Do you need to check your brain at the door when you start to consider faith in God? I don't think so. Actually, the more you use your brain the more God makes sense!

Romans 1:20

When you let science speak, it tells us there is a God.

12 Lessons from 12 Years of Marriage

Sexuality and gender are two of the most debated, emotionally charged, and politically manipulated topics of this present age. There is confusion, frustration, fear, hurt, and desperation involved in all of these conversations. What does God say about these things, and what are we as followers of Jesus supposed to do with that?

Galatians 2:16, Isaiah 56:3-5

Jesus, not moral reform, is the solution.

When you do a google search for references to slavery in the Bible you will find a bunch of passages about it, and a lot of them talk about it as allowed. What are we supposed to do with that? How are we supposed to make sense of that? Does that mean God was for the European slave trade? Does that mean God thinks racism is okay? If not, where does it say that? It's a hard subject to tackle, but I think when we are able to understand what God says about slavery we will see a much different picture.

Slavery may have been allowed in the ancient world, but you were only ever meant to belong to God.

1 Cor 6:19-20

As people who follow Jesus, what are we supposed to do with the Old Testament, especially the Old Testament Law? Sometimes we talk about it as if we still need to follow it, and other times we completely ignore the rules it outlines. How do we know what to follow and what not to? Do we need to follow any of the rules? This is a topic that was debated even when the church was first coming together after Jesus resurrection. So, what are we supposed to do?

You don't need to follow the Old Testament law, but you do need to fulfill it.

Matthew 5:17, Romans 8:3-4, Galatians 5:13-26

When you get older you get caught thinking about the past glory days. When you are a kid you are consumed with dream about your future. This puts our families in a problematic scenario because we end up looking away from each other! God speaks very clearly about His desire for how generations are supposed to interact with each other, and it isn't ignoring one of the other!

We need to look to each other, not away from each other.

1 Peter 5:1-5, Malachi 4:6 & Heb 13:7

There are no shortages of threats to your family. Whether it is a schedule that is simply too busy, online content that leads to cheating and affairs, peer pressure at school, overstimulation, the pursuit of money, gossip, and even sports. How are you supposed to know what to allow in your family and what you should get rid of? And are those things really worth getting rid of? Well, I think we need to be more ruthless in our protection of our family, because these things aren't just distractions, they can actually be attacks!

If something opposes love, honour, respect or patience in your family, it's actually attaching your family.

1 Tim 3:5, 5:8, Eph 5-6, Matt 5:30

It isn't always the case, but each member of your family needs something particular from the other members of their family and doesn't get it. Parents need honour from their kids. Wives need love from their husbands. Husbands need respect from their wives. Kids need patience from their parents. Well, we all need all those things, but those are the things that we often lack but desperately need.

Everyone in your family needs love, honour, respect and patience.

Ephesians 5:33-6:4

Parents are not always easy to get along with and sometimes they are not the kind of people who are even honorable. Yet, God tells us that we are supposed to honour them. How does that make sense? Are we supposed to do whatever they tell us, even if it is wrong or stupid? Is this something we are supposed to still hold to? This is a hard question, but when you realize the difference between respect and honour and the clear directive of God, it becomes something we can only do with Jesus.

Eph 6:1-3

Treat your parents as if they are more important than you think they are.

We all want what's best for our kids but sometimes our pursuit for what's best can miss the BEST God has for them. Hannah understood this which is why she gave Samuel to God. We can trust God with the outcome and destiny of our children's lives.