Daily Archives: May 11, 2014

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Teaching Children to Focus on God

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 Charles Stanley

Listening to God is one of the most important skills we can ever acquire. When believers know how to hear Him, they become much less vulnerable to temptation. Early childhood is the ideal time for someone to learn how to focus on the Lord. If children don’t start this training as kids, it becomes more difficult as they go into their teen and young adult years.

Here are some practical ways to train your children to focus on God, an important step in learning to hear His voice.

Preschool Children

Encourage preschoolers to pray throughout the day. This will set a pattern of daily communication with the Lord. But because their attention spans are short—usually just one minute per year of life—guide them toward short prayers of gratitude. For example:

“Thank You, God, for the pretty flowers.”
“Thank You, God, for the yummy ice cream cone!”
“Thank You, God, for our family.”

Prayers like these lay a foundation of thankfulness to God as the wonderful Creator of good things. Philippians 4:6 reminds us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (emphasis added). You will find that most preschoolers love to express thanks to God.

Find a good Bible geared to preschoolers, and read it to your children regularly. Kids love listening to stories and looking at pictures from an age-appropriate, well-written Bible storybook. For ages 1-3, try The Beginner’s Bible, and for older pre-schoolers, try The Jesus Storybook Bible. Once your children are past the book-tearing phase, you can let them look at the pictures and “read” the Bible on their own. A good children’s Bible will help them develop a love for God’s Word.

 

Elementary Students

Elementary school kids should also have their own copy of the Scriptures. Look for a children’s Bible in an easy-to-comprehend translation designed for elementary students. (NIV Adventure Bible is a great resource.) Even before children become Christians, they can read the Word and ask God to help them understand it. You may want to guide your children to passages with clear application so they don’t get bogged down in difficult sections of Scripture.

Give them their own prayer journals. Then encourage them to ask God to help them understand a particular Bible passage and how to apply it to their lives. Have them write down anything God reveals. (But don’t expect too much—early
elementary students might write just one to three sentences.)

When you pray with your child before bed, get on your knees with them. (Also let them “catch” you on your knees in prayer during your times alone with God.) Kneeling helps us concentrate on Him and hear Him better, and is one way we can demonstrate humility before the Lord.

Encourage kids to write down some of their prayers. Have them begin with simply keeping a list of requests and the ways God answers. As children mature, you can encourage them to write out their prayers as letters to the Lord.

Last, don’t forget to pray for your children as they begin the life-long journey of listening to God’s voice. It’s not always easy to focus on the Father’s message to us, but it is definitely worth the effort!

Related Resources

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Mom’s Finish Line

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Our Daily Bread

2 Timothy 4:1-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. —2 Timothy 4:7

When Jeff learned that his mother’s health was rapidly declining, he immediately caught a plane to be with her. He sat at her bedside holding her hand, singing hymns, comforting her, and expressing his love for her. She passed away, and at her funeral many told Jeff what a blessing his mother had been. She was gifted in Bible teaching, counseling others, and leading prayer groups. These were vital parts of serving Christ until near the end of her life. She finished strong for Christ.

To honor his mother’s life, Jeff participated in a 26.5 mile race. During the race he thanked God for her life and grieved her loss. When he crossed the finish line, Jeff pointed his index finger toward heaven—“Where Mom is,” he said. She had honored Christ to the end, which reminded him of the words of the apostle Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord . . . will give to me on that Day” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

We are involved in a “long-distance race.” Let’s run in such a way that we may obtain the prize of “an imperishable crown” (1 Cor. 9:25). What could be more desirable than to finish strong for Christ and to be with Him forever. —Dennis Fisher

Run the straight race through God’s good grace,

Lift up your eyes and seek His face;

Life with its way before us lies,

Christ is the path and Christ the prize. —Monsell

The Christian’s race is not a sprint—it’s a marathon.

Bible in a year: 2 Kings 13-14; John 2

Insight

Second Timothy is Paul’s final letter, written from a Roman prison where he was awaiting execution (see 4:6). Taking the total sweep of this chapter, we find three distinct sections in what is regarded as Paul’s last words. In verses 1-5, the apostle challenges and urges his young protégé, Timothy, to be faithful in carrying out the calling he has received—particularly the ministry of the Word. In verses 6-8, Paul gives his own testimony of service to Christ and his readiness to see the Savior. The bulk of the remaining verses (vv.9-18) deals with people who have disappointed Paul and how he has responded to that disappointment.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Be of Courageous Spirit

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Alistair Begg

Only be strong and very courageous. Joshua 1:7

The tender love of God for His servants makes Him concerned for how they feel inside. He wants them to be courageous. Some people think it is okay for a believer to be vexed with doubts and fears, but God does not think so. From this text it is clear that our Master does not want us entangled with fears. He desires for us to live without fretfulness, doubt, and cowardice. Our Master does not think as lightly of our unbelief as we do. When we are despondent, we are subject to a grievous ailment that is not to be trifled with but instead taken at once to the beloved Physician.

Our Lord does not like to see our faces sad. It was a law of Ahasuerus that no one should come into the king’s court dressed in mourning: This is not the law of the King of kings, for we may come to Him in mourning. But He still would have us put off the spirit of heaviness and put on the garment of praise, for there are so many reasons to rejoice. The Christian ought to be of a courageous spirit, in order that the Lord may be glorified when trials are bravely endured.

The fearful and fainthearted dishonor their God. Besides, what a bad example it is. This disease of doubtfulness and discouragement is an epidemic that spreads quickly among the Lord’s flock. One downcast believer makes twenty souls sad.

Moreover, unless your courage is kept up, Satan will be too much for you. Let your spirit be joyful in God your Savior; the joy of the Lord shall be your strength, and no fiend of hell shall make headway against you. But cowardice lets the banner fall. Moreover, work is easy for the cheerful spirit; and success waits upon cheerfulness. The workers, rejoicing in their God, believing with all their heart, have success guaranteed.

To sow in hope will be to reap in joy; therefore, dear reader, “be strong and very courageous.”

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth For Life with written permission.

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The family reading plan for May 11, 2014 * Isaiah 9:7-21 , 10:1-4 * James 3

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Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The form of sound words

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CharlesSpurgeon

“Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:13

Suggested Further Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-7, 20-25

Let me exhort you, as much as lies in you, to give your children sound instruction in the great doctrines of the gospel of Christ. I believe that what Irving once said is a great truth. He said, “In these modern times you boast and glory, and you think yourselves to be in a high and noble condition, because you have your Sabbath-schools and British-schools, and all kinds of schools for teaching youth. I tell you,” he said, “that philanthropic and great as these are, they are the ensigns of your disgrace; they show that your land is not a land where parents teach children at home. They show you there is a want of parental instruction; and though they be blessed things, these Sabbath-schools, they are indications of something wrong, for if we all taught our children there would be no need of strangers to say to our children ‘Know the Lord.’” I trust you will never give up that excellent puritanical habit of catechising your children at home. Any father or mother who entirely gives up a child to the teaching of another has made a mistake. There is no teacher who wishes to absolve a parent from what he ought to do himself. He is an assistant, but he was never intended to be a substitute. Teach your children; bring out your old catechisms again, for they are, after all, blessed means of instruction, and the next generation shall outstrip those that have gone before it; for the reason why many of you are weak in the faith is this, you did not receive instruction in your youth in the great things of the gospel of Christ. If you had, you would have been so grounded, and settled, and firm in the faith, that nothing could by any means have moved you.

For meditation: Faithful teaching from his mother and grandmother had prepared Timothy for his further education from the apostle Paul (Acts 16:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:5, 3:14-15).

Sermon no. 79

11 May (1856)

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Leading Others to Christ

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John MacArthur

The twelve apostles included “Andrew” (Matt. 10:2).

Andrew was Peter’s brother and a native of Bethsaida of Galilee. From the very start we see him leading people to Christ–beginning with his own brother.

The gospel of John records his first encounter with Jesus: “John [the Baptist] was standing with two of his disciples (Andrew and John), and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. . . . One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He found first his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which translated means Christ). He brought him to Jesus” (John 1:35-37, 40-42). Later Jesus called both Andrew and Peter to become His disciples, and they immediately left their fishing nets to follow Him (Matt. 4:20).

Our next glimpse of Andrew is in John 6:8-9. It was late in the day and thousands of people who were following Jesus were beginning to get hungry, but there wasn’t enough food to feed them. Then Andrew brought to Jesus a young boy with five barley loaves and two fish. From that small lunch Jesus created enough food to feed the entire crowd!

Andrew also appears in John 12:20-22, which tells of some Greeks who were traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. They came to Philip and requested to see Jesus. Philip took them to Andrew, who apparently took them to Jesus.

Andrew didn’t always know how Jesus would deal with a particular person or situation, but he kept right on bringing them to Him anyway. That’s a characteristic every believer should have. Your spiritual gifts might differ from others, but your common goal is to make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20), and that begins with leading sinners to Christ. Make that your priority today!

Suggestions for Prayer: When was the last time you told an unbeliever about Jesus? Pray for an opportunity to do so soon.

For Further Study: Do you know how to present the gospel clearly and accurately? As a review read Romans 3:19-28, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Ephesians 2:8-10, and Titus 3:4-7.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Child of God

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ppt_seal01

Often it’s easy to recognize parents in their children, both in the way they look and in the way they act. If you believe in Jesus, you are a child of God. You may not sport a beard or robe, but every day you should strive to copy Christ in your behavior.

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

I John 3:3

Preceding today’s passage is the teaching: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (I John 3:1) People don’t recognize Christians when they don’t recognize Jesus, though God’s children are easy to spot; those who hope in the Lord will live pure lives and not entangle themselves in sin.

Do you ever feel like the odd man out at work or in a social situation because of your values? It’s only to be expected. “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” (I John 3:13) Stand strong. Don’t be ashamed of who you are in Christ. Ask God to open the eyes of the people around you – and of this nation – to who Jesus is, and why they should know Him.

Recommended Reading: John 15:18-27