if you release this man

Snippets from tomorrow morning's thing:

I think that the modern American church focuses too much on youth ministry. Every church states that it wishes to invest in the future. And while that is indeed a noble goal, God doesn’t promise the future to anyone; the Lord could come again any day. And yes, it is easier to raise children early, immersed in Christian values and teachings. But one of the drawbacks of this focus on youth is that men’s ministries get underfocused. I believe if we examined church budgets and church ministries across the country, you would find that youth ministry gets resourced the most, followed by women’s ministry, followed very far behind by men’s ministry.

And what this resource disparity causes is an atmosphere where men, the spiritual leaders of the home depend on the church to spiritually lead their children and wives closer to God. Because men have found a good church with good ministries for their family, they feel that their responsibility as spiritual leaders is already completed. The responsibility for developing spiritual maturity in our families does not end with our finding a good home church.

Men need to be passionate about God in their own homes. Men need to be the ones that talk the most about loving God. Men need to be the ones that need to set the example of reading the Bible every day. Men need to be the ones that take the lead in memorizing Scripture, not their children in Awana. Men need to be the ones that see prayer as a first response rather than a last resort. Men need to be the ones that showcase the fruits of the Spirit.

Shelve this idea along with Breakfast and Grass. For a future moment.