Resources for Fathers, Grandfathers, and...

At 110 years of age, Joshua was able to declare that he and his family had made the choice to follow God (Joshua 24:14-15). It was quite an audacious statement, yet it was true. There were two key components, I believe, that led him to be able to make this bold declaration. He started with himself -- he had determined to walk with God on a consistent basis "as for me." Joshua did not compartmentalize his life, he was the same person in private what he was in public. Secondly, he had determined to influence the heart of his children, not merely their external actions. He took Deuteronomy 6:4-8 to heart and looked for teachable moments in daily activities.

Here are a few resources that might be helpful to you Dads as you raise your children so that you might have a successful home:

The Marks of Manhood: What are the indicators that a boy has become a man? What is the target that we are shooting for when raising sons to become husbands and fathers? Al Mohler lists 13 indicators of manhood. Men, these are also good for us to reflect upon in our own lives. Also for you Dads with daughters, these indicators would make for a good Father-Daughter date once a month to discuss the implications of their quest for a godly husband.

Achieving True Success: How to Build Character As a Family: this is a book with 49 different character traits that can be used for discussion in helping to develop children. This would make for a good discussion at the dinner table, or perhaps even a devotional time. I would encourage you to take the time to look up the biblical principle from Scripture and read the passage as demonstration of God's desire for character. It is my understanding that this is not necessarily a "Christian" book, but that the truths of character are backed up in Scripture. Note: I have given you the link to the Amazon site just for your convenience. I do not receive any remuneration for this promoting this book. I have it on order and it should be arriving either this week or the next.

"She Calls Me Daddy" by Robert Wolgemuth: this is an excellent audio book for those of you who are fathers to girls. It has some insightful tips for raising daughters at all age levels -- from one who has been there. If you would like to borrow this in a CD format, stop by the church office. I haven't found anything quite as helpful for boys, though that hasn't been my main focus. If you have a recommendation, you can leave it in the comments below.

Pastor Dad: Free ebook for Dads which points out the responsibility of being the pastor of your home. You can read it online or download it as a PDF file. It is written by Mark Driscoll. I'm working my way through it as well at this time.

Hope those resources are a helpful starting point. If you have found other resources that you would like to share, you can leave them in the comments section below so that others might profit from your knowledge.

May God grant you His wisdom, grace and joy as you guide your children as a father!

Reflections on Father's Day

(Yep, this is our house in the Philippines, my Dad, Mother, myself and my brother Tim - held by my mother).

As I reflect on Father's Day, I am grateful for three men that God placed in my life as a father to impact me. The first was my biological father (seen above) whom I had the privilege of being part of my life for 15 years until God called him home. God placed a second man in my life as father around the time I was 17 years of age. He is my step-father and I am thankful for his guidance and encouragement over the years. He turns 85 today (June 22). A third man God placed in my life was my father-in-law whose consistent walk with the Lord was evident. He would have turned 80 this Saturday, but God called him home approximately three years ago.

I am grateful for the privilege to be Dad to two daughters and their husbands. Pam and I got to hang out a bit yesterday afternoon and evening with Jamie and her husband Dennis. Jill called from Myrtle Beach and it was good to talk with her again.

Dads, I trust you had an enjoyable day. Time races on -- take the opportunities that you have with your children now. For those estranged from Dads and children, do your best to reconcile and move forward. Those opportunities will come to an end too soon.

VBS Clip #2

Another good evening of VBS, even with the rain!

Vacation Bible School Video Clip

Thanks for all those who have invest of their time and effort in Vacation Bible School this year. This video clip doesn't catch all of you, but God knows who you are and your efforts for His kingdom will not go unnoticed. Thanks to all for your prayers and financial support for this ministry!

Father/Son Picnic

Just wanted to say THANKS to the ladies who worked to make this time possible. Great food, fellowship and weather. It was a gorgeous day and a great opportunity to hang out with some other men and boys. (Click on the picture to enlarge it)

Operation Barnabas Update

We received word today of the group assignments for the three young people from our church. You can follow the different teams by clicking on their blog site.

Team Central: Mandy Jenkins - blog site for Team Central here.

Keystone: Wade Weaver - blog site for Keystone here.

Tri-State: Spencer Draper - blog site for Tri-State here.

(Orientation Blog here - which is soon over)

Thank you for your prayer & financial support!

Skeletons in the Pulpit and Cadavers in the Pew

I loved the title of this article by Joe McKeever. The author points out that it is important for those involved in preaching God's truth to take Biblical truth and make present day application. It is not enough to come up with a clever outline (the skeleton) and preach an outline. The result of preaching an outline is a cadaver in the pew -- "undernourished saints who have nothing to chew on but outlines." Of course it is important for the preacher to have an outline so that he knows where he is headed versus just wandering around, but the main goal is not merely to remember a clever outline.

McKeever admonishes those preaching to make relevant application of God's truth to the listener's life. He also encourages those listening, not to be so concerned with getting the outline of the message down correctly, but instead, to write down whatever the Spirit says to you, perhaps something you want to remember or look up or do after the sermon's over.

A good word! If you want to read the full article, you can go here.