One of the lessons I had to learn as a parent was that my children wouldn’t simply catch Christian faith like they seemed to catch everything else as they were growing up. I had to be intentional about speaking with them about developing their appreciation for God’s love in Jesus Christ and understanding the importance of embracing it as they were able. Even as a pastor, while I had assumed that growing up in a preacher’s home would be enough, I came to discover that my responsibility as a parent meant engaging them in positive conversations about why faith is important and the difference it makes in life. Fortunately, my children listened and responded, and to this day they are both very much committed to following Jesus. Now that I have grandchildren, I see my responsibility to help them in an even more important way.

“The Branch from Jesse - Christ’s Birth and Peace are Foretold”

“The Fear of the Lord”

“Standing Firm in Your Faith”

Overview of Isaiah 6-12

“The Song of the Vineyard”

This weekend is Labor Day weekend, a time when we pause to reflect upon the value of our work.  I always thought it was ironic that we celebrate Labor Day by engaging in acts of leisure.  You might think that such a celebration would involve more work, but in truth we humans work so that we can have more time for things that give us true rest.

“The Day of the LORD”

“The Mountain of the LORD