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Child Discipline by Jason Dohm. How do we address our children's behavior as a husband and wife? What is discipline and why is it necessary? What does the Bible say about a child's heart and how do we apply it?

Ephesians 6:1-3 commands children to obey their parents "because it is right." Here are ten reasons why it is "right" to obey. 1. It is right because it pleases the Lord. You want God's blessing in everything you do. Imagine God is against you. Imagine God's displeasure upon you? Paul speaks to the Colossians that your honor and obedience is "pleasing to the Lord" (Col 3:20). God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5, James 4:6). The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Rom 1:18). 2. It is right because children need to learn it when they are young. Pride makes children think that they should be in control. Here is the reality. Children are blind to their lack of wisdom and experience. Children don't see themselves the ways mature people see them. Ecclesiastes 10:3, gives a picture of what this looks like, "Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, and he shows everyone that he is a fool." Children are naturally deceived about themselves. Children want all the authority and responsibility of adults without having the maturity, the thinking process, and the financial ability to be on their own. They want the same authority as the parents, but they do not have the same wisdom and experience as parents. 3. It is right because rebellion is connected to the self-driven impulses that characterize evil – even demonic activity. God calls it "divination" (1 Sam 15:22-24). "Rebellion" is like "divination." Divination, at its core, is rejecting God and going to another source. It is despising His ways. This independent spirit of arrogance is like idolatry. Whe

God's people are often a people who suffer and endure many trials and tribulations. Of course our first response is to try and get out of the trial and escape the pain of suffering. However, God often intends these trials and sufferings as a means of building up his people and causing them to trust him wholly instead of relying on their own strength. God enables his people to go through the fire of trials so that they may be a purified and holy people, to the glory of God.

The English Puritan, Richard Steele wrote on the sins of the aged, in “A Discourse Concerning Old Age.” He wrote this for the instruction, caution, and comfort of those who have found themselves categorized as “old.” He identifies sin patterns that are commonly seen in old age. > First, "Frowardness or Peevishness, whereby they are prone to be morose, wayward and hard to be pleased; easily angry, often angry, and sometimes angry without a cause.  Seldom are they pleased with others, scarce with themselves, no not with God himself: yea, they think, as poor Jonah did, that they do well to be angry. > Or rather go to school to your heavenly Master, Christ Jesus, who was meek and lowly, who being reviled, reviled not again, and when he suffered, threatened not."  > A second "folly incident to old-age, is loquacity or talkativeness; that is, an exceeding proneness to speak much; so that it hath pass’d into a proverb, Senex psittacus, an old person is a parrot. Herein they are twice children, whose faculty you know lies this way. > And old people, whose eyes and ears, whose hands and feet are much decay’d and disabled, are apt to make the greater use of their tongues. > Bridle therefore this unruly member. Nature hath placed two barrs unto it: the teeth and the lips; but except watchfulness and prayer be added to them, they’l be too weak. So that the talkativeness, which is culpable in old persons, is utterly intolerable in young ones.   > Whither is my tongue walking?   > And then consider withal that the more a man speaks, commonly the less he is heeded; and therefore if you would have people to mind what you say, check your loquacity, and take notice how the wise man placeth silence before speech, saying, Eccles. 3.7. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak." > The third sin more peculiar to old-age, is envy, "which is an inward grudging at those who do in any thing excell us. Now because they which are old do see many that surpass them in strength or beauty, riches or esteem, they are too apt to look at them with an envious eye, and to grudge them those blessings which God hath vouchsafed them."   > The fourth "vice too common to old-age, is arrogancy and conceitedness. An

Reformation is, in essence, a turning to God from the path of error and sin. If you are a Christian, then your daily longing is that you would be conforming more to the likeness of your Savior. In this, we experience pain, tears, self-denial, persecution, yet joy, peace, and heaven's power. Throughout the history of the people of God from the beginning, they have wrestled with the world, the flesh, and the devil. This ought to humble us. Do you not feel often weak and wrestling with the same issues? Do you not experience some form of persecution and mocking by the ungodly world? We want to learn God's teaching on these, which will by His grace help us bear the multifaceted fruit of a repentant life.

A certain few books from church history are timeless classics. Though written nearly 150 years ago, J. C. Ryle's work "Holiness" is one of those classics. Ryle's book has become a standard, go-to work on the topic of sanctification and personal holiness. As today, he was battling a widespread, general attitude that was unconcerned about holiness and considered that to be the calling of only the "higher life" believers. On the other hand, he also warns against the opposite error that teaches holiness results in sinless perfection in this life. Instead he rightly teaches that real holiness is a heart issue and flows from the genuine Christian's vital connection to Christ by faith.

Church discipline is a biblical practice that is often neglected today in the wider evangelical movement. However, the practice of church discipline, especially its most extreme form of excommunication, has been exercised throughout history. Sometimes church discipline was done right but often it was done badly and many times it resulted in unexpected and large-scale consequences not only in a local church but in entire countries or even the world. A survey of the practice of church discipline can help us see not only how out of step our culture's indifference toward discipline is, but also see how church discipline has shaped the church and the world.

The goal of church discipline, at all stages, is to bring the sinning church member to repentance; reconciling the member to both God and his or her brothers and sisters in the congregation. Each step in the escalation of discipline is another opportunity for the offender to repent. But what are we to do if all options are exhausted and repentance has still not come?

Repentance is essential for the Christian life. In conversion, sanctification, and even in church discipline, repentance is a vitally important component. But what is genuine repentance? In an age when much is made of belief and repentance is largely neglected, this doctrine is often misunderstood. It is necessary to distinguish between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow (2 Cor 7:10) and the distinction between the sorrow and repentance itself.

One of the most difficult aspects of church life is how to deal with those who create division and disorder in the body. People like this can come into any congregation and cause massive disruption in the normal life and order of the church. What should the response of the other members be? How should the elders of the church respond?

In this audio message, Lael Weinberger discusses the subject of church discipline and what things pastors should be aware of in regards to the law in America. He explains the different spheres of jurisdiction and what churches need to know and heed to avoid legal situations. Romans 13:4 (NKJV) - "For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil."

An enduring problem in churches throughout history has been the presence of false teachers who cause division. These people have come into the church and brought with them their false doctrines and theories concerning God and the gospel and drive wedges between the people of God. The division sown by false teachers often results in the splitting of churches and the discouragement and deception of true believers. How is a church supposed to deal with this dangerous threat? The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us authoritative guidance on this element of church discipline in Romans 16.