I was going through some old material the other day and found the following “letter.” I do not know if it is an actual letter written by a little boy named Billy or if somebody composed it in order to make a point. Whichever of those two possibilities is the case, it does, indeed, make a point. In fact, the letter makes several points.   All of those points, it seems to me, could fall under a general heading that would suggest that parents need to take very seriously their God-given responsibility to “…bring (their children) up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).   It…

Okay, so I know this is being released on a Wednesday, but I started formulating this post on Sunday night, and the idea has been in my mind for a lot longer than that. I have been a “pulpit minister” for about 12 years now, and I am always tired on Sunday nights. It is (usually) a good kind of tired, but it is still a very tired, emotionally spent, kind of feeling. Prior to being in the pulpit, though, I was a youth minister for almost 10 years. I remember those Sunday nights as well. Even now, as a pulpit guy, I still have been blessed to work closely…

It happens constantly. In our hyper-busy world, there are so many things pressing for our time and attention. It used to be that worship times were pretty much free from other activities, such as school events or civic meetings. That is, simply put, no longer the case. So, what are we to do when worship and the world’s schedule collide? I can’t answer that for you, but I can tell you what I did as a kid and what we have decided as a family. Worship wins. When I was in high school, I was in the band. For a small-town band member, I was a fairly good trombone player.…

Taking kids into the assembly can be a very daunting experience. With children now ages 18, 15 and 12, we have done our share of time in the pew. I should mention that the entire burden has been mostly upon my wife and that she gets all the credit for raising three children who (mostly) pay attention and engage andriol in worshiping God. I am thankful for her diligent work with our kids. This article is meant to encourage young families who have children who may be grade school age and younger. First, please know that we are so thankful for you and your families. Know that we support you…