Evidence for God from Science

Just trust Annette xo
Im not sure if it's blind naivety on my part but I don't worry.
I know how much God loves my little ones, he's got this.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
Their safe

melanie wrote:Just trust Annette xo
Im not sure if it's blind naivety on my part but I don't worry.
I know how much God loves my little ones, he's got this.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
Their safe

It took me nearly 45 years to accept Christ so she`s got a few years yet

I pray to God about it, I trust Him. Nuff said

Story, I hope that in your discussions with your child, she also is made aware of the great dangers and ultimate consequence (hell!) of not having faith in Christ.

As for sharing what MY mistakes were, when I was a younger person, I don't see value in getting TOO specific about sex or getting high, etc. I pretty much lived with my then-girlfriend/now wife. But I AM specific about behaviors God says are wrong and I highlight the anguish and consequences inherit in doing them. I'm afraid that if I am SPECIFIC about my own past sins that they might get the idea that it's normal or might somehow be acceptable to test some things, get some life experience, that they must make the mistakes of others - at least to some degree - to see if what I'm saying is true for themselves.

I also have seen tremendous value in having my kids regularly active in a really good church youth group. This has re-enforced the Godly values we teach them. And so, they see their peers embracing and thriving on those same values, are learning, as young Christians, to understand how to face the common peer pressures. They also get to see that their many friends in youth group have parents with exactly the same Godly values as we do - so, they realize WE aren't in any way unique or bizarre in the values we embrace. For your kids to regularly come into contact with other adult Christians is very important!

The sad thing is, many kids fall away from seeking God as they go to college - where they'll run the gauntlet of humanism and Godless philosophy.

Philip wrote:Story, I hope that in your discussions with your child, she also is made aware of the great dangers and ultimate consequence (hell!) of not having faith in Christ.

Honestly?
Nope, not yet.

We have only really touched on the subject. Her Kung Fu instructor is a Christian and she looks up to him, I know they talk about God and all it entails.

What I don`t want to do is scare her into believing. She has to choose.

I answer her questions as honestly and appropiately as I can, the rest I leave up to God.

Philip I went to Sunday school and to youth group which in many ways was instrumental in my relationship with Christ. But it also made me blatantly aware of the hypocrisy of the church. I was an avid observer and what I observed from my peers but more importantly my superiors wasn't great. It was a charade version of Christianity. It was fickle and transparent.
What I teach my children transcends any 'church' gatheringand it far transends teaching them a fear based version of Christ. Believe or hell.
I teach them Jesus.
I teach them the love of Christ which is unlike anything they have ever known.
That starts with themselves and continues onto everyone they come in contact with.
Humility, never putting yourself above another, caring for all.
When I see them treat people in the way in which they do I am super proud and I know Jesus is by their side.

Story: What I don`t want to do is scare her into believing. She has to choose. I answer her questions as honestly and appropiately as I can, the rest I leave up to God.

The point of explaining hell is NOT to scare a child into belief - not sure how effective that would be. Although, the Apostle Paul, when reasoning with Greek intellectuals and philosophers DID warn them of what their unbelief would bring them, if they did not change. But the point is that kids may think whether to believe in Jesus is just one more answer on a multiple choice test in which whatever answer one chooses is just fine, that while they DO have other choices, ALL of the other choices have the very same terrible consequence. They need to know, at soon as they are able to understand, that it very MUCH matters which choice they choose. We warn our kids of every known danger - don't play in the road, don't put the hair dryer near a sink filled with water, etc. - why would we not warn them of the most important danger and consequence of all? YET, with far more emphasis on the love of God/Christ, of how far different their lives will be, of how much less avoidable trauma (emotionally, physically, spiritually) their lives will be, with Jesus as their focused commitment. They need to know of the joy, hope, love and spiritual well being that followers of Christ are offered. And THEN, PARADISE - FOREVER!!!

Melanie: Philip I went to Sunday school and to youth group which in many ways was instrumental in my relationship with Christ. But it also made me blatantly aware of the hypocrisy of the church. I was an avid observer and what I observed from my peers but more importantly my superiors wasn't great. It was a charade version of Christianity. It was fickle and transparent.

This is true. Christians are PEOPLE. And ALL people are sinners and hypocrites. A good lesson learned early on - no PLACE, GROUP, or ORGANIZATION will not have hypocrites - including, unfortunately/at times, their own parents. SICK people need a physician - that's what the Church is supposed to be for - people that need healing. And, in YOUTH groups, kids are immature, of course many will not model perfect Christian behavior. But the positives of a group will be directly connected to the leadership, their views, how they model Jesus.

Melanie: What I teach my children transcends any 'church' gathering and it far transcends teaching them a fear based version of Christ. Belief or hell.

Mel, please don't take this wrong - and it's not aimed at you - but the reality is that the power of the influences, re-enforcing and learning that a child (or adult) will collectively receive in a church or ministry setting is many times multiplied over what just a child's parents can ever provide them. They need to see their peers learn and struggle with the very same faith-based questions. They need to see their peers parent's are like-minded people committed to Jesus - these make a huge difference. Also, God spreads His truths, the ability to teach and best relate them, to learn and understand them, and the individual spiritual gifts he provides, ACROSS many people. There is great power in the spiritual-gifted SYNERGY of Christians coming together as a group. FAR more can be learned, far more can be GIVEN, far more good can be done, as no one or two people have all of the gifts. AND - this is VERY key - God designed His spiritual gifts to function at their optimum benefit and power when they are used TOGETHER with others with differing and complementary gifts. These are why church is important, it's how God designed it, it's His model in Scripture. It's why "Lone Ranger" Christianity isn't nearly as effective - neither personally or as it might benefit others. The Body needs its hands, feet, mouth, eyes, all to be working together, not independently.

OK, enough of my opinion. But I've had to learn the above the hard way - and I've done both. Was very wary of church - ANY church - for a very long time. Great blessings have been provided my entire family by being part of a Scripturally functioning local church. But an unhealthy church can be a nightmare. Fortunately, in the West, there are usually an array of choices between local churches.

Philip wrote:

Story: What I don`t want to do is scare her into believing. She has to choose. I answer her questions as honestly and appropiately as I can, the rest I leave up to God.

The point of explaining hell is NOT to scare a child into belief - not sure how effective that would be. Although, the Apostle Paul, when reasoning with Greek intellectuals and philosophers DID warn them of what their unbelief would bring them, if they did not change. But the point is that kids may think whether to believe in Jesus is just one more answer on a multiple choice test in which whatever answer one chooses is just fine, that while they DO have other choices, ALL of the other choices have the very same terrible consequence. They need to know, at soon as they are able to understand, that it very MUCH matters which choice they choose. We warn our kids of every known danger - don't play in the road, don't put the hair dryer near a sink filled with water, etc. - why would we not warn them of the most important danger and consequence of all? YET, with far more emphasis on the love of God/Christ, of how far different their lives will be, of how much less avoidable trauma (emotionally, physically, spiritually) their lives will be, with Jesus as their focused commitment. They need to know of the joy, hope, love and spiritual well being that followers of Christ are offered. And THEN, PARADISE - FOREVER!!!

Melanie: Philip I went to Sunday school and to youth group which in many ways was instrumental in my relationship with Christ. But it also made me blatantly aware of the hypocrisy of the church. I was an avid observer and what I observed from my peers but more importantly my superiors wasn't great. It was a charade version of Christianity. It was fickle and transparent.

This is true. Christians are PEOPLE. And ALL people are sinners and hypocrites. A good lesson learned early on - no PLACE, GROUP, or ORGANIZATION will not have hypocrites - including, unfortunately/at times, their own parents. SICK people need a physician - that's what the Church is supposed to be for - people that need healing. And, in YOUTH groups, kids are immature, of course many will not model perfect Christian behavior. But the positives of a group will be directly connected to the leadership, their views, how they model Jesus.

Melanie: What I teach my children transcends any 'church' gathering and it far transcends teaching them a fear based version of Christ. Belief or hell.

Mel, please don't take this wrong - and it's not aimed at you - but the reality is that the power of the influences, re-enforcing and learning that a child (or adult) will collectively receive in a church or ministry setting is many times multiplied over what just a child's parents can ever provide them. They need to see their peers learn and struggle with the very same faith-based questions. They need to see their peers parent's are like-minded people committed to Jesus - these make a huge difference. Also, God spreads His truths, the ability to teach and best relate them, to learn and understand them, and the individual spiritual gifts he provides, ACROSS many people. There is great power in the spiritual-gifted SYNERGY of Christians coming together as a group. FAR more can be learned, far more can be GIVEN, far more good can be done, as no one or two people have all of the gifts. AND - this is VERY key - God designed His spiritual gifts to function at their optimum benefit and power when they are used TOGETHER with others with differing and complementary gifts. These are why church is important, it's how God designed it, it's His model in Scripture. It's why "Lone Ranger" Christianity isn't nearly as effective - neither personally or as it might benefit others. The Body needs its hands, feet, mouth, eyes, all to be working together, not independently.

OK, enough of my opinion. But I've had to learn the above the hard way - and I've done both. Was very wary of church - ANY church - for a very long time. Great blessings have been provided my entire family by being part of a Scripturally functioning local church. But an unhealthy church can be a nightmare. Fortunately, in the West, there are usually an array of possible local churches.

What do you consider a 'church'?

Nessa: What do you consider a 'church'?

Multiple Believers comitted to regularly meeting together in worship, communion and fellowship - that has no certain appearance.