Posts Tagged ‘family’
Faithful Fathers
by David Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 29, July 20, 2007 Our world seems to take delight in bashing men. It is not fashionable to be a man, a husband, or a father. As such, it is getting harder and harder to be a man, a husband, or a father. Fortunately, those of…
Read MoreWhere do you draw the line with sinful relatives?
Question: My husband has a relative that is a practicing Wiccan doing witchcraft and ‘spells’ and always wears her ‘Wiccan necklace’ that she’s proud of. She was raised to know about Jesus and God. But in her early teens, she got caught up in witchcraft. My husband’s question is: is it wrong for all his…
Read MoreDo I let my son and his live-in girlfriend come for Thanksgiving?
Question: My son is in his late twenties, a college graduate, and in the military. He is very responsible and has had a Christian upbringing. He has just returned from deployment, and his wife has left him. He is now “serious” about someone else and living with her. Now says that he believes this is all…
Read MoreShould a man search out the father who abandoned him as a child to remove a curse of a broken family from him?
Question: We were having a conversation about a man from a broken family, who is born again. Should he go to look for his dad who abandoned him when he was a child? We were divided into two camps. One group was of the opinion that this man should go look for his dad so…
Read MoreHow do you deal with an easily angered father?
Question: How should a Christian deal with a person who is easily angered? Well, let me rephrase that — how can a Christian deal with a very easily angered father, who is always speaking negatively about people, things, and me? Answer: I’m not certain how old you are, so let me cover a few points.…
Read MoreShould an absent father be invited to graduation?
Question: My neighbor has a son who is confused about whether to invite his father to his 8th-grade graduation. The parents are divorced and his dad has only called twice in the last two years. His father has only visited a handful of times over the past twelve years. The father feels that the son…
Read MoreWhy don’t my parents treat me as an adult?
Question: I am planning to drive to a large city for a big lectureship at a congregation there. I have never driven in a large city. I am in my early twenties and still live in my parents’ house because I don’t have the money to rent an apartment. I am a recent college graduate.…
Read MoreWhat do I do about my family? Some are so deep into sin, I don’t know how to handle it
Question: I am writing today in regards to something I am finding extremely difficult to think about, or even to accept, especially in living a Christian life. In the recent past, one of my goals was to try to re-connect with my family. I come from a very difficult and hard life. For my own…
Read MoreHow can I help my rebellious 15-year-old brother?
Question: Hi, I’m a 20-year-old girl with a 15-year-old younger brother who is going down the wrong path. He drinks, smokes, curses, hangs out with his friends most of the time and doesn’t take his schoolwork seriously. He’s repeating 9th grade because he failed two classes last year, but he’s still slacking off and getting…
Read MoreHow do I fix my brother?
Question: I know this sounds like a stupid question, but how do I fix my brother? He keeps getting worse. I thought he was starting to act a little bit better, but I guess I was wrong. I know I messed up in acting the way I did when I was little and ended up…
Read MoreMy daughter said she would marry when she moved back in with us, but she and her boyfriend are still unmarried. What do we do?
Question: My daughter and her fiancé moved in with us over two months ago because he lost his job. Part of their plan was to move a great distance to where his dad lives. I told my daughter that they had to get married immediately upon their arrival and she agreed. I told her that…
Read MoreHow do I get my parents to see that they are enabling my sister to be a drug user?
Question: This question is about addiction and enabling and how it relates to the Bible. My sister got pregnant in high school and gave birth to my niece when she was 17 years old. My parents raised the child and formally adopted her. So, legally my niece became my sister. My parents spoiled her growing…
Read MoreHow do I help my aunt who has been in a long abusive relationship?
Question: My aunt has been married for a very long time and has been verbally and emotionally abused for the majority of her marriage. She has one daughter who also was verbally and emotionally abused by her father growing up. My uncle has cheated on my aunt numerous times that we know of. Still, my…
Read MoreMy brother embarrassed my non-Christian friend. What should I do?
Question: I have a friend whom I’ve known for about a month. We talk every so often and hang out. We went hiking yesterday and it was the first time she was over at my house. I don’t date non-Christians and she is not a Christian. She knows this and that my faith defines me.…
Read MoreThank you for addressing problems few others are willing to write about
Question: I want to thank you for your web site and the fact you post articles and letters of everyday problems Christians may face that almost no one talks about. Often I search for help in responding to one of my readers concerning a private problem and most of the time I can’t find brethren…
Read MoreWhat do you suggest I do when my brothers are bugging me?
Question: What do you suggest I do when my brothers are bugging me? Answer: Having siblings is a blessing and a curse. It is great to have someone there to do things with, but because you live together they know all your weak points. If they want to irritate you, they know just how to…
Read MoreCan a person give his contribution to his unemployed mother instead of to the Lord?
Question: As far as the collection goes, would it be wrong to take the money one would put in the collection plate every Sunday and give it to his unemployed mother, who is living with her daughter, which would be his sister, instead? Answer: What is happening is a person is trying to play one…
Read MoreDoes honoring your parents include avoiding things they disapprove of at all times?
Question: I have read your answers concerning honoring parents, and I understand that one of the prongs of honoring parents is to obey them. But how far does this prong of obedience apply? I ask because I suffer from obsessive thought patterns, so I have been having many concerns lately. For example, my dad sometimes…
Read MoreI’m worried that my son will be too short
Question: I don’t know exactly what I need, but I definitely need help. Before getting back to obeying Christ and attending a church of Christ, I was out doing what I wanted to do and ended up pregnant. The baby’s father and I ended up getting married a few months after I had the baby.…
Read MoreA young man wants to attend church but his father is interfering. How do you handle the situation?
Question: In the youth Bible class, one of my students (an 18-year-old young woman) asked a question I wasn’t sure how to respond to. She has a boyfriend, who’s never been to the Church of Christ before and whom she’s been with for a couple of years now, I believe. During that time he’s shown…
Read MoreHow do I honor my mother when we aren’t getting along?
Question: I had some questions and decided to email you again, as your answers and reasoning made sense. Okay, I have heard that you have to love your parents, but do you have to like them? I love mine (my mom and grandparents), but my mom is sometimes hard to get along with. Maybe it…
Read MoreWhat should our relationship be with our daughter who has just moved in with her boyfriend?
Question: Based on the article you wrote regarding cohabitation, what then should our relationship with our daughter be now that she has had her boyfriend move into her home in spite of hours of biblical counsel by her father? She had already made her decision and went ahead with her plans. We do not want to compromise our…
Read MoreI want to attend a different church than my parents. What do I do?
Question: I have a question and it is very important to me. I’m eleven years old and I have accepted Jesus into my heart, so I am a Christian. But, here’s the problem. I really don’t like my church. We visited one, and we went there for about six weeks, but then we went back…
Read MoreWhat can I do about my mother-in-law’s interference?
Question: I am feeling unhappy with my wife’s mother yet again. Why can’t she allow my wife and me to live our lives as a married couple? Yesterday, the three of us went to a family get-together. My wife had a seizure and her mother took control of the recovery of my wife. I am…
Read MoreLet’s Restore Father to His Place in the Family
by Tommy Thornhill The words training and admonition (nurture and admonition-KJV) in Ephesians 6:4, deal with two different thoughts. The training is a discipline by demonstration (action and example), while the admonition is a discipline by reason (using the word). A father teaches a child how to serve God, both by example and persuasion. A…
Read MoreWill my children go to hell because they turned against me?
Question: My question is long, but I will try to shorten it. My husband died two years ago and my three kids turned against me and sued me for the whole estate. They lost in court, but I turned around and gave them each five acres of land. Two of my kids have not spoken…
Read MoreI didn’t handle an argument with my brother over the movies he lets my nephew watch. Do you have some advice?
Question: I need some outside advice. This morning I got into a short argument with my brother who has a boy — both of whom live with me in my parent’s home. All of us have put in equal hours helping to raise the boy. We all do our best for him. But this morning…
Read MoreCan your family hurt instead of help?
Question: I have been searching for Scriptures on the family being very important, but that sometimes family members may hurt you instead of help you. Please help me with this because the Bible reads in Mark 3:35 that the one who does the will of God is thy family. This is always brought up when…
Read MoreI became a Christian and am improving, but my family is lashing out against me. What do I do?
Question: I recently obeyed the gospel earlier this year. Prior to my conversion, I was a member of a Baptist denomination. My boyfriend studied with me about the truth. The more we studied and attended church services together, I quickly began to realize that denominations were wrong. Since my conversion, my family feels I am…
Read MoreThe Family
Series by Scott Smelser Fall 2007 The Husband The Wife Discipline Parenting Mistakes The Children
Read MoreMy parent’s debt is exhausting all of my savings. What am I to do?
Question: Hello, I’m kind of stuck in a situation. My parents have debt issues, and unless I help them out they will lose everything probably, or at least they would have to sell the house. In the last couple of months I have been helping them out while trying to earn money to go on…
Read MoreHow does Philippians 3:10 relate to family?
Question: How do I tie Philippians 3:10 in with marriage, family, and parenting? Answer: “Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain…
Read MoreIs it bad to want to see my parents lose everything so they can learn to lean on God?
Question: I have talked to my Mom and Dad humbly and in a nice manner, telling them they’re not heading down such a great path. I have tried to say it in different ways — straight forward and not so straight forward. I some times feel that perhaps I should just let it go and…
Read MoreHow can I teach my grandfather?
Question: Hello, My best friend is my grandfather. He has never been dedicated, baptized, or read the Bible. I, being only twelve years old, have done all three. Today, I told him about heaven and H-E double hockey sticks. He doesn’t really seem to be trying too hard. I explained to him about accepting Christ…
Read MoreRearing a Second Family
by Jim Sasser In our local paper last Sunday and Tuesday there were different articles and statistics concerning children that are being basically reared by their grandparents. This means that they are rearing a second family. I am fortunate enough to have 20 wonderful grandchildren. If an emergency should arise, even though my dear wife…
Read MoreMy 28-year-old son is very accusatory. How do I handle the situation?
Question: My son is 28 years old. He has spent a good part of the last ten years instructing me about how I need to change my ways and live by God’s word. I believe that his intentions are sincere; however, I feel as though he looks for fault in everything I do. I am…
Read MoreFamily Time Together Is Essential
by W. Frank Walton in Biblical Insights, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2005 Time together is the bonding mortar that binds family members together before God in love Giving Thanks Psalm 107 “Hear, my son, and accept My sayings and the years of your life will be many. I have directed you in the way of…
Read MoreHow do I handle my daughter living with a man?
Question: Right now I am going through a situation with my daughter. She got a divorce a few months ago and she has found a new man. He has teenage children. My daughter has two children 10 and 8; great kids, of course. My daughter is a great kid but making bad decisions. She has…
Read MoreFathers Are Important
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Malachi 2:10-16 I. Just how important are dads in a family? A. When our country’s welfare system was being developed, a rule was issued that if the father resided with the mother, benefits would be reduced or cut off. 1. The impact was predictable, the number of children living in fatherless homes…
Read MoreHow do you handle a controlling father?
Question: What is the best way to help a family member (i.e. father) who proclaims to be a Christian (by the method of the AME) and continues to be of the world? The reason I ask is that his behavior is affecting the whole family and he is reluctant to discuss it (pride). He also…
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