Preparing for your daughters to Marry...

Hey Dads...

Do you remember when you saw your wife walking down the isle? I do, almost like it was yesterday. My bride to be took my breath away... I must find a picture to show you all how stunning she looked - One day, I will do that!

Anyway - my wife has been culling and attempting to down-size some of the things we have. So it's a perfect time for us to be going through boxes and trying to rid ourselves of more "stuff" and in the process many memories and things have been found, one being her wedding veil. So my wife sent out Keziah in her wedding veil and I was dumb founded!

She (Keziah) said, "daddy, I'm getting married!"

Of course then she asks if "I think she looks pretty?" I readily affirm her beauty as I am still trying to get over the shock of seeing my little girl in her mummy's wedding veil.


What a special thing when you consider your daughter one day marrying a godly guy who will lead her and spend his life with her... I hope he will do a better job that I have done with my bride - but that's another story...

All I know is... I need to go and pray - because I have five daughters and that means I will have 5 son in laws, poor dudes! LOL
















I must say - what a responsibility parenting 5 daughters with an eternal perspective... Grace - we need Grace!!!

Preaching vs. Worship?

WOW - have you ever read something that you really agree with, and yet there is this tinge of barb that comes with it? That 'barb' actually stings as you read it. You want to argue it - you want to excuse it & yet you know that what you are reading is right, however it requires adjusting your thinking and also perhaps your practises. In fact as you ponder the truth a bit longer you realise that it is going to cost? Cost? Yea, cost when some of your closest and dearest won't agree with your conviction.

This is what I experienced when I read Jeff Purswells article: 'Preaching vs. Worship? '

I trust this article challenges you and serves you too...

Church Planting

Here is a really helpful article by Dave Harvey - who explains why Sovereign Grace seek to plant churches...

I hope this serves you and encourages you...

Here is the article 'Why Plant Churches?' by: Dave Harvey

Have you ever had someone speak so rudely to you?

Have you ever had someone speak to you so rudely you wanted to clock them? Well if so, read on!

This week was really difficult for me. Why? Because I have never been spoken to so disrespectfully! This week I was assisting some senior high kids with their end of year assessments. It was like extracting teeth or something. I was totally unprepared for what I was thrown into, however, God in His kindness revealed so much to me.

Here's what I learned in a big nut-shell: When I was spoken rudely too by these young kids - I totally got angry! I wanted to yell and swear back at them. Why? because I don't deserve to be spoken to like that! Yet when I was driving home from work, that night, I thought about my Savior walking down the Via Dolarosa... It was a long walk ! - He has just been beaten bloody. And yet He walked this long path to Golgotha, and on the way, insults were hurled at Him. He was spat upon, His hair pulled, His beard yanked, & face slapped - and HE
N-E-V-E-R - retaliated!!! - WHY NOT???? He had every right!!!

You know as I sat in the car and thought, I was so humbled! These kids have no idea who the Savior of the world is. They have no idea the cost that has been paid for them - or they don't understand. They don't understand why Jesus Christ died for us and yet I was there once. Not caring and blinded by my own pride, selfishness and anger.

Then this morning, I read Ephesians chapter 2 and it was verses 4&5 that caught my attention: "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved -"

Brothers, God is so amazingly rich in mercy it truly is indescribable. That's why Jesus never retaliated! Because being God, He is rich in mercy and He knew we were dead in our trespasses and He was about His Father's business!

As I reflected on this I thought about my lack of mercy to others when they speak in a way that is harsh, rude or degrading. You see, here's the thing, I don't deserve the grace I have been given and when I go down that track of thinking about what I deserve - that's asking for trouble, because what I deserve is, hell! Yet God in His great love, loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses... For it is truly by grace that I have been saved...

Once we truly understand this & continue to preach the truth to ourselves instead of buying into worldly thinking, we will be able to be about our Father's business praying for those we work with to have an encounter with our mighty Savior, Jesus Christ.

Brothers, if you have a boss or colleague that is rude, demanding, unkind, hurtful or sarcastic: let me encourage you to shower them with grace - the same grace that God extended to you when you were once in darkness, because perhaps they are in darkness and don't know what the Savior has done for them!

Visiting our new Church Family

Some of you may know that I am part of a team of people who are planting a church called Sovereign Grace Ministries Australia. Well this past week we were in Sydney with folk who are going to be apart of this process.

It was truly humbling and amazing. In fact we are so excited about this, though it has been a tough process, and yet, as one friend put it, "First and foremost just give God some serious praise for the way He has provided for me and blessed my socks off throughout my time here", and that is something my family and I have experienced over the past 11 months of being where we are.

You know, we are so grateful to God for His kindness and goodness to us - especially in sending this dear couple to us from Wales!

Dave & Emma Taylor... We thank God for you!

We are excited about what lies ahead! But also about doing life with this fine group of men and women! YEEOW!!!

Prayer

Today I want to share some thoughts with you from my hero: CH Spurgeon.

He writes, "Prayer is instantly noticed in heaven." How incredible to consider that. Think with me for a moment, how many times do our childen come to us and call our name, but we are doing something different and we don't quite give the child our full attention? And yet, when we pray there is an instant notice from God to us, His children!

Spurgeon goes on to state that, "Our God not only hears our prayers but also loves to hear it." Doesn't that just make you want to pray now? God not only hears our prayers but He loves to hear our prayers! That is so amazing...

As I have thought about this today, and today has been challenging for me, I think of how often I don't pray but just think about things instead of talking to God and asking for wisdom, or love or insight...

I am reminded today :

"Faith asks no signal from skies,

To show that prayers accepted rise,

Our Priest is in His holy place,

And answers from the throne of grace."

Jesus says, "I Am the True Vine"

In the Bible, there are many books with many great and amazing truths. Lately I have been reviewing and studying and meditating on John 15:1-11.

Jesus says that we are to "abide" in Him and He in us (vs. 4).

What does abiding look like? Well... here's what I am discovering:

Abide means to: remain; continue; stay. It can mean to dwell or reside with, to continue with, to put up with, to tolerate, to stand with, to endure, sustain, to wait for, to accept without opposition or question, to remain steadfast or faithful to.

Let me tell you, abiding is not easy. Oh, I want to abide with Him and I sure want Him to abide in me...

Abide my brother... Abide in Him because as verse 5 promises, "whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is who bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

May we see fruit in our wife & children as we abide in HIM...

Fathers & Sons, Stand Fast

I am reading another great book. It's called, 'Fathers & Sons, Stand Fast'. It is written by Douglas Bond (you can pick up a copy of it, by clicking on the title).


In reading this book, I have been refreshed, challenged, encouraged & rebuked. And I must add, I am so grateful for a read like this. As a father, I want to glean as much as I can, from those who have been where I am going. We have so much to learn from others, who have gone before us.

Mr Bond, in his book, has served us fathers well! He has selected relevant & key issues to address with our sons. And yet while raising these issues, he uses lots of biblical truths, stories, examples and experiences and explains them thoroughly and clearly. One of my favorite bits of his book is at the conclusion of each chapter, because he offers some 'Resolves', a scripture memory verse, some questions for discussion, a hymn & some further study options.

I have worked through a few of the chapters with my son & have walked away refreshed and excited. I must confess that it is quite humbling as a father, when you are able to discuss and learn from God's Word with your son. While discussing a few of the chapters, my son and I have been freshly reminded by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to save sinners like us, as well has having some transparent and honest conversations about the issues in the book that have been raised.

One topic, which I want to blog about later, is respect for women, girls, & our elders...

Anyway - get a copy! It's a great $22.95 investment...

Memorizing Scripture

I want to keep this brief ...

Dad's, teach your kids to memorize scripture!

Here are a few ideas: Commit to doing a verse a week or a month. You pick the verse and then discuss it with your children. Have an incentive to memorize it. I did, and it worked a treat!

Here's some verse ideas to start with:

Proverbs 16:24 - "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
Psalms 119:9 - "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word."
Isaiah 6:3 - "And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.""

Now these verses can work for your family for either three weeks or three months, depending on what will serve your family best!

Where do you go after that? Well that's really up to you, but here is a suggestion. Psalms 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." - If your family are struggling in an area of sin or are unfamiliar with an area of doctrine, perhaps you could pick a verse that might serve them to grow in that area (?)...

What ever you do, teach your children to memorize scripture.

It's another way we can, 'parent with an eternal perspective...'

Don't Be Ordinary - by John Younts

Parenting is a big job, especially as they get older. I am discovering that it becomes a little more serious to address issues of the heart.

Younts, in his book 'everyday talk' challenges parent's to consider how we will talk to our children when they disobey our directions. Great challenge, Mr Younts!

So when I did a hurried evaluation, I recognized a need for grace in the way I respond to my children when they disobey. Younts is right when he writes, "they ([y]our children) will be stubborn, deceitful, manipulative and rebellious. They will complain, whine and grumble. Your job (as parent's)is to recognize their sin for what it is and teach them how to deal with it God's way."

Wow - what a powerful and grace motivated truth. We do have an amazing job that God has called us to. But more than calling us to this task, He has provided us with loving instructions in His Word on how to be the parent He wants us to be. Younts encourages parent's by calling us to "remember, Christ loved you when you were unlovely." Oh how true that is. When I read this I laughed, because I am so aware of the deficiencies I carry as a husband and father. I am often amazed that God would have me on His team. When I remember this, I am reminded that if He can be that patient with me, then He can equip me to be patient with my wife and children, just as He has ALWAYS been with me.

I trust you will not quit or give up in your calling of parenting with an eternal perspective...