Godly discipline allows children to please parents. It fits the punishment to the crime. Children come to understand cause and effect, sowing and reaping. Big crime gets a big punishment; little crime receives a little punishment. With abuse, punishment is arbitrary and often unfair, but Godly discipline distinguishes between a mistake and a deliberate sin. Or… Read More
Growing good citizens
I am God—yes, I Am. I haven’t changed… Malachi 3:6 (The Message) God has given us laws to live by; we know what they are. And we know we’re going to mess up. He has a plan in place for that as well: love, grace, and mercy. His people know exactly where they stand with… Read More
Parental discipline instills power and expertise
We are born with little power or expertise—we depend on those around us for everything. As we grow, we internalize and identify with how things are done, and we develop coping mechanisms based on our experiences. The power a child needs as he grows into adulthood comes from his early identification with authority. Were his… Read More
Blueprint for character building
A blueprint is a detailed plan. Building a house without one is risky if you want it to last for any length of time and withstand weather or natural disasters. You need to follow rules of design that build strength in all the right places so rain won’t come through the roof and strong winds… Read More
What shapes the inner you?
You may have heard the old saying, “You are what you eat.” What shapes your body? The way you eat, drink, sleep, exercise, heal, and live. Whether you work at it or ignore it, your body shows the effects. The inner you also shows the effects of the attention it receives. What shapes the inner… Read More
Let love out of the box
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13 (NLT) Live in freedom—use… Read More
We always need love
The need for love doesn’t just disappear when we reach adulthood. It is at the center of our emotional desires. We are made in God’s image, and his love is poured out all over us. But because we have boxed in love and developed incomplete and sometimes unhealthy definitions of it, it can be hard… Read More
