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Category Archives: Marriage and Family
A Life That Means Something (MS.)
I just want my life to mean something. Ever feel like that? People usually young adults who are just setting out but sometimes middle-aged adults who feel like they have been missing out – have said that kind of thing to me.
I’ve watched as they try to give their life meaning through their experiences, as if having a meaningful experience would make them meaningful. They volunteer at a food pantry, or go on a mission trip, or enroll in Teach for America. Other people try to add something exciting to life, like jumping out of an airplane (for example). And some take on strenuous, test-your-limits pursuits – they join the Marine Corps or go in for an extreme fitness regimen.
Then they wait for meaning to come pouring into their lives. It’s as if they think of their life as an empty vessel which, when they tap into the right thing, will be filled with meaning.
From my observations, the person who says, “I want my life to mean something” is proceeding from a false position; a wrong assumption. His or her life already means something. Everyone’s life means something because God meant them – he made them for a purpose. But that meaning is, at least in part, a significant– sign-ificant – meaning; the kind of meaning a sign possesses. Continue reading
Posted in From the Pulpit, Marriage and Family, Sermons, Spiritual life
Tagged Deuteronomy 6, imago dei, meaningfulness, positive child training
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So Much for June Cleaver: Mother’s Day 2020
I once thought of Mother’s Day as an innocuous, greeting card kind of holiday. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate moms? Just the fact that she went through labor giving birth to us is cause enough to say thanks. She fed us countless meals, clothed us, put cold washcloths on our foreheads when we had a fever, and laid awake at night when we were out late as teenagers. Everybody ought to celebrate moms.
Then I got to know people – not one but many – who had a mom that did not always see that they were fed, whose five-year-old had to pick out her own clothes and get her own breakfast. Moms who either were not home to put cold washcloths on foreheads or were not sober. Moms who didn’t give their teenagers a thought, except when they were angry.
Then there are the women who ached to be a mom but were not able. Mother’s Day is an annual reminder of what they were denied. Not everyone wants to celebrate moms.
Even moms might not feel like celebrating Mother’s Day. If celebrating requires energy, mom may need to decline. Energy, like bandwidth, is in limited supply. If mom uses too much, she may start buffering and then freeze up altogether. Continue reading
Posted in Marriage and Family, relationships
Tagged Debbie Farmer, June Cleaver, Mother's Day
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Take Advantage of Second-Chance Opportunties
I wonder what the failure rate of Jesus’s people is? My guess would be 100%. The question is not whether we will fail but what we’ll do after we’ve failed. Because of God’s grace, there is an “after.” Continue reading
Posted in From the Pulpit, Marriage and Family, Sermons
Tagged Failure, Peter denies Christ
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Key # 2: No Turnovers (listening time: 22:19)
http://lockwoodchurch.org/media Families can allow “turnovers” – losses of opportunities that take away their chance of achieving something for God. In this sermon, we learn five causes for “turnovers”: when we get lazy; when we’re just going through the motions; when … Continue reading
The Tricky Thing About Mother’s Day
They come to church with a feeling of rejection and failure, and the Mother’s Day tribute only serves to increase their pain. Continue reading
Love a Spouse Can Trust
Larry King didn’t need wives. He needed tropical fish. He needed something pretty that didn’t talk back, didn’t demand his attention. Continue reading
Posted in Marriage and Family, relationships, Spiritual life
Tagged successful marriage, Valentine's Day
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How to Talk with a Child about Death
Every time a celebrity dies unexpectedly, the news and entertainment industry nearly overwhelms us with coverage. If the celebrity dies by his or her own hand, the news-storm stalls out and rains reports and rumors on us for weeks. Among … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Marriage and Family
Tagged children and grief, talking to children about death
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Lost on Us: Another Thing We Should Be Learning from #Me Too
A powerful deity has been added to the pantheon of gods. It is as if a star has appeared in the heavens to guide its worshipers through the maze of modern-day life. Though relatively new to the world stage, this … Continue reading
The King of the Castle?
I just finished a short series titled, “The King of the Castle.” The king is not husband/dad but Jesus the Lord. How do we seek (and experience) the kingdom of God in our homes? The first message in the series … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Faith, Marriage and Family, Peace with God
Tagged joy, Kevin Looper, kingdom of God, peace, righteousness, Romans 14:17-19, St. Augustine, stumbling blocks
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The Key to the Good Life
The good life is all about good relationships. Our most serious problems and our greatest accomplishments involve relationships. Studies have repeatedly shown that good relationships contribute more to happiness than success, and bad relationships contribute more to unhappiness than failure. … Continue reading