Christian Home and Family :: Christian Home and Family

Some time ago (almost 4 months ago , can you believe it?) I told you that I was going to be taking a break from blogging, podcasting – the whole nine yards. I told you that I needed to take a break to make sure that I was keeping my priorities straight.

Thanks for your patience.

I’m writing to today to let you know that my rest break is over and the CHAF min istry will be moving forward in the weeks to come…

It was a great break, and the LORD used it to help me rethink my understanding of His purpose for this ministry. The main thing that is on my heart is this…

My ultimate goal is to equip you, in any way I can, to build a legacy of lasting faith in your family, for generations to come.

I’m passionate about that for you, because I’m passionate about it for my own family.

I now bear the title, “Grand-pop.” Our first grandson, Wyatt, was born in June of 2013. The reality of what generational faithfulness means, is coming home to me in a big way. I desperately want to see genuine Christian faith passed along in my own family. From me and my wife, to our children, to their children, and on, and on. It’s vital. It’s the the main way that God intends faith to be passed along. I want it for my family, and I want it for yours.

But its’ an overwhelming goal in many ways. It’s like trying to eat an elephant. How can it possibly be done, and where should I begin? Those are very real questions, but the LORD has been faithful. He’s given me a perspective on how to approach it. I’m narrowing my focus to aim at 3 very distinct and specific areas. Here’s the three areas, and what they mean to me…

CHRISTIAN

I firmly believe that healthy homes begin with healthy individuals, and it’s the parents’ health that matters most. Parents, you have to be radically, passionately, forever-sold-out to Jesus if you expect your kids to be that way in years to come. They need to see the authenticity of your faith before it’s going to be appealing to them. I see that challenge in my own family. It’s a singular area of focus that I have to be conscious of daily.

With that in mind, I’m going to be focusing my efforts on helping you parents walk alongside me, as we get our spiritual lives on track and thriving. Toward that end, I’m going to be ramping up my production of resources to help you get on track. The first resource is already completed – my book “RECHARGE.” (ebook and paperback) It’s a short but powerful book aimed at helping you develop methods and mindsets that will take you to a place of intimacy with the LORD, and stay there.

Don’t take your relationship with the LORD lightly, parents. Too much is riding on it. Take the challenge to get off your duff and walk closely to the LORD. He’s promised, if you seek Him, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).

HOME

After you, the parents, are on track in your relationship with the LORD, comes your home… and the foundational relationship within your home is your marriage. If your marriage is not modeled after God’s pattern for the marriage relationship, you are going to have a very hard time creating an atmosphere in your home that honors Christ. That’s because your relationship with each other is supposed to mirror God’s relationship with His people (Ephesians 5:22-32). It’s a symbol, an image of the kind of interaction and love God desires to have with His own.

Toward that end, I’m working to provide resources to help you take your marriage relationship to a new, Christ-filled level. I’ve already produced my Marriage Improvement Project book, (ebook & paperback) and also do marriage intensive counseling for those in need. But in weeks and months to come I’ll be rolling out some more articles on the blog, and additional resources to help you improve your marriage. I am hoping that some of those resources will be unique events, designed for couples who are eager to see their marriage become the best example of Christ’s love for his bride that it can be. I’m already hosting the “Understanding Way Weekend” for Christian husbands. You can find out more about that event here.

FAMILY

Here’s where we get to the main concern on many parents’ hearts – their children. Most Christian parents want to see their children walking faithfully through life in a way that honors and exalts Jesus Christ. But that kind of legacy is built upon the efforts of the two previous areas. So, if you’re looking for parenting help, I am providing it bit at a time, but you need to know that your first order of business is to get the previous two areas on track.

That doesn’t mean I’m not working on resources in this area. My plan at this point is to continue blog articles aimed at parents, to help you develop the mindset and methods that can help you raise your children in a practical, Christ-honoring way. In time, I’ll be producing a book on the subject of Christian parenting, with my wife’s tremendous input. You can pray for us, that we’ll be sensitive to the LORD’s lead on that project and know better how to proceed.

One other idea we’ve had, which is an item of prayer, are practical events for Christian parents, aimed at helping them apply the wisdom of God’s word directly to the parenting situations they face. For now, we are referring to these as “Christian parenting intensives,” which could be done 2 on 2, or in a group context. We’re also considering day-long seminars where 8 to 10 couples come together to learn God’s principles for life and parenting with integrated discussions regarding how those principles relate to the real-life situations parents face in our world.

HOW IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN

In terms of how I’m going to go about all this, here are my current thoughts:

The podcast will be back on the air soon… but with a slightly different format on many of the episodes. I’m expecting to do video recordings, to post on the blog, and take the audio from those videos to publish as the podcast. Most of the time, these will be in bite-sized chunks, tips and powerful truths from the scriptures you can meditate on and consume quickly. But there will also be occasions where I feature a guest interview or do some extended teaching as I have in the past.
The blog is resuming, with articles expected at least twice a week (in addition to the podcast episodes). I’ll continue to cover the three topics mentioned above, with a stronger focus on how the three areas fit together to create a lasting legacy of faithfulness to Christ in the family.
Videos are part of my strategy toward the future. More and more people are turning to video for the information they need, and I want to be there to help those who are looking for Christian family oriented resources. I’ll be posting more often to YouTube as well as featuring those videos here on the website. In time, I’ll be able to compile many of those resources into products that families or church groups can use in a concentrated way. You can pray for me as I begin learning the technological things need to make the videos helpful, good quality, and effective.
More books are on the way. The LORD has impressed on my heart that I’m to maximize my teaching and writing gifts in the calling He’s given me to equip you for a lasting legacy of faith. So I’ll be formatting some of my teaching from years gone by into books, and creating new ones to help you navigate family life in the crazy world in which we live. I’ve already completed one work of Christian fiction, soon to be released. It’s a novel for young adults and adults, aimed at using the power of story to communicate timeless, Christ-centered truths about faith and life.

And, I’m sure, the LORD will lead me into additional things…

to help you maximize His calling on your life and the work His Spirit desires to complete in you. I’d love to get your feedback… and to know how I can help you. You matter to me, because God’s work through you and your family matter.

Have you caught the vision?

Do you realize that God’s ideal is for your family to honor Him for generations?
Do you recognize that nothing short of a radical commitment to His truth, applied in your life, is going to make that possible?
Do you know, that His Spirit will empower you to make it happen as you are faithful to live in obedience to Him, one step at a time?

So much is at stake, and you and I have the great honor to partner with the LORD in seeing it come about. He will do it through us, as we do our part to draw near to Him and work alongside Him.

I’d love to know how this idea strikes you.