Depending On The Holy Spirit

“On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”– Acts 2:1–4.

Can you imagine that scene? Take a second and try to imagine this. Imagine being at an early morning Sunday service at Northstar and suddenly there is a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind. You can’t feel the wind, but you can hear it. Picture hurricane-force winds that you hear, filling the entire room in which you are sitting. That would certainly wake you up on a Sunday morning. 

If you are a follower of Jesus, if you have trusted in Jesus as the Savior and Lord of your life, if Jesus is your life, then the exact same Spirit who did this in Acts 2 is living inside of you right now. The Spirit of God who did this in Acts 2 dwells in you. You are not alone right now. The Spirit of God dwells in you. If you really think about that, that should wake you up every morning.  

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” So, why has God put his Spirit inside of us? We see all over scripture all kinds of things the Spirit does in our lives, through our lives, for our lives. And in the middle of it all, we must not forget that the primary purpose of the Spirit in our lives is that we might be on mission with God.

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.” (John 16:7) When we think of the Holy Spirit, this is how we should primarily think of Him: God with us, helping and empowering us to live a flourishing life that radiates the goodness of God. We are all in need of divine help if we are to become who God created us to be.

The Holy Spirit gives us insight. “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”  (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit will give you insight into what you are reading and furthermore, will help you recall what you’ve read in Scripture. He brings to your mind understanding and truth. Have you ever had one of those moments when you were in a situation and a Scripture verse you read or memorized years ago popped into your head, encouraging you in that moment? That was the Holy Spirit reminding you of what you had been taught. He empowers you with understanding and the ability to recall important verses that apply to your life.

And the Holy Spirit guides your prayers.“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Romans 8:26. Sometimes we don’t have the words. Or we have so much to say that we aren’t sure where to start.  Fortunately, we have the Holy Spirit with us.  

Discussion Questions

  1. Why is it impossible to be on mission for God without the help of the Holy Spirit? 
  2. How does the Holy Spirit give us the power to know and recall the truth?

Faith During COVID-19

“At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.” Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.” – Matthew 17:14-18

Many of us have been living in a new reality for approximately 17 months now as a result of COVID-19. We have practiced physical distancing to the best of our ability. Children all over the country have continued their education through hours and hours of screen time. Parents have juggled full plates of expectations. People were isolated for many months. With so much going on, it’s hard to not feel anxious in times like these.  

While Jesus didn’t experience COVID-19, the Bible clearly tells us that there were very pressing needs all around Him. People brought to Him all had very real needs. In Matthew 17, we read the story of a desperate father whose son was very sick.  Using all his available resources, the father had found no help for his suffering son. He had even taken his son to Jesus’ disciples to no avail. This father probably lived in constant fear of when the next seizure would occur and what it might do to his son. Out of options and desperate, he came and fell to his knees before Jesus.

The first thing Jesus did was speak to His disciples. He had given them the authority to heal the sick, (“Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.” – Matthew10:1) yet they failed to heal the boy. After reprimanding them, Jesus asked to see the boy. Immediately, he was healed. Take a second and think of how relieved that father must have been. Can you imagine how much the son’s life changed that day?  The disciples were understandably confused. Why did they not succeed? Jesus’ answer was simple: “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matthew 17:20)

Fast forward in time. The disciples healed the sick, drove out demons, and did other signs and wonders as Acts 2:43 tells us, “A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.” The pandemic has taught us that God’s power is not experienced in the present because you had faith in the past. God’s power is experienced in the present when you have faith in the present.

When we come to the end of ourselves is when real faith begins. We see that happen in this desperate father’s life when he fell to his knees before Jesus. We saw it happen in the lives of the disciples, as they began to understand how their faith enabled them to do some miraculous things. And hopefully, we will see in our lives as we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic. 

 Discussion Questions:

  1. Faith is not something you can manufacture. Agree or disagree? Why? 
  2. A faith journey often gets worse before it gets better. Agree or disagree?

Growth Through Change

“But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!” – 1 Corinthians 15:51.

Transition is a topic that is hard to discuss. While there is plenty to say about it, most of us really don’t like change, and with transition comes change. In order to fulfill God’s purpose for your life, you have to grow. You may be comfortable where you are, but to spiritually grow some change is most likely inevitable. Each one of us is a work in progress. We shouldn’t be satisfied with our current level.  

It is God’s will that we mature as Christians, becoming more and more like Jesus. Growth is not automatic. It takes dedicated effort and every Christian needs to make a conscious decision to grow spiritually. Nothing shapes my life as much as the commitments I make, so I need to wholeheartedly commit to spiritual growth. Part of this decision is realizing that I will need to make changes in my life. I may need to act differently in certain ways or get rid of some old routines or habits. When I do my part God will do His part and will work in me.

To really change my life I need to realize that my will alone is not enough. I can’t force myself to change. I need God’s help to do this. The first step is for me to begin to change the way I think because the way I think determines the way I act. I need to think maturely, focusing on others more than myself.

As John Maxwell observed, “Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you.” The Bible contains numerous accounts of individuals who made hard choices during their journey of following God and as a result, enjoyed His rich blessings. Every choice we make either moves us closer to God or moves us further away from Him and His mission for our lives. No one should ever be able to say, “I’ve made it so I no longer need to grow spiritually.”  

There have been a lot of  transitions, change if you will, in our lives the last couple years.  Without question, transitions are unsettling. The process of changing us is not easy. God wants to transform us on the inside, to help us become more like Jesus in our attitudes, our beliefs, and our love for others. It’s about a relationship, not rules. The more we grow in our love and relationship with Jesus, and the closer we get to Him, the more He will begin to change us from the inside out and we will grow spiritually. 

The Christian life is fundamentally a changed life. And it is never too late or too early to make changes. Regardless of what season of life you are in or how long you have been a Christian, you can change.  Jesus equipped you to experience the abundant life of glorifying God in all you do. It is never too late to grow spiritually. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What changes would you like to make in your life?  What are the obstacles to making those changes? 
  2. What changes would you make this week to grow spiritually? 

 

The Process Of Spiritual Growth

“Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen” – 2 Peter 3:18.   

Most Christians believe there is a blueprint for spiritual growth and assume that the same methods will produce the same growth in different people, but it doesn’t work that way. Yes, there are standard Christian tenets that we need to follow but the reality is that God created each of us as a unique person. His plan to grow you spiritually will be different than His plan for others. What would grow a rose would not work with a cactus. The rose and the cactus need sunlight and water but in different amounts and conditions. The key is not for all of us to do the same thing but to find the unique, to us, a combination of things that will help us grow spiritually. 

Imagine your pharmacy giving everyone the same prescription even though we have different ailments and symptoms. Imagine if every parent used the same rewards and the same punishments. If you want your kids to grow, we have to find out how to parent them that works with who they are as individuals. 

Our model for this is God Himself. He always knows what each person needs. He wrestled with Jacob, whispered to Elijah, warned Cain, and comforted Hagar. God never grows two people in a carbon copy manner. But sometimes we think that is the recipe for growth. We hear a popular pastor or read a best-selling book on how we can grow spiritually and we figure if it works for them, it will work for us. That doesn’t mean we can’t learn from others, but we need to be aware that it may not work for us. God does not do “one-size-fits-all.”

God has a plan for the you He wants you to be. It will not look exactly like His plan for anyone else, which means it will take time, effort and exploration for you to learn how God wants to grow you. Spiritual growth is hand-crafted, not mass-produced. 

Peter is an example.  Peter made his livelihood as a fisherman. But Jesus convinced him to become a follower of the Lord. Peter was rash in his thinking and behavior. God was patient in making positive changes in him. As an apostle of the Lord, Peter hastily told the Lord, though all others forsake you, I will never forsake you. But Peter timidly denied he knew the Lord three times. When Jesus saw him after Jesus’ resurrection, he taught Peter about God love and forgiveness.  

Spiritual growth is not automatic. The writer of Hebrews noted, “You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong” (Hebrews 5:12-14)

Spiritual growth doesn’t just happen. You have to have a plan. A plan that is unique to you. 

Discussion Questions: 

  1. Are you content with your spiritual growth? Where would you like it to be? What needs to change to get it where you want it to be? 

A Little Pruning

He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.”  – John 15:2-3

In Chapter 15 of the Gospel of John, Jesus uses an agricultural example to explain how His followers are to bear spiritual fruit. First, let’s define what we mean by spiritual fruit. Ultimately, it is becoming more like Jesus and making disciples. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Bearing fruit in the Christian life is not about doing works or attempting righteousness in our own strength. Rather, it is about intentionally growing in our walk with Christ, inviting the Holy Spirit’s work of transformation in us, and actively obeying God in all He calls us to do. As we seek Him and lay down our own fleshly desires for His better ways, we will bear lasting fruit and serve as salt and light to a world in need of Jesus. (See Matthew 5:13–16)

The question is how do we bring about fruit in our lives? The short answer is we don’t.  In verse 1 of John 15, Jesus explains that He is the Vine and God is the Vinedresser. Later on in the chapter, we are referred to as branches. Branches cannot bear fruit if they aren’t connected to the Vine. Jesus is saying that our spiritual fruit can only come through Him.

What is accomplished by pruning? For the plant, it’s a healthier and more vigorous growth with more fruit. For us, it’s the ability to rely more completely on God, our source of life, and the ability to live a more spiritually secure and disciplined life. With God, pruning always gives us hope. God wants His children to be fruitful. So like a good gardener, He watches over us, cares for us, and prunes our lives. The Father’s pruning involves the targeted removal of things in our lives that hinder our ability to live Christlike lives. God’s pruning is meant to improve us, not harm us. But, rather than passively waiting for God to prune our lives, we can seek to please and glorify Him by actively participating in the process. We have God’s Word to instruct us and His indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us. We can choose to partner with God in pruning our own lives.

We need to patiently endure God’s pruning so we may be made perfect, complete (James 1:3-4), and spiritually fruitful. “ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:3-4) Allowing God’s pruning to increase our spiritual fruitfulness brings the Father glory and demonstrates that we truly are disciples of Jesus Christ “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” (John 15:8).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever undergone the pruning process so that you can produce more fruit? Was that process painful? Was the result worth undergoing the pruning process? 

Vine and Branches

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. – John 15:1-8. 

On the night before His death, Jesus spent hours with His disciples, preparing them for the days to come. He spoke and prayed, and broke bread with them. At some point, He gave His disciples a picture, using the vine, that told His followers how they would survive – in fact, do more than survive – when He is gone. It’s a picture that instructs us, individually and collectively as a church, how to really live. It also tells us the end result if we live this way.  

In this well-known scripture, Jesus is the vine. His Father is the gardener. A gardener, a vinedresser, really only does a couple of things with vines. In the winter, he cuts off dry and withered branches, sometimes until only the stalks remain. Then, when the branches grow, he removes the smaller shoots so that only the main fruit-bearing branches receive nourishment. Sounds easy, but there’s a bit of skill in learning how to prune a vine and its branches. This is the Father’s role: pruning. Jesus is the vine; the Father is the gardener.

In verses 5-6, Jesus is telling us that we are like a branch. A branch can’t bear fruit without the vine. Without Jesus, we can’t produce fruit for God’s kingdom. To be productive on our mission we must surrender our will to His will. We must be obedient to Jesus Christ. The person who does not abide in Christ cannot do what pleases God; therefore, their works will be useless. In verse 7, Jesus is teaching that knowing His words will control and guide our prayers so that He can answer them. Jesus is saying that when we abide in Him and when His word abides in us, our prayer life will be according to God’s will and not ours. We will pray that God is glorified. In verse 8 Jesus is saying that God is glorified through our lives when we are obedient to His will because we will produce fruit that brings honor to Him.  

If you see Jesus in me, you will see the Father. If you see Jesus in me, you will want to be with the Father. We’re in the witness business, so we ought to look more like Jesus. To look more like Jesus we need to grow.  We get closer to Jesus so that we bear fruit.  We have to guard against allowing our relationship with Jesus to stagnate.  Our spiritual energy withers. Like drooping plants our relationship with Christ that was once so vibrant and fresh and exciting becomes slow, stale, and without fruit. What God desired from Israel was for the people of Israel to be more loving, to show obedience to God, and to practice righteousness and justice in how they conducted their lives. When we take that idea and transport it through Jesus, then in and through the disciples, and finally into all of us we begin to see how important it is for us to stay connected to Jesus who is the source of our Christian life.

Discussion Questions

  1. What vine are you attached to? How do you know? 
  2. What kind of fruit are you bearing? 

Recognize Moms More Than Once A Year

“Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.” – Proverbs 31:31

Imagine in your mind the following scenario. Moms across the country are sitting at the kitchen table, sipping an Iced Caramel Macchiato with Almond Milk and smiling as the sun glints across their immaculate countertops and an uplifting worship song emanates from the house speakers in unison with the chirping birds outside. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? The truth is, mornings for moms typically do not look or sound anything like this. More likely a toddler is yelling “Mommy! Mommy!” while impatiently rattling the bars of their crib. Or a teenager is asking what’s for breakfast. Before the mom is fully awake, she is stepping on legos, collecting laundry, and stacking dirty dishes.  

Motherhood is one of the most challenging and often thankless jobs to ever exist. Yet, there’s something about that relationship with “mom” that is unlike any other – the unconditional love, support, and sacrifice of most mothers is unparalleled. For this reason, we celebrate moms on Mother’s Day. It’s a moment to recognize and appreciate their role in guiding and growing us in faith and thanking God for their impact on our lives. We should do it more often than once a year, however. 

There are many different categories of moms: there is the stay at home mom, the working mom, the single mom, adoptive mom, foster mom, stepmom, and countless other mother-figures, such as big sisters, grandmothers, aunts, neighbors, teachers, and friends, who have stepped into this critical role. Can we ever thank mothers adequately for their timeless work and love? 

A mother’s passion and commitment to her family is truly inspiring. A mother’s unconditional love is the foundation of the entire family. The strength of a mother’s love can move mountains. Our mothers teach us to be the bigger person, to have compassion for everyone, to rise above all, and to be our own source of strength. Did you ever watch a mother care for a sick child or spouse? She does it with grace and dignity. A mother engrossed in caregiving for an ill loved one is the definition of strength and courage by selflessly putting their needs aside to tend to us. 

It is important to tell our mothers we love and respect them every chance we get, not just on Mother’s Day.

So, as another Mother’s Day goes by, be sure to call or stop by to show the Mom in your life some extra love and gratitude for standing by your side through all of life’s ups and downs.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. How often do you thank your mother? 
  2. What can we do this week to show our gratitude for all our mothers do? 

Mother’s Of The Bible: Hannah

“Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:1-2)

She faced incredible hardship, but God blessed her. Others taunted her with cruel words, but she chose to believe God’s Word instead. The enemy whispered doubt, but she stood strong in her faith. Such is the story of Hannah. 

While there isn’t a lot of information about Hannah, her mark in the Bible is significant. Hannah was one of two wives to a man named Elkanah; Hannah could not have children, but the other wife had many children. The other wife, Peninnah, would taunt her regularly and Hannah’s misery was indeed immense. One night, while in the temple, Hannah prayed fervently for a child, so much so that the priest Eli thought she was drunk.”Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” 

Hannah prayed that if God would give her a child, she would give that child back to Him. What’s beautiful about this story is that she did indeed give her son, Samuel, back to the Lord. Baby Samuel lived with his family and they loved him very much. But when Samuel was old enough, Hannah made good on her promise to dedicate him to God. She took Samuel to the temple to live with the priests and Eli promised to take good care of him. Every year, Hannah and Samuel’s father visited him at the temple. She had more children and was a good mother to them. Samuel, who had been dedicated to God, became a prophet of his people and a leader of Israel. 

Listen to Hannah’s prayer found in 1 Samuel 2: 1-5: “Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.“Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions. The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong. Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.”

God hears the cries of our hearts. “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17). He is worthy of our trust, which is something Hannah truly believed. Scripture tells us that after praying, “Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.” (1 Samuel 1:18). Hannah did not yet know whether God was going to give her a child, but she went away confident that He had heard her plea. God did give Hannah a son, yes, but more than that, He gave her the peace of His presence.  

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can we learn from Hannah’s example as a mother?
  2. What did Hannah’s prayer reveal about her understanding of God?

Mothers Of The Bible: Naomi

“But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” – Ruth 1:16. 

Motherhood is one of the most essential roles in human history. There are many wonderful examples of good moms all around us, but we can also look at biblical mothers to see prime examples of what it takes to raise children well. One example is Naomi. 

Naomi’s story is told in the book of Ruth — and it’s a harrowing ordeal. Her husband and sons die, leaving behind Naomi and her two daughters-in-law: Ruth and Orpah. All three women were widows, with no help in sight. Eventually, Naomi decided to return home and Ruth goes with her out of devotion and love.  

How heartbreaking it must have been for her to return to Bethlehem without her husband and two sons. She had left home full of anticipation with each of them by her side. Step by step they walked together toward a new and more hopeful future. A new life was waiting for them just around the corner… or, so they thought. Now years later Naomi returns home with neither her husband nor her sons by her side. A woman who had left home whole was now returning broken and ashamed and wondering why God has allowed so much pain to enter her life. 

“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” – Ruth 1:20-21

Naomi felt alone. She felt broken, empty, and afflicted. Yet, in His mercy, God had given her Ruth. And in the midst of her heartache, God was using her in a powerful way. Because of Naomi, Ruth learns about God, trusts God, makes Naomi’s God her own. As they settle in Judah, it is indeed Naomi’s advice and guidance that ensures the future of both women. This is territory and culture that she knows about; she uses her family connections shrewdly to help obtain a new husband for Ruth. Without question, Ruth does all that Naomi instructs her to do. While Naomi depends on Ruth’s work for their daily sustenance, Ruth trusts Naomi with her very life–and Naomi willingly takes on the responsibility. 

Naomi remained devoted to her daughter-in-law, and is one of the holy women in the Bible that provides a wonderful example of parental guidance and love. Ruth eventually marries a man named Boaz, and Naomi is content once more.

Discussion Questions

  1. After reading the story of Naomi, do you believe that God has a plan for your life? Do you believe it is a good plan? 

Intentional Parenting

“Teach your kids that the Bible is for them even though it’s not about them.” – A.M. Brewster.

Parenting today takes intentionality. As parents, we want to impart a godly legacy to our children. We want them to experience the joy of a vibrant, deep and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But then life happens as it often does. The days get busy and then the next thing you know weeks and months and years have gone by and we wonder what happened to the time. Life teaches us that it takes years and years of unrelenting effort to train up a child in the way he or she should go. Good intentions are the beginning of the journey. Along the way, you’ve got to avoid a lot of wrong turns, go around a lot of curves, endure a lot of problems, fix a few flats, and keep pressing on. 

Parenting can keep you so busy that you fall into a pattern of simply reacting to what’s going on around you. But you can’t be the best parent God wants you to be that way. If you’re intentional about parenting – choosing wise ways of responding to your children rather than just reacting to them – you can fulfill all of God’s good purposes for your parenting. Through the process of parenting, God is working not just in your children’s lives, but also in your own life. God intends for you to grow into a more spiritually mature person as you learn to apply His wisdom to the challenges of parenting.

Parenting reveals lots of valuable information about who you are as a person. Seek to learn more about yourself so you’ll have the perspective you need to improve your maturity, which will then improve your relationship with your kids. Ask three people who know you well and will tell you the truth on these questions: “What have you observed about me as a parent?” “What are the strengths I bring to parenting?” “What are the struggles I bring to parenting?” “What do you enjoy about being in relationship with me?” and “What are the challenges about being in relationship with me?” Then pray about what they say, asking God to help you grow in specific ways.

Make sure that your life is showing your kids the right story. God intends for your life to show your children what real faith in action looks like. Ask yourself: “What kind of story am I living in front of my children?” “Does my life speak about the things I believe and the people I love?” and “Am I living a life of faith in front of my children, or just talking about it?”

Successful parenting is not that complicated, yet it is very difficult to do well. At the end of the day, it involves giving up control to God. To parent well, we need God as a co-parent. God’s plan for parenting was never meant to be one we carry out without Him.

Discussion Questions:

  1. When do you most often doubt you have any influence in your children’s lives at all?
  2. Have you ever considered having an intentional plan as a parent? What has held you back?