Everyday Talk

I just finished reading Everyday Talk by John A. Younts and I HIGHLY recommend you purchase and read this book if you are a parent.

This book is an easy read that deals with a profound topic: our words about our Creator and how those words impact our families.

I already want to read it again because there are many “ah-ha” themes in it.

Basically, the book is about how we must be mindful of our “everyday talk” with our children about the Lord. The book will challenge you to be more aware of how you talk, listen, and reflect God to your family. It is an easy read written powerfully yet simply. It is my kind of book!

-Mark (thankful for the wisdom of God spoken through John A. Younts!)

Wise insight on Video game & Internet game “addiction”

I spoke to author, speaker, and radio host Mr. Jay Younts today  (www.johnayounts.com) by telephone and he said something that was eye opening to me.

He said that persons who excessively play video & internet games are often doing so because we were originally created to subdue and have dominion over the earth. Because of the Fall, mankind falls short in this original purpose and is thwarted often by sin (see Gen. 3:16-19). Video games give people an opportunity to subdue a fantasy world and to subdue & take dominion over it. Until that world is conquered, people continue to play in an “addictive” manner.

Since the Fall in Genesis 3, mankind has been trying to regain dominion over a fallen world which is a consequence given by God due to mankind’s sin.

Mr. Younts reminded me that this desire in all of us is a product of the Creation, Fall, and Redemption motif for mankind found in the Bible. Video games are simply one way that the desire plays out. Excessive work and
exercise are other ways that people seek to control and take dominion over the earth, too.

Jay Younts is the author of Everyday Talk and he blogs for The Shepherd Press at (www.shepherdpress.com).

He plans to do a series on “Cutting & Self-injury” on that blog and asked me if he could utilize some of the booklet that I wrote! What an honor for me to be used by God in this way!

-Mark (grateful to be learning from thoughtful men like Mr. Jay Younts)

The Family TRANSFORMED begins tonight!

Truth in Love Ministries is excited to be starting a new program tonight at Bethel Baptist Church called:

“The Family T.R.A.N.S.F.O.R.M.E.D.”

Our desire is not simply to see families improve and reform, but to see God change the very fabric and substance of the family by transformation.

Transformation means to change the character and condition of an object whereas reform means to improve its condition. While we want to see improvement, we believe this program that is chocked full of God’s Word and His plan for the family will bring improvement by converting the entire family into new “beings” focused upon pleasing the Lord.

Please pray for us, our biblical counselors, and especially for our participants as we embark on a new challenge and a new adventure in this ministry!

-Mark (grateful for your prayers)

The focus in biblical counseling is on “spiritual issues”

In biblical counseling, we deal with sin issues of the heart that are spiritual in nature.

If an issue is organic – meaning it has a physical cause –  we do NOT address it. We send the person to a medical doctor for a medical evaluation. Sometimes, a physical problem may be causing bizarre behavior and thinking since the physical and spiritual are connected!

It is so great to work with godly physicians who practice real medicine. Dr. Logan Casey in the Cahaba Heights area is a caring general practitioner that we recommend to our counselees. Finding a good doctor can be difficult these days. Dr. Casey is a rare find because he is competent and compassionate and Christian.

Again, in biblical counseling, we want people to be under the care of a primary physician for physical issues and medication issues.

We deal with “heart matters” in the spiritual realm. The “heart” we deal with is the inner, spiritual person’s attitudes, motives, desires, thoughts, and passions that lead to actions and emotions. We are caring for the souls of men as we seek to watch the Lord reconcile them to Himself.

-Mark (looking to the Great Physician for the healing of souls)

New Start Ministries

A great ministry – www.new-start-ministries.org – is reaching out to share Christ with young girls who are adjudicated youth (incarcerated at youth “prisons”, so to speak) in a totally unique and effective way: letter writing!

Recently, the Founder, Walt Valentine came to our church to train some of our adult ladies about the intricacies of this ministry. He did a great job and about 10 ladies signed up to write letters to the young girls to encourage them in their walk with Christ and/or to loving lead them to know Christ personally. It’s a “quality” ministry more than a “quantity” one and it is surprisingly effective!

I am so impressed with this ministry that I thought I should tell you about it. Go to the website at http://n-s-m.org/ to find out how to bring this ministry to your local church. There are many young girls in youth detention centers who need the direction and godly counsel of older females (Titus 2). The time commitment is minimal – only the time needed to write one letter every 3 weeks!

Let’s help Walt and Joanie Valentine do the work of ministry that the Lord has laid upon their hearts! Let’s reach out to these young women and ask the Lord to turn their hearts toward Him so they can have a “New Start.”

-Mark (thankful for the Valentines’ commit to Christ and to helping these young ladies with eternity at hand)

Visit Susie McCullum’s Verse & Message Ministry

Well today a good friend caught Mark and I off guard! We are thankful to have friends like Susie who help to spread the freedom found in Christ! Many of you know Susie McCullum, but for those that do not, I pray you will take a minute out and visit her blog page http://susiemc.wordpress.com/ and discover for yourself what an Encourager in Christ resembles. Countless times, her words of encouragement,

and SMILEY FACES         have brightened my day, and turned my heart back to the Lord.

For several years now Susie has sent out a weekly verse and message that is full of fun, encouragement, and GOD’S WORD.      For those of you wishing to subscribe, send an email to susiemc_68@yahoo.com  . This weekly encouragement has often helped me to remain focused on why, as Christians we are here.  It is so easy to mistakenly place our focus on the here and now, and it takes gentle reminders like the words of a friend to refocus us on our Eternal Perspective! 

As this election fades into history, I pray that we will take the passion and fervor shown throughout the country, and unite together for God…  “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” (I Timothy 2:8)

God also says in His Word “The king’s heart is a river directed by the Lord, He turns it wherever He pleases.” (Proverbs 21:1)  As our pastor likes to remind us, the days ahead will be the finest hour for the local Church. Many opportunities are approaching to share Christ with those who don’t know Him as well as praying for the leaders that are going to be faced with many difficult decisions.

Right now those who bear His name,  CHRISTians  must gather together and encourage one another in the faith, to press on to the High Calling we have in HIM!

THANK YOU SUSIE, for your Boldness in Sharing Christ every week with hundreds of people for God’s Glory!

It’s messengers like you that keep the GOOD NEWS of the GOSPEL on the forefront of our minds and hearts.

 

-Jason  (SO THANKFUL to have friends who love Jesus and enjoy spreading the Word!)

A real endangered species: the intact family

While we hear about all of the endangered animals in the world, one endangered group is the intact American family with one father, one mother, and biological children.

This group of people really are an endangered species in our culture.

Divorce is ripping families apart. Adultery is ripping marriages apart. Disobedient children are ripping families apart. Poor parenting is ripping families apart.

If you want to INVEST in the future of this country, invest in our ministry at TIL. We are working hard to change lives, reconcile relationships, call people to Christ, and rebuilding families all in the power of Christ.

-Mark (asking for your financial support for this ministry)