Family Matters

The practice of having multiple wives or partners is one that definitely occurred in Old Testament times, however, what does the Bible actually say about what God designed for a man right in the beginning?

Historical cultural norms can have a great influence over family life and choices, but there’s a difference between culture and Biblical truth. When backing up our beliefs with scripture, we need to be careful that we look at the verses in context.

Teen suicide statistics have risen substantially over the last number of decades. When a teen commits suicide he leaves a wake of grieving friends and family. How can a parent be there for the grieving child, and what conversations should take place over that time?

Recovering from a traumatic experience is not a simple thing to do, it takes time and intentionality.

In the economic climate we find ourselves in, in this country, the lack of job opportunities has certainly restricted the value and significance of a university degree. There are countless people who have hard-earned qualifications but can’t find well-paying jobs in their field. Do these current circumstances negate the need or importance of achieving a university or college degree?

It's not every day that you see Dad doing the school run, after school activities, homework, and preparing dinner, but in some cases, this is the role Dads are finding themselves in.

In modern society, it has become increasingly common for both moms and dads to work outside of the home, and it’s overwhelmingly evident that busyness has become the norm for so many families. The words: ‘Oh, we’ve just been so busy!’ are almost everybody’s mantra. And with parents adopting this kind of lifestyle it’s often the Grandparents that get assigned the duties of fetching and carrying and taking care of the children. This arrangement can be extremely helpful for the family, but not when the Grandparents feel as though they’re being taken advantage of, or are enabling an over-busy lifestyle.

The subject of discipline is a hot topic among most parents, and it’s an area where parents can feel overwhelmed and underqualified. What a lot of Moms and Dads don’t realize is that effective discipline takes effort and follow-through, and when there’s inconsistency, children end up feeling unsure of their boundaries.

A relationship that ends because of unfaithfulness is always a serious blow, but when there are children involved it makes the situation so much more difficult and devastating.

As a Christian, how do I sort out the difference between my obligation to family on the one hand and to the work of the gospel on the other? And what's my responsibility to my extended family as compared with my obligation to my immediate, nuclear family? Is there any distinction between the two? My feeling is that many believers are too quick to try to save the rest of the world when what we really need is to become more effective missionaries at home and to create stronger, godlier extended families. What do you think?