Vbs - LifeWay

follows: “And fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training
and instruction of the Lord”?
As I remember my own successes and failures as a parent, I often think how exasperated
our heavenly Father must get with the attitudes exhibited by those called to be the bride of
Christ. The church stands at a chasm that unfortunately is getting wider in many places.
The gulf is that we are not relating to people without Christ in a manner that would compel
them to trust in Christ. Too often the church is perceived as condescending, judgmental
and self-righteous. We act like that parent who demands conformity and obedience
“because I said so,” without looking deeper to the root of the problem, without ministering
to the profound needs and pain.
In the following pages of Facts & Trends is research that reveals a part of the chasm. The
course our culture is taking is toward greater acceptance of homosexuality. While the
majority of evangelical believers understand that homosexuality is a sin, the American
public is evenly split on the issue, and
“Too often the church is perceived as many would not come to a church that
condescending, judgmental and preached homosexuality as a sin.
self-righteous. We act like that
Yes, there are absolutes. We must ask
ourselves, however, what our response
parent who demands conformity and should be. Will we defiantly stamp our
obedience ‘because I said so …’” foot and angrily proclaim judgment
“because God said so”? Or will we learn
— Thom S. Rainer
to love as Christ loves us, giving ourselves
sacrificially to those in need without a
Savior? The church must learn that redemptive love is much more effective than statements of
judgment, which in turn produces disdain from the unbeliever. In other words, the “training
and instruction of the Lord” will come much easier without provocation to anger.
I know that when my boys become fathers they will commit to parent their children in a
Christlike manner. I hope the positive lessons – and even the admonitions – they received from
me will strengthen them in the way they love their own children. I know that is what God desires.
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1).
In His service,
We recommend
• Parenting from Your
Strengths by Rodney
Cox and Eric Tooker
• The Same Sex
Controversy by Jeffery
Niell and James White
These and other
resources are
available through
customer service at
www.lifeway.com and
(800) 458-2772
and from LifeWay
Christian Stores at
www.lifewaystores.com
and (800) 233-1123.
September/October 2008
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