Category: What do you think?

The Importance of Fathers: Raising Children with Love

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TEXAS GOSPEL STAFF

Today, about 20 million children don’t have their fathers in their lives – that’s almost half as many people as live in all of Canada. These children are missing more than just having their dad at home. They’re missing the love, money, and emotional support that fathers should give. Many fathers are too busy living for today to take care of their children’s needs, and this problem is hurting our whole society. Children need their fathers, and fathers need to show their children they are loved and wanted.

Billy Graham once told a story that shows us what good fathers should do. He was lost in a town and asked a little boy for directions to the post office. After getting directions, Billy invited the boy to church to learn how to get to heaven. The boy replied, “No thanks – you don’t even know how to get to the post office!” This simple story teaches us that good fathers must lead by showing, not just by telling. Children watch what their fathers do – they notice if their father prays, goes to church, reads the Bible, and lives right. They see how their father treats other people and whether he stands up for what he believes in.

The Bible says, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” and this is what good fathers live by. They don’t just send their children to Sunday School – they take them there. They don’t just tell their children to pray – they pray with them. They show their children that God is important by making God important in their own lives. Just as important, the Bible tells fathers to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Good fathers show their children what love looks like by how they treat their wives. They are kind and thoughtful, showing their children what good relationships look like through their own marriage.

Being a good father isn’t about being perfect – it’s about trying your best each day to show love, lead well, and live right. When fathers do these things, they give their children a gift that lasts forever: the example of a father who cares. They help make society better by raising children who know they are loved, and they show what God’s love looks like in everyday life. Through their actions, they teach not only their own children but also influence others around them, creating a legacy of good fatherhood that can help heal our society.

The Evidence All Around Us

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JEFF TURNER

There’s a profound irony in how we humans often view our relationship with God. The apostle Paul, writing to the Romans, points out that the evidence of God’s existence isn’t hidden in obscure philosophical treatises or locked away in ancient mysteries – it’s written in the very fabric of creation itself. From the intricate patterns of a snowflake to the vast expanse of the starry heavens, God’s “invisible attributes” are on display for all to see.

Yet despite this overwhelming testimony, some people have a remarkable capacity for spiritual blindness. They look at the masterpiece and praise the canvas. They study the poetry and credit the paper it’s written on. Paul described a tragic progression: though people recognize God’s existence, they refuse to honor Him as God. Instead, they exchange the worship of the eternal Creator for the worship of created things – whether physical idols or the modern idols of success, pleasure, or self-determination.

The consequences of this exchange are severe. Three times in Romans 1:18-32, Paul uses the phrase “God gave them up” or “God gave them over.” When we persistently reject truth, we don’t become neutral – our capacity to recognize truth itself becomes distorted. Like eyes that have stayed too long in darkness, we begin to prefer the shadows to the light.

Today, let’s pause to really look at the world around us with fresh eyes. In every sunrise, every heartbeat, every breath, we find evidence of a Creator who has revealed Himself to us. The question is: Will we respond with worship, or will we turn away to lesser things?

The Power of Spirit-Led Prayer: Lessons from John Knox

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JEFF TURNER

John Knox was a famous Scottish reformer in the 16th century. He was deeply concerned for the spiritual state of his country. Knox prayed with great intensity, crying out, “Give me Scotland, or I die!” It is said this passionate prayer was driven by the Holy Spirit working through him.

Romans 8:26 tells us, “Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with [a]groanings too deep for words” NASB. This speaks of the Holy Spirit’s role in helping us pray, even when we may not know what to pray for.

When the Spirit takes over our prayers, something extraordinary happens. Our prayers are no longer limited to our own perspective or goals. Instead, they align with the will and purposes of God. In these moments, we become co-laborers with the divine, our finite lives elevated to participate in God’s boundless creativity and redemptive work.

Knox’s Spirit-led prayers were not in vain. His travail was rewarded with a profound spiritual awakening that transformed the nation of Scotland. Knox’s life showed that when we yield ourselves fully to the leading of the Holy Spirit in prayer, our impact can extend far beyond what we could ever accomplish alone.

Such Spirit-led prayers know no boundaries. They can leap across oceans, speed through deserts, and penetrate the darkest corners of the world with the healing power of the gospel. This is the essence of “praying in the Spirit” – allowing the divine Intercessor to work through us, empowering our words with supernatural potency.

When we surrender our own agendas and let the Holy Spirit guide our petitions, we become conduits of God’s will.

Jesus Himself prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

The Journey to Eternal Gratitude

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JEFF TURNER

Our practice of gratitude here on earth is just preparation for eternity.

Every “thank you” we offer now is rehearsal for the endless praise we’ll give in heaven. Just as athletes train for the big game, we’re training our hearts for eternal worship. Each time we choose thankfulness over complaint, each moment we spend recognizing God’s goodness, we’re getting ready for that day when gratitude will be as natural as breathing. This journey isn’t just about improving our attitude – it’s about preparing for our eternal destiny.

Consider Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Doesn’t this emphasize the importance of giving thanks in everything we do?

Living Out Our Thanks

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JEFF TURNER

Gratitude should be more than a moment – it should be a lifestyle.

When we truly understand what God has done for us, it changes how we live. Every choice becomes an opportunity to demonstrate thankfulness. Every interaction becomes a chance to reflect His goodness. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about direction.

Are we moving toward being more thankful? Are our lives increasingly showing evidence of God’s grace? True gratitude doesn’t just change our words; it transforms our whole way of being in the world.

Colossians 3:17 tells us, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”