Aug 31, 2012

Friday Focus: Top 10 List 08/31/12

Hola & Happy Friday!  Here's another Top 10 list of my favorite blog entries and posts for the week.  If they made my Top 10 List, they had an impact, challenged me, or stepped on my toes and ultimately stuck with me.

Have a blessed Friday and holiday weekend!

Enjoy!


p.s.  These are normally in no particular order as is the case today.  However, the one at the top is there for a reason.  It's a MUST read!  Good stuff!

p.s.s. Also, I couldn't resist, and just downloaded the book from iBooks which he mentioned in # 2 by Bill Hybels Just Walk Across the Room.  I can't wait to read it!  

Top Ten List - 08/31/12

Aug 30, 2012

We ARE the ones with the keys to the house!

Exodus 12:1-28

How can we create a home where our families will be safe from the destructive influences of this ridiculous R-rated world around us?

How can we keep the world's influences out of our homes?

Let me ask you a question:  How do we deal with any other potential "intruder" in our homes?  We close the door AND we lock it.  Right?  Hey, can I just tell ya something parents?  WE are the ones with the keys to the house!  We need to be "Gatekeepers" in our homes...physical AND spiritual GATEKEEPERS!

Parents, God is relying on us to make sure the destructiveness of the world around us DOES NOT GET THROUGH THAT FRONT DOOR!  You know what I'm talking about.  I'm talking about all the TV shows, movies, books, magazines, games, etc. which teach lessons and a morality that we don't want our families to learn.  I'm talking about those certain types of so-called "friends" that our kids ought not associate with.  

We have always taught our kids that it's one thing to hang out with the wrong crowd for the sole purpose of leading them to Jesus.  It's another altogether to just "hang out" with no agenda for influencing their lives.

Listen, we all know this fact:  Alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling, etc. absolutely COULD and all indications and odds are WOULD destroy our children's lives.

Why would I want those things in my home?

Why would I want anything like that... with that kind of potential around my family?

We've got to make up our minds that anything which would or could hurt our family will NOT be allowed through that front door... or the back door... or through an open window!

When you think about it, this business of putting a rating on everything like movies, video games, etc.  It's Rated G, PG, PG-13, R...X, or just Adult.  On the one hand, I appreciate the warning, as a parent, because it helps us choose what to watch or allow into our homes.  But, aren't they also sort of sending us a message:  

"Psst!  We've created these "mature" movies, etc. for YOUR benefit."
"You're a grown up... you can handle it."  

What they are really saying is:  

"It's ok to watch "mature" programs when your kids leave the room."

But, you see, they're trying to convince us that what we watch and what we allow into our homes and into our hearts will not influence or affect our children.  But, my friends, I am here to tell you THAT is NOT true!

Hey, can I just tell ya something?  Kids may not LISTEN to the adults in their lives...  BUT, they never fail to IMITATE the adults in their lives!

This system of labeling a product's maturity level we buy into and appreciate has a negative side to it.  We give our children the impression that certain kinds of TV shows, movies, activities, beverages, behavior, etc. are only for grownups.  Translation:  It's what "mature" people do.  Well, what kid doesn't want to convince the rest of the world how "mature" they are?  Kids want to look mature and to be like grown ups.

It also leaves the door unlocked for the world to just coming marching right in the front door.  So much for being "gatekeepers"...

By the way, that's one reason the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" wasn't just for the children.  It was for all ages.  God taught them to remove the leavening from their homes completely!

"Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?"
1 Corinthians 5:6

It starts with one wrong choice.  Then the door is open.  Sin waltzes right into our homes.  And, it can affect everyone we love.  In spite of our best efforts, some of the world's r-rated influence can make it's way into our homes over time.  Every once in a while, we need to look our homes over and ask ourselves:

Would that magazine subscription please God?

Do those books bless or hinder my walk with God?

Do those TV shows we watch bless or hinder my family's faith?

This entry is taken from my notes for the sermon:  "Gatekeepers".  Click the link to listen to the entire sermon.  This is the fourth sermon in a series.  The entire sermon series audio is available here:  


Aug 29, 2012

The Truth Is Sin Tastes Pretty Good

Exodus 12:1-28

When Jesus warned his disciples against becoming like the Pharisees, He said:

“...Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. "
Luke 12:1

And when the Church at Corinth had a man within the church membership who was engaged in some sexual immorality, Paul told the church not to even associate with the guy until he repented.  They weren’t even to eat with him.  Paul said, if they insisted on brushing it under the carpet, the man’s sin would taint the rest of them.

"Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?"
1 Corinthians 5:6

We can see God used yeast to portray sin in our lives.  Now, maybe you're wondering about that.  Maybe you're asking yourself, 

"Why use yeast?".  

Compare these two pictures of bread:





One with and one without yeast.  The bigger "loaf" has the yeast.  The yeast is what makes it rise and puff up.  The "loaf" of Matzah bread, more like a cracker, has no yeast.  That's why it is flat.

Sin acts in our lives in sort of the same way yeast works in a loaf of bread.  

For starters, bread with yeast is:  YUMMY!  That's a technical cooking term.  Matzah bread, on the other head, is not what most of us would call:  YUMMY!  That is why we make bread with yeast in it.  That is why we buy it and why we eat it.

Can I just tell ya something?  The truth is, sin tastes pretty good too…for a while.  If it didn’t taste good, we wouldn’t be so tempted to do it!

It's important to note that it doesn't take much yeast to change the shape and taste of the finished product.  It doesn't take much yeast to warp the shape of the dough even before it's cooked.  When sin creeps into an area of our lives, it really doesn’t take much sin at all to change who we are.  It really doesn’t take much sin to warp our character.

Bread with yeast looks like it has more of something.  It looks like it has more flour than it actually does.  The larger loaf actually may not have much more flour than the “cracker” looking “loaf”.  It’s the yeast that puffs it up.  When you are baking, patience is important.  You can have bigger biscuits for instance, if you’ll just let the dough rise longer before you put it into the oven.  You can have bigger donuts NOT by using more flour, but, by just letting the yeast have it’s way with the dough for a while before you actually cook it.

Can I just tell ya something?  Sin can make us BELIEVE we have more in our lives than we do!  Sins like bitterness and hatred can make us feel like we have more power over others.  Sins like hypocrisy and bigotry can make us feel more important than we actually are.  Sinning by watching crude or even X-rated stuff on television can make us believe we’re more mature and grown up.  Sins like getting drunk or high can fool folks into thinkin they’ve gained more control over their lives.  Sin can make us believe that we’ve gained MORE of something in our lives.  When the reality is:  All we’ve gained is more decay and rot.

And by the way, Yeast ALSO causes bread to mold and decay.  Have you ever had to throw away moldy bread?  Most of us have.  Have you ever had to throw away moldy crackers?  Probably not.  Crackers will last forever.  But leavened bread with yeast will decay and rot.

Hey, can I just tell ya something?  Sin has the power to cause our lives and our homes to decay and to rot.  That, my friends, is why God hates sin!  Sin destroys us!  Yeast made a great analogy for God to use to help us understand the importance of avoiding sin in our lives.

This entry is taken from my notes for the sermon:  "Gatekeepers".  Click the link to listen to the entire sermon.  This is the fourth sermon in a series.  The entire sermon series audio is available here:  


Aug 27, 2012

God has called us to be the Gatekeepers of our homes

Exodus 12:1-28


For starters, let me do some background and set up for this text in Exodus 12.  Israel had been trapped in slavery for many years and God has heard the cries of His people.  God has heard the Israelites and He has answered their prayers by sending Moses to drop a rhyme on Pharaoh:  "Let my people go..."

Of course, ole Pharaoh wasn't feeling that and chose not to listen.  So, God sent 10 terrible plagues on Egypt to help persuade Pharaoh of what might be in his best interest...

This text in Exodus 12 breaks down the beginning of the first and most important festival in the history of the Jewish people.  It was called:  Passover.

From back in the day all the way forward to today, every year, Jewish God-fearing families have participated in the ritual of the Passover meal as closely as possible.

The passover meal celebrates the love of their God who freed their ancestors from slavery AND who passed over their homes because they obeyed Him by putting the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the door frames of their homes.

However, Passover was only the feast in a week-long festival called:  "The Feast of Unleavened Bread."

There are certain things which do not belong in our bodies.  There are certain things which do not belong in our minds.  And, there are certain things which do not belong in our homes.  I've been addressing, over the last few weeks of this sermon series, about having God-centered homes.  We've been specifically looking at how to protect our homes from the influence of the lost world around us....things which do not have a place in a God-centered home.

By the way, THAT is precisely what the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" was designed to teach. The Passover symbolized the freedom God wanted for His people.  That 1-day feast was followed by 6 more days which focused on the fact that God's kind of freedom required His people to remove things from their lives and homes.

During the "Feast of Unleavened Bread", the Israelites, God's people, were instructed not only NOT to each unleavened bread that week, BUT they were NOT to allow ANYTHING which had ANY yeast in it in their mouth OR homes.  Anyone who did so, was to be shunned or ostracized.  Yeast was used by God to represent sin.

When Israel offered bread to God along with burnt offerings, that bread was to have NO yeast in it.

This set-up is important to understand God's lesson behind it.  Tune in Wednesday as I continue this message about being the Gatekeepers of our homes.

This entry is taken from my notes for the sermon:  "Gatekeepers".  Click the link to listen to the entire sermon.  This is the fourth sermon in a series.  The entire sermon series audio is available here:  


Aug 24, 2012

Friday Focus: Top Ten List 08/24/12

Greetings & Happy Friday!  Here's this week's list of my favorite blog entries and posts for the week.  If they made my Top 10 List, they had an impact, challenged me, or stepped on my toes and ultimately stuck with me.

Enjoy!


Top Ten List - 08/24/12

Aug 23, 2012

A Father's Example Can Make ALL the Difference


Luke 15:11-32
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.  “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.  25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.  26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’  28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’  31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” 


This was a dad who:

#1 - Set A Good Example For His Sons

This ornery prodigal son even said so himself:

"...‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!'"
Luke 15:17

Think about the facts this father's prodigal son had to consider as he reasoned with himself about returning home:

Dad was a fair man
Dad was a decent man
Dad had a good reputation with others

Can I just tell ya something?  The example a father sets for his child can make ALL the difference in how that child grows up!  And this faith dad from our parable set a great example for his boys.

This was a dad who:

#2 - Had Rules And He Expected Obedience

God expects obedience from us.  Parents who don't EXPECT obedience from their children are simply training their kids to sin.  We don't really know which of dad's rules this prodigal son didn't care for but we do know he didn't want to live under his father's roof any longer.  I'm guessing he didn't want to work AND that he just wanted to do what HE wanted when HE wanted to do it.  I also have to assume that once he hit the road, he surrounded himself with questionable friends.  Note Verse 13:


“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living." 
Luke 15:13

Notice here that this story, which...just a reminder:  Is a parable JESUS told... does NOT tell us that dad said anything along the lines of:

"Well, gee son, I'm so sorry I offended you with my rules..."
"Hey, let's talk about it buddy..."
"Maybe we can work something out..."
"If you'll just stick around, I'll bend the rules for you..."
"Aww heck son, nevermind the rules...do what you want... just don't leave!"

And, why didn't he say that?  He refused, on principal, to keep his son in his home at the cost of allowing him to have a world-centered personality.  He didn't want a rude, rebellious, and resentful son in his home to corrupt the rest of his family.  Therefore, he refused to give in to the boy's "desires".

Faithful fathers realize something important:  As dads, God holds us accountable and responsible for the influences we allow into our home.  That's our job! 

Can I just tell ya something?  We're not doing our kids any favors why allowing them to do whatever, whenever just to make them happy!  This dad was willing to set up some rules and stand by them.  He expected obedience.  

Then, because this dad put his faith in God, he allowed his son to walk out that door.  This was a man of means with servants and large herds.  He had money.  But we're not told that he hired detectives to track down his son and beg him to come home.  We're not told that he sent his son more money to help him.  We're not told how this dad helped his son avoid the consequences of his rebelliousness. 

Our faithful father here in the parable refused to be an enabler to his son's sinful life choices.  Instead, he waited.  Keeping a watchful eye on the horizon, he waited.  He waited in hopeful and faithful expectation of his son's return.  Sometimes, that's what faithful parenting looks like.

Sometimes, when we don't wait patiently on the Lord, when we don't trust in God, when we refuse to faithfully "be still"...  Well, you know... we can end up doing all kinds of stuff to our relationship with our Creator and to our families that we'll later regret.  The right answer is not always to do nothing.  But, in this case it was.

This entry is taken from my notes for the sermon:  "Faithful Parenting".  Click the link to listen to the entire sermon.  This is the fourth sermon in a series.  The entire sermon series audio is available here:  


Aug 22, 2012

Faithful Fathers Take Their Job Seriously!

Luke 15:11-32
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.  “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.  25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.  26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’  28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’  31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” 


CLEARLY, fathers ARE important to a family.  But, does that mean that a father will ALWAYS do what is right?  Well, that would be nice wouldn't it?  But, of course, we all know that’s not true.  Dads fail.  Dads fall short more often than we would care to admit.

The reality is:  We ALL make mistakes.  We ALL fall short.  Any good dad will also often wonder if his failures have damaged his family in some way.  Been there, done that.

But, here in Luke 15, we have a dad, for the purpose of the parable, who really did do EVERYTHING right.  He did everything right because the dad in the story represents God Himself.  So, he was faultless.  This dad did do it all right.  And yet, his boy still couldn’t stand to be in the same house with him.

This punk of a son was rude, arrogant and self-centered.  He actually, couldn’t wait for dear old dad to die so he could get his hands on His inheritance!  What a precious little darling!

This parable is usually called the parable of: “the lost son” or “the prodigal son”.  That title puts all the focus and emphasis on this ornery rascal of a son.  But, you know, as a dad myself, I see this as much a story about a faithful dad and his methods for dealing with a “lost or prodigal son”.  If it was me, I would name this parable: “The Faithful Father” or “Faithful Parent”.

You see, this is NOT a story about a dad who failed.  It’s a story about a dad who understood his job.  He was "doin’ work" as a dad like it WAS his job.  He protected his home from becoming overwhelmed by this ridiculous unfiltered world we live in.  He protected his home from the same world which had lured his son away and warped his son’s moral compass.  This dad did his best to maintain a God centered home.  

Praise the Lord for dads like this who don't give up.  Praise the Lord for faithful parents who trust in and wait upon the Lord.  Allowing the "prodigal son" to go out on his own and sow his oats was not the end of this story.  This dad did his best to maintain a God-centered home.  Resentment, rebellion, rudeness, and rejection had a temporary hold on his son.  But this faithful father would not allow those things to take over his home or the rest of his family.  The result in the end was that this faithful father ultimately got his son back.

Can I just tell ya something?  This faithful dad was successful because he took his job seriously.  He purposed in his heart to have a God-centered home.

This entry is taken from my notes for the sermon:  "Faithful Parenting".  Click the link to listen to the entire sermon.  This is the fourth sermon in a series.  The entire sermon series audio is available here:  


Aug 20, 2012

God's Design Is A Team Effort When It Comes To Parenting

Luke 15:11-32

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.  “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.  25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.  26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’  28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’  31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” 

Can I just tell ya something?  One thing is for certain, a good father has a significant impact on a family for generations to come!  Professor David Popenoe, in his book, "Life Without Father", said this:  "Depriving children of fathers has become the most prevalent form of child mal-treatment in America today."

Why are fathers so important?

Fathers Protect Their Family
Fathers protect their daughters from abuse.  I'll never forget the day several years ago, I called a young man's mother to advise her I had already asked her son to get lost more than once.  I then informed her I was prepared to contact the sheriff the next time he had any contact with my daughter.  It was necessary to protect her.  We had discovered a letter he had written to our 14 year old daughter laced with inappropriate language of an adult nature.  I ended up calling the sheriff twice!

Fathers protect their wives from assault.  My wife and I were in downtown Kansas City in the Power & Light District for dinner.  After exiting the restaurant and on our way to the van, what appeared to be a drunk and homeless man approached us.  Instinctively, I blocked his path to protect my wife and hustled her inside the van.  The man turned and walked the other direction.

Fathers Are Providers
Even though many mothers work, ultimately, it is the father's responsibility to provide.

Fathers Are Role Models
Fathers are role models for sons AND for daughters.  Daughters learn what to look for in a husband.  Sons learn about male responsibility and achievement.  Sons best learn about suitable assertiveness and independence from their fathers.  A father's authority and discipline in rearing sons, particularly when for boys in their teens, is difficult for a mother to achieve.

Can I just tell ya something?  Mom's can raise their voice.  Sometimes though, dad needs to come charging in like a bull with steam coming his ears and put the hammer down!

Fathers often provide some of that "rough and tumble" play...but within limits.  Kids learn that biting and kicking and other forms of physical violence are not acceptable.  They learn when enough is enough.

A daughter's relationship with dad is critical
When a daughter enjoys her father/daughter relationship, she experiences a healthier femininty.  She feels loved and worthy AND she is able to trust.  Daughters who are able to trust men normally, generally grow up and marry trustworthy men.

Fathers teach survival skills
Fathers teach survival skills of competition.  Kids tend to learn skills in challenge, initiative, risk-taking, and independence from their dads.  Moms tend to be the ones to emphasize social and relationship skills.  Dads, generally speaking, are more long-term development focused.  Moms are more immediate situation focused.

Dads tend to focus more on justice, fairness, and duty based on rules.  Moms tend to focus more on sympathy, care, and helping based on relationships.

BUT, can I just tell ya something?  God's design is for a MOM AND A DAD to actively raise a child TOGETHER!  There certainly is no doubt, God's design is a TEAM EFFORT when it comes to parenting.


This entry is taken from my notes for the sermon:  "Faithful Parenting".  Click the link to listen to the entire sermon.  This is the fourth sermon in a series.  The entire sermon series audio is available here:  


Aug 17, 2012

Friday Focus: Top Ten List 08/17/12


Below is a list of my favorite blog entries and posts from this last week.  If they made Top 10 List, they had an impact, challenged me, or stepped on my toes and ultimately stuck with me.

Enjoy!


Top Ten List - 08/17/12

Aug 16, 2012

We Need To Put God First!

Deuteronomy 6:1-23

1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the LORD your God , who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah. 17 Be sure to keep the commands of the LORD your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the LORD'S sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers, 19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the LORD said. 20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?”  21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.  22 Before our eyes the LORD sent miraculous signs and wonders—great and terrible—upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers.


Can I just tell ya something?  We need to put God first!  God promises that if we put Him first in our family, He will give us certain blessings.  We need to set apart Christ as Lord of all.  After all, if Christ is not Lord of all, He's not Lord at all.

Does that mean bad stuff will never happen?  Nope.  Jesus Himself said that "...in this world you will have trouble." Reality is, we’re going face sickness, loss, hardship and death in our lives.  That is a fact, in part, because we live in a fallen world.  BUT, what these promises in Deuteronomy 6 mean is this:  When bad things happen to us, God will be right there giving us the strength to face whatever this world can throw at us!  AND, if we strive to put God first in our family life, God promises these blessings:

Vs. 11 - We will eat AND be satisfied
Vs. 18 - It will go well with us
Vs. 19 - God will deal with our enemies
Vs. 24 - We will prosper
Vs. 25 - We will receive righteousness

So, how do we put God first?  

How do we structure our family life so that God comes in first in our priorities?

Take another look at Vs. 6-9.  In other words, don't make your faith a once a week event.  Our kids need to see how much we love God EVERY day.  Certainly, church is important.  Your pastor, deacons, elders, Sunday School teachers, other ministry leaders are all here to help and encourage us and to reinforce our efforts in our homes.  BUT, they can’t DO our faith for us.  

God is telling us here in Deuteronomy 6 that we cannot expect our families to catch our faith simply by osmosis.  Hey, can I just tell ya something?  We can’t expect them to just stand around us and absorb our belief just because we think Godly kinds of thoughts and wear Jesus t-shirts!

I like the way we’re told starting at Vs. 7 to share our faith with our families: 

IMPRESS your faith on your children
TALK about your faith at home, on the road, when you go to bed, and when you get up
TIE it to your hands
BIND it on your forehead
WRITE it on your door frame

By the way...those are ACTION words.  Here's what God is NOT talking about:  God is NOT calling for a mumbling, whispering faith.  He wants a SHOUTING faith!  And, can I just tell ya something?  If there's one thing I’ve learned about kids, it is this:  Don’t bother pretending if your faith is not real.  If it’s not real, your family will know it.  Kids can smell a hypocrite and a fake from a mile away!



This entry is taken from the sermon:  "Remember"  Click the link to listen to the entire sermon.  This is the third sermon in a series.  The entire sermon series audio is available here: