Blog Archives - Grace Legacy Builders https://gracelegacybuilders.org/category/blog/ Equipping Men As Spiritual Leaders Wed, 29 Mar 2023 19:12:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 A Tribute & A Call To Join Me In Prayer For My Cousin, Herb Smith https://gracelegacybuilders.org/a-tribute-a-call-to-join-me-in-prayer-for-my-cousin-herb-smith/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:55:09 +0000 https://gracelegacybuilders.org/?p=30116 The post A Tribute & A Call To Join Me In Prayer For My Cousin, Herb Smith appeared first on Grace Legacy Builders.

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A Tribute & A Call To Join Me In Prayer For My Cousin, Herb Smith

2 Kings 20:2-3 (ESV)
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying,
“Now, O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and

with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.”

A Tribute & A Call to Join Me in Prayer For My Cousin, Herb Smith:

Herb Smith is my oldest of 26 cousins. He is my dad’s oldest sister’s son, but also related from my mother’s side of the family. What makes Herb unique is the way he symbolizes the great Godly inheritance our family has of both men and women who have passed the baton of faith from generation to generation. He was born into a Godly lineage and is living it out by building a legacy of grace as well. He is a man’s man and a Godly man who has exemplified what pleases God when men follow Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King in their heart, home, church, and community.

When we were kids, my dad would lead us to pray for Herb in the Vietnam War, Uncle Rich in the Air Force, and Aunt Albertha on the mission field. This gave my brothers and a Godly perspective of what was respected by the man who led us and the people he expected us to become.

One of my earliest memories of a family trip was visiting Herb in the US Army barracks. I am sure MacArthur and Patton had visitors too, but I felt like Herb was the most important man in the military, and to us he was. He was defending our county and our national freedom was owed to men who rose to the call of duty unlike those who mocked it and avoided it. Herb went on to be just as heroic at home after the military.

When Herb returned to Minnesota, he first wisely and admirably married, Joyce, a Proverbs 31 woman who fit wonderfully into the Kuiper family’s culture. They raised Godly, talented, and really fun daughters whom I was able to hang out with at various times when my family lived in the Primghar, IA and Kansas City, MO.

Although I am his somewhat younger cousin, Herb, like an elder statesman, has always taken an active interest in my ministry adventures and in me. He even came to Grace Legacy Builders in the midst of our rebuilding.

He has been a Godly leader in his home and church and his community impact reflects his Christ- centered heart. I like to brag how he was awarded for all of his years of outstanding service at UPS. We are a part of one of the families that came to this country from the homeland and we are able to boast of hard work. Our relatives have practiced their callings with prudence, diligence, and grace!

Herb Smith is a truly a Biblical man of valor. More than anything, Herb is the kind of man we need today and tomorrow to continue passing the baton of faith to the next generation and as well to next generation after that in his home, church, and community (see Joshua 24:15). So, please pray with me, like Isaiah in this scripture, for an additional 15 years of Herb’s life through his battle against cancer.

2 Kings 20:5-6 (ESV)
“Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father:

I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you…and I will add fifteen years to your life.”

In the Name of Resurrected, Reigning, Healing and Returning Savior – Jesus Christ.

Rev. Bruce R. Kuiper, President

The post A Tribute & A Call To Join Me In Prayer For My Cousin, Herb Smith appeared first on Grace Legacy Builders.

]]> A Book Review of: Men without Work https://gracelegacybuilders.org/a-book-review-of-men-without-work/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:51:33 +0000 https://gracelegacybuilders.org/?p=30123 The post A Book Review of: Men without Work appeared first on Grace Legacy Builders.

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While on Vacation I’ll be again reading more of Nicholas Eberstadt’s book:

Men Without Work

(New Threats To Freedom Series)

by Templeton Press.

I want to give a primer of this book and share some key thoughts…

Hence the end of work for a large, and steadily growing, share of working-age American men has been met to date with public complacency, in part because we evidently can afford to do so. And this is precisely the problem: for the genial indifference with which the rest of society has greeted the growing absence of adult men from the productive economy is in itself powerful testimony that these men have become essentially dispensable.

But the progressive detachment of so many adult American men from the reality and routines of regular paid labor poses a threat to our nation’s future prosperity. It can only result in lower living standards, greater economic disparities, and slower economic growth than we might otherwise expect. And the troubles posed by this male flight from work are by no means solely economic. It is also a social crisis—and, I shall argue, a moral crisis.

The growing incapability of grown men to function as breadwinners cannot help but undermine the American family.

It casts those who nature designed to be strong into the role of dependents—on their wives or girlfriends, on their aging parents, or on government welfare.

Among those who should be most capable of shouldering the burdens of civic responsibilities, it instead encourages sloth, idleness, and vices perhaps more insidious.

Whether we choose to recognize it or not, this feature of the American condition—the new “men without work” normal—is inimical (harmful & damaging) to the American tradition of self-reliance; it is subversive of our national ethos and arguably even of our civilization.

Our nation cannot begin to grapple with this challenge to our future unless we first understand its genesis, its dimensions, and its implications. In the following pages I attempt to offer a preliminary description of these.

Think of how much we’ve lost…

    • Prior to about the 1950s, there was no such thing as retirement, as the term is used today. A 1950 poll showed that most workers aspired to work for as long as possible. Quitting was for the disabled. Life did not offer “twilight years,” perhaps two decades of uninterrupted leisure courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer.
    • THE REAL ROLE OF WORK God placed man into the Garden of Eden to work it. Judaism teaches that this work was to be man’s source of satisfaction. In this, he would fulfill his destiny as a partner of his Creator in the act of creation. Through work, he would prove that he was indeed created in God’s image because he was to be earth’s only creature capable of the same creativity as God Himself. There was no time limit or age limit placed on Adam’s mandate to work.
    • The book of Job later repeated and emphasized the essential link between human satisfaction and work with the words: “Man was born to work.”12
    • You work not because you need the results of that work but because there is intrinsic meaning and value in the work itself. That meaning emerges from the fact that your work benefits others. That it should also benefit others is an accompanying side benefit that should not surprise anyone who sees God as benevolent. I cannot overemphasize this essential point.

Lapin, Daniel. Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money (pp. 327 & 337). Wiley. Kindle Edition.

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]]> Barna Report on Dad’s & Spiritual (Lack of) Spiritual Impact https://gracelegacybuilders.org/barna-report-on-dads-spiritual-lack-of-spiritual-impact/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:48:21 +0000 https://gracelegacybuilders.org/?p=30111 The post Barna Report on Dad’s & Spiritual (Lack of) Spiritual Impact appeared first on Grace Legacy Builders.

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PSALM 78:5

God commanded our fathers to teach our children about Him so the next generations may know God and His mighty acts.

The Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984. Last year they looked into the impact of families on faith. I’ve highlighted the sad conclusions and end with a way you can help reverse this – Because Children Come with Eternal Souls…

The practice and art of fatherhood is being lost day by day.

When we asked who people are most comfortable having spiritual conversations with, fathers came out low on most people’s lists. And when we asked fathers who they are comfortable having spiritual conversations with, we found they are not nearly as likely as mothers to say their kids. What do you think is happening here?

This is a crisis by all accounts.

The practice and art of fatherhood is being lost day by day. There are a lot of factors, but I think one of the main reasons is that dads feel incompetent in this area, and most guys—and some women too, of course, but it’s a sharper pain point for many men—can’t stand the feeling of incompetence.

Most dads I know are great about talking in depth when it comes to work, sports or opinions on current events, because those are areas where we are expected to be experts. But when it comes to our children’s hearts, and pursuing them on an emotional level, we think of that as the mom’s job, the pastor’s job, the teacher’s job—when, in reality, one of the primary callings of a dad isn’t to work, to provide, but to capture his child’s heart. That can only happen when we lead with vulnerability. Transparency and intimacy beget more transparency and intimacy.

Time is a huge factor. According to research I’ve seen recently, the number of hours a father spends at home keeps shrinking. Dads have fewer and fewer touch-points throughout the day to build relationship and intimacy with our kids. Are Men serving the economy instead of their family?

“We Strengthen Faith by Sharing It with Others.”

Sociologically, we have learned that when we are exposed to the salvation narrative we begin to take that narrative on as our own. Over time, it shapes our identity, values and ultimately behaviors, giving us a new way to see ourselves and the world around us. This change in identity and perspective is further strengthened and solidified as we give voice to that narrative. In the end, the more we share our faith, the more we understand who we are and the more confident and eager we become as Christians.

Please consider inviting Grace Legacy Builders to your Church for:

  • Sunday Sermons
  • Men’s Groups
  • Sunday School Workshops
  • Church Leadership Strategy Session
  • Pastor and wife one on one
  • Family Worship Community Weekend
  • Saturday Seminar at our Ministry Center

Thanks Rev. Bruce R. Kuiper

Equipping Men as Spiritual Leaders!

PSALM 78:5

God commanded our fathers to teach our children about Him so the next generations may know God and His mighty acts.

The post Barna Report on Dad’s & Spiritual (Lack of) Spiritual Impact appeared first on Grace Legacy Builders.

]]> Featured Writer for the Month of October is The Westminster Assembly and the Directory of Family Worship https://gracelegacybuilders.org/featured-writer-for-the-month-of-october-is-the-westminster-assembly-and-the-directory-of-family-worship/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:34:13 +0000 https://gracelegacybuilders.org/?p=30106 The post Featured Writer for the Month of October is The Westminster Assembly and the Directory of Family Worship appeared first on Grace Legacy Builders.

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The Month of October’s featured writer will be the “Westminster Assembly”. They wrote the Directory of Family Worship” to accompany and interweave the Westminster Confession of Faith. The Confession is the Theology while the Directory is the Methodology. Just like Deuteronomy 6, interlaces God’s theology with God’s methodology. IE God’s Will, God’s Way, or NO Way!

People wonder why their theology or methodology isn’t working; it is because they are intermingled, interlaced, interwoven as one. They should not be separated. The awe and application of Mt Sinai of Deut. 5 annexes every house as the sacred consecrates every home of the true believer by making the law living and active though the father’s instructions on how to lead his family incarnationally in Deut. 6.

“In 1647 on the 24th August, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland approved guidelines for Family Worship…the Assembly doth further require and appoint ministers and ruling elders to make diligent search and enquiry, in the congregations committed to their charge respectively, whether there be among them any family or families which use to neglect this necessary duty; and if any such family be found, the head of the family is to be first admonished privately to amend his fault; and in the case of his continuing therein, he is to be gravely and sadly reproved by the session; after which reproof, if he be still found to neglect Family-worship, let him be, for his obstinacy in such an offence, suspended and debarred from the Lord’s Supper, as being justly esteemed unworthy to communicate therein, until he amend.

The Directory for Family Worship, 1647 (modernized)

APPROVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, FOR PIETY AND UNIFORMITY IN SECRET AND PRIVATE WORSHIP, AND MUTUAL EDIFICATION, WITH AN ACT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1647 FOR OBSERVING THE SAME DIRECTIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, CONCERNING SECRET AND PRIVATE WORSHIP, AND MUTUAL EDIFICATION; FOR CHERISHING PIETY, FOR MAINTAINING UNITY, AND AVOIDING SCHISM AND DIVISION

By God’s mercy, public worship has been established in this land in great purity. Besides this however, it is both expedient and necessary for each person to be involved in “secret worship”, and for families to worship together privately as a family. By this, along with our national reformation, the profession and power of godliness, both personal and domestic, shall be advanced.

1. And first, for secret worship, it is most necessary, that everyone take part in private prayer and meditation. This practice brings benefits that are impossible to describe, and which are only fully appreciated by those who are most careful to put it into practice. This is the means whereby, in a special way, one communes with God, and is properly prepared for the Christian life. Therefore it is necessary that pastors encourage everybody to this practice, morning and evening, and at other times as well. But it is also the duty of the head of every family, to take good care that both they themselves, and those in their care are diligent in this practice every day.

2. The ordinary duties which should be part of a godly family met for family worship are these:

Firstly, prayer and praise touching the life and present needs of the church at large, the nation, and of every member of the family.

Secondly the reading of the Scriptures, with a plain explanation of the text so that all [children especially] may be better able to benefit from attendance at public worship, and profit from their own private reading. As well, there should be some discussion with application to all members of the family, with appropriate rebukes & corrections explained by those in authority in the home.

3. Just as the duty and office of interpreting the Scriptures is a ministerial office, and no-one regardless of their qualifications should usurp that without being properly called and set apart for that office, so too it is the specially called duty of the head of the family, to read the scriptures plainly to the family. After this, it is commendable that there be some discussion and application of what has been read. For example, if in the reading there is some sin rebuked, then the whole family should be warned against it and urged to be watchful. If there is a Divine judgment threatened, or described, then all should be cautioned lest through their complacency and lack of watchfulness, the same judgment, or even something worse, should come upon them.

Finally, if there is some duty commanded, or some comfort promised, this can be used to stir up each one to seek Christ’s strength to perform that duty, or to seek His gracious provision of that comfort. In all of this the head of the family is to give the lead, and family members should seek answers to their questions and doubts from him.

4. The head of the family is to take care that no-one in the family withdraws from family worship. Further, since the responsibility for family worship belongs to the head of the home, the minister is to stir up those who are lazy, and train those who are weak, so that all will be equipped properly. It is also quite proper for a man to engage anyone else approved by the Presbytery to train him and his family. Then too if the head of the family is unfit to lead family worship, another member of the family approved by the minister and session may be given that task. The minister and session are accountable to the presbytery for those whom they recommend in this way. If through the providence of God the minister should be present and convene family worship, he should do so with the whole family present, unless there are special reasons [eg something that should be discussed privately] for meeting only with some.

5. No-one who is lazy, whose Christian faith is unknown, or who is unsettled in their faith should be allowed to lead family worship even if they volunteer themselves. This is the way error subtly and deceitfully enters homes, causes division, and leads the gullible and unthinking astray.

6. Family worship should be kept a private matter, and not the opportunity for wider invitations to others, unless they are visitors in the home, or guests for meals, etc. when they should most definitely be invited to be a part.

7. Even though God has clearly used and blessed the gathering together of different families for worship in times of great difficulty and trouble [when the usual order of things can be often overturned] yet in times of peace and stability and gospel purity, we believe that multiple gatherings of families should not be encouraged. It tends to limit the fuller participation of each family and family member; and in time can prejudice against the need for public ministry, cause divisions between families in congregations, and even split the Church. All this can be the entry point for further error, cause the ungodly to harden their hearts further, and bring great grief to the godly.

8. On the Lord’s Day, after every member of the family separately, and the whole family together have sought the Lord to prepare their hearts and fit them for worship and make that time a blessing to them, the head of the home is to take care that all under his care then attend public worship and be part of the local congregation. Then, after public worship is concluded, and a time of prayer, he is to go over what they have heard with them. The rest of the day ought to be set apart for catechising and discussing some aspect of the Word of God together. Alternatively, family members should give themselves to:

    • private reading,
    • contemplation and
    • prayer,

so that their own fellowship with God is increased. All of this is so that the blessing and benefits of publicly gathering together will be increased and appreciated properly, and each person given a greater appreciation of Eternal Life.

9. All those who can pray should do so remembering that prayer is a gift from God to be used, and those who are young in the faith can well begin by using set outlines for prayer. However they should not be content with that, or use it as an excuse for spiritual sluggishness. Rather, in their own private devotions they should frequently and earnestly ask God to enable them to pray, by moving their hearts to think of and their mouths to express, those things that are necessary for their family. A sample set form is outlined below:

Prayer should include:

    • Confession as to their unworthiness to come before God in prayer and worship, and an earnest desire that He would grant a truly prayerful spirit.
    • Confession of sin, both individual and family, and in such a way as to bring about true humiliation.
    • The earnest, Spirit-led, pouring out of the soul’s cry to God for forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ.
    • Thanksgiving to God for His many mercies to His people, to themselves particularly, and especially for his love in Christ, and for the light of the gospel.
    • Prayer for such particular spiritual and temporal blessings as are needed at the time [whether morning or evening] whether in health, sickness, prosperity or adversity.
    • Intercessory prayer for the church of Christ in general, for all churches where reformed doctrine and practice are evident, and for their local church in particular; for all who suffer for the sake of Christ; for all in positions of authority and government, the royal household, those in the administration of justice, ministers, the whole body of the local congregation, as well as for their neighbors.
    • Closing with an earnest desire that God would be glorified in the coming of the kingdom of His Son, and in the doing of His will; with confidence that their prayers have been heard, and that what they have asked according to His will shall be done.

10. The exercise of family worship should be sincere, and without delay, avoiding all worldly distractions, and hindrances, and in spite of any scorn from atheists and worldly men. And to better bring this about, the leading men and all the elders of the Church, should stir up themselves and their own families to this practice. Not only that, but they should also agree to try and introduce family worship into all the families they have under their spiritual care.

11. Besides the ordinary duties in family worship as mentioned above [2], there are special duties of humiliation, repentance and thanksgiving which should be carefully attended to within families when [either in public or in private] the Lord calls them forth by His providential workings.

12. Because the word of God requires that we should consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, every member of the Church should always be diligent to stir up themselves and others in the duty of mutual edification. This is especially necessary in these days when profanity abounds, and when mockers are amazed that we will not follow them in their lusts and excesses. This common encouragement comes by:

    • Instruction,
    • Admonition, and
    • Rebuke,

As each exhorts the other to show the grace of God by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts; in living godly, soberly and righteously in the world; and by comforting the faint hearted and praying with and for one another. These things will be especially necessary when others seek advice and comfort in times of calamity, or when an offender is to be reclaimed through private rebuke by one or more as set down in the Bible.

13. Not everyone is always able to give the right counsel to one who is wearied or distressed in conscience. If in such cases, after pursuing all private and public means, there is still no peace, they should then seek out their own Pastor, or some other experienced Christian. However, if the circumstances are such that discretion, modesty, or fear of scandal require a second person present as a witness, [eg because of the sex or state of the person in trouble] this should be done.

14. In the providence of God members of different families are often brought together away from home through employment, or other reasons. As they would want the Lord’s presence with them wherever they are, so also they should want to obey God and not neglect the duties of prayer and thanksgiving. They should therefore arrange for the one best equipped among them to lead them in “family” worship. They should also take care that no corrupting speech come forth from their mouths, but only that which is good and edifying, which brings grace to their hearers.

The purpose and scope of all these directions is twofold.

    • Firstly that the power and practice of godliness amongst all ministers and members of the Church whatever their calling, may be cherished and advanced, and that all irreligiousness and mocking of the Christian life will be stopped.
    • Secondly, that no meetings or practices be allowed which are likely to breed error, scandal, schism, contempt or disregard for public worship and the ministry, the neglect of one’s Christian duty, or any other evils which are the works, not of the Spirit of God, but of the flesh, and contrary to truth and peace.

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]]> October’s Featured Writer https://gracelegacybuilders.org/octobers-featured-writer/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:33:08 +0000 https://gracelegacybuilders.org/?p=30098 The post October’s Featured Writer appeared first on Grace Legacy Builders.

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The Month of October’s featured writer will be the “Westminster Assembly”. They wrote the Directory of Family Worship” to accompany and interweave the Westminster Confession of Faith. The Confession is the Theology while the Directory is the Methodology. Just like Deuteronomy 6, interlaces God’s theology with God’s methodology. IE God’s Will, God’s Way, or NO Way!

People wonder why their theology or methodology isn’t working; it is because they are intermingled, interlaced, interwoven as one. They should not be separated. The awe and application of Mt Sinai of Deut. 5 annexes every house as the sacred consecrates every home of the true believer by making the law living and active though the father’s instructions on how to lead his family incarnationally in Deut. 6.

“In 1647 on the 24th August, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland approved guidelines for Family Worship…the Assembly doth further require and appoint ministers and ruling elders to make diligent search and enquiry, in the congregations committed to their charge respectively, whether there be among them any family or families which use to neglect this necessary duty; and if any such family be found, the head of the family is to be first admonished privately to amend his fault; and in the case of his continuing therein, he is to be gravely and sadly reproved by the session; after which reproof, if he be still found to neglect Family-worship, let him be, for his obstinacy in such an offence, suspended and debarred from the Lord’s Supper, as being justly esteemed unworthy to communicate therein, until he amend.

The Directory for Family Worship, 1647 (modernized)

APPROVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, FOR PIETY AND UNIFORMITY IN SECRET AND PRIVATE WORSHIP, AND MUTUAL EDIFICATION, WITH AN ACT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1647 FOR OBSERVING THE SAME DIRECTIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, CONCERNING SECRET AND PRIVATE WORSHIP, AND MUTUAL EDIFICATION; FOR CHERISHING PIETY, FOR MAINTAINING UNITY, AND AVOIDING SCHISM AND DIVISION

By God’s mercy, public worship has been established in this land in great purity. Besides this however, it is both expedient and necessary for each person to be involved in “secret worship”, and for families to worship together privately as a family. By this, along with our national reformation, the profession and power of godliness, both personal and domestic, shall be advanced.

1. And first, for secret worship, it is most necessary, that everyone take part in private prayer and meditation. This practice brings benefits that are impossible to describe, and which are only fully appreciated by those who are most careful to put it into practice. This is the means whereby, in a special way, one communes with God, and is properly prepared for the Christian life. Therefore it is necessary that pastors encourage everybody to this practice, morning and evening, and at other times as well. But it is also the duty of the head of every family, to take good care that both they themselves, and those in their care are diligent in this practice every day.

2. The ordinary duties which should be part of a godly family met for family worship are these:

Firstly, prayer and praise touching the life and present needs of the church at large, the nation, and of every member of the family.

Secondly the reading of the Scriptures, with a plain explanation of the text so that all [children especially] may be better able to benefit from attendance at public worship, and profit from their own private reading. As well, there should be some discussion with application to all members of the family, with appropriate rebukes & corrections explained by those in authority in the home.

3. Just as the duty and office of interpreting the Scriptures is a ministerial office, and no-one regardless of their qualifications should usurp that without being properly called and set apart for that office, so too it is the specially called duty of the head of the family, to read the scriptures plainly to the family. After this, it is commendable that there be some discussion and application of what has been read. For example, if in the reading there is some sin rebuked, then the whole family should be warned against it and urged to be watchful. If there is a Divine judgment threatened, or described, then all should be cautioned lest through their complacency and lack of watchfulness, the same judgment, or even something worse, should come upon them.

Finally, if there is some duty commanded, or some comfort promised, this can be used to stir up each one to seek Christ’s strength to perform that duty, or to seek His gracious provision of that comfort. In all of this the head of the family is to give the lead, and family members should seek answers to their questions and doubts from him.

4. The head of the family is to take care that no-one in the family withdraws from family worship. Further, since the responsibility for family worship belongs to the head of the home, the minister is to stir up those who are lazy, and train those who are weak, so that all will be equipped properly. It is also quite proper for a man to engage anyone else approved by the Presbytery to train him and his family. Then too if the head of the family is unfit to lead family worship, another member of the family approved by the minister and session may be given that task. The minister and session are accountable to the presbytery for those whom they recommend in this way. If through the providence of God the minister should be present and convene family worship, he should do so with the whole family present, unless there are special reasons [eg something that should be discussed privately] for meeting only with some.

5. No-one who is lazy, whose Christian faith is unknown, or who is unsettled in their faith should be allowed to lead family worship even if they volunteer themselves. This is the way error subtly and deceitfully enters homes, causes division, and leads the gullible and unthinking astray.

6. Family worship should be kept a private matter, and not the opportunity for wider invitations to others, unless they are visitors in the home, or guests for meals, etc. when they should most definitely be invited to be a part.

7. Even though God has clearly used and blessed the gathering together of different families for worship in times of great difficulty and trouble [when the usual order of things can be often overturned] yet in times of peace and stability and gospel purity, we believe that multiple gatherings of families should not be encouraged. It tends to limit the fuller participation of each family and family member; and in time can prejudice against the need for public ministry, cause divisions between families in congregations, and even split the Church. All this can be the entry point for further error, cause the ungodly to harden their hearts further, and bring great grief to the godly.

8. On the Lord’s Day, after every member of the family separately, and the whole family together have sought the Lord to prepare their hearts and fit them for worship and make that time a blessing to them, the head of the home is to take care that all under his care then attend public worship and be part of the local congregation. Then, after public worship is concluded, and a time of prayer, he is to go over what they have heard with them. The rest of the day ought to be set apart for catechising and discussing some aspect of the Word of God together. Alternatively, family members should give themselves to:

    • private reading,
    • contemplation and
    • prayer,

so that their own fellowship with God is increased. All of this is so that the blessing and benefits of publicly gathering together will be increased and appreciated properly, and each person given a greater appreciation of Eternal Life.

9. All those who can pray should do so remembering that prayer is a gift from God to be used, and those who are young in the faith can well begin by using set outlines for prayer. However they should not be content with that, or use it as an excuse for spiritual sluggishness. Rather, in their own private devotions they should frequently and earnestly ask God to enable them to pray, by moving their hearts to think of and their mouths to express, those things that are necessary for their family. A sample set form is outlined below:

Prayer should include:

    • Confession as to their unworthiness to come before God in prayer and worship, and an earnest desire that He would grant a truly prayerful spirit.
    • Confession of sin, both individual and family, and in such a way as to bring about true humiliation.
    • The earnest, Spirit-led, pouring out of the soul’s cry to God for forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ.
    • Thanksgiving to God for His many mercies to His people, to themselves particularly, and especially for his love in Christ, and for the light of the gospel.
    • Prayer for such particular spiritual and temporal blessings as are needed at the time [whether morning or evening] whether in health, sickness, prosperity or adversity.
    • Intercessory prayer for the church of Christ in general, for all churches where reformed doctrine and practice are evident, and for their local church in particular; for all who suffer for the sake of Christ; for all in positions of authority and government, the royal household, those in the administration of justice, ministers, the whole body of the local congregation, as well as for their neighbors.
    • Closing with an earnest desire that God would be glorified in the coming of the kingdom of His Son, and in the doing of His will; with confidence that their prayers have been heard, and that what they have asked according to His will shall be done.

10. The exercise of family worship should be sincere, and without delay, avoiding all worldly distractions, and hindrances, and in spite of any scorn from atheists and worldly men. And to better bring this about, the leading men and all the elders of the Church, should stir up themselves and their own families to this practice. Not only that, but they should also agree to try and introduce family worship into all the families they have under their spiritual care.

11. Besides the ordinary duties in family worship as mentioned above [2], there are special duties of humiliation, repentance and thanksgiving which should be carefully attended to within families when [either in public or in private] the Lord calls them forth by His providential workings.

12. Because the word of God requires that we should consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, every member of the Church should always be diligent to stir up themselves and others in the duty of mutual edification. This is especially necessary in these days when profanity abounds, and when mockers are amazed that we will not follow them in their lusts and excesses. This common encouragement comes by:

    • Instruction,
    • Admonition, and
    • Rebuke,

As each exhorts the other to show the grace of God by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts; in living godly, soberly and righteously in the world; and by comforting the faint hearted and praying with and for one another. These things will be especially necessary when others seek advice and comfort in times of calamity, or when an offender is to be reclaimed through private rebuke by one or more as set down in the Bible.

13. Not everyone is always able to give the right counsel to one who is wearied or distressed in conscience. If in such cases, after pursuing all private and public means, there is still no peace, they should then seek out their own Pastor, or some other experienced Christian. However, if the circumstances are such that discretion, modesty, or fear of scandal require a second person present as a witness, [eg because of the sex or state of the person in trouble] this should be done.

14. In the providence of God members of different families are often brought together away from home through employment, or other reasons. As they would want the Lord’s presence with them wherever they are, so also they should want to obey God and not neglect the duties of prayer and thanksgiving. They should therefore arrange for the one best equipped among them to lead them in “family” worship. They should also take care that no corrupting speech come forth from their mouths, but only that which is good and edifying, which brings grace to their hearers.

The purpose and scope of all these directions is twofold.

    • Firstly that the power and practice of godliness amongst all ministers and members of the Church whatever their calling, may be cherished and advanced, and that all irreligiousness and mocking of the Christian life will be stopped.
    • Secondly, that no meetings or practices be allowed which are likely to breed error, scandal, schism, contempt or disregard for public worship and the ministry, the neglect of one’s Christian duty, or any other evils which are the works, not of the Spirit of God, but of the flesh, and contrary to truth and peace.

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]]> The Practice and Art of Fatherhood is being Lost Day by Day… Barna Report https://gracelegacybuilders.org/the-practice-and-art-of-fatherhood-is-being-lost-day-by-day-barna-report-2/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:32:27 +0000 https://gracelegacybuilders.org/?p=30089 The post The Practice and Art of Fatherhood is being Lost Day by Day… Barna Report appeared first on Grace Legacy Builders.

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God commanded our fathers to teach our children about Him

so the next generations may know God and His mighty acts.

The Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.

I’m highlighting a few insights on fathers as spiritual leaders, or the lack thereof, as the current research points to. But there is a cure to the cancer – it’s the Bible’s remedy of father’s being equipped as spiritual leaders by their Churches to be what is so desperately needed today, more than ever!

First the bad news. The crisis, the spiritual and sociological cancer….

The practice and art of fatherhood is being lost day by day.

When we asked who people are most comfortable having spiritual conversations with, fathers came out low on most people’s lists. And when we asked fathers who they are comfortable having spiritual conversations with, we found they are not nearly as likely as mothers to say their kids. What do you think is happening here?

This is a crisis by all accounts.

The practice and art of fatherhood is being lost day by day. There are a lot of factors, but I think one of the main reasons is that dads feel incompetent in this area, and most guys—and some women too, of course, but it’s a sharper pain point for many men—can’t stand the feeling of incompetence.

Most dads I know are great about talking in depth when it comes to work, sports or opinions on current events, because those are areas where we are expected to be experts. But when it comes to our children’s hearts, and pursuing them on an emotional level, we think of that as the mom’s job, the pastor’s job, the teacher’s job—when, in reality, one of the primary callings of a dad isn’t to work, to provide, but to capture his child’s heart. That can only happen when we lead with vulnerability. Transparency and intimacy beget more transparency and intimacy.

Time is a huge factor. According to research I’ve seen recently, the number of hours a father spends at home keeps shrinking. Dads have fewer and fewer touch-points throughout the day to build relationship and intimacy with our kids. Are Men serving the economy instead of their family?

“We Strengthen Faith by Sharing It with Others.”

  • Sociologically, we have learned that when we are exposed to the salvation narrative we begin to take that narrative on as our own. Over time, (THE GOSPEL)
    • shapes our identity,
    • values and
    • ultimately behaviors,
    • giving us a new way to see ourselves and the world around us.
  • This change in identity and perspective is further strengthened and solidified as we give voice to that narrative. In the end, the more we share our faith, the more we understand who we are and the more confident and eager we become as Christians.

Last insight from another Baran report says…

Despite the fact that church leaders overwhelmingly agree that parents are most responsible for a child’s spiritual formation and development, the data demonstrate that churches place little emphasis on training and equipping said parents.

In fact, only about one in five clergy (20% Protestant, 17% Catholic, though this number is higher for larger churches) says they prioritize training for parents, and even fewer provide parenting guides or other resources (15% Catholic, 10% Protestant). This lack of training persists even though many parents appear to be actively seeking guidance from church leaders.

The Cure

Invite Grace Legacy Builders to your church for:

    • Sunday Sermons
    • Men’s Groups
    • Sunday School Workshops
    • Church Leadership Strategy Session
    • Pastor and wife one on one
    • Family Worship Community Weekend
    • Saturday Men’s Breakfast & Seminar at our Ministry Center

We’ll learn to equip men as spiritual leaders together!

PSALM 78:5

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God commanded our fathers to teach our children about Him

so the next generations may know God and His mighty acts.

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]]> A Kingdom Man Passes the Baton https://gracelegacybuilders.org/a-kingdom-man-passes-the-baton/ Wed, 19 Feb 2014 12:40:25 +0000 http://gracelegacybuilders.org/?p=28340   The Christan life is a race: sometimes a sprint, mostly a marathon but always in the context of a relay race. – B.R.K Here is a great article from […]

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The Christan life is a race: sometimes a sprint, mostly a marathon but always in the context of a relay race. – B.R.K

Here is a great article from Tony Evans that I want to share with you.

Leadership is more like a baton than a trophy. You keep a trophy, but you hand off a baton. In a race, if you don’t hand off the baton, you lose. –Bruce Miller, coauthor of The Leadership Baton

Few sporting events can match the excitement of the 4 x 100 relay. Speeds surpass twenty-three miles per hour as four sprinters fly around the track, passing a baton to see who can make it to the finish line first. Since the inception of the 4 x 100 relay, the United States men’s and women’s teams combined have claimed Olympic gold twenty-five times. The next closest nation, Jamaica, has earned just three gold’s in the event.

At the 2008 Summer Games, the United States entered with two powerful relay teams. But on a rainy night in Beijing, both the men’s and women’s 4 x 100 teams dropped their batons in the semifinals. In both cases, the missed exchange came when the US team was ahead. And in both cases, the US team was disqualified. We’re living in a generation where men don’t know how to pass the baton of blessing. In biblical times, men lived for the blessing. A blessing involved divine destiny, significance, authority, and a productive future. The blessing was always tied not merely to what you were, but also to what you were destined to become. This generation of boys has never been blessed because there is a generation of men that has never been blessed. So there’s nothing to pass down. It’s like running a relay race with no baton.

Kingdom men, man up. Turn your hears towards your children. Learn the importance of the blessing. Make sure God’s covenant promise is passed down to future generations.

Evans, Tony. Kingdom Man: Every man’s destiny, Every Women’s dream., Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 2012. Print.

The Christan life is a race: sometimes a sprint, mostly a marathon but always in the context of a relay race. – B.R.K. This quote, worth re-quoting, is one of the main points of Grace Legacy Builders and is always interlaced into the matrix of equipping men as spiritual leaders.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Psalm 78:5b-6

God established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which The LORD commanded fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV)
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly;

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