Salvation Throughout the Ages - James C Morris

The scriptures could not be more clear in insisting that “by grace you have been saved through

faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

(Ephesians 2:8-9) Many understand this, but somehow imagine that this only applies to the current

age, or Dispensation, as it is sometimes called, and thus imagine that it was different under the

Old Testament law. And some of these also imagine that during the millennium there will be a

return to this imagined salvation being brought about, at least partly, by works. But both of these

notions are contrary to explicitly stated scripture.

In considering this question, we need to examine how the Holy Spirit developed His argument, in

teaching this critically important truth. He first developed it on the basis of His relationship with

Abraham. That is, he based the doctrine that salvation is “by grace, through faith... not of

works,” on what He had previously said about Abraham. That is hard proof that, before the law

was given, salvation was “by grace, through faith.” for we read:

“Then Abram said, ‘Look, You have given me no off

spring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!’ And behold, the word of the LORD came

to him, saying, ‘This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body

shall be your heir.’ Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and

count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your

descendants be.’ And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for

righteousness.” (Genesis 15:3-6)

And in the New Testament, God said:

“What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if

Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For

what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for

righteousness.’ ” (Romans 4:1-3)

“For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed

through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are

heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about

wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it

might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to

those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the

father of us all (as it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations’) in the presence

of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do

not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the

father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And

not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about

a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise

of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully

convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore ‘it wasaccounted to him for righteousness.’ Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was

imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up

Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was

raised because of our justification.” (Romans 4:13-25)

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before

whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to

learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of

faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by

the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He

who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of

the law, or by the hearing of faith?-- just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to

him for righteousness.’ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel

to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who

are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” (Galatians 3:1-9)

But what about the time when the law was in effect? It is the same. God also proved the fact that

salvation is “by grace, through faith.. not of works,” by quoting two different passages from

the time that the law of Moses was in effect. The first of these was:

“Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.”

(Habakkuk 2:4)

Ths was quoted three times in the New Testament, to prove that salvation of “by faith”

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for

everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness

of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ ” (Romans

1:16-17)

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is

everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do

them.’ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall

live by faith.’ ” Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is

written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might

come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit

through faith.” (Galatians 3:10-14)

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need

of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.’ ‘Now the just shall

live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of

those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”

(Hebrews 10:35-39)

And the second of these was:

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,

And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” (Psalm 32:1-2)

And this was quoted in Romans:

“Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who

does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for

righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes

righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.’ ”

(Romans 4:4-8)

And God also went all the way back to Abraham prove eternal security.

For we read:

“Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said:

‘By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not

withheld your son, your only son-- blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply

your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and

your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the

earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.’ ” (Genesis 22:15-18)

And we read in Hebrews 6:13-14, “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He

could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘Surely blessing I will bless you,

and multiplying I will multiply you.’ ” And why did God stress the fact that He “confirmed”

this promise “by an oath?” “For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is

for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs

of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable

things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have

fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:16-18)

But how did “we” get into the picture. The promise, and the oath, made to Abraham, was made

so that “we might have strong consolation.” But who is the “we” here? It is those of us “who

have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of

the soul, both sure and steadfast” and it “enters the Presence behind the veil, where the

forerunner has entered for us.” (Hebrews 6:18-19)

Thus we see that this promise and oath, made to Abraham, was not for his sake alone. It was also

to teach us a lesson. And what was the lesson? God will most assuredly keep His word. What

He has promised He will certainly perform. But why does God make such a strong point of this?We learn this in Galatians 3:15-20:

“Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet

if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were

the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And

to your Seed,’ who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred

and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by

God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is

of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

Here we see that the promise was stronger than the law. The Law could not annul the covenant,

because it had already been made. But the covenant was not based on law. It was based on promise.

We see the same in the promise made to David, saying::

“My mercy I will keep for him forever,

And My covenant shall stand firm with him.

His seed also I will make to endure forever,

And his throne as the days of heaven.

‘If his sons forsake My law

And do not walk in My judgments,

If they break My statutes

And do not keep My commandments,

Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,

And their iniquity with stripes.

Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,

Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.

My covenant I will not break,

Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.

Once I have sworn by My holiness;

I will not lie to David:

His seed shall endure forever.”

(Psalm 89:28-36)

And although this was not repeated in the New Testament, it was extended to us, saying:

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me.

Hear, and your soul shall live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—

The sure mercies of David.”

(Isaiah 55:1-3)

So both the fact that salvation is “by grace, through faith... not of works,” and eternal security

were clearly taught, both before the time of the law, and during the time of the law.

But what about the time to come? Many imagine that salvation by works is taught concerning

either of two future ages, or Dispensations. One of these future ages is the time we all “the

tribulation,” and the other is the millennium. What are we told about salvation in those ages?

First, we need to notice Revelation 9, where we first read: “After these things I looked, and

behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and

tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with

palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs

to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ ” (Revelation 7:9-10) As these ones are

in heaven, we see that they are unquestionably saved. But how were they saved? a few verses

later we read:

“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes,

and where did they come from?’ And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me,

‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and

made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ ” (Revelation 7:13-14) This says absolutely

nothing about works of any kind, but rather, their presence there in heaven is explained by the

fact that they had “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” But

who are they? “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation.” so we see that,

during the time of “the great tribulation,” people will be saved in exactly the same way we are

today, through “the blood of the Lamb.” That is, “by grace, through faith... not of works.”

This leaves only the millennium to consider. Many imagine that at that time, there will be a

return to th law of Moses. But that is serious error. While the latter part of Ezekiel indeed

describes a future system of worship based on animal sacrifices, but the sacrifices and the

associated ordinances described in Ezekiel are distinctly different from those described in the law

of Moses. And even it they had been he dame, we have already seen that under the law of Moses,

salvation was, even as it is today, “by grace, through faith... not of works.”

But how will the people be saved at the beginning of the millennium? We are clearly told.

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of

grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn

for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of thehouse of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.” (Zechariah 12:10-14)

So these will be saved exactly in the same way we are saved, by deep repentance, brought about

by the “grace” of God. And what will be the result of this universal repentance?

“ ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with

the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- not according to the covenant that I made

with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of

Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,’ says the LORD.

‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the

LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their

God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every

man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they all shall know Me, from the least of

them to the greatest of them,’ says the LORD. ‘For I will forgive their iniquity, and their

sin I will remember no more.’ ” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Again, we see that this promise is to be an act of God, not an act of man. And it will be a work in

their hearts, not their bodies. And it will be based on pardon, not on works.

So we see that the scriptures could hardly be more clear in teaching that salvation always was,

and always will be “by grace, through faith... not of works.”

Sex Through the Eyes of a Virgin Christian Girl

Description

Here are a few "perspective changers" on sex from self-described virgin Christian girl, Salem Afangideh.

SEX. It is one of the most talked-about topics in our culture, yet it is also the most perverted from the way God originally intended it to be. I feel very unqualified to talk about sex because, as you have probably figured out from the title of this article, I have no experience in this area. However, God and I have had a few conversations about it. Since He made sex, who better to talk about it with?

Here are a few perspective changers on sex:

1. God made sex: Think about that the next time you are in doubt of how creative, funny, and intricate God is.

2. Sex is fun: In the Christian world, when I was growing up, the older generations’ strategy for trying to keep the teenagers abstinent was to make sex seem dirty and bad. This strategy really backfired when teenagers started having sex and discovered how fun it was; it was much harder to keep them away from doing it. While I would not know about how fun sex is, I have been blessed with Godly couples who have told me it is so worth the wait. Instead of viewing sex as this bad and dirty thing to avoid, I see it as a wonderful and fun gift God has created for me to enjoy in the season of marriage.

3. Sex was made to be within the context of marriage: Eccl. 3:11 says, “He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time.” Premarital sex will never be as fulfilling as sex within a marriage.

Sex within a marriage makes you feel safe because your spouse has chosen you over every other person in the world. No matter how much a guy tells you he loves you while dating/courting, if he has not paid the price called marriage, he does not deserve to know what your body looks like. Sex was made to be the final glue that bonds two people together, it was created to be a seal for people who have bonded spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually in marriage. It gets messy when you bond sexually with someone first and then try to figure out the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual connection.

For my sisters who have already chosen to be sexually active, I do not want to bring condemnation, but a challenge to choose purity. We worship a God who delights in restoring us, and if you decide to live a life of purity, He will empower and strengthen you to do it. You will be in a much better position to be an advocate of purity because you have been down both roads.

4. Sex is all about serving: This would have to be the biggest shift from how our culture looks at sex to the way God sees sex. The act of having sex (or not having sex before marriage) is all about serving another person. For the unmarried Christian girl that is striving to save sex for her future husband, you are serving him in a beautiful way and showing him he can trust you after you are married. The fact that you waited for him means more than you will ever know. You are also serving our Lord Jesus Christ by honoring Him with your body. For the married Christian woman who chooses to have sex with her husband after a crazy busy day, you are serving him with your body in the most beautiful way. And as you serve him, you are also serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

How do you see sex?

-Salem Afangideh 

Source: https://www.idisciple.org/

Irrelevant Details? John 8:6-8 || Apologetics For The Bible || Authority Of The Bible

John 8:6-86 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have evidence to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

(Adopted from “What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ?” God in the Dock)

As a literary historian, I am perfectly convinced that whatever the Gospels are they are not legends. I have read a great deal of legend and I am quite clear that they are not the same sort of thing. They are not artistic enough to be legends. From an imaginative point of view they are clumsy, they don’t work up to things properly. Most of the life of Jesus is totally unknown to us, as is the life of anyone else who lived at that time, and no people building up a legend would allow that to be so. Apart from bits of the Platonic dialogues, there are no conversations that I know of in ancient literature like the Fourth Gospel. There is nothing, even in modern literature, until about a hundred years ago when the realistic novel came into existence. In the story of the woman taken in adultery we are told Christ bent down and scribbled in the dust with His finger. Nothing comes of this. No one has ever based any doctrine on it. And the art of inventing little irrelevant details to make an imaginary scene  more convincing is a purely modern art. Surely the only explanation of this passage is that the thing really happened? The author put it in simply because he had seen it.

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The Four Faithful Women at the cross || International Women's Day || Meditation from the Cross

Jesus dies on the Cross for all kind of sinners, even those who have demonstrated a profound degree of unfaithfulness to Him. 

All the 11 disciples (although temporarily) either renounced their faith or hidden their faces from the general public. Praise the Lord! God will not leave us in between. Even though we fall away for some time, God will pick us up to our profession before we die (Rom 8:28:30). What catches my eye is the 4 women stood with Jesus at the cross until He dies. 

Four Faithful Women of God:

1) Mary the mother of Jesus

2) Mary Magdalene (from whom Jesus drove seven Demons out)

3) Mary the mother of James the younger & of Joses

4) Salome

Even though all the disciples forsook him, these women stood with Jesus. Those whom He called and would commission as Apostles were less faithful than those who would not receive the Apostolic office. 

The Sorrowful look: The most beloved Son of God was now pierced. Imagine how it would have cut them into pieces (Especially for Jesus' mother). Stream of tears would have flown from their eyes. 

Let us learn from these women how to stand with Jesus even in tough circumstances instead running from Him. 

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CAN YOU SEE HER? Joe Stowell

CAN YOU SEE HER? AND BEHOLD, THERE WAS A WOMAN IN THE CITY WHO WAS A SINNER. —Luke 7:37

What a contrast. Jesus loved and forgave the town prostitute. Simon, the good person in town, was repulsed by her presence.

Lisa DePalma, a recent Moody grad, ministers to prostitutes on Chicago’s West and North Sides. Always used and never loved, they hear—some of them for the first time—that God has wonderfully loved them in Jesus Christ. Recently, I sat in a small gathering where Lisa was describing her work with these women. We sat stunned, gripped by the awfulness of her stories of shattered throwaway lives. For most of us, prostitutes are some distant reality, a repulsive part of the dark underside of society. Few of us have ever thought about them, let alone of taking the love of Jesus to them. My guess is that more often than not we think of prostitutes with Simon’s kind of sanctimonious aloofness—the aloofness that often plagues our kind of Christianity.

Lisa wrote these pleading lines:

Can you see her? Will you let God show you?
Her face instead of her clothes? Her eyes instead of her body?
Can you see her? Will you let God show you?
She has a name instead of a label, A broken heart instead of a hard one
Can you see her? Will you let God show you?
The image of God instead of an object of scorn
Her worth to the Savior instead of her worthlessness to the world
Can you see her? Will you let God show you?
His heart of forgiveness instead of your heart that judges
His blood that covers instead of your rules that condemn
Can you see her? Will you let God show you?
And when you do see, what then?

I wish Lisa had been there to whisper these words to Simon as he watched with revulsion the outpouring of the prostitute’s love at Jesus’ feet. His well-conformed life had shut her out. Christ welcomed her in. Are there any sinners that you could love in Jesus’ name? - Joe Stowell

Strategies for Effective Reading

The allure of boasting about the sheer number of books one has read is a common pitfall. However, this approach often leads to superficial engagement with the material. True wisdom is not in the quantity, but in the depth of understanding. Resist the temptation to read merely for the sake of competition or to inflate one's perceived intellect. The essence of reading lies in the assimilation and comprehension of ideas, not in accumulating titles under one's belt.

There is a profound difference between merely reading and absorbing the essence of a book. It is the thoughtful contemplation and internalization of a text that truly enriches one's knowledge and perspective. A dedicated reader who thoughtfully explores 25 books annually over a decade is likely to attain a deeper understanding and appreciation than someone who rushes through 250 books in a single year, seeking quantity over quality.

Approach reading as a journey, not a sprint. Embrace the practice of pausing to jot down notes, ponder over intriguing concepts, and reflect on the implications of what you've read. This deliberate pace allows for a richer comprehension and a more meaningful connection with the material. Remember, the value of reading is not measured by how quickly you turn the pages, but by the insights and knowledge you gain.

Additional Helpful Tips:

Set Reading Goals: Establish realistic and meaningful goals for your reading. This could include a mix of genres, authors, and topics to broaden your perspective.

Engage in Active Reading: Use techniques such as highlighting, annotating, and questioning the text. This active engagement helps in better retention and understanding.

Join a Reading Group: Participating in a book club or reading group can offer diverse perspectives and enrich your reading experience through discussion and debate.

Balance Reading with Reflection: Allocate time not just for reading but also for reflecting on what you’ve read. This could be through writing summaries, discussing with others, or simply meditating on the key ideas.

Choose Quality over Quantity: Focus on books that challenge, inspire, or transform your thinking, rather than aiming for a high number of books.

By incorporating these strategies, your reading experience can become more fulfilling, leading to a deeper understanding and a greater appreciation of the literature you engage with.

Post credit: Monergism 

A Simple Approach to Family Devotions

There is a lot of hubbub in Reformed circles regarding family religion—or, as it is sometimes is called, family worship. If you’re an evangelical, you probably simply call this family devotions. Regardless, there has been a real effort to recover this practice among Christian families. I have even seen some men post statuses containing the “liturgy” of their family worship. They are quite long.

In The Puritan Family, Edmund Morgan writes:

‘Every morning immediately upon rising and every evening before retiring a good Puritan father led his household in prayer, in scriptural reading, and in singing of psalms. Whenever they sat down at table together, he offered thanks to the Lord.’

Now, fathers, please note what Morgan reports next:

‘None of these devotions was supposed to be long. Although the Puritans enjoyed two-hour sermons on the Sabbath, they tried to avoid prolixity in their family services. Cotton Mather says of John Cotton that he always read a chapter of Scripture to his family every morning and every evening, “with a little applicatory exposition, before and after which he made a prayer; but he was very short in all, accounting as Mr. Dod, Mr. Bains, and other great saints did before him, ‘That it was a thing inconvenient many ways to be tedious in family duties.’’

There is a tendency to either do nothing, or to be overzealous in what you do. Neither are good when it comes to family worship. As always, you need to keep it between the ditches. John Cotton strikes me as a solid example of plodding consistency. The goal should be to make Scripture reading, prayer, and praise a normal part of your home. It is unwise to recreate something approximating an entire Sunday service. That is, as Dod and Bains indicated, a very tedious thing for all involved.

My approach is very simple. I read a portion Scripture when my kids are half-way through their breakfast. I do this because I have some very small children. The light distraction of eating actually helps them pay attention to me when I talk. After I finish reading, I ask them a few questions about the passage, make a few applications, and close with prayer. That is it for us. This takes 10–15 minutes.

We follow this pattern Monday through Friday. I would like to eventually add praise to our time together. Presently, my children sing a hymn together as part of their home-school curriculum. I’ll add it into our devotional time soon. My main goal is consistency and participation.

An example might be helpful; here is a summary of what we did around the table today. This morning our text was Psalm 100 (I needed a break from Matthew). I read it and asked, “What is this Psalm about?”

My eldest son (12) said, “It is about God’s goodness and how we are to worship Him.” I replied, “Good. Anyone else?” No one spoke up. I pushed, “Caedmon, anything you’d like to add?” He had nothing. I always push for participation, but I don’t demand water from a stone. So I moved on.

I pointed out that Hudson was right. The passage is full of verbs like shout, serve, and come. However, the imperatives aren’t naked. They are accompanied by modifiers. We must shout joyfully, serve with gladness, and so forth. God isn’t interested in naked actions. They must be adorned with the right attitude.

I told them the passage gave us reasons why we should possess such attitudes. I asked them if they could point any of those reasons out. One of them pointed out that “we are sheep of his pasture.” I agreed; that was a big reason. God takes care of us. He provides for us like a shepherd provides for his sheep.

My application was straightforward. We cultivate gladness and joy through meditating on how God has been good to us. I pointed out a few ways God had been kind to our family. Also, I exhorted my boys to sing with more zeal in the worship service, and to be more attentive during the sermon. I ended in prayer.

That was it this morning. Sometimes it’s less and sometimes it’s more.

Again, my goal is consistency and participation.

Consistency: You need to find a time that consistently works for your family. Evenings don’t work for us. We tried to make it work for years, but were never able to get any real momentum. It took switching to mornings to have a real breakthrough.

Participation: I want my kids to interact with the text. I like to ask lots of simple questions. What is this passage about? What is it telling us to do or not do? Why is it telling us this? What sticks out to you? What doesn’t make sense to you? Etc. I also like to keep it short. I don’t want to see any eyes glazing over. So I only do 10–15 verses on average. Sometimes I go longer, but only if the passage is very exciting. I don’t want anyone, particularly my older children, to check out.

The most important thing is not to establish some kind of perfect family liturgy. The most important thing is to just do something. Find what works for your family. Keep it simple so you can make it into a habit. Because you can always build on a habit.”

- Michael Foster