As many of you know, I enjoy sports. And I have encouraged my kids to participate in sports. I feel that sports provide a great opportunity for discipline, teamwork and sacrifice. But our cultural obsession with youth sports is spinning out of control. It has come to demand a disproportionate amount of our time, energy and resources. I believe that … [Read more...]
A Call for Tough Love
Every parent has experienced heartache as they have watched their children make destructive choices. King David certainly experienced his share of heartache as a parent. His son Amnon had developed an unhealthy and inappropriate attraction toward his half sister, Tamar (David’s daughter from another wife). Amnon ultimately gave full vent to his … [Read more...]
Indulgent Parents, Coddled Children
The culture pushes us to be soft parents. We don’t want to demand too much of our children. We don’t want them to grow up too quickly. We want to preserve their childhood. We want to shield them from pain. But the reality is that we are often guilty of coddling them – and stunting their growth and maturity. The aversion to discipline and hardship … [Read more...]
Follow & Lead, Ephesians 6:1-4
Text: Ephesians 6:1-4 The Parent/Child relationship is a big deal to God! The Children's Role: Follow Children are commanded to obey and honor their parents. The Parents' Role: Lead Parents are commanded to not exasperate their children, but are to create an environment that is conducive to discipleship. Application: Based on what God has … [Read more...]