Proverbs 19:18, says, “Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.”

I think people sometimes mistakenly consider discipline and punishment as the same. In my view, discipline eliminates the need for punishment. My simple definition of the word discipline is, “knowing the right thing and doing it.”

Our responsibility as parents, for those reading that are blessed to have children, is to make capable and responsible adults of them. When they are small, they don’t necessarily know right and wrong, and need to be taught. As they age, they may have moments where they know what is right, but need parents to provide the discipline to do what is right. With God’s help, they mature to the point that they can know and do what is right by themselves,”self” discipline.

The most important “right thing” we need to teach them is the Good News of Salvation through Jesus.

Like all the standards God sets for us, we can never completely achieve this, but we must try.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Dear Lord, help us remember that we are not alone in the responsibility of raising children, you are with us, and will support us if we bring them up with the fear and love of you. Give us the patience, wisdom and determination to raise our children in the way they should go. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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There is a concept in the art of selling, that selling the benefit works better than selling the product. Theodore Levitt a Harvard Business School Marketing Professor is known for a quote which goes, “People don’t want to buy a quarter inch drill. They want a quarter inch hole.”

What does this have to do with Christianity?

Well, Paul writes in Romans 15:2, “We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.” In my words, we need to help people become more faithful and active Christians.

This means we need to help them choose to do the things that strengthen their faith in Jesus, and their connection and walk with God; prayer, worship, study, faith, hope, love, and service. To do this we should take a lesson from the sales and marketing world, and show them the benefit in terms of peace, joy, and hope that a faithful and active Christian life offers.

Dear Lord, we are your messengers here on earth, give us the motivation and initiative to help build up others faith, inviting them to worship and bible study, following your lessons and demonstrating the joyful Christian life through our own lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Since the early Christian Church, there have been differences of opinion on proper behavior for a Christian. Because most of the early Christians had been Jews then accepted Jesus as the Messiah, some still believed they were required to follow Jewish traditions for eating, days of the week to worship, and other behaviors.

Paul writes about this in Romans 14, and writes that it is up to each believer, based upon his dedicated study of scripture, Jesus’ and the apostles’ teaching, to determine what they believe is proper. The importance of the rules was not for judging others, but for managing themselves.

In Romans 14:23 Paul says, “But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.”

We have similar differences in the various denominations of Christian Churches today; Different days of worship, understandings on acceptable foods to eat, customs, acceptability of drinking alcohol, and other behaviors. We should remember Paul’s message, to use these rules to guide ourselves, and not to judge others.

Dear Lord, You made us and gave us a conscience and the ability to reason. Help us read and understand your word, and listen to our consciences so that we may live as you would have us, remembering that other Christians may have variations in their understanding, but we all still believe in You and Your saving grace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Thank God for the United States of America.

Democracy by definition is “government by the people.” Democratic countries have different variations of how this rule by the people is conducted, but the key is that the people of the country ultimately control its direction.

Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”

Almost all the founders of America were practicing Christians, and for over two hundred years, the people of this American democracy have ruled to maintain the Christian foundation of America. The USA has been incredibly blessed over these years, and our Christian morals and people have led the USA to be an incredible blessing to the rest of the world.

It is our responsibility, in country ruled by the people, to make sure our God, and as a result our country’s God, is the Lord. If we do, we can have confidence that God will Bless America.

Dear Lord, on this day we celebrate the independence of the United States of America, we thank you for the blessing of living here and the tremendous positive influence this country has been in the world. Help us, the people of America, to govern our country as Christians, so that your blessings may continue on this great, and grateful country. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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We know that God is all powerful. He created all things, from the magnitude of the universe, to the complexity of our bodies; he performed incredible powerful miracles like the great flood, the plagues in Egypt, and the parting of the Red Sea to the many miracles Jesus performed, like raising Lazarus from death, and casting out demons. We know from the story of Job that the devil is subject to God’s permission and authority. Who would question whether God could strike anyone on earth down at any time, or wipe out anything man could build with a single act of Nature. God’s Power is Awesome!

At the same time, 1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is Love.” God is love…the magnitude of this is also difficult for us to understand. The most compassion, care, empathy, sympathy, sacrifice, we can feel or express is just a drop compared to God’s love, because God is Love.

Together, how can we not submit ourselves to God’s will, knowing that by doing so, we are supported and protected by the ultimate power and cared for by the one who defines love.

Dear Lord, Let us take both comfort, and strength in knowing that You are Power and Love, and you love us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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