Practical Christian Parenting
There are a number of good parenting programs available. And there are many well parented children, whose parents had no program but just knew what to do from their family experience. What are the approaches and strategies that prepare children for a life with God in it? This series, Practical Christian Parenting will help clarify it.
The New You – Baptism Part 4
Paul says that we become a new person when we are baptized. How does that work? What does it mean? Did it happen to you? Learn about The New You in this presentation.
Whited Sepulchres – Baptism Part 3
Jesus told the Pharisees they were like whitewashed tombs - nice looking to the eye, but inside full of decay. What was the decay he was talking about? And since Whited Sepulchres is about baptism, what does a burial site have to do with that topic?
Deadman Walking – Baptism Part 2
Baptism is the rite that signifies a person's commitment to God as a Christian. What kind of commitment is it? Is it like joining a club? We might think so as we view the contemporary Christian scene. But Baptism is much more than that. Go deeper in Deadman Walking.
What is Baptism? – Baptism Part 1
Baptism is the rite that God uses to specify that a person has become a part of the body of Christ — the church. After the election of the President of the United States, the winner, by law, is not the President until he takes the oath of office. That doesn’t fit too well when a President is incumbent and wins, but if he’s newly elected, then he is not President. The previous president is still the president until he takes the oath of office. Similarly, baptism signifies membership in the body of Christ, the church.
Lie Down With Dogs, Get Up With Fleas
The old, familiar saying about the consequences of our actions might seem somewhat trivializing when we compare it with what the Bible says about our choices and their consequences. How have your choices affected your life, so far?
Practical Christian Parenting – 12 – Parenting Adult Children
When children grow up, parenting doesn’t end. But there is a time of change, not only for children, but for parents as well. Roles change. Responsible change. Locations often change. How will everyone handle these changes? Consider what the Bible tells us about the issue in our latest presentation, Practical Christian Parenting Part 12: Parenting Adult Children.
Practical Christian Parenting – 11 – The Teen Years
It’s a current and common belief that teens are ruled by their hormones. We now know that isn’t the major reason for behaviors commonly associated with the teen years. Far reaching changes in the rapidly growing brain of teens is primarily responsible. Once we understand what changes are taking place along with the risks and benefits of such growth, parents have a new way to help their teens through a sometimes difficult transition.
Practical Christian Parenting – 10 – Spiritual Teaching
God gives us some specific direction and many examples of how to teach our children about him. If we are going to do what he says, we need to be intentional about it. See what you can do and stimulate your efforts in this presentation.
Practical Christian Parenting – 9 – Closeness through Crisis
Everyone hates a family crisis. And yet, if handled well, a crisis can create closeness and move us toward the goal of a loving family. Learn how in this presentation.
Practical Christian Parenting – 8 – Parental Issues
Children don’t set the tone in the home, they respond to it. Parents determine whether children want to cooperate or resist. This parenting presentation aims to help parents learn how to identify personal issues that negatively impact their parenting efforts. It shows how to bypass self-deception and get down to resolution.
Practical Christian Parenting – 7 – Consequences
Most of what we learn we learn by experience. We say, think, feel or do something, and then we receive the consequences of what we did. Some people believe this is the only way we learn how to get along in the world. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that consequences are an effective way to parent our children. Learn more about how to use consequences in this presentation.
Practical Christian Parenting – 6 – Boundaries
All human relationships benefit from boundaries, What kind of boundaries promote growth love and harmony? Are the boundaries in your home fulfilling those two objectives? Learn more about godly boundaries in this sixth in our series on Practical Parenting.
Practical Christian Parenting – 5 – What is a Baby?
How we parent a child depends on what we think a child is. Is a baby, for example, a human with a tendency to disobey God? Or Is a baby, instead, an innocent child—like a blank page? Or a baby, perhaps, a cross between the two or something else altogether. If I told you most Christians have it wrong, would you believe me? One of the central doctrines of Christianity, crept in during the 16th century skews a parents outlook toward their children. Learn more in What is a Baby?
Practical Christian Parenting – 4 – Attachment
If our goal in parenting is to draw our children into loving relationship, as God does with us, then we need to study the inner workings of the human mind to understand why God works with us the way he does. The more we understand about his methods, the more likely we are to be successful with our children.
Practical Christian Parenting – 3 – Parental Example
Most Christians know that our example is important in many areas of life. The most obvious association to that importance is “watch and learn.” In parenting, for example, our children watch and learn from us. Did you know, however, that the effects of our example go much deeper and are much more complex than that?
Practical Christian Parenting – 2 – Communicating Love
Is there one principle that underlies all successful parenting? The bible tells us there is. Further, there are four simple things we can do to apply that all-important principle in our family and our congregation. Learn more about it in our latest presentation, Communicating Love, the first of our latest series, Practical Christian Parenting Part 2.
Practical Christian Parenting – 1 – The End Goal
As with any endeavor, good parenting requires an end goal. Christians can find their end goal all ready created for them by God in the Bible. Do you know where it is? Do you use it? If you do, you know it works.