He will change poopy diapers. -- Does he have to use the word "poopy"?

Children are a blessing, a great gift from God. However, that doesn't mean that every aspect of every stage of their life feels like a blessing.

As my children get older, I am enjoying the blessing of certain things no longer being a part of our lives.

The following are the top 5 things I'm glad are no longer part of our lives and I hope to never revisit them ever again:

1. Diapers
2. Runny noses that need to be wiped by someone else
3. Sippy cups
4. Teletubbies
5. The Wiggles

There are more those 5 beat me down like nobody's business and I'm glad they're in my rear view mirror. Any you might suggest?

You're born into a family. You do not join them like you do the Marines.

During a recent pastors luncheon, Bruce White asked a question, the gist of which was, "Would your kids want to grow up and have a family like the one of which they are a part?"

In other words, would your kids say, "When I grow up, I want to have a family just like this one"?

That's a sobering question, isn't it?

I don't shut up, I grow up, and when I look at you, I throw up.

"John Quincy Adams was an ambassador by the age of fourteen. Today we consider men adolescents for whom living at home and being taken care of by their parents is acceptable well into their twenties. Men used to marry in their teens; now they wonder if they are ready in their thirties. We have an epidemic of immature men in our culture. We are simply taking too long to turn boys into men. Our forefathers may have died younger, but they lived longer in the process."
~ Voddie Baucham, Jr, What He Must Be ... if he wants to marry my daughter, 203. (emphasis mine)

Part of the problem is a lack of intentionality on training boys to become men. Let's try to make some more of them.

Part of the problem is a lack of quality roles models for men. So, we ask ...

• Q: What should a man look like?
• A: Isn't that what makes a man?

cf. Voddie's characteristics of an eligible man.

A boy's best friend is his mother.

From my sermon Sunday on Exodus 20:12, the 5th Commandment ...

4 Ways We Dishonor Our Parents:

1. Disobedience dishonors parents. Ergo ... Obey your father and mother.*
2. Decision making independent of parents dishonors them. Ergo ... Value the counsel of your parents.
3. Disregarding your parents in their old age dishonors them. Ergo ... Make time for those who made you.
4. Making them look bad dishonors your parents. Ergo ... Make mom & dad look good.

*To the extent such obedience does not conflict with God's prescription for behavior.

Click to listen:


Below is the Bear Bryant commercial referenced in the sermon.

Why can't you just ground me like Stacy's parents?

If you've tried it, you know parenting is hard work. You know it's easier to pander your lazy side and let kids do what they want, rather than what they ought.

You've probably also encountered the frustration of being "rewarded" for your parenting efforts by children complaining you never let them have any fun or that you're overprotective.

It can be difficult to remember and effectively communicate that we discipline because we love.

I heartily recommend the following 2 messages from Chris Brauns, which he thinks and/or communicates when discipline is not heartily received as intended, for their own good, as an evidence of love.

Message #1: I love you too much to teach you that you can make bad choices without any consequences. As someone has said, “Choose to sin, choose to suffer.” Don’t be deceived God cannot be mocked. You reap what you sow. (Galatians 6:7-8)

Message #2: All your life, I have been willing to die for you. I can honestly tell you that it came down to your life or my life, I would give up mine on your behalf. So, if I am willing to die for you, then having you upset with me because I am protecting you is a relatively small thing in my world. If protecting you, means you being mad at me, then so be it.”

Cf. Hebrews 12:5-8
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (ESV)

Troops are ready for inspection, sir.

At Providence Church last night Mike Gendron taught, challenging us with the question, "Is Christ's Last Command Our First Concern?"

It was a great reminder of the priority of the Great Commission, as well as some excellent practical applications. (Cf. Mike Gendron's article on Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries website: Making Christ's Last Command Our First Concern.)

It also got me thinking about a wedding I did the previous week and my citation of God's command to "be fruitful and multiply." (Gen 1:28; 9:7)

I think sometimes missed in that is the focus and rationale for such a command. It's not merely that God wants a populated planet and enjoys seeing lots of babies. This is a command that God gives to His people. The expectation is that hearers will not only have kids, but will do what God commands and disciple them unto godliness.

Thus, I submit to you that the command to "be fruitful and multiply" is really a Great Commission verse. You help fulfill the Great Commission of "making disciples" (Matt 28:18-20) by having children in whom you cultivate Christlikeness. God is obeyed and God is glorified.

Sadly, I think followers of false religions understand this better than we do. Evangelicals* tend to have a birth rate significantly below that of Muslims, Roman Catholics, etc. For those of us particularly concerned about the rising influence of Islam in this country, self included, the fact that they are "taking ground" without having to resort to war or the shedding of blood shows just how shrewd a threat followers of the religion of non-peace really are.

The solution is not to pick up guns or have more babies. The solution is to make more disciples, as God enables, including being fruitful and multiplying to that end.

• See also Gunny's somewhat lighthearted encouragement to pursue par or better with regard to family size: Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three.

*I'm not sure if the term "evangelical" really has much meaningful significance anymore, but that's another show, as Donahue would would say.

You call this a happy family?! Why do we have to have all these kids?!

Different churches have different thoughts on children in the worship service. For some, the kids up through and including high school are never in the main worship service. For others, at birth the kids are there from opening to closing prayer. You will likely also be able to find everything in between.

[Personally, I think whatever a church's approach is, it better not be motivated by any idea of children being "unwelcome" or inconvenient distractions. Even though they are not always easy, children are a blessing, the more the merrier. But, of course, they will, at times act like children. We train them, but we shouldn't be surprised when they don't act like adults.]

Regardless of what your thoughts* are on when it will be, at some point the kids will need to be assimilated into "big church." I found the following, which I think has some helpful tips on having your children with you in church (adapted from Ruth Hale's booklet, "Calm Or Chaos").

I'd welcome your suggestions as well.

1. 0-2 yrs sit near back. 2+ yrs sit near the front of the auditorium, next to aisle.

2. Expect your child to sit quietly.

3. Do not pass children from pew to pew during worship service.

4. Be certain that your child uses the washroom and gets a drink before worship begins.

5. Talk to the child about being quiet before services begin.

6. Use sign language. A parent’s correction is often more disturbing than the child’s behavior.

7. Attend every service, gospel meetings, ladies classes & use as opportunities to train your child.

8. It may be helpful to give a child a soft toy (i.e. cloth rubber or plastic toy) to occupy him.

9. Learn to overlook small annoyances.

10. Make trips out unpleasant enough that they will be few and far between.

11. Do not leave your child in the care of other children.

12. Avoid allowing the child to become excited immediately before worship.

13. Be an example. Don’t "visit" with those sitting near you during worship.

14. Do not allow your child to play on the floor of the auditorium.

15. Criticism will come whether or not you discipline your child. Do what has to be done.

16. Don’t make excuses for your child or yourself.

*At Providence Church, we offer the option of a more kid-friendly version of the sermon for kids 3-2nd grade, but the kids only miss the sermon. In other words they were there until the sermon and they come back when the sermon is finished. However, children's church is optional, not mandatory.

NO WIRE HANGERS EVER!

Pursuant to a recent conversation I had with some fellow fathers ...

I think there is a significant difference between "Never discipline out of anger" and "Never discipline when you're angry."

The preacher said all my sins is warshed away, including that Piggly Wiggly I knocked over in Yazoo.

In case you missed this great video: "Mammas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Pastors."

I do ... but I don't know why.

My son was recently the student of the week where you bring a poster about yourself with pictures, etc. He also shared about his favorite things and what he wanted to be when he grows up.

I noticed it said he wanted to be a pastor when he grows up. We then had the following conversation:

Gunny: "Do you want to be a pastor when you grow up?"

Jet: "Yes, sir."

Gunny: "Do you think it would be fun to stand up and tell people about Jesus and about the Bible?"

Jet: "No sir, I don't think that would be fun."

Gunny: [now puzzled] "Well, what is it about being a pastor that you think you would like?"

Jet: "Hmm. I don't know."

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess he wants to be a pastor merely because his dad is one. I thought to myself, "It's a good thing I'm not a hatchet murderer."

Well, it was just another reminder of how important our example can be to our children, good or bad.