There are a lot of opinions floating around about child discipline and training. Is spanking okay? Is spanking more always the answer? Are other methods of discipline acceptable or even advisable at times? And what is the goal of all of our discipline? How should children behave in the home, in the church, and after […]
Matthew 19:13-15 Do Not Hinder the Little Children
Immediately after Jesus affirms the propriety of some men choosing a life of celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, we find a story that emphasizes the importance of children to the expansion of the Kingdom. Listen as Pastor Matt explores how this text fits in the flow of chapter 19 and calls […]
I Timothy 3:4-5 Qualifications for Overseers- Part 4 of 6- The Man at Home
So far we have seen the positive character qualities that an elder must possess. We have considered his giftedness. And we have been warned concerning some potential disqualifying idols. Now this week we are getting personal. I know, you probably think we’ve been pretty personal the entire time, but now we are stepping right though […]
Matthew 12:46-50 The Christian’s Family
If not understood rightly, extended family can be a good man’s greatest hindrance. Family members often try to make a person feel guilty for going where they should go, being where you should be, and doing what you should do. They often even make your involvement with the people of God a test of your […]
Matthew 10:35-37 Does Christ Delight in Divided Families?
Proverbs 1:7-9 Seven Lessons About the Family
The fifth commandment is ‘Honor your father and mother.’ But how? And for how long? Does this command come with an expiration date? Maybe God should have said, ‘Honor your father and mother…. until you are 18.’ And must we honor our parents if they are bad parents? Perhaps it should be ‘Honor your father […]
I Thessalonians 1:1-6 Recognizing the Family (Part One)
How should we think of fellow Christians? Are they just a group of friends with whom you choose to align yourself, or are they perhaps something more? Listen as Pastor Matt makes the case from I Thessalonians 1:1-6, and from other Scriptures, that the Church is a literal family, and that they are recognizable by […]
The Church is a Family- Commitment to the People of God
You may be shocked to discover that the phrase ‘personal relationship with Christ’ does not occur anywhere in the Bible. He saves us for a purpose much greater than ourselves. He makes of us a community of image bearers who model for the world what loving relationships are supposed to look like as we strive […]
