The Village Blog

When I was a boy, my dad asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” To which I frankly answered (quite adorably no doubt), “A daddy.” When my relentlessly realistic dad informed me that no one would pay me to be a father, I told him that I would gladly pay myself.

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The role of the husband in the Bible is weighty and sobering to men intoxicated by selfishness and flippancy. It is a radical call amid a culture that values immediate happiness and comfort over commitment. Ephesians 5:25:30 lays a foundation for this call, as Christ demonstrates robust love, by giving His life to redeem His bride. He makes His ransomed bride holy by cleansing her and presents ...

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What more can we do to guide our children toward godly contentment in a consumer culture? Squelch Stupid Comparisons. Around age 6, children become aware of the purchasing patterns of others. They begin to ask for things that their peers are wearing, playing with or bringing in their lunchboxes. The child asks: “Can I have light-up sneakers like so-and-so has?” The parent hears: “Don’t ...

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Whether we like it or not, our children are consumers. Parents may be slow to recognize this truth, but marketers certainly are not. The hotbed of spending potential created by suburban affluence places your child in the crosshairs. Without the maturity to filter marketing messages, children take their claims as fact.

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We moved to the suburbs, like most young families, because they were affordably safe. No danger of gang violence, drive-by shootings or (gasp) low standardized test scores at neighborhood schools. Not even the danger that our neighbor might paint his trim blue or park his F-150 on the front yard. Affordable safety – what could be better?

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Until about five years ago, I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t plagued with anxiety. For years I worked tirelessly to control everything about myself and my environment in order to bring security to my life. I talk with lots of people who grew up in really rough homes and dealt with horrible situations, but I was not that person. I had no reason to feel anxious about life. I just did.

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The old adage “actions speak louder than words” rings true, but it doesn’t tell the whole truth. Words matter. In fact, words carry the profound power to build up or destroy. As kids we espoused that sticks and stones were the only things that could hurt us and words could never penetrate the force field of our heart. But all of life tells a different story.

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The King is coming. Jesus Christ has come and will come again. This is the hope of the Church whom He purchased with His blood. It is the eager expectation and desire of His people. His coming is our joy, for He is our treasure, our greatest good. Advent, formed from a Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival,” is about the coming of Christ. It’s the traditional celebration of the first ...

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