I Believe in Prayer

“ .  . . do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV).

I have always believed in prayer, but in the past six months, my faith in prayer has grown exponentially. When you cannot see how things will turn out, how do you deal with anxiety and fear about the future? I went through a really tough time beginning in March as my body started to deteriorate rapidly, and I did not know if I would make it. I was filled with anxiety and uncertainty. Had preached my last sermon? Had I taught my last class? I read this passage and spent a lot of time in prayer. I knew that my family, friends, colleagues, church members, students, former students, classmates, teammates, coaches, professors, and people all over the world (some I knew and some I didn’t) were praying for me. The prayers of God’s people, especially those who are righteous, have a powerful effect (James 5:16). I am so grateful for God’s grace, goodness, and response during this dark time.

Despite feeling anxious, I had a sense of calm in the middle of the chaos. The incredible miracle-working God was with me, always faithful and so kind and gracious. Someday, we will all die unless we are alive when the Lord returns. For Christians, death brings ultimate healing – no more pain, sorrow, tears, suffering, heartaches, or death. Christ is the victor who has conquered it all! I surrender to him, acknowledging my life is in his hands. 

Philippians 4:4 commands us to rejoice always. How can we rejoice in the midst of anxiety, uncertainty, and when we are struggling with hope? I turned to our righteous God. His mercy has never failed me, and it never will. I take great joy and comfort in that truth. Romans 5:3-5 proclaims, “. . . we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (ESV). Max Anders wrote “The peace of God comes from prayer involving both asking God for earthly needs and thanking God for his presence and provision. The expression appears only here in the New Testament. God’s peace reflects the divine character, which lives in serenity, totally separate from all anxiety and worry. Joy replaces anxiety in life, so Paul advises the Philippians not to be anxious about anything. The cure for anxiety? Prayer! Worry and anxiety come from focusing on your circumstances. . .”[1] Instead of stressing about things, try praying about them. Talk to God about what you need and express gratitude for all he has done. Worrying never solves anything, but praying always will. Jesus warned against worrying. It is like looking at God and saying, “I don’t trust you.” The New Living Bible states it this way, “Don’t worry about anything; Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6).

The peace of God comes through praying about everything. Do not worry, pray, always thanking God for his presence and provision. God’s peace flows from his divine character, totally separating us from all anxiety and worry. In our humanity, we cannot grasp this kind of peace and confidence. It is beyond our comprehension. It is only available through Christ Jesus our Lord. Do not worry, pray. That is the key to the Lord’s peace. 

Yes, I believe in prayer. I have been going through some tough health concerns recently, but God has been with me every step of the way. I totally trust in him and know that I can count on the Lord. I started the process to see if I could qualify for a liver transplant on July 3. In four intense days, I went through every test and procedure needed to determine if I was a viable candidate for a transplant. Normally, that process takes 4 to 5 months. On July 9, the liver and kidney transplant teams unanimously approved me for the replacement of both organs! After going through all the insurance protocols, I was put on the transplant waiting list. Just 32 hours later, I was offered both organs from a single donor! On July 19th, both organs were installed through 12 1/2 hours of surgeries, 9 1/2 hours by the liver team and 3 hours by the kidney team. I am convinced that this was nothing less than a miracle of God! I could never earn God’s favor, nor could I do anything to deserve it. I know some people wait for years before securing one organ for a transplant. The only way this timetable could have happened is through the work of the Lord. It is unheard of. My recovery has been remarkable, timely, and successful. I spoke publicly for the first time less than 2 months after my surgeries. 

My story is unique, and I am so grateful for the grace God has shown me. I am so undeserving, but I am forever thankful. He has given me a new lease on life. God is not finished with me yet. I cannot fully understand what all this means, but I know He wants me to continue investing in the next generation of students and ministers. I also believe He wants me to share the incredible message of the gospel with everyone I meet. 

Some of you are facing tough trials right now, but I want you to know that God is with you every step of the way. He is never going to leave or abandon you (Hebrews 13:5-6). So, take a deep breath and pray. He will be there for you, guiding you through this difficult time. Trust him and enjoy the goodness and grace of the Lord. He is with you even during the storm.

I am overwhelmed by the goodness of God.  With every breath that I am able, I will proclaim the grace and goodness of God. “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil 1:21).”

[1]Max M. Anders, M. Galations-Colossians, vol. 8, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 261.

Are You a Pharisee?

“John answered, ‘Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you’” (Luke 9:49-50, ESV).

Are you a Pharisee? What an offensive question! Pharisees in the gospels refer to self-righteous legalists who were most often hypocrites. They focused on outward actions driven by pride rather than humble service. They frequently looked down on others with contempt. In Luke 18:9-14, the Pharisee who went to the temple to pray trusted in his religious activity to justify himself in God’s eyes. A tax collector also went to the temple to pray. His prayer is in sharp contrast to that of the Pharisee. He made no attempt to justify himself. Instead, he acknowledged that he was a sinner in need of God’s mercy and grace. Jesus surprised the Jewish audience when he stated that the tax collector went to his home justified with God, not the Pharisee.

Are you a Pharisee? You could challenge me by asserting, “I thought these devotions were supposed to be encouraging.” My response to such an accusation is that facing hard, even offensive, questions tear down the facades of self-righteousness and arrogance. They may sting us, but they are for our good. They can bring brokenness and lead to the healing of our souls. We live in a divided culture where individuals speak authoritatively about their personal opinions. Some even hold the view that if a person disagrees with the stated personal opinions, they are wrong, must be demonized, silenced, and, in some cases, punished, incarcerated, or even eliminated. We are divided by issues of worldview, truth, politics, nationalism, racism, gender identity, religious beliefs, etc. Some resort to witch hunts that are akin to the Salem Witch Trials. 

None of us is like that, are we? Unfortunately, I must confess that I have stepped very close to the line, and even crossed the line to my shame, more often than I care to admit. What about you? Some of the harshest words from the Lord contained in the Gospels are for the Pharisees. Academic arrogance is a common malady among scholars. We are all susceptible. How can we be appropriately humble people of faith, standing firm in our convictions without crossing the line?

It really comes back to our personal walks with God. We are called to conform to the image of Christ. Spending time with God every day in prayer and Bible study helps embed humility, patience, and a spirit of service in our souls. The Bible protects, guards, and guides our lives. When I disagree with revealed biblical truth, I am wrong 100% of the time. The Bible is not words about God. It is the very word of God, inerrant and infallible. It is the truth, and sometimes it corrects us. 

Too frequently within the Christian church, we are quick to judge others. Never exclude others in the practice of ministry in Christ’s name because “they are not one of us.” The church must guard itself from unwarranted judgment by excluding outsiders who believe the cardinal tenets of historic Christianity simply because they are not associated “with us.”

Avoid the temptation of making tertiary issues primary.

Church Membership Matters

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:23-25, ESV).

Many people who claim to have a relationship with Jesus are not actively connected to a local church. Since the COVID-19 health crisis in 2020, many believers drifted from the habit of regular church attendance. In this technological age, some argue that they worship God by watching videos or podcasts of their favorite preachers instead of investing in the ministry of a local church. The Bible, however, encourages us to meet regularly with other believers for worship, fellowship, service, accountability, and encouragement. Others argue that the church is full of hypocrites, so why would anyone want to join them? We live in a broken and fallen world. The “perfect” church does not exist. If you ever find a perfect church, please do not join it. You will mess it up. The truth is that we all have issues and struggles, yet believers need each other.

Why Church Membership Matters:

  1. It is biblical. In reading the book of Acts and the epistles, those who received Christ connected with the local church in the community. This is a natural and healthy response to encountering Christ. Jesus regularly attended the synagogue. Luke 4:16 states, “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read” (NASB). As Christ followers, we need to connect with the body of Christ in a local church.
  2. Believers need each other. God’s design for the church is for members to be interdependent rather than independent. The great Sequoia redwood trees in California may grow to be 300 feet tall and 40 feet in diameter. However, the root system is only 12 to 14 feet deep, and the tree has no tap root. How can trees of this size withstand strong winds, earthquakes, fires, storms, and prolonged flooding?  The root system of the Sequoia trees is interwoven with other redwoods, holding each other up in times of stress.[1] Believers need this same kind of interconnectedness with other Christ followers.
  3. There is a supernatural synergy at work among church members. The sum is greater than the parts. In the context of the church, followers of Christ share in community together. Worship is magnified when shared with other believers.
  4. Church membership makes your relationship with Christ public. It identifies you as a Christ follower. You put on the team’s jersey.
  5. The commitment to church membership is a powerful witness in a world that has devalued commitment. In our culture, many people shun commitment, impacting marriages and relationships of all kinds.
  6. The church is not a building; it is the members. The church is a living organism. The church is the body of Christ in action in our world. All believers are a part of the universal church by virtue of salvation, but commitment to a local church grafts you into a local body of believers who are doing the work of ministry in our communities.
  7. Iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17). Followers of Christ sharpen each other in the community of the local church, honing their skills and putting faith into practice to impact the community.
  8. Church membership connects you to an authentic Christian community. A basic human need is to find a place to belong. A local church meets this need.
  9. It models faithfulness, commitment, and ministry, particularly for the next generation, by living in obedience and service to Christ.

If you are not connected with a local church, I’ll be glad to pray with you as you seek a place to share your gifts and talents in biblical community.

If you would like to talk with me about church options in our area, I would welcome the conversation.

[1]The John Maxwell Team, “What Kind of Root System Do You Have?”  https://johnmaxwellteam.com/what-kind-of-root-system-do-you-have/ (accessed October 23, 2019).

Mission-Focused

“When the days drew near for him [Jesus] to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51, ESV).

Mission-Focused is the fourth and final core value of North Greenville University. Jesus Christ exemplified keeping his focus on his mission. As the days drew near for Christ’s arrest, death by crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, Jesus was resolute in keeping his focus. He came to seek and to save the lost by offering his life to bear the sin burden for all humanity. He knew what awaited him in Jerusalem but still set his focus resolutely on his mission. Nothing, not even the enemy, could deter him.

At North Greenville University, we must be resolute in keeping our focus on the mission. It is so easy for Christian institutions, including the church, to drift away from their mission. Many times, the drift is unintentional. However, drift is always away from the mission. The current flows in only one direction. A mission is a specific task that a group or individual is charged to pursue. Focus involves adjustment for a distinctly clear vision. The mission of North Greenville University is to build graduates who are transformational leaders for church and society. Spiritual formation is essential to the process. Jesus commanded the church to make disciples through evangelism and disciple-making (Matt 28:18-20). You have to be a disciple before you can make disciples. Believers are called to grow in the faith and model a Christian lifestyle before they can effectively pour their lives into others. Therefore, at the core of our mission, we must be disciples who make disciples.

With Christ as our example, North Greenville University is Mission-Focused and intentionally and continually insulating the institution from mission drift. 

Academically Excellent

“And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, ‘Which commandment is the most important of all Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’” (Mark 12:28-30, ESV).

Academic excellence is another of the four core values of North Greenville University. When Jesus asked what was the greatest commandment of all, he immediately responded by quoting a passage from Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Jesus stated that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. What did Jesus mean by calling believers to love God with their minds? Christianity is a rational faith. It is important for believers to give a reasonable defense of the faith to unbelievers in our culture. Since many people in the United States do not have respect for or even knowledge about God’s Word, it is increasingly important to defend the faith through apologetics that are grounded in philosophy that is biblically faithful and addresses the key questions of life such as how did life begin, what is our identity, does life have a purpose, how do we determine what is right and what is wrong, can we find redemption, what can heal the divisions in our world, is there any hope, and how are we to live?[1]

In truth, all academic disciplines point to God. That is why theology has been referred to as the queen of the sciences by many academicians historically. Thomas Aquinas considered theology a science because it addresses both natural and special revelation. During the Middle Ages, theology was named queen of the sciences, a view affirmed by the philosopher Immanuel Kant. In Medieval universities, the various disciplines of learning knew they needed an overarching objective standard. The Bible fulfilled this role. However, this truth has been denied by many scholars who hold to naturalism. They stress the need to deny God’s existence and teach that an educated person must move beyond a belief in the supernatural. Perhaps the primary motivation of at least some who hold this view is that if there is no God, there is no accountability. Therefore, everyone can do what is right in his/her own eyes (Judges 21:25). The problem with this philosophy of life invariably infringes on the rights of others and forces them to live under the authority and the oppression of the voices of those who are in power. The absence of law always leads to chaos.

Because North Greenville University is Christ-Centered and Biblically Faithful, every academic discipline must integrate faith and learning. The College of Business and Entrepreneurship teaches that the best professional practices are rooted in the principles of the Bible such as treating people well, serving others, building leaders, and developing excellence. The College of Communication and Fine Arts embodies the richness of creation and beauty. They train educators, worship leaders, actors, actresses, artists, and communicators how to influence the culture in a positive way, bringing glory to God. Christian Studies prepares students for the rigorous academic study of the Scriptures and their application. They shape hearts that are spiritually sensitive to focus on academics, preparing ministers, intercultural leaders, youth ministers, educators, and others. Humanities teach the lessons of history, the richness of literature and creativity, and the use of languages to understand and reach the world. The School of Criminal Justice trains students to live out the command to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). Through social research and counseling, psychology helps students to make sense of the world and teaches ways to serve and help others. The sciences discover and affirm God’s design and purpose for creation. Students are prepared to be teachers and researchers, impacting the world for the glory of God. Education trains teachers to integrate faith through the learning process instilling biblical values in the lives of others. Teaching is a calling from Christ, the master teacher. Students are trained as teachers not only to fully equip their students academically, but to fully equip them for life through love, grace, and forgiveness. Wellness and the health sciences affirm the wonder and intricacies of the human body and teach people how to enjoy life and health through physical education and outdoor leadership. Sports management offers a platform for influence in athletics, coaching, ministry, and missions. Mathematics reveal order, consistency, and truth.[2]

Academic excellence is the goal of every institution of higher learning. What sets NGU apart from most other institutions, is our holistic approach to education, instilling the biblical faith into every academic pursuit. We prepare students for more than a career. We prepare them for life to impact the culture and for eternity as students become transformational leaders for church and society.

[1]See Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey, How Now Shall We Live? (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1999) and John P. Newport, Life’s Ultimate Questions (Dallas: Word, 1989). 

[2]Much of this paragraph is adapted from the NGU website and other university documents. 

Biblically Faithful

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:12-13, ESV).

Biblical faithfulness is another one of the four core values of North Greenville University. What is so special about the Bible and why should we be faithful to its teachings? As the verses above state, “The word of God is living and active.” The biblical text refers to Jesus as the living Word of God (John 1:1-17) and to the Scriptures as the written Word of God (2 Tim 3:16). The written Word of God, the Bible, is the infallible, inerrant record through which God reveals himself to us. The Bible is not a word about God, but rather it is the very word of God. It is true without any mixture of error (see “The Baptist Faith and Message 2000”) because the biblical writers spoke directly from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. If mortals were the authors of the Scriptures alone, they could not be trusted. I am very much aware of most of my imperfections and my fallibility as you are of yours. But God moved the authors of the Scriptures by the power of the Holy Spirit to record exactly what God wanted to communicate without error (2 Pet 2:20-21).

All we know about God is what he has chosen to reveal to us. God is the source of the Bible; it is God-breathed or inspired. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 reveals that the Scriptures are able to teach salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains believers in righteousness, equipping them for every good work. To be biblically faithful is to place the Bible as the standard for all of life. It is the lens through which believers see and interpret the world. The Scriptures reveal the light of God that pierces through the darkness. Nothing can be hidden from him. He sees all and holds us accountable for our thoughts and actions. The Bible is the standard for all faith and practice.

A word of warning: the Bible, in its entirety, is God-breathed. Many people fall into error when they magnify one text of Scriptures above all others. They often make that text the lens through which the rest of the Bible is read. This practice is flawed and leads to error and improper interpretation. The Bible in its entirety is the lens through which we interpret God’s revelation. When properly understood, the Bible never contradicts itself. The most reliable interpretation of the Scriptures is through the Bible itself.

NGU represents these unchanging truths to the university family, local churches, and our culture. The university is unapologetically committed to biblical faithfulness. It is the standard through which our lives, churches, and cultures must be evaluated. If we are to build transformational leaders for church and society, we must be Biblically Faithful and Christ-Centered (see last week’s “Weekly Walk”).

Steps to Biblical Faithfulness

  1. Read the Bible. If the Bible is the standard for faith and practice, we must know what it says.
  2. Pray that the Lord would illuminate the truth of his Word to you.
  3. Determine to use the Bible as your compass for life. When culture and popular opinion flows against the truth of God’s Word, determine to follow the objective standard that God reveals to you and reject the subjective standards of the culture. Cultural winds are inconsistent in the way they blow, but God’s way is consistent and always better than your way.
  4. Apply God’s Word to your life. How will you put into practice what God has revealed to you from his Word?
  5. Pray for the leadership of NGU. May we be found biblically faithful to God’s eternal purposes.

Christ-Centered

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” Col 3:1-2 (ESV).

Christ-Centered is one of the four core values of North Greenville University. There are really only two ways that people live their lives, Christ-centered or self-centered. One of the surprising confessions of newlyweds is that they never realized how selfish they were before they married someone. A major part of our sinful nature is that we want things our way, but Christ’s way is always better. Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one of God. He is the only Savior, Lord of lords, King of kings, fully God, and fully man. He is both the center and the subject of all of life for believers. Only Jesus can turn our selfishness into being centered in Christ.

Christ-centeredness begins with a personal relationship with Jesus through faith and repentance. He is Lord of all. He lived a life of human flourishing (life to its fullest) while revealing to us the perfection of our Creator. Jesus was in the beginning with God, the active agent in creation. He is God. He is the living Word of God who became flesh and lived among humanity. He is full of grace and truth. Grace without truth leads to permissiveness. It breeds deception, compromise, and a false view of freedom. It can even become an excuse to sin by rationalizing the behavior. On the other hand, truth without grace leads to an empty orthodoxy that reveals itself as legalism. It breeds self-righteousness and arrogance which ironically may appear on the surface as humility but is, in reality, a false humility. Jesus was full of grace and truth, the perfect balance. Being centered in Christ is to embrace this balance of grace and truth. Jesus spoke the truth seasoned with grace and he expressed grace within the bounds of truth.

NGU must be Christ-Centered if we are to fulfill our mission of building transformational leaders for church and society. Spiritual formation is at the heart of this task. Transformation is usually caught more than taught. As we live lives reading and applying God’s Word, exhibiting a life of prayer by seeking God’s leadership, and modeling personal holiness as we walk alongside others) in their spiritual journeys, we are intentionally building transformational leaders. 

As a Christ-Centered community, we must pray for all of our constituents. Spend time in prayer for our students. Faculty members may want to pray over their class rosters, remembering every student in every class. You might be the only person praying for that student. Ask God to bring conviction, repentance, and faith to the lives of unbelievers. Ask God to show you how to grow in your faith, balancing grace and truth. It is a privilege to be a part of this Christ-centered community that seeks to live as academic disciples of Christ.

Holiness

“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Lev 19:2b, ESV).

The concept of personal holiness has become blasé for many contemporary believers even while it remains a central precept of spiritual formation. This loss of personal holiness has also infiltrated the church. I believe a lack of holiness is the greatest barrier to spiritual awakening in our nation.

In my quiet time on 1 Samuel 5-6, I was reminded of how seriously God takes holiness. People were judged in tangible ways for their rejection of God’s call to holiness. Yahweh is holy and he calls his people to holiness. Biblically, the term normally means “to be set apart.” It is used widely in the Bible but ultimately points to God as the one who is qualitatively different or set apart from creation. In the New Testament, holiness takes on the sense of ethical purity or freedom from sin resulting in godly living.[1]

Action Plan

  1. Personal holiness begins with me. I need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal my sins to me. I will write down each one of them, confessing and repenting of my sin, asking God in his mercy to forgive me and cleanse me. I will read Psalm 51, asking God to create a new heart in me and to restore the joy of his salvation.
  2. I will refuse to allow sin to reign in my mortal body (Rom 6:12-14). Sin has no dominion over me since I am in Christ Jesus and he has set me free from the bondage of sin.
  3. I will work with the Holy Spirit to live a godly life. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for our sake so that in him we could become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). God imputed the righteous of Christ to us, making us holy through his salvific work. However, while we have been delivered from the dominion of sin, we still find sin at work in our lives attempting to retake the territory the enemy lost through salvation. Jerry Bridges refers to this conflict as “The Battle for Holiness.”[2] I will resolve to be obedient to God’s revealed truth rather than my sinful flesh in this battle.
  4. I will pray consistently for spiritual awakening on our campus and in our nation. As I examined the details of spiritual awakenings in the biblical text and in more recent history, I discovered that God moved his people to pray for spiritual awakening, the evangelization of the lost, and the growth of disciples and the local church before God sent awakening.
  5. I will share my faith regularly with unbelievers. It is easy for us who work in a Christian context to become isolated from building relationships with unbelievers. I will find ways to enter the world of those who do not know Jesus. It could be in a relationship with a neighbor, a student here at NGU, other scholars in my field, parents whose children play sports or instruments with my children, etc. The “Who’s Your One” emphasis begins with praying regularly for an unbeliever that you know and to have gospel conversations for the purpose of leading this person to faith in Christ. When a person receives Christ, the disciple making process begins. Who’s your one?

Holiness is not optional for those who follow Christ. Hebrews 12:14 states, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (ESV). God takes holiness seriously. Do you?

[1]S. Grenz, D. Guretzki, & C. F. Nordling C. F. in Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 60.

[2]Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1978, 1996, 2006), 59.

Teach Your Children Well

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one“

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:1-9, ESV).

You shall teach them diligently to your children

One of my frustrations during my youth ministry years in the local church involved conversations with parents about encouraging their students to be involved in the student ministry. Many parents would respond, “Well Johnny and/or Julie are maturing and need to learn to make their own decisions about church.” I responded, “So, you let them decide whether or not they will go to school tomorrow?” “Of course, not,” came the reply. “They have to go to school.” Then I would state, “So, school is required, but church attendance is optional.” These parents were failing in their God-given responsibility to give spiritual direction to their children.

Graham Nash wrote the song, “Teach Your Children” that was recorded by Crosby, Steel, Nash, and Young in 1969. The song was written in the midst of the antiwar movement of the period. Nash wrote the song out of concern that parents would teach their children about the horrors of war and the need for peace. The song also addresses the truth that parents have much to learn from their children. Nash’s work speaks to our times as well. Many parents are allowing and even encouraging their elementary-age children to make their own decisions related to gender preferences that bear the burden of lifelong consequences. Today we are just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg that is yet to come related to gender dysphoria. God has entrusted parents with the stewardship of our children. We are responsible to the Lord for how we raise them. Many other forces in our culture seek the opportunity to replace our God-given parenting roles so they can influence our children according to their beliefs and philosophies.

The context of Deuteronomy is Moses’ final address to the children of Israel, the group he has led for more than 40 years. He begins his address by offering a brief history of the wilderness journey including the people’s constant rebellion and sinful choices. In chapter 5, he reviews the law given by the Lord at Sinai. Then he moves into the heart of God’s call to obedience in the text above. Children are to be taught God’s Word constantly and consistently because it is instructive for life, liberty, salvation, and spiritual formation. Many in our culture are working to destroy biblical faith, the nuclear family, and the spiritual principles of the Scriptures. However, the Lord reveals that the Bible offers words of life and spiritual liberty.

Biblical Truths to Ponder

  1. There is only one God. He manifests himself in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but he is uniquely and mysteriously one. He is the Creator of all that exists, who offers redemption and salvation to all who receive him.
  2. Love God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might. Jesus referred to this text as the primary commandment for our lives. Love for God along with love for our neighbors are the foundational cornerstone that all of the law and the prophets depend (Matt 22:35-40). Our relationship with God is preeminent in our lives. It matters more than anything else. This love for God includes our feelings, our intellect, our strength, and all of our being.
  3. The Words of the Scriptures are to be on our hearts constantly. As we walk with God, his Word guides and strengthens our spiritual lives. We are commanded to meditate on his word constantly (Josh 1:8).
  4. Teach God’s Word diligently to your children and talk of it when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. I recall when my son, Stephen, was about 3 years old. I was leaving for work one morning and he asked if I had my Bible. We had never discussed this issue, but he had observed that I regularly took my Bible with me to work. He knew it was important to me. What values are you instilling in your children?
  5. Keep God’s Word ever before you. Hang it on your doorposts and in your house.