What should you expect of a 12-year-old?

S. M. Davis in a message "What to Expect from a Twelve-Year-Old" offers some very thought-provoking and helpful thoughts in raising the bar on parenting! Too often we expect nothing more from twelve-year-olds than silliness, weirdness, and rebellion. But that is not what twelve-year-olds are to be like according to Scripture. Using Christ's life as an example, Davis develops a case to expect the following characteristics of a a twelve-year-old:

1. A mature sense of responsibility, purpose, and destiny
2. A keen sense of discernment especially in choosing friends
3. A burning desire to understand truth and wisdom
4. A fully obedient spirit
5. A consistently respectful attitude
6. A thorough commitment to do the will of God
7. An unmistakable godliness

His message contains at least 20 illustrations of those in their "teenage" years who demonstrated several of these characteristics and have made a lasting impact in the world: King Josiah, Daniel and his friends, John Adams, William Jay, Jonathan Edwards, William Carey and many others.

So, what do you think? Should we expect these of teenagers today? Why or why not? Are there any more that you would add? And how can we raise the bar in this area?

Grace: Getting past your past

This last Sunday I preached on 1 Timothy 1:12-18 in which Paul recounts his past life before God converted him, his salvation story, and the future impact he believes his story of God’s grace can have on others. He recalls the memories of previous years when he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent opponent of the law. He even says that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost” (v. 15).

Recently I read a small booklet by Pastor Robert Jones called “Bad Memories” in which he demonstrates that God’s grace has the power to transform our lives and our memories. Today, many who believe in the power of psychology, including many Christian counselors, would frown on Paul’s choice of words here in recalling his former days and his present life. For many the best way to deal with bad memories is by erasing or altering your memories through drugs, alcohol, shock treatments or demon deliverance ministries. Some would argue that we should just forget the past pointing to Philippians 3:13. However in this passage Paul is not dealing with his past memories, but rather the way in which he had previously tried to achieve the righteousness of God.

Jones shows from Scripture how that God doesn’t want to remove our memories, he wants to redeem them. The bad memories of our past sins, even the worst of them, can be opportunities for life-changing growth. We shouldn’t dwell on them, nor should we avoid them, run from them, cover over them or get rid of them.

From Joseph’s life we learn that our past doesn’t need to control our future (Genesis 37-50). This story is a marvelous story of God’s mercy and sovereignty and Joseph’s response of faith and obedience. The hope of the gospel can help us put the right interpretation on our past and turn something evil into something good by remembering how God was in our past (Genesis 50:20). We need a “gospel” interpretation of our past. We don’t need to run from it, avoid it, or hide it. We need to look at the past through God’s lenses!

Allowing God’s grace to redeem our past brings three great benefits according to Jones. First, we experience deepening repentance. One of the values of being conscious of your past sins is that it drives you to seek reconciliation and restitution with those you have mistreated. It also sensitizes you to new temptations in the same area (Proverbs 26:11)

Part of repentance is shame. There is nothing wrong with shame: It keeps a man back from pride. There is no contradiction between a present enjoyment of justification and a proper sense of shame about past sin. Both mark a maturing Christian. (Ezek 16:60-63; 36:31-32). Calvin wrote, "those who have learned well to be earnestly dissatisfied with themselves and to be confounded with shame at their wretchedness" truly understand the Christian gospel. Properly remembering our past sin with its shame will deter us from repeating them and help us receive God's saving grace.

A second benefit of a redeemed memory is heightened gratitude. Big sinners need a big Savior and they respond with big praise (Luke 7:36-50). C. J. Mahaney, director of Sovereign Grace Ministries and former pastor of Covenant Life Church speaks of the redeemed memory God has given him and how thankful he is for it: “Many people today try to run from the past. I suppose I could try to as well, by leaving the hometown that holds so many reminders of my sinfulness. But I consider living here a gift from God. The regular reminders of my past are precious to me. Why? Because, like Paul, I never want to forget the great mercy shown to me."

Finally, a redeemed memory often leads to broader effectiveness in helping others who must deal with their past sins. Paul believed his past was redeemed by God’s grace so that “Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16). A Christian whose “bad memories” have been redeemed can offer great hope to others in similar circumstances by holding out his or her life as an example of God’s hope at work (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Secret Service seizes "counterfeit" million dollar bill Christian tracts!

Incredible! What's next?

Five most important characters in Genesis?

Who do you think are the five most important characters in Genesis? Why? God is obviously the most important character in the book, so I am looking for the top five human characters. I just finished reading the whole book of Genesis again today and am preaching on this on Sunday night at our church. Post your comments!!!!

All of life is grace

I am learning that the entire Christian life is one of grace. Grace frees us from performance and frees us to bask in the unmerited favor of God given to those like me who deserve nothing but his just condemnation. In Christ I am a saint, but in myself I am a sinner. Two quotes from Jerry Bridges in his book The Discipline of Grace illustrate this so well.

On his seventieth birthday, pioneer missionary William Carey wrote to one of his sons these words:

I am this day seventy years old, a monument of Divine mercy and goodness, though on a review of my life I find much, very much, for which I ought to be humbled in the dust; my direct and positive sins are innumerable, my negligence in the Lord’s work has been great, I have not promoted his cause, nor sought his glory and honour as I ought, notwithstanding all this, I am spared till now, and am still retained in his Work, and I trust I am received into the divine favour through him."

Almost two hundred years after William Carey wrote, a seminary professor with honesty and candor humbly admitted,

"I write these words at the age of fifty-five. During the past ten or twelve years, I have often--and with greater seriousness than ever before--reflected upon the course of my life. Certain patterns of thoughts and attitude and conduct have come to light, some of them quite disturbing. I look back upon repeated failures in my efforts to subdue inner conflicts and fears, to combat immaturity and self-centeredness, to build genuine and enriching relationships with other people, to conquer besetting sins, and to grow in holiness and communion with God. I now see that ever period of my life has been marked by . .. .struggle. But the persistence of the failures, has made the struggles of recent years exceptionally intense and painful."

All of life is grace!

Young people, work hard--with joy!

Joshua Harris, pastor of Covenant Life Church in MD, wrote a letter to a thirteen year old boy on his birthday, part of which has been made public. Here is great advice for teenagers! In an entertainment drenched, consumer-driven teenage culture, these words are precious gems like the proverbs of old.

"My encouragement to you on this important birthday is to work hard. That doesn’t sound very inspiring does it? But I mean it. The teenage years are years packed with potential—potential to grow in wisdom, to develop practical skills and abilities, to deepen your relationship with God, to study and learn. These years are the launching pad of your life. And they’re also the years that are most easily wasted. The world will tell you that these are the years to coast, to have a good time, to take it easy, to live off the faith of your parents. Don’t buy that lie. Press ahead. Push yourself. Train yourself for godliness. Even now prepare yourself to be a godly man, a godly husband and godly father."

Now we must not only work hard, but we must work hard with joy! This is a challenge to young people and adults! As Charles Spurgeon says, “Moreover, labor is easy to those of a cheerful spirit; success waits on cheerfulness. The ones who work while rejoicing in God and believing with all their hearts have success guaranteed.”

C. J. Mahaney notes, "My challenge each day is not so much working hard, but cheerfully working hard. If I understand Scripture accurately, I will not glorify God simply by working hard. To truly bring Him honor, I must labor with a cheerful spirit. Therefore, I must not only serve my family each day, but I must serve them with joy. I must not only prepare a sermon, I must do it cheerfully. I must not only labor faithfully in the church, I must do so happily. Merely working hard is not sufficient. It must be done with gladness. It is for my good and His glory that God has given this sweet command, ‘Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:2)."

So, here is a challenge to young people who want to live for God and not waste their lives. In your teenage years, work hard with joy for God!