Praying Scripture Over Your Childs Life
Jodie Berndt loves to pray for her children. Shes been doing that for the past thirty years. Now she helps other parents to talk to God, asking for the salvation of their kids, and for wisdom, self-discipline, purpose, a future and much more. She offers fun and practical encouragement that moms and dads can put to work immediately in their daily lives as they prepare their children for a life in Christ.
So You Can Raise Kids That Love God And Walk In His Ways
Even if a guy appears to a great guy and appears to have a moral compass, at some point your spiritual differences will impact the decisions youll have to make together. Raising kids being one major example.
The Bible even addresses this point in Deuteronomy 7:3-4 NLT from up above.
Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Deuteronomy 7:3-4 NLT
Kids growing up today face enough pressure and temptation to fit in with the world even in a family of Christian parents. Can you imagine how hard it would be to teach your kids to follow God and his ways if their dad didnt support you?
In Jentezen Franklins book, Right People Right Place Right Plan, he talks about a fathers effect on childrens spiritual growth.
In homes where the father is a committed Christian, the children have a 75 percent chance of growing up to become committed Christians themselves. But in homes where only the mother is a committed Christian, that number drops to 23 percent.
Will your husband be okay with you teaching your kids about God? Will they be able to go to church with you? Even if he is fine with the kids going to church with you, will your kids want to have their own relationship with God when they see their dad staying home and watching football on Sundays?
Evil Friends Corrupt Godly Character
Though it is okay to be friends with unbelievers, we need to cut that off instantly the moment that these friends are leading us to sin.
We can be friends with unbelievers only to the extent of helping them become a better person. But if they are turning you to a worse person, then you better get out of that relationship.
We read:
33 Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.
Its an important warning we all should heed. James added in James 4:4:
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Being a friend to the world means that you are putting your friendship with the world above your friendship with God. It also means that you are partaking of the sins of this world to the point that you are becoming its friend.
Thats why in Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul was telling us not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
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Why Who You Date Matters
So what is the purpose behind dating? Though the Bible does not say much about dating, because it wasnt a thing in Biblical times, we know that the reason for a man and woman to come together is because of marriage.
The purpose behind dating: to see whether or not the person were with is the one we should marry.
When we date for marriage we are seeing if our boyfriend/girlfriend is someone who is going to bring us closer to Christ.
Yes, this is a benefit, but the purpose of marriage is to glorify Christ through serving the Lord with your spouse. Dating should have this same purpose.
If you date an unbeliever you will not be able to achieve this because they will have a different idea for dating.
Theirs will be rooted in the world and yours will be in the Lord.
Now you may be thinking Im too young to get married, so its fine to date who I want right? My question for you is then why are you dating? Take some time to truly evaluate your purpose and reason behind dating.
Dating allows another person into your life. Dating is not serious for everyone and can be just for fun, but this has consequences. Youre allowing someone else into your life.
You may think well I only one be with them for a little bit or They make me so happy.
Beloved if this is you then you are being impacted by the world. I dont say this to judge you, but rather because my heart aches for you.
I was there once. Dating to fit in, find joy, to feel loved, or simply because the guy was cute.
Mothers And Sons: Being A Godly Influence
Rhonda Stoppe describes her early motherhood challenges of raising a son, which was intimidating to her. She found help through group of older women mentors. She urges moms to see their role as ministry in shaping sons to be good and godly men. Rhonda outlines several practical suggestions to moms about spiritual training, how to communicate with boys, and supporting the father-son relationship as a wife.
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What To Do When You’re Not Okay
Life can be pretty stressful. Between work, relationships, and other obligations, the pressure builds, and we lose sight of who we are. Counselor Debra Fileta helps you better understand your emotions, assess your mental, physical, and spiritual health, and intentionally pursue a path to wellbeing. In dealing with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, Debra understands the importance of self-examination as well as the benefits of seeking professional help. She offers biblically-based advice, tools, and encouragement to help you get on a path toward healing and wholeness.
Identifying Triggers In Your Marriage Part 1
They were both convinced they had married the wrong person. From almost the very beginning of their marriage, Amber and Guy Lia experienced various tensions and personality clashes related to house cleaning, backseat driving, workaholism, and intimacy. In this two-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Amber and Guy discuss how they bravely faced the triggers head-on, and committed to working on their own relationships with Jesus. As you listen to the Lias story, youll feel hope that you, too, can see real marriage transformation!
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Bible Verses About Unbelievers
In spite of all this they still sinnedAnd did not believe in His wonderful works.
Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation.
And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, We are not blind too, are we?Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin but since you say, We see, your sin remains.
So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all read more.the secrets of his heart are disclosed and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
Objection : Jesus Is Named A Friend Of Sinners
Jesus is indeed named a friend of sinners. However, its important to note who is titling Jesus as such, as well as the text that immediately precedes it. The entirety of Matthew 11:19 ESV reads, The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.
In the same sentence, Jesus is labelled a glutton and a drunkard, and is done so by the Pharisees. This is the same sect that Jesus labels: blind guides , fools , full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness , serpents , a generation of vipers , hypocrites , unmarked graves , and children of the father of lies . These are the same people who rejected Jesus as the Son of God and crucified Him. Beloved, wisdom dictates we must not build our doctrine on the beliefs of the Pharisees.
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Two Sides Same Christian
We have to find the line between ignoring two seemingly opposite commands. One side is,
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Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.
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Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? . Paul is talking about tolerating people in the church that you should excommunicate.
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Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
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Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
So you have all these commands and wisdom proverbs on the one side that say, Watch out, hanging out with corrupt people can lead to your corruption.
Now on the other side, of course, you have Jesus who not only ate with tax collectors and sinners, but he was called the friend of tax collectors and sinners because that is, in fact, what he did so often. And you have got Paul saying, When I say dont hang out or separate yourself from sexually immoral people, if you think I mean the world, then that wont work, because then you would have to go out of the world . He doesnt mean, Dont associate with the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world . Paul is with Jesus in saying, No, you are going to be thrown together with these people. You should take opportunities. You should become all things to all people in a biblical way.
Is Buddhism An Atheist
Atheism in Buddhism, Jainism
While Buddhism is a tradition focused on spiritual liberation, it is not a theistic religion. The Buddha himself rejected the idea of a creator god, and Buddhist philosophers have even argued that belief in an eternal god is nothing but a distraction for humans seeking enlightenment.
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What Did Jesus Say About Helping Strangers
Within the New Testament, which Christians read in continuity with the Hebrew Bible or The Old Testament, the most often cited passage dealing with welcoming the stranger is from Matthew 25: 31-40. I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
It Takes Time To Build Friendship
Sometimes, we get an instant connection with someone whom we just met as if we have known them for a long time. However, that would not be enough to sustain a friendship.
You need to invest in the relationship and you do that by spending time with them. It is unimaginable to become friends without even investing time and energy into it.
This is a beautiful concept that is supported by our Savior.
We have noted that Christ has a lot of friends, but among his closest friends are Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. We could see that in order for Christ to keep this friendship, He has to spend a lot of time with them. We read in Luke 10 and John 11 and 12 how Yahshua visited His friends.
Please note that Christs home in Galilee is about two miles away from Jerusalem. In a world where cars are not available, walking on foot from Galilee to Jerusalem is not a short and easy trip. Even in times when Christ was already a wanted man, He still made a point to visit His friends in Jerusalem.
As we can see in the example of Christ, it takes time and energy to keep the flames of friendship glowing and burning. Its not an easy task, but its all worth it. Friendship can give you the most wonderful experience in this life.
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The Spiritual Battle For Your Marriage
God designed marriage to reflect His love to the world and because of this, the enemy wants to destroy Gods beautiful design. Based on his book, Defending Your Marriage, Dr. Tim and Noreen Muehlhoff share about the reality of spiritual warfare against marriages, and how to combat the enemys lies with the truth of God. Couples will be encouraged that theyre not alone in the fight for a godly marriage and better equipped to be a shining example for the world around them.
How Dating A Christian Negatively Impacts Non
The last thing I want is for you to read this article and think that dating someone who shares different beliefs is only unhealthy for unbelievers. Its bad for both sides.
Non-Christians will struggle and be hurt when they date an unbeliever because they wont understand the others beliefs.
They wont get why going to church is so important or other beliefs held by their Christian boyfriend/girlfriend. They wont understand because they may be unaware of the Biblical reason behind it or might just find the Bible as an unimportant source.
This will cause them to end up blaming themselves or even cause them to dive deeper into Gods word. Though there may be benefits, the effects cause it to not be worth it. Either way, one side will end up getting hurt.
Loved one please consider who you date based on who they are, not just how they look. Seek your Heavenly Father before you make a decision and know that He is the only way to salvation.
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They Are Not Shy About Their Struggles And Ask Great Questions
Believers sometimes feel that it is unchristian to ask tough questions. This should not be. Believers should always be the first to ask the tough questions. The earliest definition of theology given by Anselm in the 11th century was credo ut intelligamfaith seeking understanding. Unbelievers struggle and have real tough questions that believers should pay attention to. For example, an unbeliever may have a real struggle with the doctrine of hell. Many believers would bypass the difficulties of the question saying that it does not bother them because the Bible teaches it. Its the the Bible says it, that does it mentality. While it is true that the Bible teaches it, it is a great difficulty that believers need to recognize. Hell brings great distress to the heart of unbelievers, and it should bring great distress to our heart as well. Hell is a reality, but some people make the doctrine of hell very cold. Unbelievers ask good questions that believers need to have seriously struggled with and considered.
So You Don’t Face The Consequences Of Disobeying God’s Commands
Even if youre tempted to still date a guy because hes a great guy, we are called to obey Gods word out of love and respect for God.
If you love me, obey my commandments. John 14:15
As Christians, we are called to obey Gods commands out of love. But God also tells us that there are consequences when we disobey his commands.
“Like the nations the Lord is about to destroy before you, you will perish if you do not obey the Lord your God.” – Deuteronomy 8:20
So we know that obedience is important to God. But its important to understand that by choosing to disobey or not follow God, someone is by default choosing to obey the Devil.
You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devilthe commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Ephesians 2:2
This means that if a guy is not seeking God, he is seeking the ways of the world. And the verse above tells us that choosing to disobey God equates to obeying the devil.
Do you want to be in a relationship with someone who chooses to follow the ways of the Devil? Do you want to let the Devil into your relationship by dating a nonbeliever?
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What Does Equally Yoked Mean Where Did The Term Yoke Come From
Before we can talk about other bible verses that talk about the importance of dating other believers, lets make sure we understand what equally yoked means and where it came from.
Equally Yoked Meaning
According to Merriam-Webster, a yoke is a wooden bar or frame by which two animals, like oxen, are joined at the heads or necks for working together. The animals are joined by the yoke with the purpose of being joined or linked to accomplish the task at hand, such as pulling a load.
If two animals are unequally yoked, this means that one of the animals is not as strong or as tall as the other animal. The weaker or shorter animal would not be able to walk as fast or support the load, resulting in the pair walking in circles and not being able to pull the load effectively.
The picture below illustrates a team of oxen being equally yoked now I know this is a crazy picture but it helps show you what a yoke actually is.
Since farming was big back in the days of the Bible, this analogy made more sense to Gods people back then. The Israelites knew that if a team of oxen were unequally yoked, they would not be able to accomplish the task that needed to be done for farming. Instead of working together, one of the oxen would be slowing down the other one.
Equally Yoked in Marriage
Just like the oxen, he doesnt want you to be unequally yoked with a nonbeliever who will slow you down or who will deter you from your mission altogether.