a word from the pastor

Challenge to Fathers: Be a Hero

One of the great tragedies in American society is the absent father. The greatest fall-out of broken and failed marriages is its devastating impact on children. So this Father’s Day I want to put forth a challenge to men who are fathers or who plan to be one day. When children are small dad is th...
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Honor Mom, No Matter What

It’s interesting that the Bible’s command to children is not to “love” their parents but to “honor” them. In fact, the fifth commandment uses the Hebrew word kabod, which is usually translated “glory.” It means to treat as weighty, to attribute worth, to highly value. God’s glory is the weightine...
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Deconstruction vs. Discipleship

“Deconstruction” has become a prevalent word in evangelical circles. As of February, there were almost 300,000 Instagram posts with the hashtag “#deconstruction”—many of them referring to the Christian faith. However, the term “deconstruction” has such a wide range of meanings, it must be underst...
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Helping your kids think rightly about heaven

Recently, an adolescent with a somewhat worried look asked me if heaven would prove boring, “you know, with eternity and all.” It occurred to me that if a Christian teen is asking this question, how many more are thinking it? Even worse, how many non-Christian youths entertain gross misconception...
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Daddy’s Home!

As a kid, I dreaded daddy’s coming home from work every day. He usually arrived tired and irritable, and my siblings and I learned the hard way to steer clear. However, even on days when he wasn’t worn out or in a bad mood, he wasn’t present in the sense of engaging with his children. He would be...
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Navigating the Parental River

Whenever I’m asked advice about parenting, I get a little nervous. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it’s because deep down I know children come with no guarantees. God’s Word supplies us with principles and commands for raising kids, but in the end, every child is an individual who may or ma...
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Leaving the Nest

In ancient Greco-Roman culture, children remained under the care and control of a “pedagogue” until the time set by their father. (Galatians 4:2) For boys, it usually took place in their late teens and meant assuming the privileges and responsibilities of adulthood. Jewish boys had their “bar mit...
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Movie Review: “The Social Dilemma”

Think of the following not as you typical movie review—but more of a plea to parents to be on high alert regarding their children’s social media interaction. If you’re a dad, I recommend you watch “The Social Dilemma,” a Netflix docudrama by Jeff Orlowski that reveals the incredible, intentional ...
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Leading Boys to Manhood

If you are a dad with young sons, I’ve got a question for you: How will you lead them to manhood? Do you have a plan? Ok, that’s two questions, but seriously, have you thought about intentionally leading those little guys to biblical manhood? Our present culture has a distorted perception of what...
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Don’t Just Say No

One of the more challenging aspects of parenting is navigating the stages of childhood development. It is often difficult to know how much freedom, knowledge, and discipline to give them as they grow older. Start with concrete rules and choices Little children require more concrete rules an...
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