Sermons and Biblical Studies

Topics: Child Rearing; Courage; Education; Mothers; Parenting References: 2 Timothy 1:5; Titus 2:1–5 About the time he was in junior high, Dr. Benjamin Carson, now director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore, Maryland, and author of several books, realized that his mother couldn’t read. For years, Ben and his brother had read … Continue reading “CARING
FOR MOM”

Topics: Confidence; God as Father; Trust References: Romans 8:15–17; 1 John 3:1 When I was learning how to sail, Dad would often say to me, “Go ahead and take the boat out, but take a friend with you.” A forty-two-foot sailboat on a body of water the size of Lake Michigan is a big responsibility. … Continue reading “SAILING
WITH DAD”

Topics: Fear of God; God as Father; God’s Holiness; God’s Love References: Luke 12:32; 2 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 4:4–7 When my children got old enough to wrestle with me, we played a game we called “Jabba the Butt.” The name came from a disgusting, evil character in the Star Wars trilogy called Jabba the Hutt. … Continue reading “JABBA
THE BUTT”

Topics: Example; Family; Fathers; Priorities References: 2 Timothy 1:13; Titus 2:6–8 Here are two of the most important things Michael Tait of dc Talk learned from his dad: •     Love people. “That’s what he taught,” says Tait says, “and that’s what he did. He cried with people, he laughed with people. Everybody was his friend. He … Continue reading “MY
HERO DAD”

Topics: Children; Cohabitation; Commitment; Consequences; Faithfulness; Family; Love; Marriage; Parenting; Premarital Sex; Purity; Relationships; Sexual Immorality References: Proverbs 14:12; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 7:2–6; Hebrews 13:4 Dr. A. Patrick Schneider II did a statistical analysis of cohabitation in America, based on the findings of a number of academic resources. Here are some conclusions he draws: •     Relationships … Continue reading “SUFFERING
FROM COHABITATION”

Topics: Children; Family; Grandparents; Orphans; Social Trends; Society References: Psalm 68:5; 82:3; James 1:27 Abandonment, incarceration, drugs, death, and mental illness are some of the reasons 4 million kids in the United States no longer live with their parent(s). In more than 2.5 million families, grandparents are now parenting the children. These “skipped generation households” … Continue reading “GRANDPARENT
PARENTING”

Topics: Career; Children; Family; Marriage; Money; Work Reference: Proverbs 29:15 The work status of parents with children has dramatically changed. According to the U.S. Census Bureau: •     Fifty-one percent of families had both spouses employed in 1998. That was up from 33 percent in 1976. •     Fifty-nine percent of married or single mothers with babies younger than … Continue reading “MORE
PARENTS WORKING”

Topics: Children; Empathy; Family; Morality; Values References: Deuteronomy 6:6–7; Proverbs 22:6, 15; Ephesians 6:4 Eighty-one percent of mothers and 78 percent of fathers plan to send their young child to Sunday school or some other kind of religious training. That’s according to Newsweek’s Karen Springen, who also found that, for many parents, raising a child … Continue reading “RAISING
MORAL KIDS”

Topics: Dependence on God; God as Father; Prayer; Strength; Weakness References: Psalm 46:1; Philippians 4:6, 13; James 4:2 A father watched through the kitchen window as his small son attempted to lift a large stone out of his sandbox. The boy couldn’t get enough leverage to lift the rock over the side. Finally, he gave … Continue reading “POWERING
UP WITH DAD”

Topics: Discipline; Obedience; Occult; Persistence; Teens Reference: Ephesians 6:1–4 The young teen had become increasingly rebellious, wore dark clothing, and ran with bad kids. Then the mother found a folder in her daughter’s room marked: “Leave this [blankety-blank] alone. This is my life.” With trembling hands the mother opened the folder and found the most … Continue reading “BREAKING
TEEN REBELLION”