To follow our very simple analogy, the bill for our sin was sent to Jesus. He marked it, in His own blood, “Paid in Full”. If your debt is paid in full, you don’t keep sending in payments. Instead, you begin to live a debt-free life. You don’t strain to make ends meet after they have already been met, you don’t wish for someone else to come along to do what has already been done.

Yet many, including the Jews, do just that. To many Jews, that means trying to keep the law. To other religions, it means bowing to an idol. To some, it means living so that one’s good works will outweigh the bad. All of these are efforts to accomplish something that has already been done.

It is also true that many Christians who have received Him, fail to live in the fullness of debt-free living. Some today are even trying to put the church back under the Mosaic law, seeking to convince Christians that we are under the obligation to keep Sabbaths, New Moons, and Feast Days, and live like the unsaved Jews.

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Are good works part of the Christian life? Yes! But they are done out of adoration not obligation. We’re not trying to earn what we’ve already been given. We should be trying to convince others that they, too, can be “sin debt-free”.

John 16:33

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The great thing about being “sin debt-free” is it changes how you view and handle the negative things of life that come your way. None of them are pleasurable and all of them are undesirable, yet we are blessed to know that “all things work together for good for those who love God and are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Having our sin account marked “paid in full” also creates clarity about the future. The Jews are still looking for the Messiah to come, and, sadly, someone actually is coming that they will follow. But he won’t be who he says he is or who they think he is. He will be the anti-messiah.

John 8:36

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

If you’re waiting for a long lost or unknown relative to die and leave you a massive fortune, it is very unlikely that it will ever happen. However, a debt far greater than anyone can accumulate financially has been paid in full by the blood of the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.

You are “sin debt-free” and don’t have to wait for someone to come along and do what’s already been done. In Christ you are already free indeed!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

Don’t miss Jesus! He came. He died to pay your debt! Believe in Him and be free from the bondage of sin and death! Worship and give thanks for your freedom in Christ! We celebrate memorial day and give thanks to those who gave their lives for our nation. We celebrate the life of Jesus who gives those who believe in Him eternal life.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 28, 2023

Notes of Faith May 28, 2023

Dancing Pallbearers

You’ve probably seen the viral videos featuring what is often called the Coffin Dance. A troupe of Ghanaian pallbearers, dressed in elaborate suits and wearing sunglasses, walk down the street, balancing a coffin on their shoulders and performing impressive dance moves to loud, upbeat music. And of course, since the internet is what it is, those videos spawned countless memes and compilation videos featuring the dancing pallbearers from Ghana.

What is it about this custom that caught the world by surprise? Perhaps it’s the juxtaposition of death and joy. That’s the reaction I had when I first saw it. Who dances with a coffin on their shoulders? For that matter, dancing of any kind seems out of place at a funeral. Or does it? When I saw those pallbearers boldly celebrating life in the face of death, it felt right. It was honoring, powerful, even victorious.

According to BBC Africa, Benjamin Aidoo, the young man who started this troupe of dancing pallbearers, sees choreography as a way to honor the wishes of families who are paying their respects to a loved one.1 Funerals are an important part of Ghanaian culture, and a funeral dance adds a unique flair to the occasion. One woman who was interviewed said this about the pallbearers: “These people, when they are taking your beloved to their final resting place, they also dance, so I decided to give my mother a dancing trip to her maker.”

Joy always laughs better, longer, and louder than death.

A “dancing trip to her maker.” What an awesome way to put it! It’s sad, for sure, because mourning a death is not an easy thing to walk through. But her decision to say goodbye to her loved one by organizing a dance party reveals a lot about her inner victory in the face of death.

It’s interesting that the Coffin Dance went viral during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was almost as if we were reminding ourselves (in a weird, dark kind of way) that death doesn’t get the last laugh. Joy does.

Joy always laughs better, longer, and louder than death.

Joy Comes in the Morning

Even though pallbearers in our culture are generally more solemn (and less coordinated) than the Coffin Dance guys, I’ve still seen joy at many funerals. Actually at most funerals. Even in pain and sorrow, it is common to hear friends and family express joy. Often, when they get up to speak at the funeral, they laugh-cry-laugh their way through their words. When everyone meets up for the reception after the funeral, there are both tears and laughter as people remember the good times they had with the deceased.

Why is there joy? Because of the life the person led. The people they influenced. The family they raised. The friends they made. The memories they created. The love they shared. The sacrifices they made. The generosity they embodied. The legacy they left behind. The peace they now have in Heaven.

David wrote in Psalm 30:5,

Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Paul said something similar, which I referenced in the last chapter:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. — 2 Corinthians 4:17

Both David and Paul were able to look past the pain of the moment and see that something better was ahead.

Obviously, joy is not the first emotion you feel when death strikes. In the early aftermath of a loss, the pain is real, the hurt plunges deep, and the sorrow can feel all-consuming. Yes, weeping stays for the night — and often it’s a long, dark night indeed.

All nights come to an end, though. Even the longest, darkest, saddest nights. In due time the sun comes up, the light chases the darkness away, and hope rises again. When you are weeping in the night, it’s important to remember that morning is coming and joy is on its way.

Joy always gets the last laugh.

Of course, you can’t force joy to appear any more than you can force the sun to rise. Solomon wrote that there is

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. — Ecclesiastes 3:4

In other words, timing matters. Seasons come and go. Right now you might be weeping, and that’s okay — but take heart, you won’t weep forever. Today you could be mourning, but you’ll be dancing soon enough. Hopefully with the same level of style as our Ghanaian brothers.

You don’t need to force joy, but you should expect it. And when it comes, welcome it. Rest in it. Heal in it. Find strength in it.

Joy Gets the Last Laugh

Joy has a way of restoring your soul. There’s a story in the Bible about a time of mourning that Israel was experiencing over their failures and sins. Their grief was real and it had its place, but God didn’t want them to stay there forever. Nehemiah, their leader, told them,

Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. — Nehemiah 8:10

He wasn’t shutting down their sorrow in some dismissive, toxic way. Rather, he was telling them that it was time to let their grief turn into joy. They needed to put their past mistakes and losses behind them and turn toward the future God had for them.

I love that phrase, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy has a unique capacity to bring us internal strength. I don’t mean fake, superficial joy but the kind of joy that comes from God. A joy that validates your weaknesses, losses, pain, or sorrow but also looks beyond them and sees the presence and power and peace of God.

Like dancing with coffins, finding joy in sorrow can seem like an odd juxtaposition. But there is power in that joy. There is freedom and triumph in being able to acknowledge death without being consumed by it.

This joy doesn’t ignore your circumstances, but it does exist beyond them. That means you can be sorrowful and joyful at the same time. You can mourn your loss while still holding on to the peace and joy of the Lord. It’s not one or the other but both at the same time.

Excerpted from The Art of Overcoming by Tim Timberlake, copyright Tim Timberlake.

This grief and joy experience can only be true of those who have faith in God their Savior Jesus Christ. They are the ones who leave this life into the eternal presence of Jesus. Those who do not have faith in Jesus will experience life after death, but it will be one of judgment for their unbelief and they will be tormented in pain and anguish for their unbelief. We must pray for our friends and family who do not believe in Jesus and His death and resurrection to provide for our offer of salvation and forgiveness of sin against God. Only if they come to Him can we have joy and grief at their passing from this life. Let our love for them keep us praying fervently that they be drawn to the truth of the gospel that they might be saved and experience eternal joy themselves!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 27, 2023

Notes of Faith May 27, 2023

Train Them Up in Jesus

Article by David Mathis

Executive Editor, desiringGod.org

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

Following the negative charge to fathers — “do not provoke your children to anger” — Paul captures a positive vision for Christian parenting with two key terms: “discipline and instruction” in the ESV. The Greek words beneath them have been the subject of much discussion and have led to a variety of translations. We might capture the meaning just as well, if not better, with training and counsel — which might help both our clarity of vision and practical application in parenting.

The first concept, “discipline” or “training” (paideia), is the broader and more comprehensive of the two. It likely speaks to the full educational process from infant to adult, and the years of intentionality, initiative, energy, and follow-through it takes to train a child for adulthood. That is, it is a long-term process, like training for the Olympics, but with far more at stake.

We might think of it as whole-life training — body and soul — not mere classroom instruction. “The term paideia,” comments S.M. Baugh, “has rich cultural associations in the Greek world for the training and education of youths in a wide range of subjects and disciplines” (Ephesians, 509–10). This kind of fatherly training, then, involves not only words, but example and imitation.

Training Toward Maturity

Such comprehensive life-training is what Moses received when he was “instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,” making him, in time, “mighty in his words and deeds” (Acts 7:22). It’s what Paul received, for years, as he was brought up in Tarsus, “educated at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3). Such whole-life training, as extended preparation for healthy adulthood, is our calling as Christian parents, training both the outer person and behaviors as well as pressing through to the heart to form and re-form the inner persons of our children.

“Maturity, after all, in any sphere of human life, typically does not come automatically, but through training.”

As Jesus spoke about his disciples being trained during their time with him (Matthew 13:52; Luke 6:40), so we disciple our children toward Christian maturity. Maturity, after all, in any sphere of human life, typically does not come automatically, but through training (Hebrews 5:14). Discipling does something; it changes the disciple — and greatly so over time. And such training is often not easy but requires persisting in moments of discomfort, even pain, to endure on the path toward the reward set before us (Hebrews 12:11).

Work ethic, for instance, is not automatic; we must teach our children to work. Nor does holiness come naturally, but God’s grace in Christ trains us, and our children through us, “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” (Titus 2:12).

Well-Equipped to Train Well

We might be so quick to disclaim the proverbial nature of that famous childrearing verse that we neglect to pause and really ponder what training involves. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). There may be far more to training — both with the body, and with the more pliable soul — than modern parents tend to recognize.

And our God has made sure that we as parents are amply supplied and fully resourced for these extensive years of training our children: he gave us his Book. At the heart and center of parental training is not our own life experience and acquired wisdom (valuable as that is), but the Scriptures, “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

This training doubtless includes what we might more narrowly call discipline (Hebrews 12:3–11), even as we note well the difference between discipline toward a goal and punishment as an end (1 Corinthians 11:32; 2 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 2:25; Revelation 3:19). Yet the whole process of parental training is comprehensive and constructive, not only responsive; and holistic, not only intellectual.

Specific Verbal Training

The second concept, then, translated “instruction” — or perhaps “counsel” (nouthesia) — is more specific, and included under the broader category of training.

With this second term, the accent is verbal, and less hands-on — specifically about the role of our words as parents. Now we move beyond visionary teaching and demonstration to corrective speech, but still as a means to the child’s long-term good, not as an end. This is how we often use the word counsel today, though not without the sense of “admonishing” or “warning.” And parental counsel typically endures beyond the years of immediate training. Parenting doesn’t end when our children move out of the house. Parental training, at that point, may be essentially complete, but parental counsel, we hope, will long endure.

Such counsel in the New Testament covers a range of circumstances, whether the more positive counsel that Old Testament examples provide for Christians today (“they were written down for our instruction, 1 Corinthians 10:11), or the more negative warnings we extend to “a person who stirs up division” (Titus 3:10). On the whole, we do well to remember the kind of father’s heart — slow to chide and swift to bless — from which such warnings and admonitions issue.

Consider, then, at least five realities that will accompany godly counsel.

Friends of Fatherly Counsel

The first friends of fatherly counsel are our tears. On the beach at Miletus, when Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian elders, he reminds them that “for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears” (Acts 20:31). His apostolic counsel came with tears, not vindictiveness. He did not speak critically, from an angry or distant heart, but in love he spoke his words of correction for their good.

Second, and related, is a good heart. He says to the Romans that he’s confident that they are “able to instruct one another,” because “you, my brothers, . . . are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge” (Romans 15:14). Fullness of both knowledge and goodness coexists in a heart that offers such counsel. It is from such a good heart that our children need our counsel and warnings.

Third, fatherly love. When Paul spoke hard words, as he did to the Corinthians, he did so not “to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.” The reason he gives is his fatherly heart for them: “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers” (1 Corinthians 4:14–15). General counsel and admonitions may have their place; but our children have special need of corrective words that flow from a father’s peculiar love.

Fourth, teaching and wisdom. Twice Colossians speaks of “warning everyone” and “admonishing one another” (that is, Christian counsel) that is both paired with teaching and accompanied with “all wisdom”:

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. . . . Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 1:28; 3:16)

As parents, we might also observe here the goal of our parenting (Christian maturity), the essential means of our calling (the word of Christ), and the correlation with singing (joy made audible) and thankfulness. Singing, thankful fathers make for good counselors, who both correct and give hope.

Finally, brotherly warning. In 2 Thessalonians 3:15, Paul contrasts the disregard one might have for an enemy with the kind of warning counsel of a brother. And in 1 Thessalonians 5:12–14, this warning counsel is again the kind of speech characteristic of a congregation’s loving fathers — that is, its pastor-elders (verse 12) — and is deserving of the church’s esteem (verse 13). Such warning keeps company with encouraging, helping, and patience (verse 14).

Making Fathering Christian

In Paul’s one-verse vision of parenting, he finishes with one final phrase that is no throwaway. In our efforts at fatherly training and counsel, we dare not ignore it. In fact, this last note is the most important one of all. All our years of training, and all our hard and precious words of counsel, will be for naught in view of eternity without the finishing touch: “of the Lord.”

“Christian parenting aims, in everything, to teach our children Christ.”

Christian parenting aims far higher than competent, seemingly healthy adults. Christian parenting aims, in everything, to teach our children Christ. We want them to “learn Christ.” Which fits with the way Paul warns the church in Ephesians 4:20–21: “That is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus.”

In Christ, we want all our parenting covered by the banner of teaching them Christ. As Charles Hodge comments on Ephesians 6:4, “This whole process of education is to be religious, and not only religious but Christian” (Ephesians, 204). Our parental training is training in Christ. And our parental counsel, however encouraging or corrective, is counsel in Christ. In him, and through him, and for him is all Christian parenting.

As we nourish our children in the training and counsel of our Lord, we make knowing and enjoying him the final focus of our efforts. As we do, we get to be instruments in his hands, and mouthpieces of his words, in his cause for the deep and eternally enduring joy of our children.

I love being a parent and communicating with my children. They do not always respond kindly to the advice I share, yet I can’t seem to stop giving them my two cents. I love them with all my heart, and they have all responded to the gospel in faith and a true following of Jesus. Prayerfully, their mother and I have been an influence for seeking to live a life pleasing to God. Though I am sure that they need to make more changes in the path they travel, I am also sure that God has drawn them to Himself and will never let them go. Never stop praying for your children and continue to encourage them to be in the Word and serving Christ from their heart no matter what they do. In all things, work, play, and in between, serve the Lord!

Pastor Dale