Over the years, we’ve done many different things for family devotions. But learning verses from the Book of Proverbs has been a highlight. I think Proverbs has had the biggest impact of any book of the Bible in helping my parenting and shaping our family’s character. Let me share what I’ve learned about why learning Proverbs with your kids is so helpful.
I was on a road trip with my two sons and something they said led me to share a very personal story. I went into detail about what happened, what I’d learned, and how it had such an impact on me. As I came to the end, I looked over at my sons, half-hoping to see wide-eyed expression of wonder and awe. They were both fast asleep! Communicating with children is hard. Let me share some tips from the Bible about how to speak in a way that reaches your child.
A few weeks ago, we hosted several mental health professionals for a seminar entitled, “Renewed not Defeated: How to End the Pandemic Mentally Healthier Than You Started.” As I listened to the speakers, it struck me how complex mental health is. They talked about physical factors like diet, exercise, and chemical imbalances. They talked about social factors like isolation, group involvement, and safe relationships. They talked about factors related to trauma and abuse. They talked a lot about what I’ll call wisdom factors. When we believe things that aren’t true and develop habits that are unwise, it affects our mental health. They also talked about how God can help. Let me share what I learned and how I relate.
People like William Carey and Hudson Taylor get mentioned so often in conversations about missions that you could get the impression that the spread of Christianity is just the story of European evangelistic exploits. That certainly isn’t the case. Today, Christianity is thriving in Africa while it is struggling to survive in many parts of Europe. And now there are more missionaries being sent out from South Korea, Brazil, and Nigeria than any country in Europe. I’ve been reading a book called Clouds of Witnesses that chronicles the contributions of African and Asian Christians to the church. Because Grace Baptist has been so blessed by the testimony and ministry of Zimbabweans over the years, I was intrigued to learn about Bernard Mizeki, one of the first missionaries to bring the Gospel to that nation.
