Category Archives: Seriously

Will We Pass or Fail?

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Noah had a problem. God told him to build the ark, but he couldn’t build it by himself. He needed his sons’ help. His family’s survival depended on them working together. Through his years as a dad, if he had been trustworthy, his family would cooperate. If not, he would end up disobedient to his God. No amount of commanding would have been sufficient for his sons to work faithfully alongside their dad for over twenty years. They followed because he had earned their trust.

Abraham had a problem. God commanded that all the men of his house be circumcised. If he had shown himself to be trustworthy as their leader, they would submit. If not, he would be in disobedience to his God. All meant all. I believe they voluntarily complied. No ninety-nine-year-old man was going to physically force all the men to be circumcised. They trusted him.

There are clear commands and principles in God’s Word. When we live them out, we earn our family’s trust. As children get older, authority is insufficient. Familial trust might be considered the reflection of dad’s integrity and will be the bond of hearts that enable them to follow Dad’s lead. Is your family following?

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

Will Your Children Believe?

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I’m confident that since you read Seriously Dads you desire that your children would know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. To that end, our Lord leaves us good insight.

“For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments” (Psalms 78:5-7).

God said there are two vital aspects in passing on the faith, a testimony and a law, that the fathers make known to their children. 

Our testimony is our witness of how God is real, loving, and doing a mighty work in our world and most importantly in our lives. If the Father isn’t actively doing a wonderful work in my life, why should my children be interested? We must proclaim out loud to our children what He is doing on a daily basis.

The Law is God’s Word. Isn’t it an absurd thought that some might base their life and eternity on a book that isn’t important enough to read on a daily basis?

Bible reading isn’t a “have to” sort of thing but a “love to.” If it is “have to,” I suppose that man probably doesn’t have a testimony either, and his family is in serious trouble. Our passion for being in the Word and sharing it with our family is a fundamental part of our testimony. 

Hope to see you in Ft Smith this weekend.

Steve

What Would the Lord Jesus Suggest?

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“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:” (Ephesians 5:25-29).

Steve

No, I Didn’t!

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You know the drill. The child says, “It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t do anything.She’s always blaming me.” But Dad and Mom have a different level of understanding of justice, love, and kindness than the less mature child has. Hence, parents keenly see the wrong that was committed. 

In a similar way, God, Who is Wisdom, watches our interactions with the wife of our youth and will see things that displease Him that we can be clueless about. God takes it very seriously and is not reluctant to apply consequences. 

Do you feel like your prayers bounce off the ceiling? Would you consider asking your wife if there are things she is struggling with in the relationship? 

“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

Steve

Why Would You?

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When everything today is instant and delivered to you door, why would you go to Ft Smith, Arkansas, Feb 23/24, 2018, for a Family Energize conference? Simply put, there is something powerful and engaging when brothers-and- sisters-in-Christ meet together for inspiring teaching. 

More specifically, you and your family would benefit from the following:

• A big dose of motivation and encouragement

• Children encouraged in Christ and purpose

• Vision (where are you “headed?”)

• Likeminded fellowship and new friends

• Learning practical ways to be more efficient and get it all done

• Finding joy and peace when you are accomplishing what God is calling you to, 

I wonder if your wife would be thrilled if you told her you were taking the family to a weekend conference.

Homeschooling families often have more limited financial means because of Mom not working outside the home. That is why we don’t charge for those attending but have a love offering box on the display table.” We also have obtained a block of motel rooms nearby at a discounted rate. See conference registration details. 

I’d love to meet you there, and Teri would love to meet your wife. Will you come?

Steve

A Matter of Trust

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Have you noticed how easy it is to see flaws in others and not recognize them in ourselves? When tempted to distrust your wife, have you considered whether you are worthy of her trust? “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?” (Matthew 7:3-4)

What is your wife’s confidence level in you: 

  • To put the needs of the family above your personal wants and desires?
  • That if you say you will do something, you will do it?
  • To keep your end of “any agreements?”
  • To be careful with family resources?
  • That you own the responsibility of discipling your children in the Lord Jesus Christ?
  • To value your time as priceless or do you waste it on empty pursuits?

May we each have the mindset that trust is earned–not deserved.

Steve

Success or Failure Oriented?

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Dads, have you observed the new popular guidelines?

  • Don’t eat together as a family. One way to do that is not to have a set time for meals. Keep mealtime a secret until 5 minutes prior. Even if you know the time, demonstrate your independence by sitting down only when you feel like it. Also, consistent with this behaviour, don’t help your wife clean up after eating.
  • Don’t set a bedtime, and if you do, ignore it. Stay up late watching TV or doing something “important” on the computer. It is the most effective way to guarantee your wife can’t function well the next day (actually you too). To make sure this is an ingrained pattern for the children, allow them to enjoy movies and the media of their choice as late as they want. They will be irritable the next day and despise anything that looks like education.
  • Make pleasure/entertainment your pursuit, and you will fit right in with our society. No one will call you weird or peculiar if you do.
  • Be encouraged, these simple rules will easily be acquired by your children, and if you don’t like the outcome in their lives, it won’t be too difficult to find someone to blame. It’s not your fault anyway. 

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20).

Steve

Are You Insane?

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Here’s a test: Do you do the same thing over and over and expect or hope for different results? That was Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity.

Scripture admonishes us to change —forsake old ways and embrace new ones.  We are new creatures in Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Sure old ways die hard. They are comfortable because we are used to them, but where God calls, He enables. “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ephesians 4:1).

Steve

The Best

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Wanting to improve is a wonderful goal in starting the new year. May we join our hearts together in this simple desire:

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10). 

Steve

But Whom?

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“And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:27-30).

Ten well-intentioned, important, valiant (?) men led thousands to needlessly die and brought great suffering to their families. Yet, ultimate responsibility was on each who listened to them. Had they chosen to follow Caleb and Joshua, they would have lived and not died in the wilderness. The simple will be easily swayed to follow the wrong people to their own hurt.

My Brothers, may I encourage you not to be among them. Be in the Word daily, and be obedient. Don’t be swayed, but stay the course in Christ.

Steve