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No matter how vigilant parents are in trying to protect their children against the attacks of the enemy, Satan has a way of getting around safeguards. In this video, Matt and Ariel Holcomb explain what moms and dads should do to prepare their kids for this threat when it occurs.
Technology has provided an easy way for Satan to enter our homes with vile photos, videos, and messages that are harmful to our children. No matter how vigilant parents are, their kids can still find it. In this video, Matt and Ariel Holcomb share what happened in their family and how they handled it.
Q: I want to manage and lead my child properly, but I'm afraid I'll break his spirit. How can I deal with his misbehavior without damaging him in some way?
One of the best parts of holidays is spending time with family. We come together, eat good food, and enjoy all sorts of fun with one another. No FaceTime; no phone calls. We're together—we're with each other. This is what we call the blessing of bodily presence. This wonderful gift is at the heart of Christmas.
Christmas is a season of great joy, and rightly so. But here's another truth: Christmas can be hard for some people. Maybe Christmas reminds them of sad days in the past. They possibly miss people who are not with them. It may be that they see other families enjoying closeness, but they are lonely. Perhaps Christmas actually ends up bringing more sorrow than normal seasons of life.
We've all been tempted to "upgrade" a story. When asked, "How many fish did you catch?" we may want to add an extra fish or two. When questioned about how many pages we've read for our assignment, we might pad our page count. Sometimes, we want things to sound a little better than they are.
Joseph doesn't have a huge role in many retellings of the Christmas story. He's represented by a figurine in our little plastic manger scenes. However, like that little plastic guy, he doesn't say much, do much, or factor into the story to a strong degree.
Every Christian sometimes feels the temptation to walk by sight rather than faith. In those low moments, we struggle to trust God with the future. We don't want to live "in the dark," in what feels like mist and fog, confused about what to do, where to go, who to trust, and how to think.
The strongest natural impulse of the human heart may be pride. It comes easily to all of us to be our own authority, deflect correction, and blame others when things turn out badly. That's why the birth of Jesus—the heart of the Christmas story—is so important.
Following Jesus' humble entrance into the world, "wise men" came to worship the child who had been "born King of the Jews" (Matthew 2:2). A wicked king named Herod heard the news and thought Jesus would take his place as king. Viewing Jesus as an enemy and secretly planning to kill Him, Herod consulted with court officials concerning the Messiah's birth and urged the wise men to find Jesus and report back to him—so that he could take His life. (We'll read more about Herod on another day.)
