From the Pastor’s Heart…

 June 21, 2009

A few weeks ago in a message, I made the statement that I hoped that when I’m with the Lord my children or grandchildren don’t remember me as the dad who had a lot of fun, but rather the dad who stood for the things of Christ without compromise; and had a lot of fun.

Those two ideas are not incompatible.

Standing for the things of Christ in life and teaching are essentials to parenting. They are demands of a father. Psalm 78 tells us that fathers should not ‘hide the truth from their children, telling [that truth] to the generation to come.’ It goes on to tell of the benefits of doing that… ‘that they may set their hope in God and forget not the works of God, but keep His commandments.’

Now when we don’t do that… or should I say, when we put ‘the fun of life’ before the things of Christ, the results are in the same chapter. We ‘turn out like our rebellious fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.’

You see, there is nothing wrong with fun… in fact, you have heard me say from the pulpit many times that we ought to be the most ‘partying’ people on the planet [in a righteous way]… but it must be surrounded on all sides with Godliness.

Dad… no matter how much fun you are, or how many gifts you buy your children, or how much of a ‘cool dad’ you want to be; it is all vanity unless it is found within the obedience that we are to have with Christ.

It is a joy to be your pastor.