Fun Effective Ways to Help Your Kids Engage with Scripture
The Bible is God’s precious gift given to all. And on it, He placed no age restrictions. Accordingly, it is vital that we understand one very important thing. The Spiritual Discipline…
The Bible is God’s precious gift given to all. And on it, He placed no age restrictions. Accordingly, it is vital that we understand one very important thing. The Spiritual Discipline…
Here are the nine habits of an intentional parent: I will not do for my child what he needs to do for himself—when I do, I disrespect him. I will…
I talk about something fun and mentally challenging you can do with your children this summer: letter writing! This is part of my summer series on brain-building activities you can…
Every day it feels like we read another news report about the mental health crisis among children and youth, as well as how depression, anxiety, and suicide rates are getting…
Cameron Buettel is an author partnering with Pastor John MacArthur at www.gracetoyou.org. Here are his powerful insights. Parenting is never easy. Nobody in this fallen world has mastered it. And…
This is the story of my wife, Angel, from her perspective. I am a type A, first born. By the time I was twenty, I had my life planned out.…
Preparing your kids to spread their wings requires patience, humility, creativity, uniqueness, and parenting with the end in mind. Discover 7 tips that will grow you as a parent while…
What are the building blocks that makes a Christian family different? The Christian Family is a Display of: …mutual submission (Eph. 5:21) Since the Bible articulates the Christian’s understanding of…
Children are a gift from God; they are his reward. 4 Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows to defend him. Happy is the man who has his quiver…
Your children use complaining because it works! Train Up your child; not Down. Expect more from your kids, and they will rise to the occasion www.birthorderguy.com..
“I want my kids to love me. But I am afraid that if I am too strong they won’t.” If you have ever had this concern, listen to this episode.…
As the Church, we must not say of abortion, “This is murder,” without saying to pregnant women, “We will serve you.” If we’re doing the former without the latter, we…
Is it loving to doing things for your kids that they could do themselves? No. Is it loving to make excuses for your kids? No. Love means putting the “tennis…
Dr. Leman discusses practical ways a parent can teach a child to be grateful instead of griping. www.birthorderguy.com
It is estimated that around one in twelve children struggle with depression at some point between the ages 9 and 16, with girls more likely to be affected than boys. Unfortunately, depression…
The book of Proverbs provides us with great advice about the importance of family and the responsibility to pass on wisdom, good character and integrity to the next generation. God…
Did you know that your kids use anger to control the people around them? Learn how to help your kids deal with their anger in this episode. www.birthorderguy.com.
Are manners still important in this day and age? Dr. Leman discusses the importance of etiquette in your kid’s behavior. www.birthorderguy.com.
Many of you know that eighteen years ago, my wife and I walked out of a Russian orphanage with two little one-year-old boys. Suddenly, for the first time, I was a…
“Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is clean, but an abundant harvest is produced by strong oxen.” Proverbs 14:4 When I met my now wife, I knew that…
Dear Roger, How young can you be to ask Jesus to be your Savior? Can a 3 or 4 year old truly believe? Sincerely, Liz Dear Roger, What…
Anger is a natural emotion. It’s a choice. Our children can learn to manage it. Kids get angry because life isn’t going their way. This is especially true in kids…
Is it healthy for a child to be unhappy especially when it comes to discipline? www.birthorderguy.com.
Are your words directed toward the act or the actor? Learn about the difference between encouragement and praise. Which is most important for parents to give? www.birthorderguy.com.
Week 52 – Pray that, as this year comes to an end and we look forward to a new year, the Lord will help your grandchildren to grow daily in…
It is natural for children/teens to push boundaries. What do you do when they misbehave? Do you simply say no? Or do you try to enter their world and assure…
Children say cruel things. We can’t always protect our children from cruelty, but we can give them tools to cope and respond appropriately. Parents, you can help your child to…
Do you feel responsible for your spouse’s and child’s arguments? Have you been labeled “the bad parent”? I will answer both of these questions in this podcast. www.birthorderguy.com
Learn to respond to children rather than react to children. Because when we react, we react emotionally and our emotions. Emotions are not a great key for living. You have…
I don’t care how tough you are. You may be a Navy Seal who specializes in high altitude skydiving behind enemy lines. You might spend each day making million-dollar, split-second…
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How do I deal with the loneliness of social distancing and home quarantine? First, look at your loneliness—look at it differently. Take the time you now have on your hands…
Here’s what Pastor John Piper said when he was speaking to children about COVID-19. “I’m 74 years old. That means I’m old enough to be your granddad and maybe your…
From the very first moment those little eyes open and we hear them cry for the first time, we love our children. Yes, there are moments that we may get…
Kids are the best comforters! I was five when I was diagnosed with scarlet fever and pneumonia and imprisoned (I mean quarantined) at home for four months! My kindergarten buddies…
Affirming our grandchildren – it’s key: to building strong relationships, to discipleship, to passing the faith. Our words are powerful. When handled well, they can build up, encourage, communicate love,…
Questions are powerful! Ask a well-crafted question and you can open up a closed-mouthed child, build relationship, and explore the depths of your thoughts. Question-asking can also help you reflect,…
Who are the most influential leaders in your life? What made them such great leaders? I fear that our cultural understanding of leadership is going further and further astray from…
It isn’t hard for kids to be happy around Christmas, especially if they think there’s going to be a pile of gifts waiting for them on December 25th. But this kind…
WHY YOU SHOULD SEE “A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?” Russell Moore, in his charming article about Fred Rogers, pulls our heartstrings and reminds us how we should cherish…
Children are like wet cement. If you’ve ever worked with wet cement or seen someone work with it, it does harden up pretty quickly and so it is with…
Countless American families hastily evacuated their homes due to fires, floods or hurricanes. The stories of their frantic retreats are remarkably similar. They rescue two things as they rush out…
The right tools are key… to any job. And when the job is one with an eternal impact, the tools are that much more significant. Praying for my grandchildren IS…
My husband’s father, Roger Sr., was an amazing mentor. He intentionally instilled values in his growing young sons. What a man! What a legacy! Roger’s Dad repeatedly quipped pithy sayings…
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they that build it labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1 Marriage can be hard sometimes. Does my marriage, if a healthy one, really help me…
God is the One who entrusted children to us in the first place: God, our Heavenly Father. And thankfully, He has a lot to say in His Word about His standards for…
You shed crocodile tears when your little cherub bravely entered the kindergarten door, Sponge Bob backpack in tow. You watched your tyke kick his first soccer goal. You rejoiced…
The following is an excerpt from Dr. Leman’s podcast on www.birthorderguy.com: Blaming others has been around since time began. Let’s go back to Adam and Eve. Adam said in…
Empathy does not appear automatically. Nor does it develop in a smooth, steady progression. Indwelling sin is a constant impediment (as illustrated throughout the Book of Proverbs), which requires a…
Do You Have a “Daddy Complex? In the secular counseling world there is a concept referred to as the “Daddy Complex.” While there is no official diagnostic criteria for…
Can you parent as a grandparent? Here are the thoughts of Dr. Kevin Leman from his podcast on the subject with Andrea and Doug: “Doug: Some day, we’ll all likely…
Being a mom is a high honor and one of the most precious gifts of my life. At the same time, being a mom is tough. It’s tough when your…
Proverbs 16:32 says, “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” “Self-control is often used to describe a favorable character trait in…
Dr. Kevin Leman shared three keys to helping your kids through a divorce: There’s no such thing as an “easy divorce” – for anyone involved. Kids of divorce feel like…
Affirming our grandchildren – it’s key: to building strong relationships, to discipleship, to passing the faith. Our words are powerful. When handled well, they can build up, encourage, communicate love,…
One of the most powerful tools any grandparent can utilize is that of asking questions. This simple act reaps so many benefits. Asking questions of your grandchildren shows your interest…
“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s…
Same-sex marriage, transgender orientation, and bisexuality fill movies, television and social media. It’s everywhere. So should Christian parents remain silent, or do they help their children understand what the Bible…
Balancing work and family can be tricky. Here’s Carey Nieuwhof’s article on how to re-prioritize and win at home and at work. How’s it going at home…really? Here’s what…
Our natural virtues, which come from inborn temperament and family nurture—such as our talents, aptitudes, and strengths—are good things. But they each have a dark side. People with prophetic gifts—that…
Want to know something weird? Women are never referred to as “daughters of God” in the Bible. Kind of odd, especially given how often that phrase is used in evangelical…
“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” – Jesus Christ 1. Existing fetal homicide laws make a man guilty of manslaughter if he kills the…
“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” – Jesus Christ 1. Existing fetal homicide laws make a man guilty of manslaughter if he kills the…
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 KJV In America, 82% of adults said…
Can an abortion doctor really be a Christian? I don’t think so. But this physician disagrees. Willie Parker is an abortion doctor. He says he’s not ashamed of that. Willie…
Parents today believe it is harder than ever to raise children. The number-one reason? Technology. That’s a key finding at the heart of The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in…
After I was thrown out of North Park University in the middle of my sophomore year, I returned to Tucson to live with my Mom and Dad. My older brother…
You can make a difference in how your child transitions from summer to school year. Joyce Wilson of Teacher Spark shares her secrets. (Don’t forget to click the links. They…
“The man who views the world at 50 the same way he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” ~ Muhammad Ali I wish older Christians told…
Every year, around this time, parents and churches ponder how to communicate the Easter story to children, as something more than dyed eggs. The problem is, of course, that it’s…
Our world is rocked in the wake of mass shootings in our schools and churches. Dr. Russell Moore writes of his own personal pain as he shares the story of…
You can’t save your children. You can raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, guard them from the sinful influences and temptations of the world, and cocoon…
Dear Roger, The chaos in our government is breaking my heart. I wonder if any politician is righteous and honest. It seems like no one tells the truth any…
Technology is a way of life for us. Social media is here to stay. It’s not a trend. It’s not a fad. It’s part of the atmosphere we breathe in,…
The Bible does not describe us merely as wayward, broken, or needing a moral boost but as those who are dead in sin (Eph. 2:1). Dead men and women do…
Hi Roger, How can I impact someone else’s life without harassing them with religion? I have many friends that don’t believe in God and many of them find it…
It was 8:00 p.m. and we nearly had a family riot. We had another 2 loads to move. I had said we’d only work until 8:00 pm. One child, said “You…
My parents marched into the classroom and demanded to know why their son got a B. It was tense. This was my first B in high school and it was…
Several years ago, I quipped before an audience, “Election years make people crazy.” And that was before I had any idea what was coming in 2016. For families with children, this…
Ask 100 people if they’d like to make significant progress on their goals over the next week and you’ll probably get 100 yeses. (Actually, you’d probably get 99, thanks to that one jerk…
Dear Roger, What happens to America in the end times? Sincerely, Peter Dear Peter, The quick and simple answer is that no one knows. However, there are some Biblical and…
Dear Roger, Greetings. Does the Bible really mean that we will be judged and punished in heaven for our sins? As a Christian, I did “big” wrong things that…
Vets tell us that our canines have the emotional and intellectual capacity of two-year-olds. I beg to disagree. Toddlers are much dumber than dogs, and I have hard evidence to…
Is the Word of God that should drive our discussions about modesty. What has God revealed about it? First and foremost, a biblical definition of modesty must focus on the heart.…
As we meet the needs of our children, we forge bonds that forever change our relationships. Discovering the wonder of being with our children and listening to their hurts are…
Why do kids lie? They start early. It’s hard to trust again after a child has started habitually lying. How can you be sure he won’t lie again? How do…
We, the church, are the bridge God created to impart grace to the world. We must appropriate the grace God has given us. We don’t go to church, we are…
This past year, Barna Group has spent a considerable amount of time studying the unchurched—those who have not attended church within the past six months. Much of that research is…
The average person isn’t buying the “core product” of our churches. Why is that? Have you been to McDonald’s lately? Ronald is taking a back seat. What used to be…
“Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Number your days, seize opportunities to love and mold your children. When you see how much…
A few weeks ago, I told myself, “I am going to Internet so hard in 2015!” That wasn’t an official goal, but more of a statement you yell at your…
Why does the problem exist? You are easily swayed by marketing and advertising. An entire industry (marketing and advertising) has one main goal – to get you to buy more…
For decades Kathy and I have profited immensely from the pastoral wisdom of the converted slave trader John Newton. As an 18th century Anglican minister, Newton was a good preacher,…
“As you come to Him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into…
Pregnancy used to be an event of universal joy and approval: the excitement and promise of new life, the beauty of a woman in her finest moment, the sweetness and…
I’m thankful for warning systems. The dashboard lights in my car, smoke detectors in my home, even the little bumps in the road that let me know when I’m crossing…
Dear Roger, I volunteer in Sunday school and recently overheard some of the kids say they wanted to be baptized. I was baptized as a Christian when I was still…
Parents, not the school or the church, should be the primary teachers of respect and obedience to their children. Meal times, travel times and bed times are key opportunities to…
Much is riding on the children being raised in today’s America, children who could grow to become a mighty generation of Christian stalwarts. That’s why we know we are praying…
Neuroscience now knows that willpower is a function of the prefrontal lobes of the brain. Scientific studies have also confirmed that using porn over and over actually reshapes these areas of the…
“God has so ordained things that we grow in the Spirit only through the frail instrumentality of one another.” -Alan Jones Have you ever longed for a mentoring relationship that…
A recent article on CNN from atheist blogger, Deborah Mitchell, claimed that raising children without God is better than raising children with God. Mrs. Mitchell lists seven reasons why she…
If we will move in true discernment, our view of life must be purged of human thoughts and reactions. We must perceive life through the eyes of Christ. To…
Raising children in a corrupt society has its challenges. Hold on tight: commit to the tough process, provide clear direction, encourage more than discourage and release them when it’s time…
Paul explains that this marriage and this union of a man and a woman coming together and becoming one flesh was just a picture of something far greater. It is…
This is not a defense of the humanity of the unborn. It is an argument that if the unborn are human they ought not to be aborted. There are some…
Leading is a difficult task whether you are in the secular world or in church. Leaders must stay sharp if they want to be faithful to the task God has…
What is the Christian church supposed to look like? What are some of the most common and dangerous problems facing any church and how can you correct them? …
Young pastors or seminarians often ask me for advice on what kind of early ministry experience to seek in order to best grow in skill and wisdom as a pastor.…
How do you deal with a rebellious child? When they insist on leaving, let them leave. When things get tough-don’t run to the rescue. If they come back, run to…
I’ll never forget the day my friend Karl called to tell me he was leaving Mongolia, never to return. We were planning to work on a ministry project together. Then,…
n Psalm 127, Solomon encourages parents to establish a stable home environment, to set appropriate boundaries, to practice the art of being “with” and to meet the children’s primary intimacy…
Passing the torch is part of a parent’s job description. Many things are better “caught” than “taught.” Strong marriages teach your children how to love and feel secure. When parents…
“Mommy, I’m so thirsty. I want a drink.” Susanna Petroysan heard her daughter’s pleas, but there was nothing she could do. She and four-year-old Gayaney were trapped beneath tons of…
Got any aches, pains and complaints? Anyone who served in World War II would say, “Sure. It cured everything!” The acronym APC was widely used in the middle of the…
What is your “peace barometer”? How do you define and measure God’s peace in your life? Have you ever heard a Christian say they have decided to do something or…
Have you ever found yourself making (or thinking) any of the following statements? As you work through this exercise, consider how God may want to adjust your thinking as it…
Help the children believe in God’s sovereign wisdom and goodness in creating them with the body that they have, to believe in God’s sovereign wisdom and goodness in making other…
Obedience is connected with a here and now promise. Children, like adults are sinful and prone to sin. Obedience is connected with the life God has called us to live.…
The stories of Eli, Samuel and David reveal that spiritual men can have unspiritual children. Four myths of child-rearing include: going to church produces spirituality, kids need to make their…
I believe it was Roger Barrier who I first heard point out that there are basically no functional families in the Bible. That is absolutely the truth. And to see…
Too often as Christians we don’t explore the belief systems of others, and in doing so, fail to understand how they think. When we take a hard look at comparative…
Leah, wife of Jacob and sister of Rachel, was switched with her sister on Jacob and Rachel’s wedding night. She lived in a loveless marriage, unappreciated and unsupported. We can…
Our children need to develop healthy, functional relationships by practicing self-awareness, self-management and social awareness. As Joseph’s story unfolds in the Old Testament, we see how these characteristics lead him…
Unless we become like children-humble, teachable and trusting-we will never grow into the spiritual people God intends for us to be. The intellegencia in Athens were too proud to receive…
The most vital relationship we can help our children develop is with the Lord. As parents, grandparents and other family members, we are called to invest in our children the…
The quality of our relationships with our children determines the weight of our influence. Regardless of their ages, we must never lose this influence to nurture and guide them. Children…
I am sure we have all been asked, or pondered the question on our own, “What would you do differently, if you knew you only had 6 months to live?” …
Lately I’ve become increasingly more aware of the enemy’s subtle tricks and deceptions in my life. As someone who works in ministry as a vocation, it is easy to get…
There is great treasure when we do our jobs as unto God. The book of Proverbs tells us in Pr. 12:24, “The hand of the diligent will rule…” and in…
Drs. Roger Barrier and Chet Weld discuss life themes that impact our self-image, our self-talk and our decisions. These powerful “life scripts” can be positive or negative. Only through an…
Parenting changes as our children grow up. Younger children need a directive parenting style. As children approach adolescence, parents transition to the role of coach and mentor. We allow teenagers…
Jesus models the lifestyle of affirming and blessing others. As parents, we can minister blessing to our children by meaningful touch, by spoken words of love, by attaching high value…
Pastor Roger Barrier and daughter Brianna Barrier Engeler describe unique stressors on pastor’s children. Pastor’s kids can be helped by their parents when they demonstrate realistic expectations, empathy and right…
Invest time and energy in your children. Build them up according to their needs. The goal is to be adult friends when they leave home.