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Family Rules for 'Little Children' -- Part 3

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The letter of 1 John is for the family of God. It contains the kind of expressions and information commonly heard among family members behind closed doors. We get that impression from numerous references in these five chapters addressing "little children" and "children," as well as "fathers," "young men," and "brothers." In this letter, John passed along the same kind of sage advice we hear when gathered at the knee of a family patriarch. At the time he wrote, John had lived almost a century and had endured the blast of life's harshest treatment. He had felt the brutal blows of persecution and bore the scars that proved it. He had also witnessed the fall of many who once walked closely with their Lord; he anguished over heresies that had sprung up in the lives of Christians he loved - people who were one actively engaged in churches where he had served. Because he had "seen it all," this old gentleman was able to offer some elementary rules all of us would be wise to hear and obey.

Series: Living Right In A Wrong World

1 John 2:1-6

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Family Rules for 'Little Children' -- Part 3 - 11/25/2009

Family Rules for 'Little Children' -- Part 2 - 11/24/2009

Family Rules for 'Little Children' -- Part 1 - 11/23/2009

God's Light and Our Blight -- Part 3 - 11/20/2009

ARTICLE

Christmas All Year Long
by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Matthew 1-2

Have you ever thought about giving something away every day of the year leading up to Christmas? These daily gifts could be called our "Christmas projects," one per day, every day till Christmas. Just think of the fun of being able to say "Merry Christmas" in July!

Here are a few suggestions:

Mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Write a long overdue love note.
Hug someone tightly and whisper, "I love you so."
Forgive an enemy.
Be gentle and patient with an angry person.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Find the time to keep a promise.
Make or bake something for someone else. Anonymously.
Release a grudge.
Listen.
Speak kindly to a stranger.
Enter into another's sorrow.
Smile.
Laugh a little.
Laugh a little more.
Take a walk with a friend.
Lessen your demands on others.
Play some beautiful music during the evening meal.
Apologize if you were wrong.
Turn off the television and talk.
Treat someone to an ice-cream cone (yogurt would be fine).
Do the dishes for the family.
Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt.
Fix breakfast on Saturday morning.
Give a soft answer even though you feel strongly.
Encourage an older person.
Point out one thing you appreciate most about someone you work with or live near.
Offer to baby-sit for a weary mother.

Let's make Christmas one long, extended gift of ourselves to others. Unselfishly. Without announcement. Or obligation. Or reservation. Or hypocrisy.

This is Christianity, isn't it?

When you give yourself, the gift never has to be returned.

Monday, December 01, 2008

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