Archive: August 2012
How to Talk to Your Kids about Gossip
Most of us have fallen prey to idle gossip. It’s something that is often times subtle and rather ambiguous in and of itself. Perhaps it’s not the blatantly hateful water cooler discussions at the office, but the few words spoken in “concern” about someone’s appearance, actions, or short-comings with another friend or co-worker.
Gossip derives from the idea of “whispering”. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, “gossip” means “To indulge in idle talk or rumors about others; spreading of sensational stories.” Gossip is a close cousin to slander, which is referred to as, “malicious talk; to spread damaging information;to defame”. Here’s one to wake you up, to further solidify how evil talking about others is in God’s eyes, the Bible calls Satan, “accuser of the brethren.” (Rev. 12:10).
Paul talks about gossip in Romans. Notice how he clumps this rather subtle sin in with such things as murderers and God-haters!
(Romans 1:28-32) “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
Okay, if that got your attention, like it did mine, it’s time to start being mindful about what comes out of our mouths. While I can honestly tell you I haven’t slipped up and committed a little murder here and there, I have slipped up and spoken negatively about others. According to Paul, those actions…my little slip ups, deserve the same punishment as that of a murderer. Death. Whoa!!
As we all know, there is no more effective way to teach our children than by our own actions and words. I guarantee, if you desire that your children learn to speak words of love and kindness, like Jesus, about others– and yet they hear you talking about others in a negative way–they will DO AS YOU DO! (James 1:26)
Surprisingly, Thumper’s mom was NOT the first one who came up with the brilliant advice of, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.” It’s actually a Biblical truth found in Ephesians 4:29.
If you have genuine concerns about someone and have true intent to help them, go to this person directly. Criticism can never be “constructive” if it’s expressed to a third party. In the same aspect, if a friend comes to you for advice, don’t betray this confidence. Stay trustworthy.
Reinforce these ideas with your children when you have the chance – if you hear your child speaking negatively about someone else, remind them that they would not want someone to talk about them that way.
Avoid hanging out with people who gossip, and if a friend starts talking negatively about someone and you think the conversation is heading into gossip or slander, stop your friend–in brotherly/sisterly love. Remind them of what God’s Word teaches us. Speak positively about friends, co-workers and even strangers. Let your “little light” shine out from your words and actions. Be an example of Jesus to your children and other adults.
About the Author: Lisa Strnad is a weekly contributing writer to What’s in the Bible? and Jelly Telly. She works freelance in Christian Media, specializing in writing, promotions and marketing. Lisa lives with her husband and their two sons in Nashville, TN. Follow her personal blog: www.talkinglikeagirl.blogspot.com
Back to School Tips from What’s in the Bible?
Here are links to some of our favorite – and most useful! – back-to-school tips and ideas for your family from our blog.
How To Talk To Your Kids About Their Strengths and Weaknesses
We parents know that each of our children have unique strengths and weaknesses. It’s how God wired each of us for His purpose. How do we encourage those strengths and yet at the same time encourage perseverance in the things that don’t come naturally easy?
How To Help Our Kids Deal With The Stress of School
In our house we have a philosophy that is simply, “Do your best, then let God do the rest!” This doesn’t mean sit back and pray for a miracle, though! My kids know that we expect them to do their part.
How To Talk To Your Kids About Friends With Special Needs
Loving our neighbor can come in the form of including all kinds of unique kids in our group of friends. It can mean going the extra mile and learning about their specific behaviors.
How To Talk To Your Kids About Friends Who Have Food Allergies
When we talk to our kids about food allergies, we must reassure them that other children who may have a special diet are still just regular kids in most other ways! God created us all to be a little different.
Tips By YOU To Survive The New School Year
We all have gone through our own set of challenges with our kids. Some of them academic, some of them emotional–but we have forged through as a family, using our own set of survival techniques!
Tips (BY YOU) to Survive the Coming School Year
It’s that time of year again – kids are returning to school. Whether that means they have returned to the actual classroom or back to the kitchen table, it’s a new school year which probably mean some stress (mixed in with the audible sounds of cheering) for mom and dad.
I was thinking about writing an article about “How to survive the coming school year”, but it dawned on me… you parents are the perfect audience to GIVE this advice! We all have gone through our own set of challenges with our kids. Some of them academic, some of them emotional–but we have forged through as a family, using our own set of survival techniques!
So I’d like to ask YOU, the readers of the What’s in the Bible? blog, to help out your fellow parents and write down your best advice for surviving the coming school year.
Write your advice from a personal perspective, be that of a home schooling parent or one who drops their kids off at a brick and mortar school. Share your advice about getting through the next 170 (…but who’s counting) days of school!
If I were to give my best piece of advice for surviving the school year, it would have to be: Pray for, and diligently listen to, God’s direction. I’m sure I’m not the only one who hates to change direction midway through a lesson plan– not to mention an entire curriculum! But like many of you home schooling parents, I have had to stop what I was teaching (or HOW I was teaching or what I purchased to teach) and re-evaluate specific academic goals and learning styles. It can be frustrating. But I know there’s always a God-given peace when I pray for discernment and then obediently follow the Lord’s direction; keeping in mind that peace may not necessarily equal joy, at least at first. Joy will eventually follow.
Okay mom and dad, what’s your best advice to survive the coming school year? Please post your comments below.
About the Author: Lisa Strnad is a weekly contributing writer to What’s in the Bible? and Jelly Telly. She works freelance in Christian Media, specializing in writing, promotions and marketing. Lisa lives with her husband and their two sons in Nashville, TN. Follow her personal blog: www.talkinglikeagirl.blogspot.com
Clive and Ian Say Goodbye to the Olympics (And Winners Selected)
Thank you to everyone who downloaded our Summer Olympics Family Fun Pack! We hope the pack helped your family make great memories together. Clive and Ian wanted to share their thoughts on the Olympics…
We’ve just emailed each winner of our Gold, Silver, and Bronze Olympic prizes. Please check your email to see if you are one of the three winners. Thanks again for participating!
Sunday School Lady talks about the Summer Games
Sunday School Lady appeared as a special guest on the Darren Streblow Radio Show last week to talk about the Olympics. She even reveals her real name – you won’t want to miss this!
Christian Athletes in the 2012 Olympics
The 2012 Summer Games are in full swing and we’ve got Olympics fever here at What’s in the Bible?! Our free Summer Olympics Family Fun Pack is available for download here and we hope the fun family activities are a blessing to your family this summer.
The Olympics celebrate the best in human beings – extraordinary physical talent, discipline, teamwork and confidence. It is so easy to focus on the individual accomplishments of each athlete, to turn them into cultural idols and heroes. Yet it is so important to remember and recognize the gifts and talents that each athlete was given by his or her Creator.
There are many Olympic athletes who acknowledge their faith and their relationships with God as the driving force behind their successes. As you watch the Summer Games with your family, we encourage you to point out these athletes and talk to your kids about why it is important to keep God at the center of everything we do.
Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” Pray for all of the athletes at this summer’s Olympic games, as well as the referees, coaches, volunteers and Olympic staff.
Here are some of this year’s Olympic athletes who aren’t afraid to speak out about their faith. Do you know of any others? Feel free to share stories about them in the comments.
Lolo Jones {track & field}
“I listen to a lot of Christian music, and reading my Bible calms me down immensely. But when I’m standing in a stadium packed with 80,000 screaming fans, I can’t just whip out my Bible before I run. That’s when I start praying! It’s so loud that I can’t even hear what I’m saying, but it always helps.” (Interview with Women’s Health)
Sanya Richards-Ross {track & field}
“There are so many meaningful verses to me in the Bible, but I guess the one I say to myself most often is, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” That’s my favorite because on the track, I am usually trying to do things that have rarely been done before. I know that it’s only God that gives me the strength to accomplish these things.” (Interview with About.com)
Jonathan Horton {gymnastics}
The night before the US men competed in the team all-around final, veteran Olympian Jonathan Horton tweeted James 1:2-4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (Twitter)
Horton told Beliefnet.com “As my training got more difficult and as I was trying to balance school and what my friends wanted me to do with gymnastics, I had to turn to God. My faith grew tremendously. Now that I’m married, my wife and I can work together and push each other in our growth with the Lord. My gymnastics has gotten better. My faith has gotten stronger. God is number one in my life and He’s the reason that I have the success that I’ve had.”
Missy Franklin {swimming}
“God is always there for me. I talk with Him before, during and after practice and competitions. I pray to Him for guidance. I thank Him for this talent He has given me and promise to be a positive role model for young athletes in all sports.” (Interview with Beliefnet.com)
Training Your Children for Eternity
Today’s Guest Post is by Patrick Schwenk. Patrick Schwenk is a husband, father, and pastor. He is married to Ruth Schwenk, the creator of The Better Mom. They met while attending the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Pat and his wife have been married for fourteen years and currently have four children ages three to ten. For additional information on parenting and discipleship resources, visit
www.thedigforkids.com and www.thebettermom.com.
In 1888, J.C. Ryle, the English writer, pastor, and father of five, wrote a sermon called “The Duties of Parents.” It was a 17 point sermon on Proverbs 22:6. These were his closing words to his church that day:
“Train well for this life, and train well for the life to come; train well for earth, and train well for heaven; train them for God, train them for Christ, and train them for eternity. Amen.”
Though this sermon (and now book) has many great biblical insights, encouragements, and reminders, there is one phrase that has both stuck out, and stuck with me. It is the phrase, “train them for eternity.” To put it simply, Ryle is reminding Christian parents to teach and train children for what really matters. In a culture where the opportunities (most of which are good) are endless, it is easy, if not tempting, to lose sight of eternity.
As parents, our most prized priority must be to diligently and graciously train our children to grow up to love God and love the world. One of the greatest joys we have as parents is to teach, guide, warn, and encourage our children from the Bible. Several years ago, my daughter said to me, “Dad, I am glad you are a pastor.” When I asked her why she said, “Because you teach us the Bible.” The truth is, every parent should be (and can be) a pastor to his or her children.
In an effort to continue teaching and training our children the Bible, I have created a simple discipleship resource called, The Dig for Kids. The Dig has been my personal desire and attempt to teach our children the Bible from an early age. The Apostle Paul makes an interesting comment regarding Timothy’s training as a child. Notice what he says in 2 Timothy 3:14-15:
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become
convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how
from infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to
make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Paul suggests that Timothy, from a very young age, was being taught the Bible. The Dig is an effort to help you as a parent, and your child, study through books of the Bible. Then out of that experience, biblical principles are learned and lived. The goal of course, is that by God’s grace, our children grow up to love Jesus as their Savior and follow Him with all their heart, soul, and strength.
The Dig for Kids just launched today, August 1st! You can purchase the first volume in The Dig for Kids series (Luke Volume 1) now!
Visit us at thedigforkids.com to purchase your copy for only $4.99 on Kindle, Nook, or as a PDF!
Blessings,
Pat Schwenk, www.thedigforkids.com
