Monthly Archives: February 2014

Lullaby Theology 201: Singing the Grace of Personal Holiness

February 26, 2014

In the lower elementary Sunday school class at Bethlehem Baptist Church, I remember learning three hymns: How Great Thou Art, To God Be the Glory, and Trust and Obey. It was a safe assumption that one of those songs would show up in our classroom worship every week amid other songs that have since disappeared from my memory. It’s a worship trio that covers a lot of ground: who God is, what He has done, and how it should change our lives as we respond to it. In that classroom, we weren’t all saved, and we didn’t understand everything we were singing, but the teachers were stamping in our hearts and minds a rhythm of grace—saved by grace, living in faith, changing by grace and faith.

Teaching Youth

Centering Youth on the Word

February 25, 2014

In his article, "Some Advice for Youth Ministers" (posted at The Gospel Coalition), Dave Hinkley offers some good advice regarding priorities we set in youth ministry. Although originally posted in 2010, his advice is still timely. Here is an excerpt:

Teaching

Teaching from Life

February 24, 2014

One of the things that have changed in my teaching over the years is the time I spend in preparation—I spend more time preparing. Preparing by...

Reading through the lesson, looking up the Scriptures, meditating on the key themes, and praying that God would work in my own heart.
Thinking through how I will engage the students in meaningful ways throughout the lesson.
Gathering and preparing all necessary visuals.

But in the past, there was something that I often missed in my preparation that I now spend more time doing...

Thinking through real-life experiences in which God really "drove home" a particular biblical truth.

Teaching Bible Skills Parenting

Will Our Children "Drip" Bible?

February 19, 2014

I have seen this video clip by Pastor David Michael numerous times, but it still stirs my heart every time. http://vimeo.com/60185208

Bible-saturated children from Children Desiring God on Vimeo.

Teaching Youth Parenting

Male and Female He Created Them

February 17, 2014

Nine years ago, Dr. Albert Mohler wrote an article, "A Call for Courage on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood." His words were prophetic.

The fault lines of controversy in contemporary Christianity range across a vast terrain of issues, but none seems quite so volatile as the question of gender. As Christians have been thinking and rethinking these issues in recent years, a clear pattern of divergence has appeared. At stake in this debate is something more important than the question of gender, for this controversy reaches the deepest questions of Christian identity and biblical authority.

Teaching

Defining God's Love + An Illustration

February 12, 2014

God is love. Maybe more than any other statement this has been used to identify God's basic essence. But if we consider God's love apart from the totality of God's nature, our understanding of God will be dangerously skewed. So what does God mean when He says that He is love? Pastor John Piper offers a helpful definition:

Teaching Encouragement Parenting

A Sense of Urgency in Our Ministry to Children and Youth

February 11, 2014

While preparing a seminar on presenting the Gospel to children, I was re-reading William Farley's book, God-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting. This quote really hit home as I think about the priorities we set and the time given to them in both our homes and classrooms.

Encouragement Parenting

Shepherding the Little Lambs

February 05, 2014

Some good words from Pastor Art Murphy about leading children to Christ,

Even if a child says all of the right things, he may not be ready to accept Christ. Even if he is very anxious (or impatient) to become a Christian, this does not guarantee that he is ready. On the other hand, he may find it difficult to express himself but have real conviction in his heart. A child who has never experienced salvation does not know what to expect and should not be abandoned while making this decision. He needs you to help him. Though you cannot make his decision for him, he does need your guidance with this...

Encouragement Parenting

Giving Children a Right Perception of Self

February 04, 2014

Many years ago, Dr. Albert Mohler made the following observation:

The idea that self-esteem is an essential part of a healthy personality is now virtually institutionalized in American culture... The entire educational structure, especially at the elementary level, takes self-esteem as a basic imperative for the educational process. Now, a team of researchers has taken a closer look at the idea that self-esteem is a crucial factor in personal happiness, achievement, and behavior. Their research conclusively destroys the self-esteem myth and demonstrates that the nation’s obsession with self-esteem was never based on science in the first place.

(“The Myth of Self-Esteem,” published February 8, 2005 at www.albertmohler.com)

The question for us is this: Has this myth also crept into our classrooms and homes? Has our philosophy of children's ministry and the methods we use been shaped by the self-esteem movement?

Teaching Encouragement Parenting

Why Our Children Need to Be Taught the Reality of Adam

February 03, 2014

They say what goes around, comes around. And, unfortunately, there is a lot going around that we need to be on the alert for so that we can prepare our children with a strong defense...which brings us to Adam. A growing number of people—even some professing Christians—are challenging the reality and necessity of a historical Adam. Why should this be on our radar screen as parents and teachers? Because so much is at stake!