Is faith real in your family? Focus on Jesus

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But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. --Joshua 24:15 If you are a parent who wants to pass your faith on to the next generation, I have some advice for you – KEEP IT REAL! If you and I are going to instill a strong, unshakable faith in our children, we must be transparent, authentic, and real. Exercising your faith at home must be part of your everyday life! Now you certainly don’t have to dress up for it or put a face on for it. Real faith works in a suit or in blue jeans. Make faith a normal, comfortable part of your everyday life and your children will see faith in action. I love today’s verse when Joshua said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” He took the lead and made the decision that his household would live for God. You can make the same decision for your family today! If your heart and soul longs to know Christ, real faith will permeate your life as a parent, whether you are worshipping or working, praying or playing, going to church or fishing. When you rise and when you go to bed at night, be real! Make God’s Word part of your daily walk. Talk the truth, model the truth, and live the truth. According to Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Training your child in the ways of the Lord is a 24/7 job, but you can do it with God’s help. Make faith a normal, comfortable part of your everyday life and your children will see faith in action.

Focus on Jesus

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.”
1 Corinthians 3:5–8


I am grateful for every pastor, leader, and Christian worker who has invested in my life over the years. I’ve benefited greatly from their wisdom and counsel and input. The example of faithfulness they have left has been one I’ve tried to follow in my own life. But there is a danger that we become divided and cut up into groups by determining to follow one leader to the exclusion of all others. The church at Corinth, that struggled with so many issues, dealt with this. Some claimed Peter as their example, while other followed Apollos, and some lifted up Paul. No man is worthy of the adoration and devotion that we are to give to Christ alone.
Paul wrote, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20–21). We are to be praising and honoring and lifting up Jesus, rather than having our focus on leaders in this world. Those who faithfully follow Christ are worthy of honor, but they are not to be our source of identity or reliance. Only Christ has the ability to produce results in our work for Him, and only He is perfect and unfailing. Our hearts should be consumed with love for Jesus, and He should be the focus and theme of our lives.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Those who rely on any man are doomed to eventual disappointment. Only Jesus never fails.