Amongst the relatively few words specifically addressing fathers, Ephesians 6:4 commands us to avoid provoking our children to anger.  This command is applicable to mothers as well although it seems Paul directs it towards fathers because we have a greater tendency to err in this way. 

I was reminded of this verse recently when, as a family, we read Proverbs 15:1.  While this verse may be quite familiar to many of us, it may be helpful to thoughtfully and specifically apply it to our interaction with our children. 

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

How often do our children bristle with angry rebellion in part because of our harsh words towards them?  Do we deny that we are angry with our children even while our voices reveal that they have violated some idol of convenience or ease?

May our homes be marked by careful, gentle, and edifying speech.

Josh Winans continues his series unpacking Luke 24:44, tracing the Messiah through the Old Testament.

 

 Psalm 2 [42:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Below is a post by Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds about Christ in the workplace. It is not an easy task to make Christ central in our work and sometimes I think we have a hard time understanding what that might look like practically. Piper’s points give some helpful starting points and food for thought in this regard.

From a chapter by that title in John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life:

1. We can make much of God in our secular job through the fellowship that we enjoy with him throughout the day in all our work.
2. We make much of Christ in our secular work by the joyful, trusting, God-exalting design of our creativity and industry.
3. We make much of Christ in our secular work when it confirms and enhances the portrait of Christ’s glory that people hear in the spoken gospel.
4. We make much of Christ in our secular work by earning enough money to keep us from depending on others, while focusing on the helpfulness of our work rather than financial rewards.
5. We make much of Christ in our secular work by earning money with the desire to use our money to make others glad in God.

As you begin studying Habakkuk this week you may find that some extra study material and resources might be helpful. 

We have put several articles on the website that gives some background and general information about Habakkuk and its theology. 

You can find them under “Grace Groups” under “study materials” or you can get to them directly through this link.  This page also provides a link where you can download the study guide if you didn’t get a chance to pick one up this last week.

If you are anything like me, you are rarely aware of and appreciative of the Holy Spirit and His work.  I am nearing the end of John Owen’s “Communion with God” and have been greatly encouraged by the active nature of the Spirit’s role in my life currently.  Here is a quote from one section that was particularly encouraging.

In a word, in all that concerns us in this life and in all our expectation of another life, we will always stand in need for the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit.

Without the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit, we will either despise afflications or collapse under them and God’s purpose in sending them to us will be defeated.

Without the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit, sin will either harden us so that we treat it with contempt, or else cast us into despair and so we neglect the gracious means that God has graciously provided us with to defeat it.

Without the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit, duites will either puff us up with pride or leave us without that joy which will encourage us to further obedience.

Without the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit, prosperity will make us worldly and sensual in finding contentment in these things and so weaken us for the day of trial.

Without the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit, the comforts of our loved ones will separate us from God and the loss of them will turn our hearts to stone.

Without the comfort and strenth of the Holy Spirit, the poverty of the church will overwhelm us and the prosperity of the church will not concern us.

Without the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit, we shall not have wisdom in our work, nor peace in any condition, nor strength for any duty, nor success in trial.  Nor will we have joy and comfort in life, nor light in death. 

How sad, then, is the condition of those who know nothing of the Spirit as Comforter.

Our equip classes are strategically designed to- you guessed it- equip our people. While we know that as a whole we are a busy congregation with a lot going on in our lives, we believe that giving up one night a week for 12 to 15 weeks is a worthwhile investment. 

If you did not get a chance to sign up on Sunday at the Congregational Meeting feel free to e-mail the elder teaching the class or use the comment thread for this post.

These classes provide rich times of thought-provoking discussion, intense learning, and deep fellowship. 

Here are the offerings for this semester-

Equip: Worship in Music- this class is being offered with the goal of cultivating a community of skilled musicians who are passionate about worshipping Jesus Christ.  Our aim is to understand how to use music in God honoring ways that will encourage sweet times of private worship and also aid in our ability to edify others through corporate worship.  We will be studying the Psalms, interacting with various authors on the subject of worship, and enhancing our musical skills in an informal setting.  People of all skill levels and ages are welcome.  Bring an attitude of humility, a desire to learn and grow, and a heart that longs to know God more fully!

This class will meet on Tuesdays at 7pm beginning January 30^th at the Hilton’s home in Lincoln.

Equip: Parenting Teenagers– on Monday nights at 7pm Rick Schauer will be leading this class through the book “Age of Opportunity” by Paul Tripp.   All ages are invited and those from outside our church body are also welcome.  

This class will meet at New Life Pregnancy Center in Rocklin beginning January 22nd

Equip: Biblical Theology- led by Josh Winans, this class will be going through “God’s Big Picture” by Vaughn Roberts which focuses on seeing God’s plan for redemption through the whole scope of Scripture. 

This class will meet at 7pm on Tuesday nights at the Winans’ home beginning February 13th.

Equip: Gospel Centered Marriages-  This class, led by Tim Pickard, will work its way through “Love that Lasts” by Gary and Betsy Rucucci.  The focus will be on applying Scripture to our marriage relationships in a way that makes the gospel of grace central. 

This class will meet beginning February 20th (will meet for 10 weeks) on Tuesday nights at 7pm. 

Equip: Hospitality- Tim Burch will lead this class in studying and practicing biblical hospitality with the goal of learning to use one’s home in ministry to others.

This class will meet every other Wednesday.

The Family Room blog often has helpful thoughts on raising children and today they posted a quote from the book “Growing Up Christian” by Carl Graustein.  Probably many of us who grew up in Christian homes can relate to it and it may be particularly helpful for those of you who are currently growing up Christian.

The most significant danger church kids face is false assurance of salvation—assuming we are saved even when we are not.

We grow up in a Christian culture with Christians all around us—family, church, and friends. Because we do the things Christians do and we are surrounded by Christians, we tend to assume we are Christians too. But just as standing in a wheat field doesn’t make someone wheat, being raised in a Christian environment doesn’t make someone a Christian.

We tend to believe we are Christians because we have Christian parents, we believe God exists, we faithfully attend church and youth meetings, we pray, we read and know much about the Bible, we prayed the sinner’s prayer or went forward during an alter call, we were baptized, we sing worship songs, we listen to Christian music, we are basically good, moral people, especially compared to the world, or we attend a Christian school or Christian college.

The paragraph above refers primarily to external actions. Each could in fact be a fruit of salvation—a good work or action of a believer. But each could also be nothing more than an unbeliever conforming to his environment (to please parents, fit in with peers, etc.) while there is no saving faith in his heart.

Don’t fall into the dangerous trap of false assurance. Scripture encourages us to examine ourselves, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (II Corinthians 13:5-6)

To do this we need to look at our actions, our motives, and the fruit in our lives. We need to pray, read the Bible, worship God, attend church, and confess sin. But it is possible to do all of these things and not be motivated from a heart that truly loves God and wants to live for him. There is a difference between saying a simply prayer over a meal and communing with your Lord and talking with your Heavenly Father. There is a difference between reading the Bible just like any other book and reading it as the genuine words of God which breathe life and give clear direction to our lives. There is a difference between singing a song and truly worshiping your Sovereign Lord.

When you look at your actions, the motives behind your actions, and the fruit of your actions, what do you learn about your heart? Have you every asked one of your parents their thoughts? How about a friend whom you respect?

If you are saved, I hope this self-examination increases your faith all the more. God is at work in your life and will continue to help you grow in him. If you are not saved, I want to urge you to pause and pray. Ask Christ to make himself real to you. Ask him to be Lord of your life, transform your heart, and enable you to live all out for him. This is a prayer he is eager to answer.

What a shame it would be for someone to grow up in a Christian home, attend church his whole life, assume he was a Christian, and yet not truly be saved. Sadly, this happens more often than we would like. Don’t let this happen to you. Believe that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (I Corinthians 5:21)

By the way, this book is available at the resource table.

Josh pointed out to me this article that was originally posted over at a blog entitled Irish Calvinist. There is some great stuff in here about how we as men can get started and deal with the challenges of leading the family into God’s word.

Many of us are just beginning to think through habits we can develop to purposefully teach our children and I think this article is helpful. Thank you to the more mature fathers in our body who are setting an example and serving as resources in this.

I have posted the whole article below but here are the basic points-

-1- Be in the Word yourself

-2- Choosing a Topic

-3- Open the Bible

-4- Have a set time

-5- Talk about the Word all the time

-6- Make it fun

-7- Make application

-8- Addressing your wife

-9- Teaching Prayer

-10- Gospelize your family

-11- Remember that this is a command [Some form of instructing children- see Eph. 6:4]

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