AUTHORS » Phil Anady

Mar 13
4

Developing a Biblical Worldview For Our Children

I’ve been reading for the second time Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham. In chapter  four, Baucham discusses the importance of teaching our children a biblical worldview and cites a couples individual explain what a worldview is:

“A worldview, according to Francis Schaeffer, is the ‘grid through which [one] sees the world.’ In other words, a worldview is like a pair of glasses. Think about the first time you put on a pair of colored shades or placed someone else’s prescription lenses on your eyes. Immediately the world took on a new shade, or maybe even got bigger or smaller. That is exactly what a worldview doe… Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcy put an even finer point on the matter in their book How Now Shall We Live? They define worldview as ‘the sum total of our beliefs about the world, the big picture that directs our daily decisions and actions’” (Pg. 72-73). [1]

Baucham provides the five basic elements of a worldview and explains that if we teach our children the correct biblical worldview they are more likely to act and make decisions that are consistent with the Christian faith beyond the years when mom and dad are watching.

 

Secular Humanism

Christian Theism
View of God

Atheism

Theism
View of Man

Evolution

Special Creation
View of Truth

Relative

Absolute
View of Knowledge

Scientific/Materialism/Naturalism

Scientific / General / Natural Revelation
View of Ethics

Cultural

Absolute

(Chart  pg. 77)

While I know this post is not very specific, thinking through this concept has helped me realized that I can begin to help establish and build the foundation for a biblical worldview for my young son by being intentional with the vocabulary I use, the simple conversations I have with him, and any other opportunities the Lord may provide.

As parents, if we are not intentional and have not thought through our end result in our parenting and with our children the time will pass us quickly bye.

I encourage you parents to refer back to the Rite of Passage Parenting Guide on a somewhat regular basis to revise the goals and objectives you have set for each of your children. (If you have not received one of these booklets than I would like to sit down and meet with your family).

God Bless

-Phil

 


[1] Baucham, Voddie (2007). Family Driven Faith. Wheaton, Illinois, USA; Crossway Books.

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Posted in Good Thoughts from Others, Family Driven Faith, Rite of Passage, Voddie Baucham, Worldview, Family, Phil Anady, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Mar 13
4

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #57

Doctrinal Standard #57

  • Q. What is the fourth commandment?
  • A. The fourth commandment is: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Memory Verses

  • “And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27–28,ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Exodus 31:12-18
  • Support Passages: Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Hebrews 4:1-10; Ezekiel 20:10-13; Genesis 2:1-3; Isaiah 58:13-14; Jeremiah 17:19-27; Matthew 12:1-14
  • Bible Story: Matthew 12:1-14

Thoughts

  • There is some debate and confusion over the Sabbath and its place in the Christian’s life. Lord willing, within the next couple months, there will be a couple sermons dedicated to studying and presenting the biblical view of the Sabbath and how it applies to Christians.
  • The catechism insists and the scriptures support that the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath is a moral law. There are a couple reasons for this conclusion. “(1) The first reason is that the Sabbath is a creation ordinance. This means that this commandment did not come in at some later time in history, after many people had already lived and died. (We note that this was the case with the civil and ceremonial laws of Israel.) We know this because Genesis 2:2-3 clearly states the fact that God created the world in the space of six days, and then rested. Since man was made in God’s image, it was for man’s benefit that God ‘blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it’ (Gen. 2:3). It is sometimes said that the Sabbath commandment does not go back to the time of creation. Yet the commandment itself (Ex. 20:11) says that we are to remember the Sabbath because ‘in six days the Lord made heaven and earth… and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ The commandment itself claims a creation origin. Therefore, we hold that it is binding for all men in all ages. (2) The second reason for saying that this commandment is moral is the fact that God wrote all Ten Commandments on two tables of stone (Ex. 31:18). God gave all the other laws and commandments to Israel through the hand of Moses. But these ten were given by His own hand. So God himself made a distinction between these Ten Commandments and all other laws. He showed us that these ten belong in a class by themselves. Since few will deny that most of these laws are moral (Binding everyone everywhere), it would require very strong evidence to prove that this commandment is not moral. This we do not have. (3) The third reason for saying that this commandment is moral is the fact that the New Testament nowhere teaches us that this commandment is abrogated. Or, in other words, the New Testament does not say that we have no Sabbath today. Jesus, speaking of the Ten Commandments, said, ‘Think not that I am come to destroy [or abrogate] the law… I am not’ (Matt. 5:17). Paul says, ‘Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law’ (Rom. 3:31). This is the constant teaching of the New Testament: the Ten Commandments of God do remain in effect. No doubt this is the reason why the early Christians Church kept a day holy to the Lord. It was the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2) which was observed as the Sabbath.” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • Read the 4th commandment from both Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. What two things does the Sabbath require?
  • Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Jesus seems to suggest that the Sabbath is a gift to mankind. Discuss your thoughts.
  • What are three biblical reasons why the Sabbath still applies to Christians? (Refer to thoughts section).

[1] Williamson, C.I. (2003). The Westminster Shorter Catechism – 2nd Edition. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, 4th Commandment, C.I. Williamson, Creation, Law, Lord's Day, Sabbath, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, Exodus 20, Exodus 31, Mark 2, Matthew 12, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
25

This Week’s Youth Focus – 2/28

This week at youth, we will be discussing the doctrine and application of prayer in the life of a believer. The format of our discussion will come from chapter 18 of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology book (pages 376-381).  Our discussion will focus on why God wants us to pray and the effectiveness of our prayers.

In addition to doing a systematic study on prayer, we will spend some time discussing a couple of the Gospel Community Group questions related to last Sunday’s sermon.

2 Peter 2:17-22

1. How would you respond to a Christian friend who believed that one’s salvation could be lost and asked you the question “Because of the sin in my life, I think I may have lost my salvation. How can I know for sure?”

2. What is the proper biblical view on eternal security? What scriptures support this view? Share.

3. What advice would you give a Christian brother or sister who continually fell into a pattern of habitual sin, yet did not know how to stop?

4. How is your current battle with sin? Remember, we are all sinners saved by grace! Use this time to confess and encourage.

5. You are saved by the grace of God. Read Romans 8:35-39 as a group. What thoughts come to mind after hearing this passage? Share.

See you Thursday @ 7!

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Posted in Youth, Gospel Community Groups, Prayer, Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem, Phil Anady, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
25

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #55 & 56

Doctrinal Standard #55-56

  • Q. What does the third commandment forbid?
  • A. The third commandment forbids our treating as unholy or abusing anything God uses to make Himself known.
  • Q. What is the reason for the third commandment?
  • A. The reason for the third commandment is that the Lord our God will not allow those who break this commandment to escape His righteous judgment, although they may escape punishment from men.

Memory Verses

  • “And if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory” (Jeremiah 4:2,ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: James 3:1-12
  • Support Passages: Isaiah 26:8,29:13; Matthew 5:33-37,23:16-23,26:63-64; James 5:12, Malachi 1:6-14,2:2,3:13-15; Jeremiah 7:4-11,30-34; Proverbs 30:9; Deuteronomy 18:10-14; 2 Timothy 4:3-4
  • Bible Story: Leviticus 24:10-16

Thoughts

  • “We saw in the last question and answer that, when God commands us not to misuse His name, He is concerned with our attitude toward Him. The third commandment covers more than just our attitude toward God’s name. It also requires a reverent attitude toward everything God uses to make Himself known. We saw in the last question and answer that God makes Himself known to us through all things: His names, titles, and attributes, His regulations for coming to Him and for growing in godliness, His Word, and His works.
  • This third commandment requires us to use all these things to grow in our knowledge of God and in our obedience to Him. It requires us not only to use these things, but to use them with reverence. At the same time, of course, there are things this commandment forbids. We are forbidden to show irreverence, or disrespect, to any of the things God has given to make Himself known to us. God forbids us to treat these things as though they were ordinary things. We must treat them as holy. We may not abuse these things or fail to use them as God intended them to be used. God insists that we honor Him as He ought to be honored.
  • We are to use God’s Word and use it reverently. Sometimes, children who have grown up in Christian families, attending Christian churches, behave as though they are tired of God’s Word. Instead of bringing their Bibles with them to use them in a Sunday school class, they do not even want to use one the teacher lends them. They excuse themselves by saying things like, ‘I already know this.’ Such children show disrespect for God’s Word.
    People also misuse God’s Word by using verses from it to teach things it really does not teach. These people use one or two verses instead of using all of God’s Word. They make those verses say things God never intended His Word to say. The apostle Peter wrote about Paul’s epistles, which are a part of the Word of God. He spoke about people who were making Paul’s letters say things they did not really say. Read what he said about such people in 2 Peter 3:16. People also misuse God’s Word when they call their own opinions ‘the word of the Lord.’ People will say things like, ‘The Lord told me to do that,’ or ‘God spoke to me.’ They are really talking about a feeling or an opinion that they have had. God has told us everything He has to say to us in the Bible. He does not speak in any other way.” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • What does the third commandment forbid?
  • What are the different ways God makes himself known?
  • How could people abuse or treat these things as unholy?
  • Have you every abused or treated these things as unholy?
  • What does this reveal about your heart?
  • If we find ourselves sinning in this area what should we do to correct this?

[1] Meade, Starr (200). Training Heart, Teaching Minds. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, Law, Third Commandment, Training Hearts Teaching Minds, West, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, James 3, Jeremiah 4, Leviticus 24, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
18

No Youth This Week – 2/21

Have a great break from school!

Posted in Youth, Phil Anady, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
18

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #53 & 54

Doctrinal Standard #53-54

  • Q. What is the third commandment?
  • A. The third commandment is: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
  • Q. What does the third commandment require?
  • A. The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, qualities, regulations, word, and works.

Memory Verses

  • Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:4, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Jeremiah 23:5-6
  • Support Passages: Exodus 6:3; Psalm 83:18; Genesis 22:14; Judges 6:24; Psalm 68:4; Philippians 2:9-11
  • Bible Story: Exodus 17

Thoughts

  • “’O Lord, our Lord,’ says the Psalmist, ‘how excellent is thy name in all the earth’ (Ps. 8:1). What the Psalmist means is that God’s name is not a mere word – not an empty title. No, God’s name means something. And it means something because God has revealed his name in all the earth. The whole world is a revelation of the meaning of God’s name. Just as the name Rembrandt has meaning because of His works of creation and providence. We do not really know God’s name, in other word, until we learn His fame! This is what Jesus meant when he said, ‘I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world’ (John 17:6). Jesus revealed God the father to the disciples. This He did by doing the great works of God before them. From this we see that God’s name really includes everything that reveals God as He records for us, without error, the revelation that God has made of himself. Names such as Lord, Father, Creator, etc., are a part of that revelation. So are titles, such as omnipotent, Counselor, Comforter, etc. We learn that God is holy, merciful, just, etc. And we hear His word, and (through the record of Scripture) learn of His works. All of these help us to understand what it means to say God, or Lord. It is when we learn to know God as He really is, and then speak His name, that we begin to understand what this commandment is concerned to teach us.
  • The popular view is that a man takes God’s name in vain only when he uses that name in a profane manner. We say that God’s name is taken in vain when men swear or curse. And, of course, this is an example of taking God’s name in vain. People will sometimes excuse themselves on the grounds that they do not really mean it when they use God’s name this way. They will say they do not even realize that they are using God’s name – they do it without even thinking. But this is the very thing that the third commandment condemns. The word ‘vain’ means exactly this: carelessly or without thought. It means to use a very important word as if it had no high and holy meaning.
    But let us imagine that this is all that the third commandment teaches us! No, in order to understand the meaning of this commandment more clearly we need to ask a question. What does it mean to take God’s name? Literally it means to ‘lift up’ that name. It means that we lift up the name of God and identify ourselves with Him. We can illustrate this by thinking of what a woman does when she marries. She takes her husband’s name. If she really means it when she takes her marriage vows, she takes her husband’s name permanently (‘till death do us part,’ she will say). She does not take his name in vain! In a similar way, a Christian will confess his faith before men. He will vow – or swear – before men that he takes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And it is this, above all, that the third commandment is concerned with. We must be certain  – when we confess our faith – that we really mean it. We must be certain that we do not take His name in vain! ‘Be not rash with thy mouth,’ says the Bible, ‘and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few… When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou has vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay’ (Eccl. 5:2, 4-5). It is so easy to go through the motions, and say the words, without deep sincerity of heart! It is easy to have the form of godliness, while denying power thereof!” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • What is the third commandment? Read it from either Deuteronomy 5 or Exodus 20.
  • What does it mean to take the Lord’s name in vain?
  • What does God’s name represent?
  • How is saying that you are a Christian but living like the world taking the Lord’s name in vain?
  • How is just going through the motions while singing, praying, reading, or listening to God’s word also taking the Lord’s name in vain? Explain.
  • What does this reveal about our heart?
  • What  do we do to help overcome this sin problem?

 


[1] Williamson, C.I. (2003). The Westminster Shorter Catechism – 2nd Edition. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts, C.I. Williamson, Third Commandment, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, Exodus 17, Jeremiah 23, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
14

This Week’s Youth Focus – 2/14

Tonight at youth, we will continue to examine the providence of God (chapter 16 Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology). I’m especially looking forward to tonight’s discussion as we will be looking at scripture discussing the issues of God’s decrees, man’s responsibility, and the presence of evil.

See you tonight!

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Posted in Youth, Evil, God's Sovereignty, Man's Responsibility, Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem, Phil Anady, Posted by Phil. No Comments

Feb 13
11

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #52

Doctrinal Standard #52

  • Q. What are the reasons for the second commandment?
  • A. The reasons for the second commandment are that God totally rules over us, that we belong to Him, and that He is eager to be worshipped correctly.

Memory Verses

  • “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 115:17–18, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Psalm 115
  • Support Passages: Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 4:24, 5:9, 6:14-15, Exodus 34:10-17, James 4:5
  • Bible Story: John 2:13-17

Thoughts

  • “God totally rules over all He has created, which means He totally rules over us. Kings have the right to command their subjects to approach them in the way that they desire. How much more does God, the King of all, have the right to tell His subjects how He wants them to worship! Beyond that, we, who are God’s people through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, have committed ourselves to serving Him forever as our Lord and Master. We are to be eager to serve Him. We should be glad that He has told us how to worship Him so that we can do as He wills.”
  • “Because God made all things, all things belong to Him. That includes us. Because God bought His people for Himself with the blood of His Son, we doubly belong to Him. We belong to Him because He made us and because He bought us for Himself. God has the right to do as He pleases with us, His creatures. When He tells us how to come to Him in worship, we are to obey Him.”
  • “The reasons for the second commandment are that God totally rules over us, that we belong to Him, and the He is eager to be correctly worshipped. God is eager to be worshiped because He is worthy of worship and because the highest good for man is to worship God. God is eager to be worshiped correctly because worship that is other than what He has commanded harms man and insults God. As the Israelites prepared to enter the land God had promised them, God told them that He would make them able to drive out the people who had been living there. This was because those people served other gods. Their worship of idols was extremely offensive to God. He warned the Israelites that, when they entered the Promised Land, they must destroy all the idols and places of worship these people had used. They must not leave anything that might tempt them to worship the true God incorrectly.” [1]

Discussion Questions

  • Does God rule over all mankind? Explain.
  • In addition to being created by God, why do Christians belong to God?
  • Why is God eager to be worshiped?
  • Is your heart eager to worship God? Explain.
  • Explain how God desires to be worshiped.

[1] Meade, Starr (200). Training Heart, Teaching Minds. Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA; P&R Publishing Company.

Posted in Devotional Thoughts, Catechism, Family Devotional Guidelines, Phil Anady, John 2, Psalm 115, Posted by Phil. No Comments

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that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
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