Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘father’
The Perfect Father
All of us who are called “dad” know that, while we want the best for our children, we do not always choose the best ourselves. There are no perfect fathers, but there is one perfect Father. Paul called Him “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). He gives perfect affection (Psalm 103:13). He gives perfect correction (Hebrews 12:5-10). He gives perfect direction (Isaiah 64:8). He gives perfect provision (James 1:17). He gives perfect protection (Matthew 10:29-31). He is the perfect Father! As a father I am so grateful for the dad that God gave to me as an example and encouragement. But regardless of what your earthly father was like I can assure you…
Read More7 Truths My Dad Taught Me
Tonight I had the joy of sharing these thoughts with our church family. Perhaps they will be of some help to your family. My dad has been one of my greatest teachers. All fathers teach more than they realize, and more than their children realize until later in life. As a boy I enjoyed asking preachers to sign the flyleaf of my Bible and share their favorite verse. Occasionally I look back through those signatures with fond memories of many who taught me God’s truth. One day it dawned on me that I had never asked my own dad to sign my Bible. He was reluctant to do so but, when he did, he signed it differently than all of…
Read MoreIt’s Family!
Family was God’s idea. It is the perfect expression of the Heavenly Father’s heart. “God setteth the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6). From the beginning He knew that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). And yet in our sin cursed world, even with the existence of physical families, there are so many abandoned, neglected, and lonely people. One of the miracles of salvation is that through Christ we are placed into a new family – the greatest family in the world! Scripture refers to it as “the whole family in heaven and earth” (Ephesians 3:15). This family has never all met together at one time…but we will one day. In fact, there is going to…
Read MoreGo East Young Man!
Our culture is obsessed with the ability, beauty, and virility of youth. Somehow in all of this obsession we have forgotten the wisdom of age. Young people miss the examples of parents and grandparents. Young couples fail to draw from the experience of more mature married couples. Young ministers often reject the insight of seasoned pastors. The mantra is the same, “They are from another generation…they wouldn’t understand.” This is a lie of the devil. Listen to the words of Scripture… “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee” (Deuteronomy 32:7). “With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding”…
Read MoreIntegrity: Standing True In a Shifting World
Many years ago I was driving through the town I grew up in with my mother in the front seat and my sister in the back seat. I was driving too fast. My mother (the “prophetess”) spoke evil into my life! As soon as the words came out of her mouth, “You are going too fast,” the blue lights came on behind us. My sister thought it was the greatest moment of her life! I didn’t. The officer took my license and registration. When he came back to the car he asked me one question: Are you Roger Pauley’s son? For a moment I wondered if he knew my dad before he came to the Lord or after. “Yes sir.”…
Read MoreHappy Homes
One of the most wonderful gifts that my parents gave to me growing up was a happy home. Yes, they had rules. No, we did not get to do whatever we wanted to do. But there was never the sense that we were “missing out.” After all of these years it is the joy of the Lord that I witnessed in my parent’s lives that has stayed with me. Many years ago Pastor Sexton preached a message titled “Living on the Sunny Side of Life.” One statement that he made seems especially appropriate today: “Don’t just live on the right side – live on the bright side.” Christ has designed it so that we can have both! One of the…
Read MoreA Word for Young People About Parents
Like most children, when I was very young, I memorized the Ten Commandments. The fifth commandment says, “Honour thy father and thy mother.” It is repeated eight times in the Bible. As a boy, if my mother said something once I was supposed to listen. If she said it twice, I was definitely supposed to listen. If she had to say it three times, it was too late to listen! When God repeats something it is always for emphasis. This is God’s word to every young person: “Honour thy father and thy mother.” For many years I quoted it without even knowing what it meant. The word honor means to assign value to something, to treat it as a prize. …
Read MoreAcres of Diamonds
When I was thirteen years old an elderly preacher in the mountains of West Virginia gave me a book. It was old and dusty. There were no pictures and at the time it seemed like a good book just to put on the shelf. Several years passed before I actually read its yellowed pages, but after reading them I would never forget them. Russell Conwell was a preacher and educator. He started what is now known as Temple University in Philadelphia. Conwell traveled the world giving a very famous lecture over 5,000 times. Any honorarium that was given to him was in turn given to some young person to help them through college. But the value of his lecture was…
Read MoreLessons God Is Teaching Me about My Family – Part 2
Home is the greatest classroom on earth…and not just for the children. Every day there is more to learn, and our failures serve to remind us that we have not arrived. In addition to the thoughts I shared in the last post, the Lord is teaching me: 8. Never argue in front of the children. Now, I am sure you are thinking: “We never argue at all.” Then perhaps you are farther along than me! All married couples have “discussions” and some of those should be done in private. Don’t talk about problems in front of your children. Speak in faith and encourage them to face their own problems depending on the Lord. 9. Play good music around the house.…
Read MoreLessons God Is Teaching Me about My Family – Part 1
The kids are growing up so quickly. At the same time I feel like I am getting old so quickly! Life moves along at a rapid pace and God is teaching me many things. I am not the husband or father that I should be. More and more I thank God for the wife that He has given to me and the mother that she is to our three children. Our home is not perfect. No home is. Every day the Holy Spirit is showing me areas that we need to work on. I would like to share a few things that God is teaching me. These are not the words of a teacher. They are the words of a…
Read More
