SINKING?

Do you ever feel as if you are sinking? Are you discouraged? Are you afraid?  Are your emotions getting the best of you? These are a few of the situations where we might feel like we are sinking. There is help available. Jesus is available and his word will encourage you. 

Matthew 14:28-31 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 

 

As Peter attempted to walk on the water he was overcome by fear. As he began to sink he cried out to Jesus. Jesus lifted him out of that miserable failure.

Four truths are in these verses........

1. Sinking sometimes occurs after we have experienced other victories. Peter’s sinking occured on the heels of Jesus feeding of the 5,000. Peter witnessed a miracle, with the feeding. That miracle did not sustain him. He needed another. He needed a touch from Jesus.

2. Sinking can threaten the person who is in the center of God’s will. We sometimes assume that a person who is struggling is out of God’s will. That is not always the case. Peter and the other disciples where in the boat because Jesus instructed them to be there. Sometimes when you obey God it puts you into the midst of the storm.

3. Sinking strengthens our dependence on Jesus. As Peter began to sink he swallowed his pride and humbly asked Jesus for help. That is not a bad thing. Anytime we turn to Jesus, it is a positive experience.

4. Sinking does not hinder future effectiveness. Sinking people are not washed up. Sinking people are not put on the shelf. Peter preached at Pentecost and wrote the two books that bear his name after the sinking episode.

Sinking is not a pleasant experience. But, we need to be reminded that it is not the end of the world. Jesus can bring good from it.

" A GOOD FATHER" part 5

PROVIDE FOR YOUR CHILDREN

1 Tim. 5:8 – “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Even the lost provide for their families … BUT …you can’t be a GOOD FATHER and not provide for your children.

I don’t mean that you have to give them everything they want … that’s one of the worst things you can do.
Too many fathers think they can buy off their children with things … and relieve themselves of the guilt for not being the kind of father they ought to be … that they can buy their way out of Biblical fatherhood.

Providing for your children by giving them too much, is just as bad as not providing for them by giving them too little.

BE A GOOD FATHER … provide for your children.

It’s not easy being a good father … BUT … it’s NOT IMPOSSIBLE either. It takes hard work, hard praying, and making hard decisions. You can’t do it alone.... God doesn’t expect you to....God doesn’t want you to.....Don’t leave Him out of your fatherhood.

"A GOOD FATHER" part 4

LISTEN TO YOUR CHILDREN

Give them your undivided attention  not with one eye on the TV and the other eye on them. When they have a problem … when they are worried … when they are sad … when they are lonely … they don’t need cartoons, or a video game, or their best friends Dad ...they need YOU!

Get involved with your children, and know what’s going on in their everyday life. Listen to them … even when they‘re not saying anything, they are speaking volumes. Be the kind of father that they can come to and say anything that’s on their mind … without being criticized for it.

If you listen to them when they’re small and their problems are small … and then they’ll come to you when they’re bigger, and their problems are bigger.

Proverbs 1:5 – “A wise man will hear and increase in learning …”

 BE A GOOD FATHER … Listen to your children.

It’s not easy being a good father … BUT … it’s NOT IMPOSSIBLE either. It takes hard work, hard praying, and making hard decisions. You can’t do it alone.... God doesn’t expect you to....God doesn’t want you to.....Don’t leave Him out of your fatherhood.

"A GOOD FATHER" Part 2

DON’T EXPECT PERFECT CHILDREN

Just like there are no perfect fathers ..there are no perfect children!

Fathers don’t expect your children to be perfect. Don’t expect them to meet all of your expectations … to fulfill all of your goals for them … to be what you want them to be.

Too many fathers try to live out their own lives through their children. They want their sons to be the football stars that they could never be. They want their daughters to marry into money and success that they never achieved.
Every child is different … they are not a clone of you.....Thank God!. It’s natural for a child to make mistakes … spill their milk … accidentally break things … do poorly on a test … get angry …
They are not perfect … like you were when you were a kid! Accept your children for who they are … whether they are clumsy or athletic … scatterbrained or brainy … shy or never shut-up … goofy or whatever they want …
Instead of constantly criticizing their imperfections, acknowledge their imperfections … and love them. They aren’t perfect … they will never be perfect … don’t expect them to be perfect.

Col. 3:21 – “Fathers, don’t make your children resentful, or they will become discouraged.”

BE A GOOD FATHER …..Don’t expect perfect children.

It’s not easy being a good father … BUT … it’s NOT IMPOSSIBLE either. It takes hard work, hard praying, and making hard decisions. You can’t do it alone.... God doesn’t expect you to....God doesn’t want you to.....Don’t leave Him out of your fatherhood.

"A GOOD FATHER" part 3

ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN

Psalm 127:3 – “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward.”

Children are given to us to enjoy.… not to be a burden … not to avoid ....not to ignore … But to enjoy! In order to enjoy them, you’ve got to be with them … have fun with them … share your life with them.
The quality of time is more important than the quantity of time.  The quantity of time you spend with them tells them how important they are to you … whether they are just an afterthought … or an inconvenience.… or a disruption in your busy schedule. Don’t just give them your leftovers.

Enjoy being a father … and make sure that they enjoy having you as their father. Spend some time on the floor with them, giving them horsy rides … take them to fun places, doing fun things … laugh … play … give them some memories of Dad being fun to be around.

 BE A GOOD FATHER …..Enjoy your children.

It’s not easy being a good father … BUT … it’s NOT IMPOSSIBLE either. It takes hard work, hard praying, and making hard decisions. You can’t do it alone.... God doesn’t expect you to....God doesn’t want you to.....Don’t leave Him out of your fatherhood.

"Surrounded by Giants"

I took this snapshot while on video call a month or so ago and had the thought hit me "Surrounded by Giants" as I looked at the grass around me.   Two months later my thought put into words. Hope you enjoy. 

Numbers 13:17-33 

The Israelites are standing at the edge of the Promised land, the land God promised to give them for their own, ready to reap the blessings and the treasures that lay in the land of Canaan. 

The 12 spies returned from exploring the land with a glowing report......the fruit was large and plenty and the land indeed “flowed with milk and honey”.  When they returned they reported that the land was just as God had promised but they observed that there were problems in the land as well.....the people were powerful, the cities    were protected and there were even giants in the land. Their observations led to negative....we can’t attack these people.....which led everyone to believe all the people are giants and for them to just forget the whole thing and go back to Egypt.  

Canaan in the Old Testament is a type of the kingdom of God, God’s rest and the peace found in His presence. The promise of the kingdom of God is given to every believer......but how often do we get right up to the edge of God’s peace, staring at the fruit of His rest, only to back away because of the giants living there. 

How many come right up to the edge of salvation, get a glimpse of the joys others express, feel the conviction of the Spirit in their hearts but pull away because the giant of the world calls louder to them.

How many come up to the edge of walking in total obedience to God, seeing the blessings of a joyful life and the rewards. But decide that the price is too costly and the time too demanding. 

It wasn’t the giants in the land that made them complain and grumble against God, neither is it the obstacles in our own Christian life that keep us from a fulfilling walk with Christ, it is the giants in the heart......the giants of unbelief, of fear and of complacency that really keep us from enjoying God’s peace and presence. 

Every Promised Land has its giants, every blessing has its challenges. When the rich man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus answered, “Keep God’s commandments and sell all you have and come follow me.” 

The blessing of eternal life was met by the challenge of getting his priorities in order. 

"A GOOD FATHER" Part 1

1. LOVE YOUR WIFE

Your children watch how you treat their mother. They watch .....and they are learning and forming their concept of marriage from YOU. You are creating a pattern for marriage with your children.
If they see you show disrespect for your wife … your son will most likely carry that into his marriage.
If you verbally or mentally or physically abuse your wife … your daughter will most likely expect that in her marriage.
If you treat your kids mom like she isn’t worth very much … you are degrading the home, the family, and marriage … which they will most likely carry into their future homes, families and marriages.

BUT … If they visibly see you show love and respect to their mother … your son will learn how to be a good husband and father himself.
If you honor your wife … your daughter will never be satisfied with a man who dishonors her.
If you cherish their mother as a valuable part of not only your life, but their life … they will carry that model with them for the rest of their lives.

Ephesians 5:28 ....... “So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;”

BE A GOOD FATHER … Love your wife!

It’s not easy being a good father … BUT … it’s NOT IMPOSSIBLE either. It takes hard work, hard praying, and making hard decisions. You can’t do it alone.... God doesn’t expect you to....God doesn’t want you to.....Don’t leave Him out of your fatherhood.