Time To get You Thinking

I took Chloe and Peyton to the park this evening and it got me thinking. With fathers day coming up next Sunday, what is our role when it comes to fathers day?

Well, outside of getting a card for your own dad or sending him a text, email or even an e-card, what are we to do? Many would say "It's my day, I'm spending it golfing, fishing, working out in the yard, sleeping or anything else we could do to rid ourselves of any meaningful duties.

I would encourage all dads not to hold this view of fathers day. Instead I would encourage you to think of what is means to be a father, what are our Biblical roles as fathers and how can we better ourselves as fathers when measured up to those biblical standards.

Are you loving and serving your children well? Are you teaching them about Jesus? Are you setting an example for your sons by serving and loving your wife well? Do they see you as one who loves Jesus and the Bible? Do they see you pray? Do you pray with them and for them?

I've ask myself these questions many time lately. Some days I'd grade myself better than others and some days I'd be embarrassed if everyone knew how poorly I've failed. So what about you? What do you struggle with when it come to being a father? What do you do well?

Thankfully we have a heavenly father to be our ultimate example when it comes to these matters!

It's NOT Just For Kids

Psalm 23
¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

I know that's not all of Psalm 23 but it's the part I heard this morning. You see, the second Sunday of every month I minister to and serve all the 2 & 3 year old kids in their Sunday school class at my church.

Well, the last few weeks we've been helping them to memorize Psalm 23. Some have it memorized better than others, but they're all trying. It's rather funny to hear a 2 year old try and say "paths of righteousness" without it coming out as a jumbled mess. The point is, their hiding Gods word in their hearts!

How many of us as adults expect this of our children, but then we ourselves don't take the time to read,study, meditate and memorize Gods word. We know that it's important otherwise we wouldn't care if our kids did it or not. It's just another case of "do as I say not as I do". We need to follow Jesus' example in the wilderness. Have Gods word in our hearts so that when trails and temptations come we're able to overcome them by the power of Gods word.

Happy Birthday PAC Man

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. Proverbs 23:24(ESV)
Wow, that verse weighs very if your a dad! We as fathers are to be raising righteous and wise sons (children), but what does that mean? Well, there's no way that we can raise righteous and wise children if we first are not righteous and wise.
Romans 1:16-18 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."(ESV)
For us as fathers to be righteous and wise I think we first need to examine our relationship with Jesus. Do you have a relationship with him? If not, check this out. If so, is it a relationship that is healthy and growing?
The most important tool that we as Christians have in becoming righteous and wise is the Bible. We, like the Apostle Paul, should never be ashamed of Gods word, and these verses give us two reasons why not to be. First is in verse 16. "For it is the power of God for salvation" and in verse 17, "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed".
I think verse 17 really sums it up. The righteousness of God is revealed in the Bible. What better example of living a Godly life than God himself. We need to really know God and the best way we can do that is to be consistently in the Scriptures meditating on them and then living them out daily. Application of the Scriptures is key. You can know all you want to know about God and it will never matter if your not acting on it.
Allow me challenge those of you reading this, maybe by accident, to be in Gods word every day, grow in your relationship with Christ and apply the scriptures to your life. Then, by Gods grace, you'll find yourself growing in righteousness and wisdom.

One year ago Today Peyton Anderson Charles was born into this world. Happy birthday PAC man, daddy loves you!!!!

It's no easy task!

Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
Train up a child in the way he should go;even when he is old he will not depart from it.

These are just a couple of instructions that the scriptures give to fathers and parents in regards to raising children. As I read just these two examples I think about the magnitude of them. Think of the impact on the life of a child if you even get just these two verses wrong! My prayer for all parents is that we would constantly lean on God for wisdom and strength, and never take for granted the little life that God has entrusted to us. Thank you God for the awesome example you have given us! My I continually grow in your grace so that each day I can be the father you want me to be!

August 11 2005 @ 4:45 p.m. Chloe Joy Charles was born into this world! It's hard to believe that it's been three years! Happy Birthday Chloe, daddy loves you!