NextGenKent

One saying I heard growing up was "Many hands make light the work" and another, "put your money where your mouth is." There were many others that took years before I understood what they meant (a stitch in time saves nine).  Paul tells the Corinthians a new saying about giving. But first, What would happen if we as a church asked everyone to give their complete paycheck to the Church each week so that it could be distributed for all of the members’ needs? What solutions would this bring? What problems would this bring? They did this in Acts 4:32-37. In 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 Paul tell the Corinthian believers that God is able to make all grace abound to them. Grace is unmerited favor, unentitled assistance. The result of God’s abounding grace is for His people to have all sufficiency and contentment in all things. Contentment is not luxury.  The purpose for God’s abounding grace is managed as a pass through account--God gives his abounding grace to y...

Generosity honors God, b ecause  Giving flows out of hearts that reflect the heart of Jesus. H as anyone ever given to you generously? Proverbs 11:28. Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. We trust in so many things throughout the day. We trust the refrigerator and our roof kept working over the night and that our car will still be in the garage and will start the next morning. Think about in comparison and contrast: Trusting in something is quite different than trusting in someone. People move around, not just physically but attitudinally as well. Trusting in God is trusting in a person--a worthy person to trust if not the ONLY person to trust. The Psalmist had this down when he he writes (20:7),  " Some trust in   chariots and some in   horses,      but we trust in the name of the  Lord  our God." We can trust in what can run out, however we can trust in Who ...

2 Timothy 3:16-17.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. This is the last letter Paul wrote to Timothy. Paul wants Timothy to know how important God’s Word is to His people. Scripture is historically a chronicle of God's activity in His people's lives--recording the commands, promises, blessings, and curses. God's Word can be trusted; even in those places where we are unsure, God will testify to us by His Spirit.  Jesus was God’s Word embodied so all of Jesus’ teachings should be considered as “Scripture.” (cf. 1 Cor. 2:12–13; cf. Heb. 3:7; Acts 1:16; 2 Pet. 1:21). There are building blocks in all areas of life—things that have to be done in order. You have to accomplish first grade before you advance to second and so on. What other areas besides education must be built upon in levels? God’s plan for growing spirit...

Exodus 2  Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women ...

Ok, so I am a concerned parent. I do my job and at times put in some OT. I'd like to think I am balanced but mostly that is done just a front...but I do love my kids. Every now and then I get some +feedback on them. I'd like to think there is more out there. This time it came during the trip home from football practice (I volunteered to do it this time) and from one of the boys who tagged along. It made me smile. I never met this boy before and only heard bits and pieces about him prior (again, part of my job as a dad I do so well). As the 2 boys were discussing the upcoming season, positions, and one another, our guest starts 'bragging' on Josh. He said things I would probably never say, not because I don't believe them, but because I don't see this side of Josh. Now, I knew Josh came home from practice tired and hungry (two jobs HE does very well at age 15) and was lifting weights and I probably thought in my head, "Yes, what did you expe...

A reaction to, EMPOWER YOUR KIDS TO BE ADULTS by Dr. Donald Joy. The practice and art of initiating children in adulthood has been lost in our society. Did we give up those ancient practices or is the need for initiation so hard-wired into us that it comes out in other venues? How can we regain, redeem, reclaim and remember what we have lost so that we can turn the tide on the perpetual adolescent celebrated in our society and launch youth into adulthood with God’s glory? Unlike any other book, Don Joy’s, Empower Your Kids To Be Adults , will help you on your journey by asking the right questions and developing an approach for your home and church to battle against “the world, the flesh and the devil.” Kids want to become adults—better stated, they want to become just like the god-like beings taking care of them, namely their parents. Dr. Joy believes we have missed the implanted “Creator-markers” in our children and therefore leave them to journey into the abyss of adolescence...