As boys and girls mature into young men and ladies, it’s important that they form the personal habit of seeking the Lord as they start each day. They can begin by having a daily routine they repeat each week, reading seven short passages during the week and repeating for several weeks. Here’s one suggestion for a weekly routine: Monday: Psalm… Read more »
Here are Bible readings our family enjoys during the Christmas season. They begin with prophecies about Jesus, continue with the story of his birth, and finish with a glorious description of the kingdom of God that Jesus brought to His people. Jeremiah 31:27-37 Isaiah 9:1-7 Isaiah 40:1-5 Isaiah 40:6-11 Isaiah 40:12-26 Isaiah 40:27-31 Isaiah 42:1-9 Isaiah 52:7-10 Isaiah 55:1-13 Isaiah… Read more »
In Van Til’s Apologetic, Greg Bahnsen seeks to distill Cornelius Van Til’s lifetime of defending biblical Christianity into a mere 700 pages or so. The apologetic method can be difficult to comprehend on first exposure. However, after wrestling with it a few chapters it becomes clear that the method is not complex but all too simple. So simple that some… Read more »
Esther Lightcap Meek challenges the ‘default’ way of knowing common to western civilization since the dawn of the Enlightenment. This default, attributed chiefly to Descartes, seeks knowledge by reasoning through various facts using laws of logic to reach conclusions that are ‘certain’. Meek shows how this is all wrong. She’s not a relativist. She maintains there is absolute truth but… Read more »
Every Christian family should have a routine time of focusing on the scripture and praying for one another. This time is commonly called “devotional” or “Family Devotions”. Some call this Family Worship or the Family Altar. Our family uses the simple term “devotion”. Quick Start You can start a daily family devotion right now with just a Bible. Daniel chapters… Read more »
The family should work together on memorizing passages of scripture. You can memorize sections of scripture up to a chapter or more in length by simply taking a verse at a time. Memorize a phrase or sentence, making sure not to start the next phrase until everyone has the current phrase well memorized. Before going on, be blessed and motivated… Read more »
After a period of study and discussion, the family should pray. Dad should begin by thanking God for what was just studied and learned and asking Him to enable the family to faithfully fulfill what’s been learned. Then various petitions can be made. These can be for needs mentioned in church the week before, for personal family needs, and other… Read more »
With regular Bible reading as the centerpiece, other resources can be used to draw together Biblical ideas. Study topics in Proverbs such as ‘money’, ‘anger’, or ‘joy’. Or take a few days to cover specific issues your family may be facing such as ‘vocation’ when changing jobs, ‘baptism‘ when someone in the family first understands and embraces the gospel, or… Read more »
Studying God’s Word is the core of your family’s daily devotional. Knowing His Word leads to knowing His character and will. This in turn properly motivates our prayers and songs. You should focus on reading directly from the Bible using a good translation such as the NASB, ESV, or NKJV. This forms the core of your reading, though you may… Read more »
It seems there’s always something to worry about. Overcoming worry and paralyzing fear is a struggle for most people – very few seem truly carefree and optimistic about the future. Yet Christians have a most secure future so should be the happiest people on earth. How can we live this life of “Blessed Assurance” that Christ has won for us?… Read more »
