600,000 Brazilian Evangelicals Participate in 'March for Jesus' Event Ahead of FIFA World Cup
Life in a Christian 'fundamentalist' school
Colleges and Evangelicals Collide on Bias Policy
Arkansas Pastor Is New Southern Baptist President
Husband of Sudanese Christian on death row says appeals court is deliberating
China's Christians fend off church demolition crew amid latest Communist Party crackdown on faith
The Bible should be used to develop pupils' writing skills
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
I just loved being a dad to my young children. I was silly Dad - always making jokes and doing funny things. I was knowledgable Dad - who knew lots of cool things about how things worked. I was fun dad - they were quite happy to bring their friends over to bask in the warm glowing presence of their amazing "Super-Dad". I was happy to bask in the warm glow of their appreciation.
How quickly things change…
Almost overnight it seemed the mood swung completely. As the teenage years took hold, silly Dad became embarrassing Dad , knowledgable Dad became stoo-pid Dad, and fun Dad became painfully awkward Dad. I found it just as tough as they did - especially when, one by one, they entered radio silence, and spent more time relating to their phones than they did to me.
I had to keep remembering how completely normal this all is. The fundamental job of a parent is to raise a happy, healthy, independent and mature human being, ready to take their place in the wider world. So it is quite, quite normal that many teenagers retract into themselves and their peer group, rather like a bug turning chrysalis before it emerges as a beautiful adult. It is their way of finding the space to discover and be themselves in their own right, rather than as an offshoot from mum and dad.
I've found the words of Ephesians 6 v 4 important to remember:
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Some men mourn the loss of their adoring, dependent children, and "over-compensate" - with the danger of driving them even further away. Paul's God-breathed advice is that we should focus on the important stuff. Pray for them, share the good news of the gospel, and show them what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
The greatest earthly gift you can give them is the space and encouragement to be mature and independent in the world. But the greater gift you can give them is the encouragement to a mature faith that is dependent of Jesus, not on you.
And as they emerge from the chrysalis, all glowing with colour and gorgeous, you begin to forge a new, grown-up relationship with the joyful gift that God gave you to care for.
The rising generations in the UK are growing up in a world that has said “goodbye” to the idea of God. In the media, through their education, and in the culture, they have been told repeatedly that the idea of God is old fashioned, irrelevant and out of touch.
Although the numbers who profess to be purely atheist are relatively small, for all practical purposes many live and think with no reference to, or thought of God day by day, and are hardened to any suggestion that there may be something more to life than biology, genetics and physics.... continue reading
1. Dig Deeper ebook - just £5!
Get the ebook version of Dig Deeper for just £5!
2. A Prayer Before Preaching the Gospel
Trevin Wax shares a prayer for before preaching.
3. 7 Questions to Ask Before You Preach
And here’s 7 questions to ask yourself before you preach.
4. Good Morning Heavenly Father
Tim Challies shares a prayer from John Stott for the beginning of the day.
5. Join The Good Book Company Team
A chance to join The Good Book Company as our new Print Buyer.
6. And finally...
Our video of the week, ‘The World We All Want trailer:
Found something that you think should make it on to the On to a Good Thing round-up? Send it to: ontoagoodthing@thegoodbook.co.uk
One and a half days. That's the total I've reached. That's the time I have spent over recent months playing Candy Crush saga, usually late in the evenings after the to do list has been sufficiently conquered. I did the maths yesterday afternoon after a point in a sermon sparked my thinking... I don't think it's a statistic I'm proud of!
I'm not knocking computer games - many of them are fun and a great way to relax. And while there is a risk that playing online can isolate you from friends and get in the way of Christian service, it isn't inevitable these things will happen. Indeed, the giving and receiving of "lives" has brought me back in contact with a number of friends who had previously drifted from my life ... I've liked that. But, in the grand scheme of things, when I stand before the throne of heaven I'm beginning to wonder if 36 hours making striped candies and clearing jelly will be seen as an entirely wise use of my time. And whether I find the game (with its frustrating levels) truly restful at all ...... continue reading
Praise be to the Lord,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.
The Lord is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them for ever.
Psalm 28:6-9
I can’t see without glasses. They’re on my nose from the moment I wake up until last thing at night. Which means I see everything through a pair of lenses. And that makes a difference. A couple of years ago I got my first pair of varifocals. I love them, but they did take getting used to. In particular, every time I moved my head from side to side, the whole world wobbled!
This last pair of glasses is a little different to the rest because they are about more than just reading the Bible. They shape how we look at the world - a concept I find easy to grasp, since my worldview is quite literally shaped by the lenses I see it through.
The crown-shaped specs are about looking at the world through biblical eyes. They take those vital Bible truths that God is good and God is sovereign, and shape how we see the world around us.... continue reading
Meriam Ibrahim: Sudan 'to free' death row woman
China’s Other Religious Problem: Christianity
COMMENTARY: Christianity’s new look on gays
Most Americans Say the Bible Is God’s Word
Church attendance has been propped up by immigrants, says study
Baptist Missionary Sentenced to Life in Hard Labor by North Korea
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
When I'm hurting, I like to act the victim - blaming the people around me for the surrounding mess. It means:
When I'm hurting, I like to act the hero - pretending I can soar through the pain unaffected. It means:
When I'm hurting, I like to live up to my calling as a precious child of God. It means:
Who would you like to be today?
