Raising Godly Kids...

Let’s face it the world we live in is crazy. Ealier this year, on the Glen Beck TV show I watched footage of a teen ager being beat to death with a railroad tie by another teenager while yet another teenage videoed the whole incident and laughed about it. Throw in drugs, sex trafficking, the porn industry and the state of the family and you’ll see the days we live in are evil. Families here in America and around the world are under attack. The divorce rate here in the U.S. is out of control
50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce, according to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri.” The sad thing is the divorce rate among Christians isn’t much better. Ephesians 5:15-16 tells us what to do but we aren’t doing it. 15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Weather you are a single parent, a married couple or a married person alone in providing Godly influences for your child I believe you can raise Godly kids when you are careful how you live. Use Godly wisdom and make the most of every opportunity God presents you daily.

I’ll never forget the day I became a parent it’s been almost 30 years since I heard 3 words that changed my life forever... “It’s a girl!” I am thankful that my children and I share a very close relationship today. I have always said “How much your children allow you to be involved in their life when they are older has a lot to do with how much you were involved throughout the process. You can’t raise G rated or Godly kids without Parental Guidance. It’s not suggested it’s required. The average parent in America spends a lot less time with their children than they should. (Married fathers spent an average 6.5 hours a week caring for their children. Married mothers spent 12.9 hours. Single mothers spent 11.8 hours) But out of those hours caring for their children only an average of 3.5 minutes per week is spent by parents in meaningful conversation with their kids. When you take these hours and look at the amount of time other influences get it’s mind boggling. The average teen spends 900 hours in school per year, 1500 hours watching TV. Teenagers spend an average of 31 hours a week online. Nielsen says…The average American household has a TV on 8 hrs and 15 minutes a day. No matter what your marital status the battle of hours and influences is on and Christian parents must wake up and start being intentional about the choices they make with their time and actions to raise Godly Kids!

There were three things Julie and I did with our kids that really paid off.

1. We spent a lot of time with our kids (daily, weekly and yearly)

2. We always required church. This included attendance and involvement.

3. We made up our own rules about the influences and voices that spoke

into our kids that we could control like spending the night other places,

video games, cell phones, internet use, phones and TV’s in their rooms,

(what’s done in their room you can’t control as well as in the family areas)

driving, dating, and other influential relationships. I believe with all my heart that

there should there be a difference in how Christians raised their children and

how non-Christians parent their children!

I am so thankful that I was raised in a Christian home. My home was a loving place filled with laughter and lots, and I do mean lots of southern food! For most of my childhood I only had one parent. It’s true in anything a team working together can get more accomplished than one person working by themselves. My Dad and Mom divorced when I was six months old, then my Dad passed away when I was three. My mom was smart and enlisted the help of others when a Father was not in the picture. (Extended family, the Church, Church leaders, Boy Scouts, Coaches, and friends.) I do believe two born again people working as a team with one agenda, to raise on fire, Godly kids have an advantage over parents working alone or in direct conflict with another parent with a different mindset of parenting but I do believe a single parent or a parent working alone can raise children to be Godly. Like in anything else it just requires more work, more time and being truly selective of the spiritual walk and effectiveness of the team members they involve along side of them to join the disclipling team. With these thoughts in mind here are five things that you should understand and practice to raise Godly children in a not so Godly world.

#1. Children are a gift from God. (Children are part of God’s plan for families)

Ps. 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Gifts are to be cherished, especially when they come from someone you admire and esteam. Gifts of great value are sought after. At World Outreach Church we realize that kids are the most valuable procession a young family has. Although parents realize this when their kids are small they relax after a few years. (Much like parking a new car far away then after a few dings parking it just anywhere.)

Parents, you have a responsibility to guard and protect your child at every age,

whether you are working alone or with a team.



#2. The responsibility for training children about God was given to parents! Deut. 4:9 says, “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to our children and to their children after them.” Proverbs 22:6 tells us to “Train

up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart

from it. These verses where not written for pastors, it was written for parents. The phrase “in the way he should go” refers to God’s plan and

desire for your child. What does God want for your child? What do you want for your child? No one can hit a goal without a vision. Proverbs 29:18 tells us “Where there is no vision people perish. Your kids need to know what you and God desires for them. When I was a child grownups always asked me 3 questions. What’s your name? How old are you? And, what do you want to be when you grow up? I hear them only asking kids today the first 2. I think kids need to ask God the question, “What is your plan for me?” But parents also need to make a vision for their kids and your home. Here is a sample list of mine and Julie’s goals and vision for our kids.

1. We desire that they know God and love his Word (To be a fully devoted follower of Christ)

2. For all of us to be a close family

3. We desire for our children to exhibit Godly character and have a

Biblical world view!

4. We desire for our children to fulfill the plan God has for them (career/vocation)

5. For our children to have a good work ethic, and be responsible with

all that is entrusted to them

6. To provide and develop skills, abilities, education & training needed for our children to fulfill God’s plan.

7. For our children to be an example to others and to be a difference

maker to all those whom they encounter in all relationships.

8. For our children to enjoy life (hobbies, interests etc.)

These are our goals what are yours? The truth is if you aim

at nothing you’ll hit it every time!

Deuteronomy 6:6 & 7 tells us how much time God think you need to

disciple your children. “These commandments that I give you today are

to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them

when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie

down and when you get up.”

Who and what you give your time to determines if your children will get

the gospel. How are you using your mornings, evenings, time at home

and travel time? Are they devoted to discipling your children or mostly

other things?

Training is more than verbal instruction. Training calls for a model or

example. Training takes a trainer and a trainee. It also takes consistency!

Training children to be doers of the Word is a full time job and takes more instruction than a child can get on Sunday and Wednesday only.



#3. You can’t raise Godly kids without focus!

Focus is defined as an act of concentrating interest or activity on something. Even if you are alone in the parenting task you must be intentional about your focus! One of my favorite scriptures is Proverb 28:2 “When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.” This is true at every age! Evaluation must be the compainion to focus! It takes one to have the other.



#4. Desire to be an encourager more than a drill sergeant

Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." The Bible is not a book of don’ts many parents present it as such. It’s a book of do’s and when children are encouraged to do all the do’s there’s not much time for the don’ts. Encourage your children to get involved in ministry

Encourage your children to participate in activities that teach the value of serving.

Talk to your children positively. Be the biggest cheerleader in their life!

You can ask my kids, I look for every opportunity to reward & bless my children, that’s why they know Father God is good!



#5. You cannot disciple without discipline Matthew 28:19 says Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, At the heart of discipleship is “discipline” but the key is

consistency. Kids learn commitment and respect for authority from their parents. Children need to know the rules of your family (they are for all members even you!) Explain why what they do wrong is wrong, show them firsthand in the word. You must teach and model repentance parent also teach and model forgiveness. Make it a habit to do everything you do in love especially discipline.



Parent whether you have a partner or you are working alone enlisting the help of a local church with a dynamic family support ministry is a smart idea. Two combined influences working together and be more affective than one influence working by themselves. The Family needs the church and the church needs family. Red + yellow = orange!

Here's A little Something for Mom's In The Ministry

Here's a guest post from one of my favorite people, my number one daughter and favorite singer and worship leader- YANCY

What lessons have you learned growing up in ministry that you want to pass on to your child? What advice do you have for other moms in ministry?

I grew up a preacher’s kid. Yeah, yeah, I know often times that is filled with negative connotations but for me it’s been a great thing. As look back on my life I can very gladly and openly say that I had a great life. I had two parents that loved me and did everything in their power to teach, guide and train me in the way I should go. My life as a preacher’s kid was a happy one. I found it filled with many positive opportunities I would have never gotten any other way. I accepted Christ when I was seven and knew from an early age that God had called me to do music. Because of that dream I’ve been working hard at my music for most of my life. Because of what I felt God had called me to do in my life it required me to have a relationship with Him. The church is where I found a place to belong. A place to serve and a place to use my gifts. 

I am now a mom myself. My son, Sparrow, will be two in February. I can’t believe how much time flies. It’s been an amazing and joy-filled almost two years. I am also in ministry. I travel doing family concerts at churches all over the country and throughout the world. I have many different CD’s, DVD’s and devotionals that focus on different ages like preteen and preschool. I train kidmin worship leaders through workshops and articles. I write and produce the music for Standard Publishing’s VBS and help with www.AmberSkyRecords.com. Plus, I serve in my local church on a couple different worship teams.

I can be honest and say most days I feel like I’m at least ten to fifteen “things to dos” behind. Everyday I wake up with the idea that I can accomplish so much in my day only to realize that I am not Super Woman and by the time I do some Mommy things with Sparrow and around the house my work to do list is well, not going to get accomplished like I thought.

So, at this stage in the game as I reflect on the many things my parents did right and follow their model as I parent Sparrow here’s a few things I want to share:

1.    Include your kids. It wasn’t just Dad’s ministry but something we did as a family. Every Saturday I’d go to the church with Dad growing up and help prepare the classrooms and kid’s ministry for Sunday morning. Whether it was straightening chairs, filling buckets of candy, making Visitor packs or many other tasks I was right there in the middle of it and spending time with Dad in the process. When Dad traveled to conferences we’d either all go as a family or take turns going on special trips with Dad. Sparrow travels with me to all my concerts and he loves to play with cables and plug stuff in and he’s awesome at carrying a megaphone. 

2.    Make special focused time for your kids. Time with Mom was many shopping trips. Time with Dad was usually a lunch or dinner. The point is they made special, dedicated time that was about me.  They made me feel important in their world. One of my biggest challenges is stopping to acknowledge Sparrow when I’m in the middle of responding to emails. But I’ve read that if you want your kids to share important stuff with you then you need to not ignore them when they try to talk to you.

3.    Allow your kids to experience, try and fail in protected environments. My parents were super strict with what we watched and listened to when I was young. In our teen years they were great about taking us to the non-Christian concerts we were interested in and allowing us to see the world in a controlled environment. They were with us when we smelled pot or saw people gorging in PDA. It was a controlled environment and we were able to see how ridiculous someone is that’s drunk or living a lifestyle that is not God honoring. In those environments it made us only want to live holy…instead of wondering what the world was like, we saw it with our parents. Even on into making some career choices. My parents helped guide me to seek God and listen to His voice to guide my steps. They let me make the decisions. Great lessons learned at young ages on how listening to God’s voice and doing what He says always pays off.  I want to help Sparrow make Godly choices as he navigates his life. I want Him to learn to hear God’s voice and obey what He says.

4.    My parents blessed us. They didn’t spoil us, but they did bless us. When I was a kid my parents didn’t have much to go around so spoiling wasn’t an option. My Dad is a giver   though and he strived very hard to be loving and giving just like our Heavenly father is. He said He doesn’t’ want to get to Heaven and have God asked why He didn’t do more to help his kids answer the call of God on their life. Even as I write this that is a humbling statement. I am so blessed to have such giving parents that sacrificed so we could take the dance and music lessons we took. They made sure we had great keyboards, guitars, drums, lawyers or whatever was needed for that season. I want to be giving like that to Sparrow. I want to support Him as He dreams the dreams God has for his life. I want to teach him that God provides for all of our needs!

5.    Love God, Hate Sin. Both my parents repeated things over and over to us through the years. Of course, sometimes I rolled my eyes hearing the same stuff again but you know what, it stuck with me. Those things got down in my heart and are here to stay. One of those things was “Love God, Hate Sin.” It’s an old 80’s CCM song by Mylon LeFevre. My Mom signed every birthday card and letter at camp with those four words. It’s kind of funny and I’ve already started signing things to Sparrow the same way. If I can get those four words down in his heart as he makes the wise choice then I think we’ll be off to a good start.

Happy New Year! Many blessings on you, your family and your ministry in 2013.

Learn more about Yancy at www.YancynotNancy.com

Wanting God's Best For Your Children- Part 2

So with my previous post in mind, here are 7 steps for use to pass on to parents how to desire God’s best for the inhabitants of their homes.


1. Establish who’s the king of the castl

Joshua 24:15 says “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose
for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

What does this look like for your family? (It’s more than attending church once or twice a week! It’s getting involved on a daily basis. Every educator knows that the students whose parents are involved in their education do better! What changes need to happen for Jesus to be the king of your home.


2. Parents set the example…(it starts with you!) The church cannot do this for you. The church has it’s part to play.

Deuteronomy 6:6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Be an example of living the scriptures. Be an example of serving, going to church. Let your children see you praying, speaking the word, and needing the Lord!

3. You home should be a place of learning God things!

Deuteronomy 6: 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

t’s our job to take back the time you have with your children. This calls for consistent, intentional actions, Watch out for mix signals and too many voices in your home.

4. Keep your marriage strong. If you’re not married, keep your relationships pure. INCLUDE JESUS IN EVERY RELATIONSHIP!

Establish house rules that line up with scripture-

Ephesians 4:32 is a great place to start…Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

A second is…Don’t let the sun go down on an agreement.

Ephesians 4:26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 

Remember it’s your job to model love /true love, to your children!

5. Be willing to parent each of your children differently…

This doesn’t sound fair… All kids are not the same…

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

That way is different for each child. Be willing to let some things go… (Major on the majors…, minor on the minors…) Your child may never make an A in Biology…
They make not ever make their bed automatically without being told. But they need to love the Lord with all their heart, and all their soul, and all their mind. (This was number one at the Wideman house over anything else!)

6. Have fun as a family.

Laugh together, sing together, play together, read together, eat together, pray together! Invite God in the middle of all good times!

Proverbs 17:22 (MSG) “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; 
 gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.


7. Make church, small group, youth group, and serving a priority…

 Hebrews 10:25 (CEB) Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.

A great habit to develop is as soon as you get home…talk about what your learning as a family!

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE RIGHT DECISIONS, It’s never too late to prioritize and create a plan to help the families that you serve and the children at your house to desire a deeper relationship to Christ and to truly love the Lord with ALL their heart and ALL their mind and ALL their strength!

Wanting God's Best For Your Children

Psalm 112:1-8 (NIV) tells us…”Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, 
who finds great delight in his commands. 2 His children will be mighty in the land; 
the generation of the upright will be blessed…
6 Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. 
7 He will have no fear of bad news; 
 his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 
8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear; 
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

This is hard to walk out as a parent let alone lead other parents to walk this out for their families. The world can be a cruel place, it can be an unsure place. This is our time but they are hard and troubling times for the church.

 A large percentage of Americans believe it will get worst before it gets better. When you look at what’s happening in the news, on TV and even in the church it’s pretty scarey out there but it’s times like these that makes us ask the big question, do you really believe and practice what you teach and preach? As for me… I BELIEVE THE BIBLE!...

            John 16:33 tells us “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Man that’s good news for busy Children’s leaders. Families need God’s peace not just his plenty!

 Also in Proverbs 14:26 it tells us…He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. This is what the homes of us in the church should be. A secure fortress for our children. Is what you are doing for families in your church doing this? That’s a great question to use as we evaluate our programs

Home should be a place of comfort, a place of safety, a place of refuge. A place where those who lead it, get to control what happens…  that also means They are responsible for the behaviors and outcomes of those who live there!

God’s Plan has always been the same…

            Deuteronomy 4:9-10 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. 10 Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”

Remember yourselves & teach the children. Every feast and every holiday was the same. I have had a blast this year telling my Grandson the God story of our family. I am going back though our lives and bringing him up to date with all that God has done for us. I will retell him those stories every opportunity I have, as long as I’m alive for two main reasons. So I can remember myself and so I can pass it on to Sparrow. God’s done some amazing things in Widemanville and I believe with all my heart the best is yet to come!

            Deuteronomy 6: 1-8 says “These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

It is amazing to me that parents want better for there children than they have had in every area of LIFE but one. We want them to have more opportunities financially, educationally, and socially. We want them to have a better marriage, drive a better car, wear nicer clothes, live in a better house, and the list could go on forever. But when it comes to spiritual things we don’t want them to go overboard…

We’re happy if they turn out just as spiritual as us. As long as they are not bad….VERY FEW PARENTS HAVE A VISION OF THEIR CHILDREN TO BE SPIRITUAL DYNAMOS! It’s not the same priority and desire we have for them in other areas.

29 TIMES THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WE SHOULD LOVE THE LORD- WITH ALL OUR HEART, ALL OUR SOUL & ALL OUR STRENGTH!.- That’s our goal!

More to come...

Wanting God's Best For Your Children-Part 2

Here are 7 steps for use to pass on to parents how to desire God’s best for the inhabitants of their homes.

1. Establish who’s the king of the castle!

Joshua 24:15 says “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

What does this look like for your family? (It’s more than attending church once or twice a week! It’s getting involved on a daily basis. Every educator knows that the students whose parents are involved in their education do better! What changes need to happen for Jesus to be the king of your home.

2. Parents set the example…(it starts with you!) The church cannot do this for you. The church has it’s part to play.

Deuteronomy 6:6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Be an example of living the scriptures. Be an example of serving, going to church. Let your children see you praying, speaking the word, and needing the Lord!

3. You home should be a place of learning God things!

Deuteronomy 6: 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

It’s our job to take back the time you have with your children. This calls for consistent, intentional actions, Watch out for mix signals and too many voices in your home.

4. Keep your marriage strong. If you’re not married, keep your relationships pure. INCLUDE JESUS IN EVERY RELATIONSHIP!
Establish house rules that line up with scripture-

Ephesians 4:32 is a great place to start…Be kind to one another,tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
A second is…Don’t let the sun go down on an agreement.
Ephesians 4:26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
Remember it’s your job to model love /true love, to your children!

5. Be willing to parent each of your children differently…

This doesn’t sound fair… All kids are not the same…
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. 

"That way he should go" is different for each child.

Be willing to let some things go… (Major on the majors…, minor on the minors…) Your child may never make an A in Biology…
They make not ever make their bed automatically without being told.

But they need to love the Lord with all their heart, and all their soul, and all their mind. (This was number one at the Wideman house over anything else!)

6. Have fun as a family.

Laugh together, sing together, play together, read together, eat together, pray together! Invite God in the middle of all good times!

Proverbs 17:22 (MSG) “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; 
 gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.

7. Make church, small group, youth group, & serving a priority…

Hebrews 10:25 (CEB) Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.

A great habit to develop is as soon as you get home…talk about what your learning as a family!


IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE RIGHT DECISIONS, It’s never too late to prioritize and create a plan to help the families that you serve and the children at your house to desire a deeper relationship to Christ and to truly love the Lord with ALL their heart and ALL their mind and ALL their strength!

Wanting God's Best For Your Children

              Psalm 112:1-8 (NIV) tells us…”Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, 
who finds great delight in his commands. 2 His children will be mighty in the land; 
the generation of the upright will be blessed…
6 Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. 
7 He will have no fear of bad news; 
 his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 
8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear; 
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

This is hard to walk out as a parent let alone lead other parents to walk this out for their families. The world can be a cruel place, it can be an unsure place. This is our time but they are hard and troubling times for the church.

 A large percentage of Americans believe it will get worst before it gets better. When you look at what’s happening in the news, on TV and even in the church it’s pretty scarey out there but it’s times like these that makes us ask the big question, do you really believe and practice what you teach and preach? As for me… I BELIEVE THE BIBLE!...

            John 16:33 tells us “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Man that’s good news for busy Children’s leaders. Families need God’s peace not just his plenty!

 Also in Proverbs 14:26 it tells us…He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. This is what the homes of us in the church should be. A secure fortress for our children. Is what you are doing for families in your church doing this? That’s a great question to use as we evaluate our programs

Home should be a place of comfort, a place of safety, a place of refuge. A place where those who lead it, get to control what happens…  that also means They are responsible for the behaviors and outcomes of those who live there!

God’s Plan has always been the same…

            Deuteronomy 4:9-10 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. 10 Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”

Remember yourselves & teach the children. Every feast and every holiday was the same. I have had a blast this year telling my Grandson the God story of our family. I am going back though our lives and bringing him up to date with all that God has done for us. I will retell him those stories every opportunity I have, as long as I’m alive for two main reasons. So I can remember myself and so I can pass it on to Sparrow. God’s done some amazing things in Widemanville and I believe with all my heart the best is yet to come!

            Deuteronomy 6: 1-8 says “These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

It is amazing to me that parents want better for there children than they have had in every area of LIFE but one. We want them to have more opportunities financially, educationally, and socially. We want them to have a better marriage, drive a better car, wear nicer clothes, live in a better house, and the list could go on forever. But when it comes to spiritual things we don’t want them to go overboard…

We’re happy if they turn out just as spiritual as us. As long as they are not bad….VERY FEW PARENTS HAVE A VISION OF THEIR CHILDREN TO BE SPIRITUAL DYNAMOS! It’s not the same priority and desire we have for them in other areas.

29 TIMES THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WE SHOULD LOVE THE LORD- WITH ALL OUR HEART, ALL OUR SOUL & ALL OUR STRENGTH!.- That’s our goal!

more to come...