I hope you all have a merry Christmas tomorrow. Here are a few good Christmas posts:
God Became a Man – Justin Taylor
Some good classic quotes on the incarnation from Spurgeon, Augustine, and more.
Why a Virgin Birth? – Douglas Wilson
Good answer to the question…
5 Ways to Play With Your Kids This Christmas – Trevin Wax
Dads, this one is for us. You may not like every idea, but the post gets us thinking in the right direction.
The joy of marriage: To be loved well and known deeply by one
is far more fulfilling than being adored by many and truly known by none.
– Gary Thomas
How soon marriage counseling sessions would end
if husbands and wives were competing in thoughtful self-denial.
— Walter Chantry
Some say, “I can’t love my spouse because he/she is so different than me.”
Then how will you ever love God? Is He just like you?
– Gary Thomas
Begin early to teach, for children begin early to sin.
— C.H. Spurgeon
How we treat children says a lot about our humility. Here are some helpful posts for parents and anyone who ministers to children:
How Do You Discern the Conversion of a Child? – Brian Croft
Teach Children the Bible Is Not About Them – Sally Lloyd-Jones
Children in Worship: Let’s Bring It Back – Jason Helopoulos
Children in Worship: Mom Tested Tips – Jason Helopoulos
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshipping the Lord! (And if you are a parent, I hope you have a great Lord’s Day helping your children worship the Lord!)
Here are some good posts on loving others:
5 Love Languages of Leviticus – Leviticus 19:9-18 commands that we love our neighbor as ourself. What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
3 Reasons to Prioritize Your Marriage Over Your Children – There is sometimes a tendency to prioritize our children to the neglect of our marriage. There are at least three reasons that make prioritizing our children over our marriage both foolish and dangerous….
Parents and the Image of God – They [children] are image bearers. They are creatures, made by God and for God. They are given glory and honor by God. They have inherent value, of greater worth than animals. How we treat the image of God is how we treat God. The dignity of humans is built into the Law and the Prophets and the Gospel. And we must see our children as image bearers.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshipping the Lord as you love your fellow image-bearers.
The Christian is supposed to love his neighbor,
and since his wife is his nearest neighbor,
she should be his deepest love.
– Martin Luther
Let the measure of God’s grace to you in the cross of Christ
be the measure of your grace to your spouse.
– John Piper
Which of you by being angry can add a single hour to his span of life?
Or any affection to your marriage?
– John Piper
God often disapproves of his children’s behavior.
But he never treats us with contempt.
Imitate him in your disapproving.
– John Piper
Happy is that family where the worship of God
is constantly and conscientiously maintained.
– John Newton
The following is an excellent post from Collin Hansen addressing the reality of failure and its necessary applications in parenting and discipleship. If you are a parent, you need to read this. If you are a teen/young adult, you should read this. Okay, you should just read and ponder this post no matter who you are:
Your kids will fail. This is both inevitable and also necessary. Apparently not many parents today want to hear this uncomfortable fact. And they certainly don’t want to implement it in how they discipline their children. Writing the cover story for The Atlantic’s July/August issue, therapist Lori Gottlieb alerts us that the cult of self-esteem is ruining our kids. Convinced they are the center of the universe and capable of anything, our children have become insufferable narcissists. Then, when these kids grow up and fail, as they must, they head for the nearest therapist, worried their lives have gone horribly wrong. Gottlieb writes:
[R]ates of anxiety and depression have also risen in tandem with self-esteem. Why is this? “Narcissists are happy when they’re younger, because they’re the center of the universe,” [psychology professor Jean] Twenge explains. “Their parents act like their servants, shuttling them to any activity they choose and catering to their every desire. Parents are constantly telling their children how special and talented they are. This gives them an inflated view of their specialness compared to other human beings. Instead of feeling good about themselves, they feel better than everyone else.”
As you might expect, this attitude wreaks havoc in the real world of adulthood. Try giving one of these college students a B, let alone a C. You better be prepared for a visit from the student and maybe even a phone call from a parent. Or try telling young adults in their first job that their work doesn’t cut it. You just might be looking for a new employee when the offended party looks for a workplace where his creativity and brilliance will be “appreciated.”
Here are some good reads for the weekend:
The Gospel
Christianity must go beyond morality – George Whitefield (via Trevin Wax)
Virtues
The Real Basis for Hope – Mark Altrogge
Family/Single Life
Five reasons to use God’s Word in your parenting – Thabiti Anyabwile
How to turn your child away from church…and Christ – C. John Miller (via Chris Brauns)
Questions to ponder before dating – Mark Driscoll (via Crossway)
16 Christian Dating Principles – Part One, Part Two – Mark Driscol (via Crossway)
Church Life
Finally, as you prepare to meet with God’s people: do you consider them the excellent ones in whom is all your delight or the annoying ones in whom is all your irritation? – Mark Altrogge
Have a great Lord’s Day!
This week, I want to share some good posts about parenting.
First, we need a Biblical understanding of who are children are as both sinners and image bearers as we seek to disciple them. (Check this link for the Cosby Show clip if nothing else!). We also should consider the goal of Biblical parenting – and it is not to simply have well-behaved kids.
Second, read an interesting and encouraging testimony of a father leading his son to the Lord.
Third, use those meal time prayers to teach your children how to pray, and also about God and the gospel.
Fourth, talk to your children about the sermon. They remember and understand more than you think they do.
Finally, fathers must take seriously their role in taking their children to church.
Brian J. Mikul 