by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the places in Scripture to find a wealth of helpful principles for parenting is the Proverbs. Almost every book on parenting will reference these Scriptures repeatedly because of the wisdom they contain. Besides the plethora of verses that apply to parenting indirectly, several passages address parenting specifically. As the book is generally wisdom being passed down from a father to his son, it’s not surprising that some of the key verses are about listening to the counsel of one’s parents.

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck. (Proverbs 1:8-9)

This verse needs to be read and applied considering its immediate context. This is not a wholesale, unqualified command to obey anything that your parents tell you to do. I’m sure this would be a tempting verse for many parents to cite out of context. The opening verses of Proverbs speak about the value of true wisdom. Of course, true wisdom is only found in the Lord (v. 7). Solomon is imploring his son to listen to the wisdom that he is imparting because it is godly counsel and will lead to a fear and knowledge of God (Prov. 2:1-5). Especially in the opening chapters, there are multiple exhortations for his son to listen to Solomon’s counsel.

These verses are not given to emphasize Solomon’s authority as a father as much as to highlight the blessings that come with heeding godly wisdom (cf. Prov. 3:1-2). Before you as a parent expect your children to listen to your counsel, it is imperative that your children understand that your counsel is framed from the inerrant and authoritative Word of Truth. Only then will what you say prove to be that “graceful wreath” and “ornament” to help beautify your child’s life and understanding.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

I wanted to send out a quick reminder that we have an orientation night tonight, October 6, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM! Come and find out about the changes taking place within Grace Life this year. Snacks will be provided!

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Despite the fact that LBC San Diego is in its 17th year, Grace Life remains the most difficult affinity group to schedule. It may sound like a familiar excuse, but because of the life stage of so many of our families (i.e., families with young children), it is challenging to come up with a structure that can effectively minister in the best way to the most people. Last year, our attempt was to maintain our Thursday night Bible studies, but to split them up between the men and women. While it was a helpful study through the early chapters of the Bible, it became increasingly clear that it was not helpful enough. One phenomenon that we noticed was that although attendance at Thursday night Bible studies diminished, participation in the various accountability groups that met throughout the community increased. In fact, it seemed when given a choice between coming out on Thursdays or going to an accountability group, the majority preferred the latter.

This is understandable.

• First, the accountability groups offered flexibility. Some of the groups only met once a month, while others met more frequently. Some provided in-depth study of God’s Word, and others were more focused on sharing and prayer.
• Second, accountability groups were convenient. Since most of the groups met regionally, travel was not a great burden. Also, many enjoyed the comfort of meeting in homes rather than at the church building.
• Third, the community accountability groups provided an atmosphere that greatly encouraged… well, community. Many found the context of meeting in small groups conducive to building and improving relationships with other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Given all of these factors, Grace Life is looking to make a significant change in its structure this year. Instead of focusing mostly on midweek large group meetings, the intention is to work with the community accountability groups (both existing and new) to provide spiritual support and help to the members of Grace Life. Large group would only meet once a month, and then the rest of the month would be devoted to small group accountability and fellowship.

Those who are already meeting in groups are not required to disband. In fact, they are encouraged to continue. Those who are in need of joining a group can either join an existing group, if there is room, or become part of a new group. We are sure that many will have all sorts of questions about the changing structure, so all are invited to a general orientation meeting on Thursday, October 6, to talk through the changes. The Grace Life staff is hoping to work with the community group facilitators to better serve the members of Grace Life by being a resource for support and help.

Let us all pray that the 2016-2017 year would be a great one for Grace Life. Since we represent the older generation of the church, many of the younger college students and singles are looking to us for instruction and to be an example in faith and conduct. May the Lord use Grace Life ministry to further strengthen His saints for His glory and thus strengthen the church for His service.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the great privileges of being a parent is the responsibility and joy of helping our children see what a wonderful and amazing God we worship and live for. We get to pass on the greatness of God to the next generation. They get to see through our lives and example, joys and disappointments, blessings and trials, how faith plays a role in every decision and situation. Through family worship, they can witness our devotion to God and participate in ascribing to Him the glory due His name. By recounting for them the amazing grace of God in the gospel, they can come to know the love of God, which was demonstrated in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

This example of faith and demonstration of the greatness of God is founded upon a healthy and vibrant spiritual walk with Christ. It is assumed and obvious that if you want your children to learn to love Jesus through your example, that He must be everything to you and the chief desire of your heart. This is why it is so vital that parents not allow excuses and distractions to justify time apart from the Word and prayer. Even with the busyness of life, it is even more imperative that parents cultivate a deep devotion to the Lord and maintain a healthy relationship with Christ. Of course, no parent is going to do this perfectly, but it involves confessing personal sin, asking forgiveness of God, preaching the gospel to ourselves, seeking the Lord in His Word, and demonstrating faith and dependence on God through prayer. There is little hope that our children will see the greatness of God in our lives if we do not treat Him as great through our worship and obedience. In other words, it is going to take more than verbal lessons; they need to see it in our lives. Consider the commitment of Ezra, who devoted himself to study the Law of God, to live it out, and then to teach it (Ezra 7:10). This is a pattern for teaching to which all parents should commit themselves.

As our children grow, it will not be enough to be carried by the faith of their parents. It must be a faith of their own, but it can be built upon a faith that has been demonstrated. I will never forget a conversation I had with a friend who I admired tremendously because of his seemingly tireless work for the Lord. When I asked him how he could have such faith, his response stuck with me. He said, “When you see your mom each morning at the breakfast table weeping over the pages of Scripture, it is easy to grow up loving the Lord and living for Him.”

This is not just a commitment that parents need to make for their own children, but the opening verses of Titus 2 remind us that the older men and women of the church are to model exemplary faith for the younger generation. Older folks are to be examples of faith for the younger people in the church to follow. The consequences in failing to do this are grave. It is no wonder we see in today’s youth a greater immaturity, irresponsibility, laziness, lack of dignity, and foolishness than we have in previous generations. With many of today’s youth lacking strong spiritual authority and leadership in the home, more responsibility falls on the older men and women of the church to help disciple younger men and women in the faith. This is to help them discern right from wrong, better from worse. But more importantly and ultimately, it is to help them to see past the expectations, rules, and requirements to the great and gracious God who wants His best for them. The goal of passing these things on is not only to develop a more moral and responsible generation, but a more worshipful and devoted generation.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

As Grace Life wrapped up another year last week, it was great to reflect back on the past year. The Thursday night Bible study tried something new this year having the men and women meet on separate weeks. This change stretched the staff a little as some of them got an opportunity to help teach the weekly lessons. It was an enriching in-depth study taking a closer look at the opening chapters of Genesis. By year’s end, we were able to study up through the Great Flood and Noah in Genesis 6-8. One of the highlights of the year was listening to the various staff members walk through their observations of the text. It was clear that each prepared diligently to deliver helpful lessons and it was refreshing to hear from different teachers each week.

The accountability groups also continued to meet each month throughout the community, which afforded families a more flexible means of receiving accountability and prayer while also enjoying some focused fellowship. There were about a dozen groups that met periodically. Some of the groups chose to work through a Christian book together while others spent time working through passages of Scripture. Mostly though, the men and women seemed to enjoy having that time to share with and pray for one another.

During Sunday School this past term, I have had the opportunity to walk through a parenting class. We have not had a parenting class in years, so it has been encouraging to see the interest and good attendance. Grace Community Church put out an excellent curriculum entitled “Parenting for Life,” and it has been a tremendous joy walking through it together. A number of singles and collegians have joined the class as well so hopefully the class will have a long-term effect.

The plan for the summer is to take a break from our regularly scheduled midweek meetings. The staff is evaluating how the past year has gone and will think through what would be best for the upcoming fall quarter. Grace Life can be a challenging group to plan for since so many are at various stages of life. We are constantly thinking through what would be the best way to shepherd this group. We are excited, though, about the opportunities that we have to continue to grow as a ministry. This past year, we saw a number of new families join the church, and we know Grace Life is a great way for them to get plugged in and find fellowship and care.

Praise God for a wonderful year! We hope all those who came out truly benefited from the study of God’s Word. As always, our endeavor has been to stimulate more spiritual conversations in the home and thereby strengthen marriages and parenting. May the Lord continue to cause us to mature in faith and may we find each year more joyful and edifying than the last.

by Sam Chung

Stephanie and I have been married a little under a year upon writing this article. There are days where we still feel like we are in our honeymoon days and there are also days where life together has become the norm. During this past year, there have been many changes and transitions for us, both individually and as a couple. Some of these changes were expected, while others were not. Through it all, we are both thankful to the Lord in sustaining us and sanctifying us. Although it has only been a year, we have already learned so much and grown as a couple in the Lord. The following are a few points in which we would like to share with you:

1. God is The Provider (Exodus 16:31-35; Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:31-34; Philippians 4:4-7) – Despite its varying contexts, we see that God always provides for His people, from material, physical needs to our greatest need of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord. In the same way, there have been many things that we were anxious about that we needed to offer up to God. We were not sure about many things: wedding planning, our housing arrangements, job security for the following year, wedding planning (yes, wedding planning had to be repeated), and the list goes on even still (more housing questions, future children, what I should do for our first anniversary). For example, we had to think about the proper timing of our wedding. I had just finished graduate school and Steph was teaching part time. I had to consider whether or not I was willing to trust in God despite not having a job lined up, or even money saved up for a wedding. What were my reasons for pursuing marriage at that moment, or waiting until a later time? In the end, we were able to remind ourselves, and one another, of our need to continually trust in a loving Father who provides. This is not to say that everything went as we had wanted or as we had planned, but God knew what was best for us, allowing what was necessary to occur. In hindsight, we see that God had always provided throughout our times of anxiety. We are still fighting to trust in God with all things. We remind ourselves that our greatest need has already been provided through Christ: His life, death, and resurrection. We have God’s Word and memorable reminders of God’s provisions already, which we use to redirect our hearts to humble ourselves in times of uncertainty. With these things in mind, we look forward to adding to our memories of how our God continues to provide for us.
2. Marriage Takes Work (Ephesians 5:25-33; Colossians 3:19; 1 Peter 3:7) – This point is one that we were aware of prior to our wedding day. We had gone through the dating and engagement process. We had talked to married couples and gone through premarital counseling. Regardless, this fact brought a whole new meaning when it became even more personal. We quickly displayed to one another our sinfulness and imperfections even more than what we had before. We were really put to the test when we were unable to return to our respective apartments to think through conflicts and return at a later time to resolve them. We had to work things out at that instance, sifting through the emotions and sometimes at the heat of the moment, feet away from each other, to get to the heart issue. We had to put into the practice the commands to love one another, regardless of how we were feeling at that moment. Were we really willing to lay down our own desires and expectations, humbling ourselves, for the service of the other? Even despite seeing how our stance is the (perceived) better one? The reality of two sinners coming together, creating friction became very real, very fast. Although we have had our tough times together already, the commitment to peacemaking and loving one another “til death do us part” brought sweet resolution. We were able to see practical examples of God’s grace that was shown to us. We were able to learn about one another even more in order to serve the other better. We were reminded that God even provided these tough moments to refine us and prune us (John 15:1-17). The hard part is the fact that this is only regarding the two of us! We are still called to love others and serve the church on top of this. We are still working on loving one another better (and will until we die) as well as loving you, the church, better. We trust that it comes with the understanding and willingness to put aside our own desires for our call to love God and people.
3. Marriage is Fun (Genesis 2:18; Proverbs 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 9:9) – Just as we were aware of the work that is involved with being married, we were also aware that marriage brings a lot of fun. And just as we did not experience the full extent of the work prior to our wedding, we did not experience the full fun that we have been able to share together until we were married. Going back to our first point of reflection, God provided for us with one another. There are many things we enjoy together now. The companionship that we have found in each other is unparalleled to any other relationship on this earth. To name a few, we love eating, watching TV, eating, laughing, eating, serving and talking together. There are also areas in which we can serve one another because we are better at it. Steph is much cleaner and more organized than I am. I have the physical capabilities of killing spiders. She cooks well. I eat well. She laughs at virtually anything remotely funny. I say things that are remotely funny. Apart from my salvation in Christ, my marriage has been one of the highlights of my life. God provided for me with a spouse, a friend, a partner in ministry, and so much more packaged into 1 person. Marriage is fun and we are excited to see what God has in store for us as we continue on this walk of life together.

These three points are not all comprehensive of our reflections of marriage thus far, but they have been huge themes for us in the past year. God has provided (and will provide) for us, marriage takes work, and marriage is fun. We praise and thank God for our marriage because He is the one who sustains us. We hope that you were encouraged by our reflections from our one-year of marriage and continue to love and serve the Lord together with us.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

For the past several years, Grace Life has maintained more or less a singular focus: to help cultivate a spiritual environment in the home. We have looked to equip men to be greater spiritual leaders as husbands and fathers. We have sought to provide instruction to married couples and parents to effectively live out their God-ordained roles to His glory.

Part of the reason is the unfortunate trend in the church whereby families almost entirely depend upon the church for their spiritual formation, and separate the spiritual aspect of their lives from pretty much everything else. It’s as if there are spiritual concerns and “everything else” concerns. As you consider the teaching of Scripture though, what we believe in faith should have an effect on everything else in our lives. If there is little to no spiritual “flavor” to the way things are in your home, then something is definitely wrong. Your spouse and your children ought to see that your commitment to Christ involves more than just praying before meals.

Here are some practical ways to help cultivate a spiritual environment in your home. If these are things you are already practicing, then I would encourage you to continue in them and even think through how to increase the bond between Christ and your home. But if this is an area that you feel you are struggling in, hopefully these practical tips can be of use to you.

1. Pray as a Family, Sing as a Family, Read as a Family. The home should be a worshipful place. While it is important to grow as an individual Christian through Bible intake and personal prayer, it is also important to put faith on display in the home. It is instructive, helpful, and encouraging for your spouse and children to see you in the Word and in prayer. Expression of worship through music is another way to put that faith on display, whether listening to Christian music or singing songs together as a family.
2. Demonstrate Faith to Your Guests. Every time we travel abroad for a summer missions trip, one of the things that stands out to me is how focused the homes are on the Lord. When we are invited in as guests, the hosts talk to us about spiritual things, encourage us with spiritual words, and pray with us. One of my favorite things to do in Argentina is to sit around with a small group and sing songs together, enjoying each other’s company and lifting up praise to the Lord. When someone comes into your home, you should remember that you are given a wonderful opportunity for ministry and discipleship. What you choose to talk about and how you spend that time can be a choice of worship.
3. Take Your Wife on Regular Meaningful Dates. There are some couples who routinely talk about spiritual things. There are husbands and wives that regularly enjoy meaningful conversations and take time to pray for one another’s needs. I understand when your relationship has this kind of strength that you argue that date nights are not necessary. But truthfully, many homes don’t possess these kinds of quality relationships. This is why I feel like a purposeful and regularly scheduled date night is helpful. It gives you a chance to talk about spiritual things and even provides an occasion to share prayer needs and to pray with one another. Of course this could just be a portion of the date. It’s always good to have fun doing other things you enjoy as well!
4. Take Advantage of Ordinary Moments. One of my favorite things to do is to go on little walks with my kids. Sometimes it is towards the end of a meal while we wait for other family members to finish up their food. Sometimes it’s just to take a break from whatever we are doing in the house and to get some fresh air. During these walks, I like to talk to the kids about God’s creation and all the wonderful things He has made. I even sometimes try to transition that talk to the gospel so that they understand how it’s all connected. Of course, we could just enjoy a walk together without really talking about anything, but I have found that a lot of times the more impactful conversations I have with my kids are just from taking ordinary events and connecting them to spiritual truths.
5. Discipline Your Children to Instruct. Children are going to disobey. It’s built into the fiber of their being. As such, it is going to be necessary to correct them and discipline them. Every time you talk to your child about disobedient behavior is an opportunity for spiritual instruction. I understand that circumstances sometimes dictate that you don’t have a lot of time for a long, meaningful conversation, but you can always come back to it. This is why it is so vitally important to maintain a right heart during these encounters and to guard against anger. It’s practical impossible to segue to the gospel after blowing up at your child because of their behavior.
6. Teach Your Children Practical Christianity. This is similar to point #4, but the practice is a bit more deliberate. Instead of waiting for opportune moments to teach a spiritual lesson, plan to take time to instruct your children in practical Christianity. It might involve a lesson on wise handling of money and principles of giving. It might be about discipline of time. It might be about serving others. Whatever the lesson, teach your children that Christianity is not only about believing certain things or going to church on Sundays. Help them to see how faith in Christ permeates life and affects all of life.

However you seek to cultivate a spiritual environment in your home, really the goal is to make God an ordinary and normal part of your life. Do your children see that you desire to live for the glory of God? Does your spouse? Do your guests? This is the primary reason we assign homework for Grace Life. We understand that sometimes the assignments are fairly basic, but the point is less to provide you as an individual some deep theological instruction and more to get you and your family to talk about what you learn.

by Patrick and Christine Cho

2015 has been a memorable year for the Cho home. This is our daughter’s first year in public school, and with all the fears we had going in, we are pleased that it has gone (and is going) much better than we could have hoped. We also had a chance this past summer to visit the Czech Republic with the church’s missions team, and it was a wonderful time of ministry and fellowship with the brothers and sisters in Beroun. We were even able to spend about a week in Paris for a family trip. Although it was completely exhausting, it was also tremendously fun! The main reason for that trip, and the biggest reason this year stands out for us, is that October 22, 2015 marks our ten year wedding anniversary.

I’m sure especially with a young church, a decade of marriage may sound like a really long time to some. Understandably, it also may not seem as long to those who are a bit more seasoned. In either case, the time really has flown by and this milestone serves as a fitting time to reflect on lessons learned and blessings experienced. Christine and I recognize God’s kindness to carry us through ten years of marriage, and there are many things we have been able to learn from it all. Here are some of the things the Lord patiently taught us over the past ten years.

1. Marriage is truly a gift of God. One of the lessons we have learned is not to take the gift of marriage for granted. We still stand behind the words of Proverbs 18:22 which state, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.” Whatever the Apostle Paul might say about the value of singleness in 1 Corinthians 7, we also understand that marriage itself is a profound blessing. It has been a great journey walking together in faith. It has also been a blessing to simply undergo the process of learning one other. We know that there are many who desire marriage that for whatever reason in the purposes of God will not experience it, so we are extremely grateful for this gift of grace.
2. Marriage requires teamwork. This is a theme that we cover in any premarital counseling sessions with other engaged couples. Love is not easy. Yes, there are times when everything seems to be working really well in the relationship and we are pushing in the same direction with a profound like-mindedness, but there are also times when the relationship is more difficult. There are times it seems we are seldom on the same page and are not understanding each other. There have been times that we have hurt and failed one another. And there have been times when it has been necessary to share a hard word with our partner. It’s in these times that it has been tremendously helpful to remember that we are on the same team. Whatever hardships we might walk through, we are walking together. We are cheering for each other and desire each other’s success. I know I want the best for my wife and she wants the best for me. It reminds me of the thought from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, that there is strength in numbers. Being on the same team means that there will be times that we need to lean on each other, especially when one is not as strong. There will be times that we need to protect and defend each other. There are times when we need to encourage and cheer for each other. Being on a team means that we don’t speak ill of each other to others. We don’t throw each other under the bus. Instead, we work things out in private until the relationship is good.
3. There is value in affection. Christine and I joke around that we are still in our honeymoon phase. We enjoy each other’s company because fun is a non-negotiable factor in our relationship. I sometimes tell other married men in the church that you cannot express love to your wife enough. You can’t say it enough and you can’t demonstrate it enough. Some may have heard the joke of the husband saying to his wife, “I told you I loved you when I married you, and if anything changes I’ll let you know.” But especially in a Christian marriage, love is the ultimate expression since it is the summation of the Law of God (Matt. 22:37-40), and there should be a consistent expression throughout the marriage relationship. As Dr. Ernie Baker recently shared at our recent married couples’ weekend conference, the Bible instructs us to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:39), and perhaps our closest neighbor is our spouse. Of course, there are many different ways to express love and affection (e.g., physical affection, intimacy and sex, verbal communication, acts of service, acts of sacrifice, gifts, etc.), and different occasions will warrant different expressions. The important thing is that it is being expressed and that the relationship is being affirmed.
4. There still is a lot to learn. There are many other lessons and blessings I could add to this list that Christine and I have gained over the past ten years, but if anything is concrete and clear, it is that we are not at the journey’s end. We still have so much to learn about marriage and each other. We have much to learn about what it means to love one another in the love of Christ. Our selfishness and pride oftentimes get in the way. We constantly find ourselves returning to the throne of grace begging for mercy and help. Even with all the lessons learned, we praise God for the arena of marriage where God continues to make and mold us into the man and woman He desires us to be.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

The summer is winding down which means that Grace Life Bible studies will be back up and running in October. Things will be a little different this year as we will be introducing a different format for the Bible study. Everything will be explained in greater detail at our upcoming Orientation Night on October 8, but we will be splitting up the men and women for Bible study this year. The men will meet one week and the women will meet the next. This format addresses some needs like childcare (since one parent can remain at home to watch the kids), but it also affords our female leaders greater opportunities to serve and teach. The leaders are all very excited about the change in format and agree that it may be the best way to minister to the group at this stage of life.

The curriculum we will be walking through is The Story of Hope, which is produced by the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE). This is a forty-lesson study through the major events of the Bible, twenty in the Old Testament and twenty in the New Testament. The idea is to give us a general understanding of the contents of Scripture, but also to help us see what God is doing through human history to accomplish His purposes. One exciting aspect of this study is that the children will be walking through the same curriculum at the same pace in Kids’ Club. When Dr. Ernie Baker spoke for our Grace Life Weekend Conference, one of the lessons he emphasized was the importance and benefit of regular family worship. By walking through the same curriculum as the kids, we are hoping to foster more spiritual conversations in the home around God’s Word.

The study this year will also be a bit more intensive with homework assignments and Scripture memory. It will not be overwhelmingly demanding, but we believe it is helpful to cultivate a greater love for God’s Word through memorization. The homework will serve to provide accountability in the group to keep up with the lessons. It will also hopefully serve as a good first step in developing family worship and speaking to your children regularly about God’s Word.

We want to encourage all of our married couples and parents to join us for Grace Life this year! We are sure it will be an encouraging study. For parents of children ages 5 to fifth grade, registration forms are currently available for Kids’ Club as well. If your child is outside the age parameters, please contact Pastor Patrick if you would still like for them to participate. There will be a Kids’ Club Orientation Night on Thursday, October 1, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. This should be a great year for both Kids’ Club and Grace Life!

by Brian and Beverly Chan

Editor’s Note: Audio from the conference can be found here; a brief overview of Dr. Baker and some of his additional materials can be found here.

1) What happened at the Grace Life Weekend Conference? Who was the speaker? What was the theme?

The Gracelifers had our annual three-day conference at church. Dr. Ernie Baker was the speaker and the theme was on “parenting as a discipleship ministry.”

2) What topics were covered in the main sessions?

The main topic was on keeping critical parts of your marriage and parenting front and center by organizing you family life around those things. This was huge as it provided the foundation from which we could build the rest of the material off of.

Other topics were parenting as a discipleship ministry, peacemaking as a family, the discipline of children, and a healthy dose on the importance of family worship.

3) How was the conference helpful, encouraging, and/or challenging?

First, the conference was helpful in affirming the things we have been taught at Lighthouse through the years. There wasn’t anything new that we haven’t already been taught by the current or previous leadership (Pastors Patrick Cho and John Kim). So in that sense, it was a great endorsement that the teaching we get at Lighthouse is reliable and trustworthy.

Second, it was encouraging to hear from someone who has gone through the journey of parenting, is now a grandparent, and can share reflections and lessons learned from this journey. While the same biblical principles apply, how it gets played out in life may differ from family to family. You’re really just looking for nuggets of practical suggestions that may or may not work for your family. Ultimately, you have to decide what to try out; there’s no chapter and verse for what date nights should look like or how family devotions should be conducted. So hearing what some of Dr. Baker’s family traditions were, how they handled certain discipline situations, how they worked on their marriage throughout that time, and how they handled different family struggles were all very challenging and encouraging to hear.

Lastly, Dr. Baker was a great speaker who was easy to follow and understand. He presented an even mix of theology and practical suggestions that we feel was worth the time.

4) What has been some of the positive feedback you’ve heard about the conference from others?

People are motivated. We understand how much we really are under-performing in the eyes of the Lord and how much work still has to be done in our own hearts before turning our attention to our children. None of us know how much time God has given us with our children and we definitely need to do a better job of redeeming our time with them. We need to strive to be more mature in following God’s prescription for parenting while understanding that ultimately, the salvation of our children is in God’s hands alone.

While the degradation of American culture does make it harder, we are still called to follow the timeless biblical principles for parenting. It’s encouraging to know that even though we fail time and time again, we serve a gracious God and are thankful for His continual forgiveness of our failures and shortcomings. There’s still a tremendous amount of work to do and with the help of the Spirit and the encouragement of our peers at church, we’re ready to make the changes we need to make and help improve the spiritual health of the church one family at a time.