The Lord told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). 

Here we clearly see that God’s purpose was to specifically form this child to accomplish His plan. 

David also emphasizes this truth when he wrote: “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). The unborn child is being formed by their Creator for His purposes. 

God’s plan for every human being is that each one comes to know Him and accept His offer of salvation (2 Peter 3:9). He created us for fellowship with Him, and, that is why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to reconcile us with Him by His sacrificial death on the cross. 

Beyond salvation, God also designed us to do good works according to the gifts, strengths, and opportunities He bestowed on us. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” 

He orchestrated the location and time into which each of us is born as the psalmist writes: “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). 

If God knows all the days ordained for me and the number of hairs on my head (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7), then He knows me better than I know myself. He knows our gifts, talents, strengths, and how we could best use them to make an eternal impact for His Kingdom. He gives us opportunities to store up treasure in heaven so that, for all eternity, we can enjoy His reward (Mark 9:41; Matthew 10:41-42). 

God’s plan for each person is stated in Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” As we see, His plan is for relationship over duties. 

He teaches us to walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh and since we now live by the Spirit, we are to keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25). 

As we do this we will enjoy a loving relationship with the Lord, and our actions will indicate that closeness and our delight in doing His will. 

God’s plan for those who know and love Him includes reaching the lost with the good news of salvation (Matthew 28:19). It is also to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). He wants us to grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). He wants us to love other Christians the way He loves us (John 13:34). And, as we follow His Word, we will discover our spiritual gifts and abilities that will serve Him in unique ways. 

Life requires us to go on a journey, and that journey may be filled with detours, sudden stops, and turns depending on how well we obey God. But if our heart is set to obey Him in all that we think, say and do, then we will be in the center of His will every step of the way. 

We also need to understand that refusing to walk according to God’s leading will get us nowhere. Yes, we will arrive someplace, but it will not be where God wants to bless us. 

We need to learn to draw close to Him and to talk to Him and ask as Jeremiah did: “Show me the way in which I should walk and the thing I should do” (42:3); and God will do that and will not let us get off the path He has for our life. When we are obedient with each step we take, He will reveal more of Himself. 

The greatest fulfillment and joy in life is walking in unbroken fellowship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus our Savior. When we are led by the Holy Spirit, we will follow the example of Jesus and we will realize that our greatest joy comes from serving others. 

Mission Venture Ministries has taken hundreds of teenagers and college students on missions to build and maintain orphanages, hospitals and homes for very poor people and communities. 

Our mission team members loved reaching out and ministering to others in practical ways, and helping other people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior; and all of them stated that helping others and ministering to the needs of other people was the most enjoyable and fulfilling experiences of their life. 

So, how can you find purpose, joy and fulfillment in your life? 

Invite Jesus to become the Lord of your life and ask Him to lead you to hurting, broken people that need a transformed life, joy, peace and purpose that only He can give. 

As you see, God has a plan for your life. He created each one of us to fulfill a specific role in this world. There is no one else who can achieve completely what God has purposely created you to do. 

His plan unfolds as we grow in faith, mature in knowledge, and practice obedience; and if you listen carefully God will speak to you like He did to many throughout the Bible, and your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “this is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21). 

Therefore, as you seek to discover God’s will for your life, pay attention to how He has gifted you. His plan for you will always be directly related to the gifts that He has bestowed upon you; and His Word advises you to, “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

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For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Acts 13:47) 

First we need to make sure that we are truly born again. Paul told the Corinthians: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

Once we are sure, we must be determined to walk in humble, unbroken fellowship with God our Father as we accept the cleansing that is provided by the shed blood of Jesus, the Savior. As the apostle John tells us: “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). 

We need to be determined to live a humble, obedient life by obeying God’s commands in the Bible and be led by the Holy Spirit. And then ask God to lead us to those people whose hearts are tender and prepared to receive the Gospel message. 

Be aware though, that most people will not come to Christ until they have experienced pain, loss and the conviction that they are sinners and are on their way toward God’s judgment and an eternity in the Lake of Fire. 

Research has proven that only 4% of the people over the age of 18 will accept Jesus as their Savior; this means that after the age of 18 that 96% of the people will rebel and reject God and be cast in the Lake of Fire for eternity. This is a very sad and sobering reality. 

That is why it is so vital that we evangelize children at a very early age and put a strong emphasis upon leading elementary and junior high students to Christ. 

Once we have led a person to Jesus, we must make a consistent and Spirit led effort to disciple and teach these new believers through Bible studies, and we must be a humble, godly example for them to emulate. 

We must realize that many people have no understanding of the religious terms that we Christians use, such as; “you are lost,” when they respond, “no I am not lost, I am right here in my home on 124 Elm Street.” 

Or, “you need to be saved,” and they reply, “Saved from what? I don’t see any vicious animals or criminals trying to get me.” 

We must go back to the basics of creation. We need to explain that God created men and women to love and obey Him and to have a personal relationship with Him, and that we are never secure or fulfilled until we establish a vital Father to child relationship with Him, through the sacrifice of Jesus. 

When God created Adam and Eve they were in perfect fellowship with God – they were normal people; when they sinned and rebelled against God, they broke their relationship with Him and they became abnormal. 

Webster’s Dictionary describes abnormal as not normal, meaning “not sane and sound in their mind.” And that is what every person in the world is, who has not accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord of their life. 

Some Christian research projects reveal that only 2% of the people in the world may be true Christians; this fact reveals that 98% of the people in the world are abnormal – they are not “sane and sound in mind,” no matter how much money, education and influence they have. 

Here at Mission Venture Ministries we are theologians, we study the Bible in depth, and we reference and study other Biblically sound theologians, because we know that we are accountable to God to present His truth accurately and to live a clean, humble life to back up our teachings. 

In this world we have many false teachers as Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:15, who are not true born again Christians and many idiots with PhD’s are giving other unstable and deceitful false teachers PhD degrees; to reinforce their diabolical teachings. These people encourage their “churches” to accept LGBTQ teaching even approving of child abuse and pedophiles. 

Research also reveals that about 90 percent of the so-called pastors and religious leaders in the evangelical churches are not truly born again and are not living a humble life that honors God. 

Remember what Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). 

If you have access to YouTube, John MacArthur has two excellent, soul searching messages entitled, “Saved or Self Deceived, parts 1 and part 2” – everyone should listen to these messages. 

We need to let people know that ever day that they live in sin is a wasted day which add up to a wasted, disastrous, miserable life that has no real meaning or purpose. 

God has commissioned every true Christian as a priest unto Him (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6) and we must make every effort to win the lost. As finite beings we do not have the foresight of knowing the desires and challenges of each individual we share the truth with; however, God knows the deepest secrets and needs of every person. 

The Holy Spirit can speak through us to touch the depths of the human heart; and only the Holy Spirit can give us the words that will convict and encourage others to follow Christ. 

We must be led by the Holy Spirit. Like Paul in (Acts 16:6-10), we should continually ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to people whose hearts are tender and ready for the harvest. The Holy Spirit will lead us to those who are desperately searching for more in life and they may be open to accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

All true Christian teaching recognizes that for a person to be “born again” that individual must accept Jesus Christ not only as their Savior but as the absolute Lord and Master of their life. 

We must accept the truth that every lost person will stand before Jesus Christ and be judged by Him and then they will be cast into the Lake of Fire to be tormented for all of eternity. 

So, what is the motivation for evangelism? Are we just doing it because it is the Christian thing to do? Are we doing it to try to please God by our good works? Are we doing it to try to grow a bigger church? 

If we pray and ask our Father to give us His heart for the lost, He will reveal His love expressed by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. And when God shares His desires with us, He will illuminate us by giving us wisdom, discernment and a true heart to evangelize the lost through His Spirit that lives in us. 

Let us therefore obey our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by going into all the world and preaching the Good News to everyone (Mark 16:15).

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“O my people, listen to my teaching. Open your ears to what I am saying. For I will show you lessons from our history, stories handed down to us from former generations. I will reveal these truths to you so that you can describe these glorious deeds of Jehovah to your children and tell them about the mighty miracles He did. For He gave His laws to Israel and commanded our fathers to teach them to their children, so that they in turn could teach their children too. Thus His laws pass down from generation to generation. In this way each generation has been able to obey His laws and to set its hope anew on God and not forget His glorious miracles.” (Psalm 78:1-7) 

Like the Israelites, we too have been entrusted with the responsibility to teach by instruction and example the truth of God’s Word, which results in a desire to walk obediently before the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. Since both instruction and example are necessary, we must have consistency between what we say and what we do if we hope to pass down God’s truths to the next generation. 

The goal is to introduce children to the Lord and help them to place their faith in a living and personal God who is our Creator and Redeemer. It means working to help our children develop a personal relationship with the Lord by faith so that the confidence and convictions of their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, become the confidence and convictions and inheritance of their children and future generations. 

When we fail to communicate God’s truth to our children, we are guilty of hiding from them the most important information in the world. The great mission of the psalmist, as it should be with all believers and parents, is to reveal the truth of God to their family. 

It is important that if you are a parent trying to raise a teenager that you have an approach that will bring the two of you together, and does not create isolation and separation. There are too many parents that think that by consistently punishing their children that eventually they will get the message and start respecting them; but you need to realize that punishment alone will not get them to where you want to be with your teenager. 

That is why the Bible tells parents: “Do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) 

Many parents find it difficult to incorporate other methods besides just punishment into how they raise their child because they don’t know how. They need to take a new approach and take the time to sit down with their child and just talk. It is more important than you might think, to ask your teen questions about how they are applying God’s commandments to their life, what is happening with their self-image, and whether or not they are really happy, because often times they will not offer this information on their own.

Many parents will have a hard time talking to their teens about the Lord, especially if they have not given them a foundation in their formative years. And while this seems like an undesirable intrusion into their lives, it’s something important you must do. At first it might be hard for you to reach a happy medium between getting involved with your child and being frustrated by their behavior and reactions, but with a little practice, you will eventually get there. 

You need to understand that when a child or teenager misbehaves, it can be a cry for attention. Although this is not always the case, children and teenagers often do certain things because parents are not devoting enough time and energy to them as they should. 

You are perpetrating a disastrous failure in your family if you do not give your children a biblical foundation for them to build their lives upon; just as Jesus warned His hearers when He told them the parable of the wise and foolish builder. 

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27) 

Sadly more and more parents are selfishly taking time to watch their favorite show or game on TV, playing their video games, ignoring their children’s behavior and indulging in their own pleasures, instead of focusing and dealing with teaching and mentoring their kids. Please understand that it is critical that you take the time that is needed to create a solid bridge of communication between you and your teen so that you can come up with ways to solve problems and make life better for the both of you and the whole family. 

From a Biblical perspective here are things every parent and Christian teenager should know and if they are unaware of these basic principles, this will give you the perfect opportunity to share it with them.

First, we need to obey God – As Jesus said, “blessed are those who hear God’s word and obey it” (Luke 11:28). This came straight from our Creator’s mouth, so as we see if we obey God He will bless us. 

You need to explain to your teen that whatever they are starting to experience from peer pressure is probably going to lead to sin. They should be grounded enough in the Bible to say NO to sin and to understand that the consequences are not worth it. 

They need to understand that things the world has to offer are temporarily gratifying; but the things that God has to offer will satisfy us eternally. God is not a killjoy; He has our greatest interests in mind. The Bible really means it when it says that God is the only true source of satisfaction in this life.

1 Corinthians 10:13 teaches us that, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

As you share with them you can point out how Scripture teaches us wonderful principles. If we belong to God and obey Him, God will not allow any difficulty to come into our lives that we are not capable of bearing in the power of Christ. With every temptation and every testing that comes our way, God will remain faithful to us; He will provide a way to endure the test. We do not have to give in to sin and have the choice to obey God in every circumstance.

Another wonderful promise from God was revealed to the prophet Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

So as you learn and share with your children you will be blessed also.

Second, children need to obey their parents – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3)

It may be challenging for children to learn to obey and honor their parents, and for some children, it’s harder than others! But there is a very good reason for this command. Proverbs teaches that those who listen to their parents gain wisdom: “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes” (Proverbs 13:1).

God’s purpose is for children to learn to honor and obey their parents as they grow up so that they can live wisely. As they learn respect at home, they will respect others appropriately when they leave the home. Even young Jesus, though He was the Son of God, obeyed His earthly parents and as a result grew in wisdom (Luke 2:51-52). The Bible says: “Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death” (Proverbs 19:18).

God holds us responsible for the spiritual condition of our families. Too many parents are relinquishing or ignoring their responsibilities as parents. However, responsibly requires discipline on the part of parents as well as from children. Children have a responsibility to obey their parents; and parents have a responsibility to instruct their children in the ways of God.

Third, obey the authorities – “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:1-2)

To a teenager, it may seem cool to be rebellious to authorities; and that is exactly one of the biggest problems with today’s generation; a lack of respect for authority. Whether it’s a police officer, a pastor, a teacher or a grandparent, they need to understand certain people have authority over them, and they need to learn to be respectful and obey.

Remember, today’s child will be tomorrow’s adult. Are you raising a teenager who’ll grow up to be a responsible adult?

1 Timothy 5:8 says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Providing for your family, means much more than simply putting bread on the table. It includes the provision of all the elements of a Christian home; teaching and modeling God’s Word in an atmosphere of love, grace, patience, loving discipline, understanding, and encouragement. This includes modeling biblical values and priorities. 

If no father is present, as is the case in many homes today, this responsibility falls in the lap of the mother. In some cases the father must bear this responsibility where a mother is absent. Whatever the case, parents are the key agents in communicating the Word of God to their children so that God’s truth and the moral integrity and character continues being communicated from generation to generation. 

Grounding our children in scriptural truth is especially important as they head off to school. Because today we live in an environment that is against God, we cannot count on teachers to teach the truth. Although there are many teachers who love the Lord, secular education systems hinder them from talking about spiritual things. God has given us the responsibility to teach our children to discern between truth and error so they’ll be prepared to go out into the world. If we don’t courageously stand up for the truth of Scripture, our children and grandchildren may drown in secularism and unbelief. 

Since our society is disinterested in the things of God, the most loving thing we can do for our children is to discuss spiritual truths with them. We should ask them what they are learning in school and what they believe about spiritual matters. It’s our responsibility to teach them that God is the Creator, and His Son, Jesus Christ, is the only way of salvation (John 14:6). 

Children are born with sinful natures and unless they have the godly influence of parents who are themselves faithful, obedient, and walking with the Lord, their children will go the natural way of their sinful natures. 

Godly children who know Scripture, trust, and are obedient to the Lord do not happen by accident. They are the product of parents who know and walk with God. Unfortunately, if parents are not truly godly, their children are not likely to be either. 

However, never give up hope because if you: 

• Admit that you are a sinner and cannot attain eternal life by myself. Repent and turn away from your sin. (Romans 3:23)
• Believe and trust that Jesus Christ is God’s only Son who was crucified for your sins. (Romans 5:8)
• Confess that you have sinned (1 John 1:9) and commit your life to Jesus Christ and ask Him to be Savior and Lord of your life. (Romans 10:9)  

You need to understand however that many proclaim to believe in God, Jesus and heaven. But there’s a difference between giving intellectual assent to an idea and spiritually acknowledging Christ as Savior. The Bible teaches us that when someone truly comes to faith in Jesus, he or she changes. It’s impossible to remain the same after understanding one’s desperate need for Him. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

The desire for salvation begins with the recognition that we’ve sinned against God and there is no hope of salvation apart from Jesus. When we trust in His sacrifice for the payment of our sin debt, God promises to respond. If you desire to be in heaven with Him for eternity, ask yourself, have I been truly saved? 

If not, now is the time and when you do, the Holy Spirit will come to guide your steps, helping you to understand God’s Word, and show you how to reach your children and the next generation. 

As you open the Bible, you will become more familiar with it, and your faith in the Lord will increase. And as you teach His truths; your life will be changed as well as that of your family. 

There are many restless and dissatisfied young people who are looking for and desperately need to hear what Almighty God can do in their lives. So please remember that providing for our children doesn’t merely include physical needs, material possessions, and education. The most important thing we can do for them is to “Teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older, he will remain upon it” (Proverbs 22:6).

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For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11) 

As the New Year begins many make decision to make changes in their life. It would be therefore, wise to focus on self-discipline, because growth in many areas of our life is largely determined by our progress in being disciplined. Without this foundational discipline, there can be no advancement in any area of our life. 

Let us be clear, if we do not discipline ourselves, God Himself will discipline us (Hebrews 12:5–11). One way or another, there will be discipline in our lives. Given our tendency toward sin, we must discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness, lest we be disciplined by God. 

John MacArthur writes: Self-discipline is important in any endeavor of life. It’s best defined as the ability to regulate one’s conduct by principle and sound judgment, rather than by impulse, desire, or social custom. Biblically, self-discipline may be summarized in one word: OBEDIENCE. To exercise self-discipline is to avoid evil by staying within the bounds of God’s law. 

Since self-discipline is so important, how do we develop it? 

Here are some suggestions; but remember to start one step at the time so you will not be overwhelmed. 

Start your day by doing the hard things first. Most people do just the opposite; spending their time doing the easier, low priority tasks. But when they run out of time and energy, the difficult, high-priority tasks are left undone. Remember, when you get sidetracked, make yourself go back and complete them. 

For example, make your bed, put your clothes in place, and wash the dishes; don’t make extra work for others. And don’t start several projects at once; the feeling of “getting something done” will help you grow in self-respect and self-discipline. 

Clean your desk at work. Train yourself to put things where they belong when they are out of place. After you’ve cleaned your room or desk, extend that discipline of neatness to the rest of your house and workplace. 

Get yourself to the point where orderliness matters. Learn how to keep your environment clean and orderly so you can function without a multitude of distractions. Such neatness will further develop self-discipline by forcing you to make decisions about what is important and what is not. 

Finish what you start. Some people’s lives are a sad litany of unfinished projects. If you start something, finish it. Therein rests an important key to developing self-discipline. 

Make a commitment to be punctual. Tardiness is a hard habit to break. To conquer it you must be willing to call it what it is, a selfish and inconsiderate behavior. Being punctual marks a life that is organized. It reveals a person whose desires, activities, and responsibilities are under control. Arriving on time also recognizes the importance of others and the value of your time. 

Plan ahead. Everything takes longer than you think, so don’t wait until the last minute and then rush around like a mad person. Living like this causes you stress, whereas allowing extra time is good for your health and peace of mind. 

Make a schedule, and stick to it. Have a to-do list of things you need to accomplish. Using a daily planning book or a personal information manager program on your computer or smart phone would be helpful. But get organized, even if all you do is jot down appointments and to-do items on a piece of paper. The reality is that if you don’t control your time, everything and everyone else will. 

Don’t constantly seek to be entertained. When you have free time, do things that are productive instead of merely looking to be entertained. Read the Bible or good uplifting books, listen to good inspiring music, take a walk, or go and help someone. In other words, learn to entertain yourself with things that are challenging, stimulating, and creative. Things that are of no value make a very small contribution to your well-being. 

Keep your word, if you say you’re going to do something, do it. When you make commitments, see them through. That calls for the discipline to properly evaluate whether you have the time and capability to do something. And once you’ve made the commitment, self-discipline will enable you to keep it. 

Learn to say no to your feelings and impulses. If you are trying to loose weight discipline yourself to not have dessert after a meal. Get up, clean up the kitchen and remind your mind of who is in charge. 

Welcome responsibility. Volunteer to help others. That will force you to have your life organized enough to have the time for such projects. 

Accept correction. Correction helps you develop self-discipline by showing you what you need to avoid. Solomon wrote “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days” (Proverbs 19:20); and “He whose ear listens to the life giving reproof will dwell among the wise. He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding” (Proverbs 15:31-32). As we see the Bible tells us that, “wisdom in found in those who take advice” (Proverbs 13:10), so if you are prudent you will welcome correction and will seek the counsel of the wise. 

Ask God to help you control your unruly thoughts, feelings, desires and behaviors. Identify the unmanageable areas in your life, stop making excuses, face the truth even if it hurts, refuse to feel sorry for yourself, and set a few attainable goals. In other words: “Learn to sense what is vital and of real value.” 

Learning self-discipline in the little things of life prepares the way for big successes. On the other hand, those who are undisciplined in small matters will likely be undisciplined in more important issues. 

These practical suggestions may not seem to involve any deep spiritual principles. Yet you cannot split your life into the secular and the spiritual. Instead you must live every aspect of your life to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). And self-discipline cultivated in the seemingly mundane things of life will spill over into the spiritual realm. 

The bottom line is that a self-disciplined life brings us closer to God and puts us in a better position to hear from Him. It causes us to make better choices and walk in the path God has for us because we take time to listen to His voice. We experience His peace when we walk through hard times because we are disciplined to study His Word and we remember His promises about carrying us through.   

When we do this we are able to bless others by making ourselves available to teach them the word of God. A spiritually strong life is a wonderful life to live, but it doesn’t come without effort. Staying close to God is the only way we will have a strong sense of purpose and peace in our life. 

Remember, discipline is defined as “training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior,” and it should be a natural component of the Christian life. In fact, if we think about this, almost nothing of importance in our life is achieved without discipline. 

Wishing you great joy, peace and success in this New Year as you discipline yourself to walk and obey the Lord and His Word.

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Lord, we worship You during this Christmas season and all year through. You are our wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).  Thank you for being our Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) 

Help us to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as You forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). 

Fill us to overflowing with Your love for the lost. Teach us to be kind to those who need it most, especially at this time of year. Help us to share Your Truth and be Your light, as Your Holy Spirit fills our hearts with Your love and power. 

We ask that all members of our family and friends be saved as you Lord touch their hearts.  May our lives be filled with Your glory and Your peace, Who lives and reigns forever and ever. 

May there be bread for the hungry, love for the unlovable, healing for the sick, protection for our children, and wisdom for our youth. 

Help us to live so close to You that we radiate your love, truth and purity to everyone that we meet so You and our wonderful Savior will be honored and glorified. 

Thank you Lord for sending Your Son on one glorious night to be born of a virgin, to live a perfect life and to die on the cross for our sins. Thank you that He rose from the dead three days later and that this Christmas and every Christmas we can celebrate the gift of eternal life through our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

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Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

Peace with God is the foundation for peace in every area of our life. Jesus is the “Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6) and it’s only through a relationship with Him that we will ever experience true peace.

When we sin, we need to repent and ask God to forgive us, because when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  And in Hebrews we read similar words the Lord told Isaiah: “For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12, Isaiah 43:25).

The first thing we have to do to find true inner peace is to focus on God instead of our situation. That’s easier said than done, but that’s what Paul means when he says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

Biblical joy is the knowledge that God is in control of our circumstances and allows only that which is good for us into our life as Romans 8:28 tells us: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

James says to consider it joy when a trial comes our way (James 1:2). It’s not that the trial brings joy; it’s what God is doing for us through the trial; as we rest in the Lord. In essence, we worship Him. That’s what Job did when he lost his possessions and his family; he said, “Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

Paul told the Philippians that we should leave our burden with God, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

There might be thoughts from the past that come up from time to time, but we are told not to dwell on the past (Isaiah 43:18) but to think of things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, things are of good report, things that have virtue and are praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8); and to fix our mind on those instead.  Colossians 3:2-3 tells us to “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” To set your minds on things above is to look at life from God’s perspective and to seek after what He desires.

The more we meditate on the things of God, as Paul says, the more we will get to know God and His ways and will know that He is indeed working these things for the good in our life (Romans 8:28). And we will know that “the he Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalms 84:11).

Remember to never give up! Jesus was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and He’ll be with you in your fiery furnace as well (Daniel 3:25). They were at peace even though they didn’t know whether God would actually keep them alive or not (Daniel 3:17-18). All they knew was that God was with them and would help them through one way or the other. And that’s what we need to realize; God is always with us when we obediently walk with Him.

When we walk with the Lord we draw closer to Him and He becomes our focus; our hearts longs for Him, His presence and peace. When this happens our desire to have fellowship with Christ and be like Him will grow while our worldly desires will decrease. Therefore, draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

We need to accept other people just the way they are.  We are all born with different God-given personalities and were never meant to be the same.

So, if you have good parents, children, spouse or friends that love Christ do not try to change them, accept them for who they are. Enjoy them and learn from them.  The Lord helps us by using others to help us through our struggles, just as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).

Sure, we all have areas where we truly need to change, but only God can change us. The best thing we can do for others is to pray for them and lovingly accept them until God does a mighty work in them.

Please remember that: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18). Knowing that “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9); if we humble ourselves and let Him work in our life.

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Mission Venture Ministries

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

As we enter the season when many people are focused on giving and receiving gifts, we need to tell our loved ones and friends about the greatest gift that has ever been given. It is indeed the most precious gift anyone could ever receive because of its eternal value.

This amazing gift of eternal life is offered to everyone, but tragically most people refuse it because they do not see their need for it. This heavenly gift from God is available free for the asking because of a love story written in blood on a cross 2,000 years ago. Thanks be to God for His indescribable and irrevocable gift of eternal life with the Savior (2 Corinthians 9:15; Romans 11:29).

This is a very precious gift because Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior made the gift possible when He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice. Jesus “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6-7). As God’s perfect gift to humanity, He suffered once for sins, the just One for the unjust, that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). Let us therefore understand that the gift of salvation is found in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

It is an indescribable gift! How can it be that God would die for me? God’s amazing gift to us was made possible because divine justice was satisfied for all those who trust Christ alone as their sinless substitute. God made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

We need to understand that those who receive this indescribable gift of God’s love, mercy and grace will never suffer the eternal punishment in hell that they deserve.

However, God’s gift can only be received by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is given to people who confess their sins, recognize their hopeless condition, repent crying out to God for mercy (Luke 18:13); and finally place their trust in what Christ has done for them.

Eternal life is the free gift of God and can only be received by faith (Romans 6:23). Those who believe that it can be earned, merited or purchased must repent of such an insult to God as Peter said to Simon the sorcerer: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart” (Acts 8:20-22).

The Lord Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). Before He ascended into heaven, He promised His disciples “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

As we see, no one can receive the gift of eternal life until they know it is available and understand why they need to receive it. The One who purchased the gift of eternal life has given Christians the awesome responsibility and privilege to share the good news with the world!

This is why we share God’s gift of eternal life during this season and throughout the year.

The question we ask you is: “What is the greatest gift you have ever received?” Do you know?

As the world exchanges gifts that have no eternal value, let us announce the gift  that will be enjoyed throughout all eternity!

 “The awesome gift of eternal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”

Wishes Christmas blessings to all our brother’s and sisters around the world!

We do not know when Jesus was born, because the Bible does not tell us, but we celebrate with joy this precious gift today and every day of our life, until Christ calls us home to be with Him for eternity.

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“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) 

This information is to help you and your child to understand that baptism is an act of obedience for those who know the meaning of salvation and have already been saved. The act of baptism is symbolic of salvation by faith; that is, having been buried with Him in baptism God makes us alive with Christ.

Baptism is an outward act in which we affirm our desire to follow Jesus on this inner path. This “death” that Paul mentions is a death to my old life, where I choose to stop living according to my sinful and biased human nature. I can then begin to walk in “newness of life” by obeying God’s commandments. (Colossians 2:12-14).

As taught and practiced in the New Testament, baptism is therefore an act of obedience by an individual and is a response to the renewing work of the Holy Spirit in his life.

Before a young person or anyone is baptized, he must be old enough to understand the gospel of Christ.

A candidate for baptism has repented of their sin, placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and wants to make Him the Lord of their life. The evident desire to obey the Lord Jesus in this matter validates their conversion experience. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me” (John 14:21).

Baptism is an important step in anyone’s journey as a follower of Christ and an outward symbol of the work He has already done in your life. The Bible paints a beautiful picture of baptism as our identification with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. When you make the decision to accept Christ as your Savior, the Bible says that your old way of life is dead, and you are beginning a new life with Christ.

If your child wants to get baptized, ask questions.

Baptism comes after salvation, so start with the basic questions: 

• Can you tell me who Jesus is?
• What did He do for you?

Here’s one way to explain salvation in a way kids can understand:

We need to let them know that God loves us so much that He sent His son Jesus to earth. Jesus took the punishment for our sin by dying on a cross. But Jesus did not stay in the tomb! God resuscitated Jesus and He lives.

To follow Jesus, you have to believe that He died for you and that God resuscitated Jesus and He lives.

We need to understand that we are born with something called sin, which means that we all mess up at times and do wrong things. When we sin we deserve to be punished for those things, right!

So, we need to tell Jesus that we are sorry for the way we behaved and we need to repent. To repent means to change your mind; to turn away from sin and turn to God. We can then ask Jesus to forgive us and He will and His Holy Spirit will come and live inside us because Jesus knows our heart and knows that we no longer want to do anything that intentionally hurts Him.

Here are some initial questions that could provide insight if a child or a person is ready to be baptized:

• Why would you like to be baptized? This question is asked to determine the motive or conviction to be baptized – e.g. to please their parents, friends, etc. or to obey God. 

• Who should be baptized? This question is asked to clarify if they understood that baptism is a special act linked to salvation. 

• What is baptism for? This question is asked to determine the level of understanding about the symbolism of baptism. 

• Do you think that being baptized will make it easier for you to follow the Lord? This question is asked to ensure that the child or person is not disillusioned about the Christian walk after baptism. 

• Have you made a decision to follow Jesus Christ and make Him the Lord of your life? This is a very critical answer.

To make sure the child understands, here are additional questions that you might ask and confirm that they are aware of what is really taking place, since this is a very important commitment that they are making for life: 

• What is baptism? – Baptism means that I am telling people that I understand what Jesus did for me. It is a public profession of faith that tells people that I have decided to follow Jesus.

NOTE: Explain to your children that many are baptized without really understanding what baptism means and we can see that they did not understand because there is no change in their behavior, they continue lying, cheating and doing all kinds of bad things that the Bible tells us not do do. Jesus tells us that by their fruits you will know them. Baptism is a serious matter that needs to be understood before a commitment is made. It is important at any age to be knowledgeable of the meaning of baptism. 

• What does baptism represent? – That we are buried with Christ and shared in His death; that we are buried with Him when the pastor puts us under the water and when we come up out of the water it represents that we are going to live a new life, just as Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of God the Father (Romans 6:4).

• When we are baptized does the water wash away our sins in the same way that we wash the dirt of the body when we take a bath or a shower? (1 Peter 3:21) – NO, the water is a symbol of our sins being washed away because we believe in Jesus Christ and what He did for us, and that we now want to obey Him. 

• Why do we get baptized? – We get baptized to follow the example Jesus set for us. It is an act of obedience. Jesus said: “I tell you the truth. Unless you are born from water and the Spirit, you cannot enter God’s kingdom.” (John 3:5)

• Who was Jesus baptized by? (Matthew 3:13-17) – He was baptized by his cousin John the Baptist.

• When was Jesus baptized? (Luke 3:21-22) – At the beginning of His ministry.

• Why was Jesus baptized? – Because He wanted to be an example for us, and God wanted everyone know that Jesus was His beloved son. When Jesus was baptized and He came out of the water a voice spoke from heaven. The voice said, “This is my Son and I love him. I am very pleased with him.” (Matthew 3:17)

Baptism is an important part of your relationship with God and it shows obedience to Jesus Christ. Baptism is not something we do because friends are doing it or because it looks kind of fun. We are baptized out of obedience and love for Jesus to tell everyone we are following Him by the way we behave, speak, live and treat others. And everyone can see that something really wonderful happened because the Holy Sprit who Jesus Christ sent is now living in us.

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“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Repentance is found throughout the Bible and it involves a change of direction, a transformation of decision. It is not only a change of mind, it constitutes in willingness or determination to abandon a stubborn disobedience and surrender the will to Christ.

We need to understand that a change in behavior does not represent repentance, because real repentance alters the character of the whole person as Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote:

“Repentance means that you realize that you are guilty, a vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are hell-bound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world and its outlook as well as its practice, and you deny yourself, and take up the cross and go after Christ.”

Repentance is not a one-time act. The repentance that takes place at conversion begins a progressive, lifelong process of confession (1 John 1:9). This active, continuous attitude of repentance produces the poor in spirit, mourning, and meekness Jesus spoke of in the Beatitudes (Mathew 5:3-6). It is a mark of every true believer.

Being sorry and being repentant are two different things. Judas felt remorse, but he didn’t repent (Matthew 27:3). Yes, Judas changed his mind, and he was sorry; what he didn’t do was to repent and ask the Lord for mercy for the sin that he had so horrendously committed.

As with Judas, one of the hardest things for a person to do is to repent of their sins. Repentance is a direct challenge to man’s will power. It demands that he humble himself before God, and give up everything that is contrary to his will; therefore, the holy demands of repentance have kept many out of the kingdom of God.

Repentance is a plain command of God throughout the Bible, and any man that refuses to repent will have to bear the responsibility that that comes with it. When Jesus gave the world-wide commission, He said, “That repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). And Paul said that, “God commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).

As we see no one can be saved without repentance.

We need to understand that repentance is not simply being afraid. Paul convicted Felix of his sins, Felix trembled with fear but he did not repent (Acts 24:25). There are many people today who are afraid when they think of their sinfulness, but they, like Felix, refuse to repent, and die without hope.

As mentioned before, repentance is not simply and solely a change in behavior, a person may quit sin and yet not repent. Thus, the person may change their life for selfish reasons, but such reformation is not repentance. Simply stated, repentance is a change of mind or will based upon godly sorrow as Paul states: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Our Lord gave us an example of repentance which we can all understand, He said, “A certain man had two sons; and coming to the first, he said: Son, go work to day in my vineyard. And he answering, said: I will not. But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went” (Matthew 21:28-29). This son began to reflect on what he had done, and he realized that he had disobeyed his father, he became conscious of the fact that he sinned against his father, who was responsible for his very existence, and when he came to himself, he acknowledge that wrong, and then corrected it. He changed his mind (repented) and did that which he said he would not do. This is a perfect example of repentance.

Thus true repentance recognizes the sinfulness of one’s heart and realizes that I am powerless to correct the situation because of the weakness and corruption of my flesh. So I cry out to God for a new heart, and He graciously provides what I cannot do. He imparts a new nature to me that loves righteousness and longs to obey Him. He gives me His Holy Spirit to empower me to walk in His ways. Just as a tree bears fruits according to its nature, so the truly repentant soul begins to bear fruits according to this new nature, fruits that please God and are observed by others.

The repentant heart is the one that God can use. Peter repented, and he became a powerful leader in the structure of the early Church. David repented, and his joy broke forth in the music of the Psalms. Jonah repented, and a great city heard the Gospel and turned to God. Jacob repented and God made him an ancestor of the Messiah, our Savior. Paul repented, and God used him to take the light of the Gospel to a pagan world.

If the world ever needed a spiritual awakening, it is now. The destiny of nations and individuals has changed when men and women boldly repented of their sins and turned to Jesus Christ by faith. Sin has morally corrupted many civilizations, and at this moment in history it threatens to destroy ours.

There is hope though, but it is only in God. There is forgiveness, but it can only be found at the foot of the cross, where Christ died for our sins. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). This is God’s promise.

Have you repented? Have you changed? Is your life different from how it used to be? Remember only “godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

The Sovereign Lord takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. He said: “Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32)

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For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” (1 Peter 4:17-18) 

We are losing our children. Seventy-five to ninety percent of young people raised in Christian homes walk away from the Christian faith when they hit college. And, we need to understand that  it’s not more youth programs at church that will stop this trend. 

According to the Scriptures, the solution lies within the home. Christian parents need to take the time to teach their own children the commands of God’s Word. God commands Christian parents to train their children in the way they should go and this involves more than taking them to church. It involves teaching them, every day. 

There is nothing more important that you as a parent can do for your children than to teach them biblical truth. Why? Because, God commands parents to teach their children to reverence Him and to reinforce that teaching by living a holy life before their children; Proverbs 19:18 says: “Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.”

Let us look a little closer why it is important to teach our children: 

Because they won’t learn it on their own.  We need to realize that no matter how good they look, your children have a sinful nature and they don’t really love or desire God. We need to understand that God’s primary means of bringing people to Himself is through discipleship, meaning, informed people explaining Scriptures to them. 

There are great examples in the Bible, like Philip inquiring of the Ethiopian eunuch, who was reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” (Acts 8:31). And the answer was: “How can I? I need someone to explain it to me.” As you see, your children will never learn the Scriptures unless you or some Spirit filled person will teach them. 

Because their friends and teachers are leading them astray. Paul warns us against being deceived and declares that bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). The Bible also says that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child (Proverbs 22:15). When a bunch of foolish kids get together, foolishness abounds. 

Most Christian parents have no idea what their children talk about with their friends or how much they are influenced by them and today’s culture. Observations have been given of those who have driven buses for Christian and public school athletic teams; and the conversations on those buses are no different, they are secular and certainly do not glorify God.  

Seven hours a day for nine months of the year, your children are being taught that God does not exist. And it’s not only in science class. When the math, English, or history teacher presents the material apart from the reality of God or without looking at it through the lens of Scripture, your children are being taught that God is not real. They are also being trained to think the way an evil, God hating world thinks. They see the world through evil and worldly lenses and not a biblical one. As such, your children are being led astray from truth.   

Because their electronic devices are leading them astray. From television shows, to music, to YouTube videos, to Facebook, and more, your children are being influenced away from Christ and to reject His Lordship.

Values and attitudes are shaped by entertainers, musicians, writers, advertisers, etc. If your child’s mind is being filled with nothing but the world’s evil messages, he can’t help but think like the world. This is why the Scriptures tell us constantly that we must renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2).  Therefore, unless we fill our minds with God’s truth, we will find it impossible to think in a way that glorifies God.  

Furthermore, salvation is not a matter of repeating some words in a prayer. It’s a matter of one’s mind and heart being changed by the grace and power of the Spirit. Ask yourself how much time your child spends in school, with friends, playing games on his phone or tablet versus how much time he or she spends learning about God. 

Because they are not learning truth at church. This is a shocking statement because you might be attending a good church with good teachers. But one hour or even two on a Sunday is not discipleship. It’s not nearly enough time to combat the ungodly influences on your children throughout the week. 

Most children in Sunday school and youth group, are not being taught what God’s Word actually says, they are wasting time on secular and worldly things, and unfortunately most teachers are not equipped to teach because they have not been taught themselves. 

Because you don’t really know what they believe if you don’t talk to them. You can assume your children are saved and even have some knowledge of the Scriptures. But unless you talk to them, probe their understanding and attitudes, explain the Word, and apply it to their hearts, you cannot know where they are in their spiritual walk.  

If you don’t spend time regularly talking with your children about what’s going on with them and applying the Scriptures to their lives in that regard, you will be very surprised one day when you find out they aren’t who you thought they were. If you care about your children, you will care about what they think and what influences their lives. 

Because you really do not love your children if you don’t teach them God’ truth. Biblical discipline is not only corrective but it builds a moral and spiritual foundation for their lives. Discipleship is formative discipline and involves teaching the things of God while discipline is corrective discipleship and involves rebuke, correction, and instruction. 

Moreover, in biblical terms, love is action, consequently, to love your children is to teach them the Scriptures. If you don’t teach them God’s Word, you do not love them. You basically do not care if they wreck their life and end up spending eternity in the Lake of Fire. 

This is a hard truth to swallow, but if you think about it carefully, you will see that is exactly what you are doing. 

Because God commands you to. Paul tells us to bring our children up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). 

Again, we are to make disciples of our children. The way we do that is found in Deuteronomy 6:6-9: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  

If you’re not saturating your children with God’s word, you are being disobedient and rebellious; you are failing miserably and are leading them to destruction. 

Because Satan is real and is trying to destroy them. Peter gives us a critical command for our good: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). 

If we don’t think of our children as prey, they will be devoured, because, Satan will get to them through sex, drugs, violence, or he may get at them through the influence of rebellious friends or activist teachers. He will get them somehow through ideas that permeate our culture; so, your only means of protecting your children is Jesus Christ and His Word. 

Because children are sinful by nature and have no ability to overcome their own sinful nature. The truth is that if you simply leave your children to themselves, they will always choose the wrong path. It may be that God in His grace and providence uses someone else to point them to Christ; but you have no guarantee of that, and in reality, it’s almost certain that they will destroy their lives in sin. 

If seventy-five to ninety percent of young people who are raised in Christian homes walk away from the faith when they hit college, what will make your child different? These teenagers are walking away because they are not and have not been taught biblical truth by their parents. 

Because one day it will be too late. No one knows who will change their heart and maybe draw them near to God. But in practical terms, there will come a day when your child has chosen his beliefs and path in life.   

So remember, it doesn’t have to be that way. God has given us His word and told us what to do with it. The only way they will learn is from hearing, because faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ (Romans 10:17).

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SOURCE: Adapted from – Top Reasons to Teach Your Children Biblical Truth Every Day – by Dr. Paul Dean, April 13, 2015