How not to be your own selfish pig

Little Johnny is never told “No” by his parents. They are afraid to damage his little self-esteem. Johnny grows up believing he can have what he wants when he wants it. His wife and children suffer. Little Susie learns to be a skillful manipulator of her parents’ emotions as a toddler, honing the skill to … Continue reading How not to be your own selfish pig

Teach your children about forgiveness

Last week, I wrote about the need for parents to disciple their children, leading them to follow Jesus Christ. The foundation of any discipleship that will produce good fruit is the Bible. Teach it to them, and help them learn how to read it for themselves. One great theme of the Bible is our need … Continue reading Teach your children about forgiveness

It is our duty to disciple our children

My oldest son, Micah was walking on the college campus about 15 years ago when he was stopped by a student who asked, “Hey, are you related to Mark Fox?”  Micah grinned and said, “Yes, he’s my father.”  The student laughed and said, “I knew it! You look just like him.”  Micah and I have … Continue reading It is our duty to disciple our children

A dramatic difference

It’s like a movie plot, but more interesting because it happened. You can read about it in Acts 5. Evil men, “filled with jealousy,” are plotting to stop good men who are filled with the Holy Spirit. Evil sometimes triumphs, at least for a season, and the good men are arrested for teaching about Jesus … Continue reading A dramatic difference

When great fear came upon the church, community

Last week, I wrote about the first church, and a man named Barnabas who sold a field and laid the money at the apostles’ feet. That created quite a stir, so Ananias and Sapphira decided to get in on the action. They hatched a plot to sell some land, pocket part of the money and … Continue reading When great fear came upon the church, community

Radical love means radical giving

Gary Thomas tells the story in his book, “Sacred Marriage,” about two brothers who worked together during the day in a field and in the evening at a mill. Each night they divided up the grain they had processed. One brother was single and one was married with a large family. The single brother decided … Continue reading Radical love means radical giving