All posts tagged marriage

“Fatherhood is Building the Riverbanks”


Listen to Pastor Crawford Loritts speak a great message on “Lessons Learned from My Father.” I particularly appreciate how he relates fatherhood to building riverbanks. Like the mighty waters of a river, life will come and things will happen, but fathers are the ones who set the parameters, who define the boundaries, who steer the direction of their childrens’ lives towards Jesus and godliness. Dads, give it a listen.

A few quotes:

  • “Greatness is not pop or fad. Greatness has a staying power.”
  • “Manhood is not a private matter. It is a public thing. A man aspires to be the desired destination at which others arrive.”
  • “This summarizes my dad: Stepping up, never walking away, if it belongs to you, you do something with it.”
  • “There is a correlation between being a man and keeping promises.”
  • “Our disproportionate desire for relevance is injecting embalming fluid into the next generation.”
  • “Out of struggle comes strength; out of strength comes discipline; out of discipline comes integrity; out of integrity comes inheritance.”
  • “How people treat you should never define you. It’s not what people call you, but what you answer to.”
  • “All we have to give to the next generation is what we have become.”
  • “You don’t produce the fruit of the Spirit. It is the fruit of the Spirit.”
  • “Repent of wallowing in our self pity and deifying our disfunction. Yield. ‘God, I can’t do this. Help me!’ Believe him.”

The Stew (3/26)

358_beef_and_barley_stew

Marriage is for Losers

Jesus turns everything on it’s head. And in marriage, losing is far better than winning.

Complementarian Decision-Making as a Married Couple

“In almost every case, each of us has some wisdom and insight that the other does not have. Usually, we reach agreement on the decisions that we make. Very seldom will I do something that she doesn’t think is wise–I didn’t say never. She prays; she trusts God; she loves God. She is sensitive to God’s leading and direction, but in every decision, whether it large or small and whether we have reached agreement or not, the responsibility to make the decision still rests with me.”

Forgiveness for Moms Who Fail

“In my twenty-five years of pastoral ministry, I don’t think I have met a mom, including a preschool mom, who feels like she has done a good enough job. Most mothers labor under the weight of guilt—of frustrated ideals, imperfect performance, and deficient production. The laundry remains undone; story books unread, and tempers flare…”

Are Professional Sports for Christians?

David Brooks of The New York Times says NO. Gene Veith of The Gospel Coalition says YES. And Matt Reagan at Desiring God gives 7 insightful reflections on athletic achievement.

Your Church and Your Life Planning

“If you are a Christian, it’s worth asking whether you include your church in your life planning. I mean “include the church” in two ways: do you consider it as a factor in your thinking, and do you actually involve the people in your decision making?”

Your Ten Dollar Word of the Week: Complementarianism

man

Just about everything in the Christian life is countercultural and counterintuitive. Biblical womanhood is no different. If you’re been around a good church for any length of time, chances are you’ve heard that biblical womanhood and worldly womanhood are radically different.

The debate on how the Bible deals with gender (and there is a debate) is incredibly important. It’s not simply theological nit-picking. When God created men and women in his image (Genesis 1:27), the personal and relational character of their Creator was stamped into them. Men and women by nature are personal, relational beings – just like God. This means that how we live out our personhood and relate to others day to day doesn’t just affect our lives here on earth, it actually affects how we, as image-bearers of God, display who God is to the world.

Read more →

The Stew (2/1)

358_beef_and_barley_stew

How Much Is A Homemaker Worth?

Short answer? At least $96,261 a year.

20 Things a Husband Could Say to Defuse an Argument with His Wife

What I’ve Learned About Raising Daughters

Pastor Dave Bruskas: “As a pastor, I have met too many women who grew up in Christian homes but don’t love Jesus, hate men, and are angry at the church. I have found a consistent answer to the question, “What happened?” Most of these lost, angry and disillusioned women were raised by religious dads, men who outwardly went through the motions of Christian morality without a heart for Jesus beating beneath. I don’t want to be that guy.”

10 Things Submission Is Not

The Bible tells women to “learn quietly with all submissiveness” (1 Timothy 2:11). That word submission is not the easiest to swallow these days. Here are 10 things submission is not.