Tag: family
NBA Star Says He Believes in Creationsim
Posted on April 22, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I’ve you’ve ever watched NBA star Blake Griffin dunk a basketball, you know why sports commentators often refer to him as a “freak of nature.” The man can jump and dunk a ball in a way that seems almost super-human. Or perhaps Griffin would say it is supernatural. Griffin has been open about his faith and his upbringing in a Christian home and going to a Christian school. So his answer should have been no surprise when he was asked whether he was “team creationism or team evolution.”
Griffin responded by saying:
“I was raised in a Christian household and went to a Christian high school, so I believe in creationisim, for sure.”
Somehow this “stunned” sports writers and reporters who then took to the media to criticize Griffin for his position and speculate whether or not he was kidding. I’m not sure why anyone would be surprised that a professing Christian raised in a Christian home would believe the biblical account of Creation. Maybe the sports writers were kidding. I really, really hope they were kidding.
What is the Role of Youth Ministry in the Church?
Posted on April 13, 2014 in Family by Derick Dickens
You may not have realized it, but there is a vibrant debate concerning youth ministry. On the one end, some people believe there is a greater need for youth ministry to stop the growing secularization of our kids. On the other side of the debate, there are families abandoning the youth ministry seeing it as intrusive and problematic.
Acknowledging that there can be some benefit to having a ministry to a particular group within the church (Acts 6:1, Titus 2:3-4), the challenge to us is to consider the role of youth ministry in our churches.
From my perspective, there is a need for youth ministry to:
Time to Put Down the Gadgets and Play with Your Kids
Posted on March 26, 2014 in Family by Nathan Cherry
Once upon a time the family sat down and ate dinner together each night as they discussed their day, shared stories, and parents even used the time to teach manners or other life virtues to their kids. It was a daily family ritual that served as an anchor to keep every person in the family grounded. The picture we see today?
Since When is Being a Married Husband and Father Considered an “Alternative” Lifestyle?
Posted on March 19, 2014 in Family, Marriage by Nathan Cherry
When I was 23 I was single, in graduate school while I worked as a professional, and felt like I was “behind” in life because I wasn’t married with kids.
Little did I know that in a very short couple years I would be engaged, have a Master’s Degree, and be preparing for my future as a husband and father. And while I considered this a perfectly normal albeit late part of an adult life cycle, many today seem to think I am now living an “alternative” lifestyle.
Going back into history as far as you can will reveal the “normal” lifestyle for an adult has been to get married, have children, and then raise those children with your spouse. An adult, still define as someone having reached the age of 18, is legally allowed to marry though many prefer to wait until after college. So it has come to be a normal part of societal life for adults of the age of 22, or 23, or even 25 to be married and begin starting a family. Apparently though, that is now considered an “alternative” lifestyle.
You Want to Influence Your Kids? Here’s How to Do It
Posted on March 11, 2014 in Family by Nathan Cherry
One issue I see in society is what appears to be a lack of concern on the part of parents for their children. I don’t mean ignoring basic needs like food and clothing, but rather the often overlooked “invisible essentials” of imparting faith, morals, and character. It appears that most parents have taken a “survival” mentality and simply hope to get through childhood and the teenage years without actually killing their kids. It’s a strange paradox to see parents acting more like kids as they seek approval form their kids, ask their kids permission, and yield to the demands of their kids.
I can’t help but wonder if parents have forgotten that it is not just their job to raise their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” (Eph. 6:4) but also to be a steady influence into their adult years. Then again, maybe influence or the lack thereof, is the problem. And just maybe what has happened is that in the attempt to be loved by their kids parents have lost all influence and consequently are not much loved either.
Shocking Decision in the Romeike Case! The Family Will Stay in America!
Posted on March 5, 2014 in Home School by Nathan Cherry
What a difference 24 hours can make. The chances of the Romeike family being allowed to stay in America in order to home school their children, instead of being deported back to Germany where they would face fines, persecution, and the loss of their kids, was very slim.
The most devastating blow came when the Supreme Court denied their petition to hear the case. With all legal roads exhausted it seemed inevitable that this beautiful family seeking asylum in America in order to educate their children in accordance with their religious convictions would be sent home to Germany.
The most recent news from the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) however is astonishing!
Church Sign: Church is Cancelled Due to Lack of Interest
Posted on March 4, 2014 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Imagine driving up to your church next Sunday morning only to see this written on the church sign: “Church is cancelled due to lack of interest.” You’d probably call the pastor immediately and demand an answer. What does he mean “lack of interest,” you are in church nearly every week.
There’s an old saying in churches that “20% of the people do 80% of the work.” I’ve heard it all my life and, worse yet, watched churches slowly die as a result of its truth. The same people volunteer to teach classes, stuff bulletins, make meals for new moms, visit shut-ins, serve the community, and do it with a tired smile on their face while many others sit back and “do church.”
Full House’s DJ Tanner Talks About Marriage and Faith
Posted on February 25, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
If you remember TGIF growing up you have no trouble remembering that Full House played a central role in that lineup and DJ Tanner – Candace Cameron-Bure – was one of the stars. Candace is all grown up now with a family and have become quite outspoken, like her brother Kirk Cameron – regarding her faith.
Candace recently released a book called “Balancing It All” in which she talks about her faith and her marriage. In the her discussions about her marriage she takes a complimentarian view from the Bible and applies it to her own life. This caused some heat from media and other feminists that degraded her for her position. But, taking it all in stride she calmly explained that she lives life according to her faith and wont’ apologize for it. When asked about her position and the media heat by Christianity Today, she said:
“Yeah, I did an interview with Huffington Post for my book…. They got to the chapter on marriage, and I wrote in there that I tend to take a more submissive role, and let my husband take the lead. They thought that was quite controversial, to which I giggled, and explained my point of view. But it hit a nerve. The press took it and ran with it, and it was pretty much the hot topic on every single talk show for that week and more. This is what has worked in our marriage, and I take it from a biblical standpoint. I literally did giggle because there’s nothing in there that’s offensive towards me or devalues my role as a woman or as a wife within my marriage. We have different roles within our marriage, and they do complement each other.”
Good for her. Rather than apologizing for her Christian faith she defended it with common sense remarks and didn’t back down. Read the rest of the interview here, including some cool Post Full House trivia you might not have known.
That Dirty Little D Word: Discipline
Posted on February 20, 2014 in Family by Nathan Cherry
Have you ever been out in public and saw some kids behaving in a way that made you want to grab their ears, twist, and “teach them a lesson?” To emphasize her point, my mom used to grab my ear, twist, and proceed to show me exactly what it was I was supposed to be doing, or not doing. To say I was “all ears” would be an understatement.
Or maybe you’ve had an experience like this one where you end up hiding from your own kids because you’ve concluded that they are aliens sent to destroy you and take over the planet. And more often than not you sit back at the end of a long day, sigh (or perhaps cry) and wonder aloud “how did it get this bad?”
Without Morality Based Laws Sexual “Rights” Become Foundation of Society
Posted on February 13, 2014 in Marriage, Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
If morality is not absolute, based on something higher than society, culture, or opinion, it is only reasonable to assume that at some point laws will be based purely on the views of the people making the laws. The end result will be a shift in laws toward greater immorality rather than a shift towards morality. We can expect, then, not a redefinition of marriage, but a complete eradication of marriage altogether. As long as marriage exists, even in the minds and hearts of individuals, the perceived bigotry and discrimination the government likes to imagine will continue. The solution, then, according to the government and marriage redefinition allies, is to erase any meaning associated with marriage and family.