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The very first command God gave humanity was, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen 1:28).  This command is the reason I believe the Fall of Adam and Eve into sin in Genesis 3 happened very quickly after they were created.  Maybe no more than a day or two.  For surely in their state of Purity, they would have delighted in obeying God's first command!  But no children are mentioned until after the Fall.

 

But I digress.

I write this blog as a Dad of two amazing daughters.  My wife is the best mother I have ever known.  We're thrilled to be parents and have found it deeply sanctifying and satisfying.  But we also experienced the pain of a medical condition forcing a surgery which ended our ability to have more biological children.  So, please know that I am in no way condemning every couple who has not had a child.  Nor am I trying to say every couple must have x number of children to be holy.  All children are gifts of God and family size is no measure of true holiness!  I realize there are legitimate reasons for childlessness, such as a call to single-hood or medical / health conditions.  My heart is with those of you who want children but cannot have them (at least biologically).  And I would ask you to prayerfully consider adoption, if you find yourself in such a boat.

All that said, the dilemma or disaster being faced by America today is childlessness.  Intentional childlessness.  By married couples.  Not only is this a sad commentary on our hearts as it relates to God's command, but it is also heading us toward disaster as a nation and culture.  We are not multiplying.  We are subtracting!  Our view of marriage and family and children is plunging us over the cliff of our own making.

Rather than try to regurgitate what very capable researchers are discovering, I invite you to explore this subject further by clicking this Link.

 

 

 

 

As a Pastor, I really do try hard not to publicly endorse any specific candidates, nor publicly denounce any specific candidates for political office.  No church I have ever been a part of has ever held a political rally in its sanctuary, nor invited a candidate to climb into the pulpit.  I find American Christians typically fall into one of two camps regarding these matters:

• Avoid anything remotely political at all costs, or . . .
• Go politically hog-wild to the point of near-idolatry.

I witnessed the first attitude last month at a conference sponsored by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.  After a tremendous sermon by Dr. Russell Moore (President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC), we got to witness personal interviews with two presidential candidates - Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush.  Hillary Clinton was invited but turned the opportunity down.  Mr. Rubio was streamed in via internet, while Mr. Bush was there in person to answer questions from Dr. Moore.  My wife later over-heard a middle-aged woman on the phone complaining that the conference got "too political" so she walked out on it.  The sad part of it all is that the lady obviously had missed the whole point of Dr. Moore's sermon.  He was showing us from the Bible that we can never place our hope and trust in any government, but at the same time we should engage in the process to do all we can to ensure leaders of character are elected.  We must use these freedoms while we have them, dear Christians!  We can dialogue and protest peacefully and write letters and post blogs and call elected officials and publicly debate and the list goes on.  Christians can and should be involved in the political process to do our best to ensure we can live at peace and continue to freely proclaim the gospel of Christ (1 Tim 2:1-4).

I witness the second attitude almost daily.  I see friends and family and Christians pouring far greater time and energy into getting someone elected or debating every issue on the political agenda than they do sharing the good news of salvation by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  It's sad.  It makes me wonder where their faith really is?  Do we Christians really think the ultimate answer to our nation's woes is in an elected official?  A President?  A Congressman or woman?  A party platform?  Do we think America is ultimate?  If believers spent as much time, money and energy spreading the gospel as they do stumping for parties and candidates, not to mention bickering over temporal matters, the empty church buildings all over this land might fill up once again!  We must return to seeking God's kingdom and righteousness first, foremost, and always.  Our loyalty is only to One Eternal King ruling over One Eternal Kingdom.  As Dr. Moore said so well in the sermon mentioned previously, "We Christians are Americans best when we are not Americans first."  Amen.  Far too many believers seem more devoted to the US Constitution than they are to the Bible.

God help us find the balance.

Now, with all that said, I want to urge any readers who are followers of Jesus to stop and seriously ponder who they are stumping for in the Presidential election and why.  I am growing very concerned at the number of professing Christians who are stumping for a candidate who may very well know economics, but has also said it has never even occurred to him to ask forgiveness from God!  His friends say he never says, "I'm sorry."  His rhetoric is mean-spirited and obnoxious.  Rather than "Walk softly and carry a big stick" he prefers to "Stomp around and insult everyone."  Christians, read your Bibles.  Character matters most in leaders.  And in the Bible, a nation's collapse is nearly always associated with prideful, haughty, stubborn leadership.  Economy follows character.  

So rather than vote your pocketbooks, which belong to God anyway dear brothers and sisters, ask yourselves which candidate(s) displays true, Christ-like character.  In which candidate(s) do you see fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control?  Which candidate is likely to show aptitude for promoting the good and discouraging the evil, in accordance with God's design (Rom 13:1-7)?  What standard is the candidate(s) using to define good and evil?

Yes, I know a President is not a Pastor, nor is a President leading a church or The Church.  But when it comes to leadership, wherever it is found, character matters most.  I dare say our American economy and culture is collapsing and will continue to do so not because of economic policies in and of themselves, but because of corrupt character.  The policies, after all, were enacted out of principles, whether good or evil.  And principles are derived from human hearts and minds.

Vote character.  For God's glory and the good of our nation.

"The Most High is Ruler over the realm of mankind, and He bestows it on whom He wishes . . . I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation" (Daniel 4:17, 34).

 

This week a video was released showing a lunchtime conversation with a high executive at Planned Parenthood.  In the video, she discusses the harvesting and subsequent sale of aborted babies' internal organs.  She does this as she sips wine and nibbles at lunch.

The outrage has been quick and loud, as it should be!  I'm actually thankful God has used this video to further expose the depravity and evil of so many of those involved in America's ongoing, taxpayer-funded holocaust.

But there is an irony the size of the State of Alaska here.  Our outrage over the organs being sold, well, it comes a bit late, don't you think?  While I am sickened by the very thought of such a human organ harvesting business, I believe my outrage should be directed FIRST at the murder of that precious baby!  We would not be having this discussion about organ auctions at all if we did not allow human infants to have their tiny, beautiful heads "carefully"crushed.

Americans, where's the outrage?  When will we as American Christians finally be outraged enough at baby murder that we:

• Donate sacrificially to pro-life causes.
• Refuse to cast one more vote for anyone not standing in absolute defiance against abortion.
• Write, call, and meet with elected officials, insisting non-stop that they end this judicial tyranny of infanticide foisted on our country.
• Volunteer at local pro-life pregnancy centers.
• Join volunteers who witness on sidewalks outside abortion clinics, and beg mothers to re-consider.
• Refuse to financially support businesses and organizations who fund Planned Parenthood (no matter how valuable their work may appear, such as the Susan Koman Foundation and Girl Scouts of America).
• Love mothers wounded by an abortion enough to show gospel mercy and care for their bodies and souls.

When?

Please take 8 minutes to view this speech by a U.S. Senator from Oklahoma.  May God increase his tribe!

 

When it comes to sex, is God a "cosmic killjoy?" You might be surprised by the answer. Click to watch the thought-provoking video below.

Sex is amazing gift from God. As the creator, He is the one who made sex and it is right for us to praise Him for it. He also has given us boundaries and rules regarding sex ,but this is for our good. God is not a killjoy, in fact following his commandments and trusting in Him will actually lead to joy.

Thanks to Bruce Jenner's recent public "transformation," it seems transgenderism is front and center in American pop-culture.  A missionary friend of mine who works primarily in New England sent me a picture this week of a transgender bathroom sign in Boston.  He called it "a sign of the times."

Indeed.  A "sign."  Of our sinful depravity which we now celebrate, embrace, promote, flaunt and force upon everyone, everywhere.  While the world is being terrorized by radical Islamists, and our cities are ablaze with violent crime, our State Department is busy trying to force the LGBT agenda on the rest of the world, especially "backwards"Africa and Asia.  But America is the Nation going backwards.  And downwards.

I believe the Church of Jesus Christ is called to extend kindness and love to every person, including those suffering from the sinful delusion called "gender confusion."  I want to state that up front.  There is no justification for mistreating a transgendered person, or a person who expresses confusion in these matters.  They are a human, made in God's image, like me.  They are a depraved sinner, like me.  They have no hope of heaven apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ, like me.  They need to repent of their sin and trust Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, like me. They need to learn as believers in Jesus to fight sin and temptations to sin by the power of His Spirit and Word, like me.  They may not share the same sins and temptations, but they are no less or more in need of the saving love of Jesus than I am.  So, in many ways, we are the same.  To say it again, in the most important ways, we are the same.

That said, a genuine love for a person who is transgendered or gender-confused, must constrain us to tell the person the things I just said above!  It is not loving of a doctor who knows the disease and the cure to withhold that information from a dying patient.  It is hateful.  Despicable.  A crime!

And the transgendered community, and those experiencing gender confusion, are dying.  Consider a recently published, long-term study of this community in Sweden here.  In brief, the researchers found that those who had undergone sex-change surgery were now:

• 20 times more likely to commit suicide.
• 5 times more likely to attempt suicide.
• 3 times more like to require psychiatric hospitalization.

Does this look like a picture of health and happiness?  Did changing "sex" fulfill these people?  You see, this thing called "transgenderism" is merely another manifestation, or symptom, of the true human condition - sin.  Jesus said we do what we do and say what we say and think what we think because of resident evil - sinful hearts, minds, and wills (Mark 7:14-23).  Denying or ignoring or rejecting God's creative design of humans as distinctly "male and female" (Genesis 1:27) will never give us joy and fulfillment in life.  We sinners are always looking for joy and satisfaction and love in all the wrong places.

Long-time Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Paul McHugh said this:

“At the heart of the problem is confusion over the nature of the transgendered. ‘Sex change’ is biologically impossible. People who undergo sex-reassignment surgery do not change from men to women or vice versa. Rather, they become feminized men or masculinized women. Claiming that this is a civil-rights matter and encouraging surgical intervention is in reality to collaborate with and promote a mental disorder.”

McHugh went on to say that America is supporting a "psychiatric misadventure."

"A woman shall not wear a man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 22:5).  

God minces no words.  His will and Law in this matter are clear.  But take heart!  There is hope for all us "abominations."

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us - for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree' - in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:13-14).

Stop looking for joy and fulfillment in your gender, in your confused mind, in your friends and family, in your bank account, in your appearance, and in your surgical alterations.  Look to Jesus, the Man of all men, who came to set both male and female free in the deepest parts of our souls (Gal 3:28).  Jesus can free us, even from the sin of gender-confusion, sex re-assignment, and mass perversion.

O transgendered sinner, repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!  

I hardly recognize the country I served honorably as a United States Marine (1995-2000).  I hardly recognize the military of my beloved country, for that matter!  What in the world is going on?

A few weeks ago, Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana made some comments to reporters concerning their view of family and children.  These two designers are openly practicing the homosexual lifestyle and were once a couple.  Yet, they went on record supporting the traditional family (a dad and mom present in the home) as being best for children.  Gasp!  And they do not support gay couples adopting children.  Double gasp!!  Read more Here.

Where did they get such a notion?  Well, probably not from the Bible, but perhaps from some common sense backed by lots of sociological research.  Maybe they actually listened to some adults who were raised by gay couples who are now daring to speak out, as detailed Here.

But more shocking than Dolce & Gabbana's conservative views on family was the violent backlash among Hollywood elites, like Elton John.  The name-calling and hateful insults back and forth has been hard to watch, as I do not think either Dolce or Elton or any person should be treated so unkindly.

The Family Research Council's Tony Perkins summed up the debacle well in his "Washington Update" email: "When it comes right down to it, there's nothing more threatening to the homosexual political movement than homosexual people who tell the truth."  

Meanwhile, back in the Good Ole US of A, another couple seeking "gay marriage" in Ohio has decided to try and ruin a local business that dared to refuse to video their "wedding."  Rather than simply seek another business to meet their desires, this couple decided to go on CNN to kick-off their campaign to destroy a local businesswomen who has been nothing but respectful to them.  Read more Here.

And now in my home State of Indiana, a Freedom of Religion Law was passed that went no further than previous federal laws signed by former President Bill Clinton.  And our law is no different in essence than those of 19 other states.  But for reasons known only to sharks who love the scent of blood in the water, the backlash against Indiana has been huge.  Company's like Angie's List are trying to bully our State into cow-towing to their radical, leftist, intolerant agenda.  Even the NCAA is making threats, since the Final Four is in Indy later this week.

Well, since our institutions of higher learning caved long ago to the radical liberal agenda, and are indoctrinating our future leaders in that agenda, we really cannot be surprised, can we?  Anyone who honestly studies the history of the state educational systems over the past 100 years in this country should have no doubts how we got to this point in America.  Ethical relativism, the natural product of a Darwinian evolutionary worldview, has reigned supreme in the halls of elementary schools and high schools for decades now.  New Common Core Standards look like they'll only make matters worse in this area.  Read more Here.

Christian friends, you may be Republican, Democrat (yikes!), Independent, Whig, or Libertarian.  But if you take the time to peruse the articles I have linked in this blog post, you must surely agree that our beloved Nation is losing its moral foundations and sense of true tolerance.  The marketplace of free ideas in America today is becoming more like a shark infested pool.  Evangelical Christians - swim at your own risk!

Is that a drop of blood I see there in the water?

Well, we might not be literally bleeding yet.  But short of massive revival and spiritual awakening brought on by the Holy Spirit applying the gospel of Jesus Christ to hearts, do we seriously think the day of our bleeding is far behind?  What we need is not just conservative politicians.  We need gospel-driven politicians.  We need gospel-saturated homes.  We need Christ-exalting churches who do not love their own lives but count it joy to suffer shame for Jesus' name.  Persecution is upon us, O church of America.  It comes from without and within.  May we be granted grace to endure with love and respect for the enemies of the cross.  May we endure whatever comes our way with gospel-boldness.  And may God save many more souls in America in and through the bloody waters in which we may find ourselves soon swimming.

And may our blood, should it come to that, get no glory.  Like our martyred brothers and sisters around the globe, may our only boast be in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 6:14).

If you want help thinking more about these things (including politics and government) from a biblical worldview, here are sites that I highly recommend:

 

Thursday is the 42nd anniversary of the tragedy of Roe v. Wade.  Tens of millions of murdered babies later, we're forced as American believers to wonder how much longer this nation can survive this holocaust.

Some bright spots exist.  Younger Americans are more pro-life, according to research and polls.  Organizations have been busy doing undercover work to expose the insane evil that occurs on a daily basis in Planned Parenthood facilities.  Some horrific examples are:  Prostitution is encouraged and supported, even among 12 year old girls.  Laws are routinely ignored.  Sanitation is quite poor and sub-standard by any hospital's guidelines.  Testimonies of women victimized and treated with coldness during the murderous procedures are becoming more commonplace.  All this exposure is having an impact, for which we should thank God.

And yet, by and large the "law of the land" is still deeply entrenched.  It seems no matter the route taken (the person-hood initiative, the fetal pain laws, and so on), the end result is the same.  Higher courts uphold some contrived woman's "right" to end the life of her unborn child.  Our President and many lawmakers still support infanticide, despite obvious medical evidence that abortion is nothing less than killing a defenseless human.  When will it end?  Will it end?  And what can we do as Christians who know human life is precious because God has made us all in His own image and forbidden us to murder innocent human life.

Let me suggest four very simple things every Christian can and should do:

1. Pray.  When is the last time you attended a prayer gathering at your church aimed specifically at crying out to God on behalf of unborn babies, victimized mothers, estranged dads, and wicked, spiritually blind doctors?  We still just don't get it, do we?
2. Support local pro-life pregnancy centers.  These are popping up everywhere and we ought to be giving money generously to them.  We ought to serve as counselors, donate baby bottles, walk in the walk-a-thons, and do whatever else it takes to see these places of blessing succeed.  Most local centers aim to not just save babies, but also to minister the gospel to moms and dads who are broken beyond belief.  If you're in our region, support Choices for Women of New Albany, IN or Speak for the Unborn and A Woman's Choice Resource Center in Louisville KY.
3. Badger the heck out of your elected officials.  Use your voice as a voter in America!  Send emails.  Make phone calls.  Write letters.  Urge pro-life legislation.  Urge lawmakers to hold Planned Parenthood accountable for crimes and violations.  Make sure your elected officials know you are watching them and will not vote for them for re-election if they do not support the pro-life cause at every turn.  Tell them how disgusted you are that you have been forced to subsidize infanticide with your tax money!  Don't be afraid to show some moral outrage!!  We still have some measure of freedom folks, let's use it while we still can.
4. Consider joining side-walk missionaries.  In downtown Louisville, KY, every weekend Christians from local churches stand outside the Planned Parenthood offices and urge women to re-consider.  They share the gospel with women.  They plead with women and men to choose life.  These are the true warriors among us, church.  They are often threatened, sometimes physically assaulted, and even arrested every now and then.  And for what?  For countering the lies of the devil with the truth of Jesus Christ.  In America.  This ministry may not be for everyone, but it must be at least prayerfully considered by every Christian.

God help us!  God grant us courage to fight for the unborn, and extend mercy to broken men and women who are considering abortion or who have already committed the act.  Jesus saves murderers.  Just ask the Apostle Paul.

Listen to this short clip from John Piper. It is his response to a statement made by our president a few years ago.

This video shows some of what is going on in Louisville to stop abortion.

http://vimeo.com/9180043

Last Sunday we as a church body found ourselves in Genesis 3.  We are asking the question, "Why did Jesus come?"  And the answer from Genesis 3:15 was "Because of the Promise and Plan of God."

But as part of our study of Genesis 3, we also noted some tactics of the enemy, Satan.  As he used the serpent, he did so with craftiness.  The text says he is "crafty" or "tricky."  The devil is deceptive.  The New Testament says he sometimes appears as "an angel of light."

Deception. It's the tool and trade of the arch enemy of God and His redeemed people in Christ.

"God is not a man, that He should lie" (Num 23:19).

"I am . . . the truth" (John 14:6).

"Your Word is truth" (John 17:17).

"So that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20).

Truth is of God.  God is true.  Jesus is the truth.  His word is truth.  Truth is a hallmark of God.  Deception is a hallmark of Satan.

So, about this time every year as a Pastor I cringe at the thought of so many well-meaning Christian parents deceiving their children.  We do it in the name of "fun."  We do it in the name of "tradition."  We do it because every mall and shopping center has a "Get your picture with Santa" station.

Standing in line at Wal-Mart about a month ago, I saw a mom struggling to keep her two boys at bay.  The line was long, and taking too long.  The boys grew impatient.  They starting wreaking havoc.  They grabbed some energy drinks out of the conveniently located cooler at the check out stations.  She told them to put it back.  They did.  And took it out again maybe 5 times.  Were told to put it back 5 times.  They grabbed a box of Christmas lights.  They piled stuff in the cart that the mom had to frantically take out and ask them to take back.  It was a sad, chaotic scene.

Then all out of sudden I heard such a clatter, I threw open the sash to see what was the matter!  A man with a white beard appeared seemingly out of nowhere.  The mom said, "Look boys!  Santa Claus!"  The older, bearded gentlemen said, "Ho!  Ho!"  He handed mom a business card.  Turns out he is an "official" Santa.  The coincidence was almost enough to make me a believer!

Then the mom said, "I told you Santa is always watching you.  You boys had better straighten up or it's no gifts for you this year."

My amusement immediately turned to sadness.  Nothing like the "be good and stop embarrassing me and Santa will love you and give you things" philosophy to spiritually destroy those boys.  I silently thought to myself:

Is Jesus not enough?

Now that mom may or may not have been a Christian.  I do not know.  But what I do know is that we Christians really do need to ask ourselves why Jesus is not enough for us at Christmastime.  Why do some of us feel so compelled to join the culture in the Christmas deception?  Is the story of Jesus so anemic that it needs some so-called "Saint Nick" added to it?

For those Evangelical Protestants who try to redeem the fat man in a red suit by reverting to the story of a real guy dubbed "Saint Nicholas," I gently warn you.  If that guy believed the official dogma of the tradition to which he belonged, Roman Catholicism, then he believed that Christians must go to a "mini-hell" called purgatory to pay for sins because Jesus' sacrifice is not quite enough to get them all the way home to God.  He believed that justification, or a right standing before God depended on faith in Jesus plus our own human good works.  He believed that nobody could have any genuine assurance of salvation because when have we really ever done enough good works to be assured, and who knows if we've lost grace due to a mortal sin?

In other words, we need to ask ourselves if we should be holding up as heroes and labeling people "saints" of whom the Apostle Paul would say, "he is to be anathema [cursed]" (Gal 1:10).

Now I know this issue always gets me into some hot water.  I am disturbed at just how vehemently some believers will defend and justify what is, at some level, deception.  I do not for a second think that whether or not you share in the Santa fan club determines your eternal destiny.  This is not a heaven or hell issue.  But truth matters big time to our God and Savior.  So, as a Pastor, I am compelled to encourage every parent and grandparent in the church body I serve to seriously ponder how you represent King Jesus, the truth, this Christmas.

Making Christmas all about Jesus, and nothing or no one else, really is a blessing that will outstrip any tradition or attempts to insert fun myths into the equation.  Leave the flying deer on somebody else's roof this year.  Instead, lead your family to bow at the thought of a Creator-Baby-Warrior-Redeemer-King lying in a feeding trough.  Lay aside the story of a rotund man in a red suit.  Exchange it for the true story of a red-stained cross where Jesus made good on all God's Christmas promises.  Christmas is not now, nor has it ever been, about "Do good and you're loved."  It is rather about a God so great that He "demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

"You shall call His name Jesus; for He will save His people from their sins" (Matt 1:21).

Merry CHRISTmas!

Also, I just came across John Piper's thoughts on the issue and I think he has said it well. You can read his post about Rethinking Santa.

For nearly seven years now as a Pastor, I have been warning parents about the harmful effects on their children of too much "screen time."

It used to be TV.  Then it was computers or laptops.  Now it's an iPad or iPhone or X-Box.

As a Pastor, all I was doing was observing the declining attention spans and people skills of children and youth in the church.  They had their faces stuck in a screen all the time, and it seemed obvious to me it was doing something detrimental to them in the real world of human relations.  They could not carry on a conversation with adults for more than a minute.  They could not pay attention to a Bible lesson or sermon for more than 5 minutes.  They could not and would not sit at a dinner table without checking their phone every 5 minutes.  I have also observed all this in young adults (30 years and under).  They have great relationships with their devices, but their marriages have horrific communication, and their parenting relies too heavily on - you guessed it - electronic babysitters.

Turns out there is a growing body of scientific research backing up my pastoral observations.  A top German neuroscientist, Manfred Spitzer, has coined the term "digital dementia" to describe loss of cognitive abilities due to screen time.  The effects being witnessed are more typically associated with head injuries or psychosis!

South Korean scientists are studying this too, since they have the largest percentage of screen time in the world among their youth.  Excessive screen time or digital love affairs over-develop the left side of the brain, while leaving the right side malnourished.  The right side of the brain is responsible for things like concentration, logical and long-term planning, and memory.

We don't try to memorize information now and then use our brains to retrieve it when needed.  That's what an I-phone is for!  In other words, we're not interested in truly learning something.  We just trust our devices.

Other research has shown excessive screen time contributes to a loss of compassion and ability to relate to others, and also loss of ability to show emotion.  No wonder we have such a love affair with zombies!  We are becoming zombies, incapable of emoting.

Still more research is showing us video games having dopamine-type effects.  It's highly addictive.

Other effects include: inability to plan, organize, and prioritize.  Read more about all this and more Here

So, Christian parents, aside from all the ruinous spiritual consequences associated with hours and hours of screen time, you now have good, solid science telling you to take control of the situation before it's too late.

The article linked above has some suggestions for how to help your children fight this digital war.  Here are a few of my own, based on the biblical principle of "put off / put on" as expressed in Ephesians 4:17-32 and Colossians 3.  You want to help your child "put off" the harmful habit (screen time) and "put on" the more beneficial habit.

• Spend far more time reading the Bible with your kids.
• Demand your kids spend more time reading the Bible themselves.
• Catechize your children.  The question / answer method of learning has proven itself over thousands of years.  This will exercise the memory part of their brains, and yours too!
• Memorize Scripture together with your kids.
• Play chess, checkers, or Connect Four.  These old school games are cognitive and relational.
• Do outdoor activities with your kids.
• Engage your kids with adults and other kids at church, at parks, in social functions.  Do not allow them to tote their phones to these activities, or if they do insist they keep them off and in their pockets.
• Serve the less fortunate or suffering.  Compassion and empathy are not optional for Christians!
• Read books and discuss them with your family.  Model and teach your kids how to engage with ideas.
• Model healthy screen habits yourself.
• Have non-negotiable times where all devices are shut down, and set non-negotiable time limits for daily and weekly usage on all devices.  A "digital fast" one day a week would do wonders for all of us, I think!

You'll think of other things, no doubt!  Personally, my own temptation is TV.  I study a lot and read a lot during the day, and want to come home and just "veg out" on mindless screen entertainment.  But God is convicting me to fight this poor habit and try to do some Bible study, or some more relational things with my girls at night.  I'm learning slowly.  Got a long way to go.  Join me in the fight!

It was nearly two years ago that the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School took place.  Precious young lives were snuffed out by a man whose heart was evil and deranged.  May God spare us another such tragedy and show us mercy.

The Governor in the aftermath appointed a 16-member Advisory Commission to study the incident and present recommendations for improving security procedures.  After nearly two years, that panel has finally produced a report.  And one of their primary recommendations is that Connecticut needs to crack down on homeschoolers!  

Yes, you heard me correctly.  Now granted, the killer, Adam Lanza, was pulled out of public schools briefly as a teenager by his mom.  But, that was done only upon the recommendation of his own psychologist!  One of the Commission's members, Harold Schuwatz, said, "The facts leading up to this incident support the notion that there is a risk in not addressing the social and emotional learning needs of homeschooled children."

And the sigh coming from all us homeschoolers across this great nation is very, very audible at this time.  Really?  I mean, really?  We're expected to take this commission's report seriously?  One temporarily homeschooled teen commits a crime and so now every homeschooling parent in Connecticut is suspect?  Is this what it's come to?  And of course, the commission pulled the ole "socialization" card.

Well, I cannot speak for other homeschoolers, but socialization is one of the many reasons we do educate our own children!  The socialization I received from the state-run educational system back in the 80s did me a world of ill.  I'm sure it has denigrated in the last 30 years, since the Bible says "Evil men will go from bad to worse."

But I digress.  The real issue here is not to compare homeschools to public schools.  I know amazing godly families and children in both systems, and I know Christ-exalting teachers in both systems too.  The real issue is Statism.  Big Brother is taking massive chomps out of all of us now, dear Americans.  Whether or not a parent educates children at home, or in private schools, or in public schools, or any combo of these, is a right that must be reserved to parents.  It's part of actually parenting the child.  The Bible supports parental rights big time and indeed thrusts the responsibility for teaching and instructing and raising and disciplining squarely on parental shoulders.  God did not command King David to appoint an educational committee to ensure all Israel's children were being taught.  God simply told parents to do that in Israel (Deut 6; Psalm 78).  Ditto for New Testament believers (Ephesians 6:1-4).

So, freedom loving Americans of all educational stripes should be very concerned about such a development in Connecticut.  If parents can truly no longer be trusted to raise children, then do we seriously think the government can do the job any better?  If we allow such invasions and assaults on basic rights to continue, we dare not think we all will not eventually be living under full tyranny.  The State now desperately wants to be God, it seems.  And that never goes well.

Don't take my word for it.  Ask Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4).