Imperfect Parenting with a Perfect God

Listen to today's podcast to hear how some long-time prayers have come to fruition. (Notice "fruit" is the root of that word!) Praying that this gives you hope to continue to pray even when you don't see the answers right away.

Scriptures in this Podcast:

Psalm 40

Hebrews 4:16

Hebrews 10:23 

The first thing Moses does when the Israelites survive the Red Sea crossing is to sing praises to God's strength. He immediately recognized that they had witnessed something that only God could do. That no matter how much they rallied their own strength and grit, they could never have literally parted a sea to save millions of people and conveniently swallowed up their enemy. Moses could be pretty smart sometimes. Throughout the bible, there are verses and lessons that give us wisdom regarding how weak we are but we have God to fill the gap. This applies to parenting too. We could read or even write all the parenting books in the world, but without going to the One who actually created us, we can't even fathom the power we could wield with him.

Scriptures in this Episode:

Exodus 15:2

Exodus 15:13

Psalm 121

Is your calendar full of the kids' activities? Do you have a to-do list a mile long? Me too. These are things that try to steal my attention and time away from God. But we need to put Him first. Anything that tries to get in the way of that has the potential to become an idol. Let's revamp our calendars and to-do lists so that the enemy does not have a foothold in our calendars. Let's put God in His rightful place: first.

Scriptures in this Episode:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

John 4:23

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Daily diligent seeking of God is necessary to keep us built up in our faith. We need to seek His Word regularly to continually put on the armor of God. Some days we have more questions than answers, but some days we can just sit and be thankful. I stepped out my Bible study routine and decided to listen and praise Him before opening my study instead of after, and it became an even more personalized and intimate experience than I expected. God is so good. He loves us and wants us to just sit at His feet, rest, and be refreshed in His presence. Join me.

Scripture in this episode:

Colossians 2:6-7

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Put God at the top of your To-Do list today and every day. You'll be amazed at how He supernaturally maximizes your time when you choose to step out into obedience first. Honor Him and walk in the Spirit, not the flesh, today.

Scripture in this Episode:

Galatians 5:16-26

Do you ever wish you had a testimony to share with others? If you think you have no testimony, think again! God is your testimony. If you think you have nothing else, you have Him, and He is everything! Listen to today's podcast for more encouragement in this area.

Scripture in Today's Podcast:

1 John 5:11

Luke 8:39

Psalm 66:16

Mark 5:19

Psalm 107:1-2

Psalm 35:28

1 John 5:10

Matthew 6: 9-13 (The Lord's Prayer)

Psalm 71:15-18

When we have to watch our kids walk through the same sinful behavior repeatedly, it can be heartbreaking, frustrating, exhausting, etc . . .

Just when we want to give up or yell or more, we need to remember that no matter what choices our kids make, our own hope can still rest in Jesus. He doesn't change even when the circumstances do. He isn't moved by storms. He is steadfast in them. He is always available when we need Him and He is our sanctuary.

Hebrews 6:19-20 says "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

Let Jesus be the anchor in the storm and the Captain of the seas. Though we steer our rudders, we take our directions from Him. When we do that, we will be safe, we will find rest, and we will keep our hope that is in Him alone. And our kids will see that and hopefully follow suit. Don't give up; give them up to Him.

Scriptures in this Episode:

Hebrews 6:19-10

Luke 8

James 3:4

I like to think of churches as outposts of faith. It is a place where Christians can gather, be equipped and encouraged, and then be sent out to share the Truth of God. We can experience worship and praise together, stir one another up to good works, and battle the enemy together. No country ever enters a war alone. They don't just send one guy to fight. They recruit and train an army. They arm them with weapons. They make a plan of attack and defense. They continuously train together and separate. We are in a spiritual battle every day. We are not meant to fight it alone. We gather together with other believers, we are armed with the Truth of God and imbued with the Holy Spirit, Who helps us plan our attacks and defenses. He is our ONE defense. His Word is a double-edged sword. But we need our army if we are going to win. Alone, the enemy has us cornered easily. But with the army of believers and the Holy Spirit, we already have victory because Christ already overcame sin and death with His blood and resurrection. Going to church regularly and building relationships with other believers is one of the best weapons against the enemy. Don't just make church a checklist item, make it a part of your life so that you can both receive and dole out encouragement and love. It is vital to your battle against the enemy and the hope that Jesus gave.

Scriptures in this episode:

John 14:26

2 Timothy 3:16

Hebrews 10:23-25

Book cited:

The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield

copyright @ 2018, Crossway, Illinois

Before we can use the Scriptures for disciplining and raising our children, we must first know it ourselves. I made the mistake of trying to teach what I didn’t know,

SCRIPTURES IN THIS EPISODE:

PROVERBS 22:6

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17

JOHN 14:26

EPHESIANS 6:4

DEUTERONOMY 4:9

ROMANS 15:4

JOSHUA 22:5

DEUTERONOMY 4:40