Resolving Conflict: Part 2

It isn't realistic to eliminate conflict from our lives. Instead, the goal ought to be to minimize and manage it. Since it's always better to resolve the conflict than dissolve the relationship I'll be giving six practical steps you can take to resolve conflict. In this post I'll share step two.

2. Confess my part first 

We naturally want to begin with condemning, accusing, blaming or attacking the other person. But God says there’s a better way, which is to confess our part first. This is what Jesus was getting at in Matthew 7:3-5 when he says we should take the plank out of our own eye before pointing out a speck of sawdust in someone else's eye. Even if the other party is 99% wrong and you are only 1% wrong, confess your part first. When you start with them, they get defensive. When you start with you, they let down their guard. 

So here's a couple questions you can ask yourself to help you discover your part in the conflict...

• Ask yourself: Have I been unrealistic with my expectations? 
• Ask yourself: Have I been ungrateful? 
• Ask yourself: Have I been too demanding? 
• Guys, ask yourself: Have I been harsh? 
• Ladies, ask yourself: Have I been disrespectful? 
• Guys, ask yourself: Have I been insensitive? 
• Ladies, ask yourself: Have I been too sensitive?

God says things go best when we confess our part first. It's His second step in resolving conflict. 

Resolving Conflict: Part 1

It isn't realistic to eliminate conflict from our lives. Instead, the goal ought to be to minimize and manage it. Since it's always better to resolve the conflict than dissolve the relationship I'll be giving six practical steps you can take to resolve conflict. In this post I'll share step one.

1. Take the initiative 

God says to take the initiative, but we usually do the exact opposite.

First, we ignore it. But Jesus says in Matthew 5:25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary…” That means we're to run to conflict! Why do we ignore it? Because we believe the lie “time heals everything.” But this simply isn't true. The truth is that problems only get worse when we ignore them. 

Second, we wait for the other person to come to us. But Jesus says in Matthew 5:23-24, “…if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” Then he says in Matthew 18:15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault…” To summarize, Jesus says: Whether it’s you upset with them or them upset with you, take the initiative! Why do we wait for the other person to come to us? Because we’re afraid, and when we’re afraid we have a tendency to hide, like Adam did in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:10).

But we need to decide: Do we know best or does God know best? Conflicts are best resolved when we resolve them God's way. So the next time you have a conflict you need to resolve, remind yourself of 2 Timothy 1:7 which says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Then go take the initiative! God's says this is step one in conflict resolution. 

How did Jesus fulfill the Passover? Part 5

According to Exodus 12 there were five basic requirements for celebrating Passover.

1. Set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan- one without defect 
2. Slaughter the lamb on the 14th - but don’t break any bones 
3. Put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the doorframe 
4. Finish the Passover on the 14th - don't let it spill over into the next day 
5. Celebrate the Passover perpetually 

In this post I'll show you how Jesus fulfilled requirement #5.

The fifth requirement for Passover was that it be celebrated perpetually. It other words, God didn't want the memory of his great deliverance to fade away. By celebrating Passover each year it kept the memory of the Israelites deliverance fresh in their minds. But Passover served a two-fold purpose. First they looked back to their deliverance from slavery to Egypt. Then they looked forward the even greater deliverance to come - their deliverance from slavery to sin.

Well, notice the parallels between the Passover and Communion...

On Passover, the same day Jesus was arrested and crucified for our sins, he instituted a new celebration. Having fulfilled Passover, Jesus now instituted Communion. You see, Jesus didn't want the memory of his great deliverance to fade away. By celebrating Communion on a regular basis we keep the memory of our deliverance from sin fresh in our minds. And just like Passover, Communion serves a two-fold purpose. First, when we celebrate communion we look back to our deliverance from our slavery to sin - made possible by Christ's death on the cross. But we're also commanded to celebrate communion looking forward to Christ's return.

Notice: Earlier I read you Matthew 5:17 where Jesus said "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose." Having accomplished the purpose of Passover, Jesus now instituted a new celebration called Communion.

To summarize: As God commanded the Passover be celebrated perpetually, so Jesus commanded that Communion be celebrated perpetually. In this way Jesus perpetuated the reality of Passover.

So we see that Jesus fulfilled the fifth requirement of Passover. 

How did Jesus fulfill Passover? Part 3

According to Exodus 12 there were five basic requirements for celebrating Passover.

1. Set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan- one without defect 
2. Slaughter the lamb on the 14th - but don’t break any bones 
3. Put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the doorframe 
4. Finish the Passover on the 14th - don't let it spill over into the next day 
5. Celebrate the Passover perpetually

In this post I'll show you how Jesus fulfilled requirement #3.

The third requirement of Passover was that some of the slaughter lamb's blood be put on the sides and top of each Israelite doorframe.

Notice the first parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

1. As some of the blood of the Passover lamb stained the top of the doorframe, so Jesus' blood stained the top of the cross. We read in Matthew 27:29 that they "...twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head."

Notice the second parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

2. As some of the blood of the Passover lamb stained each side of the doorframe, so Jesus' blood stained each side of the cross. We learn from John 20:25 that when they crucified Jesus they drove nails through his hands to fasten him to the cross.

Notice: Apart from Jesus the blood on the top and sides of the door frame has no significance whatsoever. But when Jesus' crucifixion is seen as the fulfillment of the Passover lamb's slaughter, the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe takes on great significance.

To Summarize: By applying the blood of the lamb the Israelites were spared from death. When the angel God sent to judge the Egyptians came to the door and saw the blood, he passed over that house. (this is how we got the name Passover). In the same way today, by faith we apply the blood of the lamb Jesus to the door frame of our heart - and in so doing we are spared from the penalty of our sins, which is death (Romans 6:23). 

So we see that Jesus passed the third requirement of Passover. 

How did Jesus fulfill Passover? Part 1

According to Exodus 12 there were five basic requirements for celebrating Passover.

1. Set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan- one without defect 
2. Slaughter the lamb on the 14th - but don’t break any bones 
3. Put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the doorframe 
4. Finish the Passover on the 14th - don't let it spill over into the next day 
5. Celebrate the Passover perpetually 

In this post I'll show you how Jesus fulfilled requirement #1.

The first requirement of Passover was that a lamb be set aside on the 10th of Nisan, four days prior to Passover. During these four days leading up to Passover the lamb was to be examined to be proven to be without defect, for this is what God had commanded.

Notice the first parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

1. As the Passover lamb was set aside on the 10th, so Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10th, to be set aside as the human lamb Isaiah and John the Baptist prophesied about.

Let me explain. John 12:1 says, “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany…” Since Passover was celebrated on the 14th, this would mean that Jesus came to Bethany on the 9th. Then we read in John 12:12 that, “The next day the great crowd that had come for the [Passover] festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.” Since Jesus was in Bethany on the 9th, that makes the next day the 10th. Jesus entered Jerusalem to be set aside as the human Lamb of God on the exact day that God told the Jews to set aside their lambs for Passover.

Notice the second parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

2. As the Passover lamb was without defect, so Jesus was found to be faultless.

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem the Jews tried to find some fault in Jesus they could use to discredit him. For example, in Matthew 21 the religious leaders questioned his authority. In Matthew 23 they asked Him trick questions hoping he would give a wrong answer they could then use against Him. But they found nothing. In frustration, the Jews turned Jesus over to Pilate, hoping he could find something to accuse Jesus of. But even after interrogating and beating Jesus, Pilate said of him in John 19:4 “I find no fault in Him.” Of course he didn't for Jesus was a Lamb without defect!

Now notice this: All these things happened between the 10th and the 14th - that is, during the same exact time when the Jews were examining their lambs - looking for faults - in preparation for sacrifice.

To summarize: As the Israelites set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan, so Jesus was set aside on the 10th of Nisan. And as the Israelites examined their lamb to be sure it was without defect, so Jesus was examined and found to be without defect. 

So we see that Jesus fulfilled the first requirement of Passover. 

Words of Affirmation

Biblically, there are five ways God expresses his love for us. And these are the five ways that we are to express love to our spouse (and others). In this post we'll unpackage God's first expression of love.

1. Words of Affirmation

In Matthew 3:16-17 we read: As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

In this passage God expresses his love for Jesus through words of affirmation. He says: Hey everyone! Listen up! Jesus is my Son and I love him! He makes me so happy!

One of our family’s favorite Christmas movies is Will Ferrel’s 2003 movie called ELF. In the movie, when Buddy the Elf falls in love with his new co-worker, Jovie, he bursts into his dad’s board room spinning and shouting to everyone in the room “I’m in love! I’m in love! And I don’t care who knows it!”

Well that’s what God is doing for Jesus in Matthew 3. God’s love for Jesus wells up in his heart until it overflows from his lips in the form of kinds words. In a declaration of love he proudly tells the world: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Solomon was a pro at using words of affirmation in marriage. Here's some of the kind words he spoke to his young bride recorded in Song of Solomon...

• You are beautiful my darling. 
• You have captured my heart. 
• Your love delights me. 
• Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the young women. 

Following Solomon's lead, something I like to tell my wife is “Honey, you make that dress look good.” I don’t compliment the dress because a dress can’t give me a thank you kiss. But my wife can, so I tell her that she makes the dress look good, not the other way around. Following Solomon's lead my wife tell me "Mike, you're such a hard worker." And I love it when she says stuff like that! 

Proverbs 12:25 says “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” When is the last time you shared a kind word with your spouse? 

First Corinthians 13:4 says “…love is kind”. Therefore, to communicate love verbally we have to speak kind words. From God’s example we learn that kind words are one meaningful way to express love to our spouse (and others). So if this isn’t something you’re already practicing, why not start today? 

If you don’t know where to begin, why not begin where God began with Jesus? Guys, just start telling your sweetheart “You’re my wife. I love you! You make me so happy!” Ladies, just start telling your husband “You’re my husband. I love you! I’m so glad I married you!”

Keep the Tank Full

To have a healthy and happy marriage, it's important to learn how to keep your spouse's love tank full. 

Christian author Gary Chapman, in his book The Five Love Languages writes "...inside your spouse is an ‘emotional tank’ that is waiting to be filled with love. At the heart of mankind’s existence is the desire to be intimate and loved by another. And God designed marriage to meet this need for intimacy and love. That being the case, keeping your spouse’s emotional love tank full is as important to a marriage as maintaining the proper oil level is to an automobile. Running your marriage on an empty love tank may be even more costly than running your car without oil."

So how do we do it? 

Well, Jesus gives us some insight in Mark 12:29-31 when he said: The most important commandment is this…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

From these verses it's clear that we're to love God and love others, but what does biblical love look like? Fortunately, God hasn't left us hanging. The Bible lays out at least five ways that God expresses his love for us - and these in turn are the five ways that we are to love each other.

Here are five biblical expressions of love that we'll unpackage in the following posts. 

1. Words of Affirmation
Matthew 3:16-17 says: As soon as Jesus was baptized...a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” God showed Jesus he loved him by speaking kindly to him. 

2. Quality Time
Genesis 3:8-9 reveals that God took time daily to walk and talk with Adam and Eve. God showed Adam and Eve he loved them by spending time with them.

3. Gift Giving
Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God has shown us how much he loves us by giving us the gift of eternal life (through faith in his Son Jesus).

4. Acts of Service
John 13:4-5 says, "Jesus took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." Jesus showed his love for his disciples by serving them, and then instructed them to follow his example.

5. Physical Touch
In Mark 10:16 Jesus took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. When Jesus' disciples assumed Jesus was too important to bother with children, Jesus showed his love for the children with appropriate, loving touch. 

These are five ways that God loves us and five great ways that we can express love to our spouse.

7 Things Parents Need to Teach Their Kids - Part 7

There are seven things good parents will prioritize teaching their children. These seven truths come from The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and are the spiritual foundation for successful children.

7. There’s more to life than here and now. 

Matthew 6:13b, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” NKJV

Notice that word “forever.” You need to teach your children that this life is not all there is and that they will spend more of life on the other side of death than on this one. That’s the “forever” part. You need to teach them that if they’re lucky, they’ll live to be 80 years old, maybe a 100 years at the most. But that’s nothing compared to trillions and trillions of years in eternity! They need to understand how nearsighted it is to trade trillions and trillions of years of pleasure in heaven for 80 years of sinful pleasure on earth. We need to teach our kids to be like Moses...

Hebrews 11:24-25 says, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” NIV
This is sobering, but listen! Our kids need to know that sin is fun, but that hell is hot - that sin is temporary, while God’s judgment is eternal. They need to know that forsaking God for the fleeting pleasures of sin is NOT worth it in the long run.

Our culture teaches us not to concern ourselves with tomorrow and discourages delayed gratification. But this truth - that "There's more to life than here and now" - is God's antidote to short-term thinking. 

7 Things Parents Need to Teach Their Kids - Part 5

There are seven things good parents will prioritize teaching their children. These seven truths come from The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and are the spiritual foundation for successful children.

5. God forgives me and I need to forgive others. 

Matthew 6:12, “And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.” NKJV

You need to remind your kids over and over that they should forgive others of their sin because God has forgiven them of theirs. If your kids don’t learn how to ask for forgiveness and extend forgiveness, they will suffer from two things:

1. Guilt 
If you don’t teach your kids to receive God’s forgiveness, they will carry around a load of guilt. After they get in trouble, are disciplined and apologize to you, don’t forget to lead them in a prayer where they apologize to God. Ultimately, their not honoring you is disobedience to God who says in Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother...” If you discipline them and have them apologize only to you, their little conscience will still bother them. They need to get right with God, not only with you.

So - if they don’t learn to receive God’s forgiveness they will carry around a load of guilt. But on the other hand, if they don’t learn to extend forgiveness to others, they will carry around...

2. Resentment
If you don’t teach your kids to forgive, then unforgiveness will eat away at them. You may have heard it said that “Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” And that’s true! You don’t want your kids living with resentment towards others for the ways in which they’ve been offended. Forgiveness is the key to ensure this doesn’t happen.

If you’re finding that your kids never want to apologize to each other or to someone else they may have offended, ask yourself this: Am I modeling asking for forgiveness? Kristin and I are far from being perfect parents, but I will say this - our kids have no problem apologizing to each other or to others. Just the other day Lincoln was annoying one of my neighbor’s kids to the point she went inside. When Kristin learned about it she talked with Lincoln and he realized he needed to apologize - and he didn't walk over our neighbor's house kicking and screaming. Why? Because Kristin and I often admit we were wrong and ask our kids for forgiveness. When I get short with Kristin, thereby setting a bad example for the kids - once I’ve apologized to both Kristin and God, I go apologize to the kids too. I tell them: I’m sorry for being nasty to mommy. That doesn’t make Jesus happy. I’ve said sorry to him and to mommy and I need to say sorry to you too. The Bible says we’re to love each other, and daddy wasn’t being very loving. I’m sorry.

Your kids will have trouble admitting fault and saying sorry if you do. So make sure your kids often hear you say “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me.” Model it for them so they know how to do it themselves, because you don’t want them living with guilt or resentment.

7 Things Parents Need to Teach Their Kids - Part 4

There are seven things good parents will prioritize teaching their children. These seven truths come from The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and are the spiritual foundation for successful children.

4. God can meet all my needs. 

Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” NKJV

Parents. You won’t always be around. So you need to prioritize teaching your kids that God can meet all their needs. The path of parenting is supposed to look like this: Your kids should go from being 100% dependent upon you, to being 100% independent of you, to being 100% dependent upon God. “Bread” represents every kind of provision and God is capable of providing whatever your kids need at each season of their lives. So you need to teach them to turn to God for whatever they need. So when your kids ask for something, why not encourage them to go ahead and pray about it. In other words - teach them to depend on God for what they need. My mom is such a great example of this. Whenever I tell her of a need she turns straight to God, modeling for me that God is the one who meets all our needs.

If you don’t teach your kids that God promises to meet all their needs, they will become little worry warts. And don’t tell me that kids don’t worry. Don’t tell me that worrying is only something adults do. Just recently one of my neighbors told me that her 10 year old was expressing concern over having to grow up, get a job and find a wife! Don’t tell me kids don’t worry!

Friends - provision is the answer to worry. And when your kids know that ultimately God will provide all their needs - they don’t have to live a life of worry. So teach your kids to turn to God and trust him to meet all their needs.

7 Things Parents Need to Teach Their Kids - Part 3

There are seven things good parents will prioritize teaching their children. These seven truths come from The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and are the spiritual foundation for successful children.

3. God has a purpose and plan for my life. 

Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” NKJV

You need to teach your kids: God is on a mission to save lost people and he has a role for you to play in that process! God has a purpose for your life that’s part of a much bigger plan! If you fail to teach your kids this, you risk two things:

1. They will likely grow up self-centered and selfish, thinking they are the center of the universe (when they’re not). 

Kids need to know they are not the center of the universe. Until a kid learns that, that kid is going to be self-centered, selfish and doomed to unhappiness. Happiness is found when we give our lives away for the cause of Christ, not when we live for ourselves. So it’s super important that we teach our kids that God has a purpose and plan for their lives. Parents who treat their kids like they are the center of the universe are setting them up for great disappointment later in life.

But secondly - if you don’t teach your kids that God has a purpose for their lives...

2. They will likely grow up suffering from a sense of insignificance. 
Kids that don’t know they were created by God for God’s purposes tend to wander aimlessly through life. They ask: Why am I here? What am I here for? Does my life matter? And unless you teach them that God has a purpose and plan for their life, they will go through life feeling like they don’t matter because they’ve never learned that God has a role for them to play in his kingdom.

“Your kingdom come” reveals to us that God is building a heavenly kingdom. And “Your will be done on earth” reveals that he has a purpose for each of us. Each and every one of us is to contribute in some way to helping build God’s kingdom. Our kids need to understand this - the earlier the better. But don’t ever think that you’ve missed your window of opportunity. Better late than never! I don’t care if your kids are all grown up. This is something you should still be telling them continually: God has a plan for your life. God put you here on earth for a purpose. You matter. You are important. You have a critical role to play in building God’s kingdom.

My dad used to regularly tell me that God’s hand was on my life. What was he saying? That God was leading me into his purpose for my life. You need to do the same for your kids. Remind them over and over that God loves them AND has a plan and purpose for their lives. This will ensure they don’t grow up self-centered thinking life is all about them and will help them discover a sense of significance (a feeling that they matter).

7 Things Parents Need to Teach Their Kids - Part 2

There are seven things good parents will prioritize teaching their children. These seven truths come from The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and are the spiritual foundation for successful children.

2. God’s name deserves honor. 

Matthew 6:9b, “...Hallowed be Your name.” NKJV

If you don’t teach your kids to honor God, their highest authority, they won’t ever learn to honor any other authority either. Kids today have a problem with authority, right? We all know this. Well, it’s no surprise that kids don’t honor their parental authority or their governmental authority. Why would they if they’ve never been taught to honor their spiritual authority? Kids learn to honor their parents and honor their teachers and honor police officers and other authorities by first learning to honor God.

Well how do you teach your kids to honor God? You teach them that God’s name is to be praised and never ever to be used as a curse word. Exodus 20:7 says it like this “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” NIV If you got disrespectful in a courtroom with the judge he would hold in contempt of court. How much more so does the Judge of all the earth hold us in contempt when we get disrespectful by misusing his name! You need to teach your kids that God doesn’t take his name being used in vain lightly. On the same top ten list where it says murder is wrong, it says misusing God’s name is wrong. To understand how serious God takes the misuse of his name we only need to look to Leviticus 24 where we learn that doing so was a capitol offense, punishable by death! In this chapter a fight breaks out and one of the two blasphemes God’s name by combining it with a curse word. When the people heard it they put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them. Then the Lord said to Moses: “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them.’ You see, God takes the misuse of his name seriously!

This is why it’s so important to model for your children honoring God’s name. How can you do that?

• Never misuse the Lord’s name yourself. If your kids hear you say it, they will likely imitate your disrespectful ways. 
• Refuse to watch any TV show or movie that consistently abuses God’s name. Think about it. If you’re watching a movie and God’s name is being abused and you keep watching and you’re laughing, what kind of message are you sending to your kids? On the other hand, if you’re watching something that abuses God’s name and you immediately change the channel your kids will get the message that God’s name is to be honored.

Psalm 29:2 says, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name...” NIV That means we’re to always honor the name of the Lord. As you teach it and model it, your kids will learn respect for spiritual authority - and for every other kind of authority as well.

7 Things Parents Need to Teach Their Kids - Part 1

There are seven things good parents will prioritize teaching their children. These seven truths come from The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and are the spiritual foundation for successful children.

1. God loves me and wants to be my best friend.

Matthew 6:9a, “Our Father in heaven...” NKJV

The first thing you need to teach your kids is that they have a Father in heaven who loves them unconditionally and desires to have a relationship with them. If your kids don’t know this, they’ll suffer from low self-esteem. Self-esteem is basically our inner sense of self worth. When you have a strong sense of self-worth you have healthy self-esteem. When you have a weak sense of self-worth you have unhealthy self-esteem.

• Some kids base their self-worth on what they think of themselves based on how they measure up to others. But this is no good because they’ll feel bad about themselves every time they encounter someone they don’t feel they measure up to. 
• Some kids base their self-worth on what others think of them. They feel great when they’re praised and feel awful when they are criticized. 

But good parents teach their kids: It doesn’t matter what you think of you. It doesn’t matter what others think of you. What really matters is what God thinks of you.

• Good parents teach their kids: God bought you at a high price to show you how valuable you are to him! As 1 Corinthians 6:20 says “...for God bought you with a high price...” 
• Good parents teach their kids: You are worth more than any amount of money to God. As 1 Peter 1:18-19 says “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” That means you’re worth more than millions and millions of dollars of silver and gold! 
• Good parents teach their children: You are the pinnacle of God’s creation! As Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece...” 

When your child realizes that God loves them so much that he sent his Son Jesus to die in their place for their sins so that he could have a relationship with them, and that he values them more than any amount of money and views them as his greatest accomplishment, they’ll develop a healthy sense of self-worth (and have a healthy self-esteem). Tell your kids over and over and over how their Heavenly Father loves them until they start thinking, “Wow! I’m worth Jesus, because that’s what God was willing to pay to have a relationship with me! I must be pretty awesome!” When they say that, you’ve done your job. Until they say that, you’ve got some work to do!

The first thing you need to teach your kids is: God loves me SO MUCH and wants to be my best friend.

Humans vs Animals

In Dream Works Bee Movie, boyfriend Ken is trying to kill Barry the bee (see picture). When girlfriend Vanessa objects, Ken replies "You know I’m allergic to them. This thing could kill me." Vanessa replies "Why does his life have any less value than yours?"

Q: What's the message? A: That animal life and human life have equal value.

Friends, this simply isn't true. In the creation account in Genesis one, God said the light was good. God said the land and sea were good. God said the vegetation was good. God said the sun, moon and stars were good. God said the creatures of the sea and the birds of the sky were good. God said the land creatures were good. But once God added mankind to his creation he said it was very good (v31). The Bible teaches that humans, not animals, are the pinnacle of God's creation - his masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10).

That's why Jesus plainly stated that humans have greater value than animals. Jesus said in Matthew 6:26, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" I love it! We're not just a little more valuable than animals, we're much more valuable!

You see, there's a hierarchy to God's creation. From top to bottom it goes God, the angels, humans, then animals. We know this because Hebrews 2:7-8 says, "You [God] made them [humans] a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet.” "Everything" here refers to the rest of God's creation (i.e. the animals). We know this from Genesis 1:28 where God told Adam and Eve, "Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." From this verse we learn that God gave humans stewardship over the earth and everything in it (including animals) and told us to rule over it.

Anyone who knows me personally knows how much I love animals! I love watching them, catching them, owning them, and taking pictures of them. But I'm not confused over whether a kangaroo has more value than a kid. I'm not confused over whether a manatee has more value than a man. I'm not confused over whether a woodpecker has more value than a woman. 

Hope for the Best

This past Sunday I preached on the following passage:

Matthew 8:23-27, Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” NLT

One of the many things we can take from this passage is this: Most of the things we fear will never happen. Our text tells us the reason the disciples were so afraid. They thought for sure they were going to drown. But did that happen? No! They didn’t drown - they were delivered. Let me ask you: When you’re in a storm, is your first response “I’m going to drown!” or “I’m going to be delivered!” 

Kristin and I are expecting our third child any day now. And just a couple weeks ago the midwife told my wife our baby might be breach, which is medical terminology for upside down. For those of you who don’t know, a baby can’t come out feet first - a baby has to come head first, otherwise they can’t get out without breaking bones. So this was a pretty serious concern. Now the midwife didn’t tell Kristin our baby was breach, just that he might be. Knowing that most of the things we fear don’t ever happen, I told Kristin: Let’s wait and see what the ultrasound reveals before we jump to any conclusions. I’m so glad we didn’t lose our peace over this, because as it turns out, the baby was not breach after all. 

When you're in a storm, do you respond in faith or fear? Fear makes us default to the negative, but faith makes us default to the positive. Since we often have no idea how things will actually turn out, why not hope for the best instead of assuming the worst. After all, most of the things we fear will never happen. 

There's Purpose in Your Storm

Today I preached on the following passage: 

Matthew 8:23-27, Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” NLT 

One of the many things we can take from this passage is this: There is purpose in your storm. Matthew 8:18 reveals that it was Jesus himself who gave the orders to cross the lake. He led the disciples into this seemingly perilous storm intentionally and purposefully. So what was the purpose? It was two-fold...

1. To teach them 

Every storm teaches us something. Through this storm the disciples learned to trust. In the Old Testament, a fellow named Jonah experienced a storm of his own that taught him to obey. Also in the Old Testament was a man named Job who went through a non-aquatic storm. He lost his health and wealth (not to mention his kids). Through this storm he learned that we will not always have an answer to the question "Why?" on this side of eternity. I could keep going, but I think you get the point. Whether God brings about the storm himself or simply allows the storm to occur, there is purpose in the storm and every storm teaches us something. 

2. To test them 

The storms we experience not only teach us something, they also test our faith. I believe Jesus stayed asleep during the storm so he could test the disciples faith. This was an opportunity to respond fear-full or faith-filled. And unfortunately, the disciples failed this test miserably. They cried out to Jesus in fear, saying "We're going to drown!" Did you know that Jesus measures our spiritual maturity in part by how we respond when we're in a storm? When we respond in fear we show our lack of faith. When we respond in faith, we show God that we trust him, which pleases God very much (Hebrews 11:6). 

Have you ever felt like Jesus was asleep during your storm? It might seem that way, but nothing could be further from the truth. He is trying to teach you something and he is testing your faith. 

7 Laws of Financial Fitness, Part 2

Today we kicked off a new teaching series at New Day called FINANCIAL FITNESS by studying Matthew 25:13-30, The Parable of the Talents. In this story we find a wealthy business owner entrusting his wealth to three of his servants. He then goes away for a long time. When he finally returns he calls his servants together and says "Ok. What'd you do with my money while I was gone?" Two of the servants give a good report while one gave a bad report. Jesus then draws some spiritual truths from the story for us to apply to our lives. It's from this story we learn the seven laws of financial fitness. In this post I'll share laws 4-7. To read laws 1-3 click here.

4. The law of Utilization says: I must wisely use God's money (vv.26-27). The master clearly gave his servants the money to use, not to do nothing with. The money was a means to an end. The end was getting a return. In the same way God gives us money as a tool to be used for a purpose. We're not to do nothing with it. The money God entrusts to us is a means to an end. God's desire is that people come to know his Son Jesus (2 Peter 3:9). As people give of their tithes and offerings to their local church, the work of God is funded. In these verses the master calls the servant who did nothing with what he had "wicked and lazy". Most of us, when we think of wicked people think of murderers, rapists, pedofiles, those who participate in sex trafficking or forced slavery, not those who mismanage their money. But God is using strong language to make a point. It's a serious thing to do nothing for God's kindgom with what God has blessed you with. God says it's wicked to mismanage  misuse or abuse that which he's entrusted to you care.

5. The law of Motivation says: I must move against my fears (v.25). Why did the servant who was given only one talent do nothing with what he was given? Verse 25 tells us because he was afraid. And that's the same reason some people today don't give today. They are afraid that if they give some of what they have to God's work they won't have enough left for themselves. But it's not just fear, it's actually a lack of faith. God has told us in Malachi 3:8-11 that 90% blessed is more than 100% cursed. Yet we're afraid God won't make good on that promise, so we don't give. But if we're to become good stewards we have to make an intentional decision to move against our fears. We have to trust God by stepping out in faith.

6. The law of Application says: If I don't use it I lose it (vv.28-29). The servant who did nothing with what he was given had the little he was given taken away. Who got it? The one who did a good job with what he was given. The Bible teaches that those who do well with what they are given will be given even more. But to those who do nothing with what they have, even the little they have will be taken away. If we don't use what God has give us for God's purposes...If we mistakenly think all we've been given is for our selfish consumption...then God has the right to take away anything that we don't use to invest for him. Why? Because of law one - it all belongs to God!

7. The law of Compensation says: God will reward me for good money management (vv.21,23). If I don't use it, I lose it. But if I do use it and use it for the right purpose, God will reward me by giving me even more. There are three rewards described in these verses. First is the reward of affirmation (well done good and faithful servant). Second is the reward of promotion (you have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things). Third is the reward of celebration (come and share your master’s happiness).

If you want the good rewards, the good roles and the good responsibilities in God's kingdom, it begins with learning and applying the seven laws of financial fitness.

1. The law of Possession: Everything I have belongs to God 
2. The law of Allocation: God has loaned me money 
3. The law of Accountability: One day God will audit me 
4. The law of Utilization: I must wisely use God’s money 
5. The law of Motivation: I must move against my fears 
6. The law of Application: If I don’t use it, I lose it
7. The law of Compensation: God will reward me for good money management 

7 Laws of Financial Fitness, Part 1

Today we kicked off a new teaching series at New Day called FINANCIAL FITNESS by studying Matthew 25:13-30, The Parable of the Talents. In this story we find a wealthy business owner entrusting his wealth to three of his servants. He then goes away for a long time. When he finally returns he calls his servants together and says "Ok. What'd you do with my money while I was gone?" Two of the servants give a good report while one gave a bad report. Jesus then draws some spiritual truths from the story for us to apply to our lives. It's from this story we learn the seven laws of financial fitness. In this post I'll share laws 1-3.

1. The law of Possession says: everything I have belongs to God (v.14). In this story the master represents God and the servants represent us. This means we are stewards, not owners of all God has given to us. What we think we own is actually on loan. If we're going to become healthy in the area of personal finances, it begins with viewing ourselves with the right perspective (as stewards, not owners). We can't make the mistake of thinking that because it's been on loan for a while that it now belongs to us. It doesn't. Everything I have belongs to God. And he expects me to invest some of what I have in his kingdom to see the return of a harvest of souls.

2. The law of Allocation says: God has loaned me money (v.25:15). Each servant was entrusted with a different amount of money. One got a lot. One got a little. One got somewhere in between. But here's the point: Everybody got something! And the same is true with us. Some have a little. Some have a lot. Some have somewhere in between. But God has given each of us something. We aren't responsible for what we don't have, only for what we do. And though we have no say in what we get or how much we get (God determines that), we do have a say in how we use what we're given. Both the guy with two talents and the guy with five talents invested the money and in time doubled it (vv.16-17). But the guy with one talent buried his money in the ground - nothing ventured, nothing gained (v.18). Likewise, we have a choice regarding what we do with that which we've been entrusted with. We can spend it, waste it, invest it, hoard it, give it away, use is wisely, use it foolishly, use it for good, or use it for evil. We can spend it all on ourselves or return some of it to God by investing it in His kingdom. The choice is ours, but we must remember, one day we'll have to explain why we did what we did. This leads us to our next law.

3. The law of Accountability says: One day God will audit me (v.19). On day, each of us will experience a life audit - not by the I-R-S but by the G-O-D. Each servant got to choose how he spent the money, but then each servant had to give an account for what he did with it. This is how it will work with us too. As Romans 14:12 says "Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." To the two servants who gave a good report the master said "Well done good and faithful servant" (vv.20-23). The master called the one servant who didn't do anything with what he had been given a "wicked and lazy servant" (vv.24-25). Similarly, those who invest some of what they have in God's kingdom will hear "Well done good and faithful servant". Those who foolishly spend all they have on themselves while neglecting the needs of God's kingdom will hear "You wicked and lazy servant."

To learn laws 4-7 click here.