Ten Topics for Family Devotions

The Family that Prays Together Stays Together

Written by Cory Collins

“How can a young man keep his way pure?
          By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
          let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
          that I might not sin against you” (Ps 119:9-11, ESV).

Young people have an increasingly difficult time keeping their way pure in this crooked and perverse generation. Yet, the Psalmist provides the answer to pure hearts – a knowledge of Scripture. As we have mentioned this week, you as a parent have a huge role to play in your children’s spiritual formation.

As a godly parent, you undoubtedly desire to see your children grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Here are ten ideas for family devotions.

• Each family member’s favorite Bible character: His/her choices and consequences
• Heroes of the Faith (Heb 11)
• Fruit of the Spirit
• Explain to your children why you became a Christian
• What are some ways that you want to grow to become more like Jesus?
• Proverbs: God’s wisdom for daily living
• A sermon from last Sunday
• A helpful bulletin article
• Why the church is vital
• How would Jesus handle current events?

These are ten suggestions you should feel free to use. But, the possibilities are endless! The important thing is the teaching of Scripture. What topic will you share with your family this week?

Tips for Starting a Family Devotional

Nearer My God To Thee!

Written by Cory Collins

Yesterday, we introduced the need to train children in righteousness. While the Scriptures are abundantly clear, you may be pondering how you begin such a process. Today, we wish to provide tips that will help you begin drawing your family closer to God.

• Start with the decision to start! Fathers, take the initiative (Eph 6:4). But, if there is no godly man in the family, mothers need to remember Timothy, Lois and Eunice (2 Tim 1). Decide today that you will guide your family in righteousness.


• Start small. Even if you begin once a week or even once a month, start! Doing a little is far better than doing nothing. And, the fact that you have done something is significant.


• Prepare your family early. Let the idea soak in, especially with older children. You may find that you kids are much more agreeable than you expect.


• Set a time and a day. A good time is right after dinner while the family is still together and before evening activities begin.

Decide to draw nearer to God today! Take the time to lead your family in proper paths. Your rewards will be reaped in eternity.

Tomorrow we’ll provide suggestions for choosing a text or topic to help you start.

One A Day Vitamins

Family Devotionals

Written by Cory Collins

We are all acutely aware of the need for proper nutrition. We wish our children to maintain a healthy diet, and we often purchase vitamins of their choosing to encourage a balanced diet. As we age, proper nutrition becomes no less important, and several companies produce vitamins aimed at the aging population.

As important as physical health is, what if there were a daily vitamin that would strengthen your marriage? What if a properly balanced diet were able to help keep your children active in the church? What if some pill could increase your motivation or your assurance of salvation? What if your diet were able to help you accept and deal with illness, aging and loss?

There is such a vitamin – the family devotional. “The family that prays together, stays together.” “A family altar can alter a family.” Those statements are far more than clichés; they’re truth. Studies have repeatedly shown that the children of parents who actively and personally express their own faith are many times more likely to become happy, faithful and strong Christians.

Throughout this week, we’re going to be offering solidly biblical counsel on beginning a family devotional. But, before we begin to offer tips and strategies, we want to lay the biblical foundation. The prayer is that as we see the biblical rationale our spirits will be motivated to follow the biblical teaching.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut 6:4-7, ESV).

“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom” (Lk 2:41-42, ESV).

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4).

Scripture clearly teaches the importance of training children in righteousness. We wish to move in the direction God desires we move. Come with us this week and let’s together move closer to our Creator.

Speaking Engagements

Preaching the Word

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim 4:1-2, ESV). At Heritage Christian University, we take these words seriously, for we know the gospel of Jesus is the power God uses to save (Rom 1:16). Therefore, our staff and faculty are heavily involved in sharing the gospel of Jesus. On Sunday and Wednesday, you will find the HCU family filling pulpits and classrooms, not just in North Alabama, but wherever opportunity arises. During the summer, many faculty and staff members assist with several summer camps. We, like Jeremiah before us, have a fire in our bones for proclaiming God’s truth (Jer 20:9).

We know that you can’t be with us everywhere we speak, but we would love to see you. We also know that you would bless these fine churches with your presence. We hope to see you soon!

• Dr. Bill Bagents, Vice Presidence of Academic Affairs, will be speaking for a Parenting Seminar at the South Haleyville (AL) Church of Christ on Friday evening July 29.


• Dr. Ted Burleson, Associate Professor of Ministry and Biblical Studies, will speak Saturday, July 30 at the Brock Church of Christ for their Vacation Bible School. On Sunday, August 14, Dr. Burleson begins a gospel meeting with the Piney Grove Church of Christ that runs through August 18. On August 21, Dr. Burleson will join four other gospel preachers for a gospel meeting at the Hackleburg Church of Christ. On September 11, he will begin a seminar on the family at the Mars Hill Church of Christ in Florence, Alabama.


• President Dennis Jones will be speaking at the Leighton Church of Christ on Sunday morning July 31.


• Philip Goad, Director of University Advancement, will be speaking at the Allen Park Church of Christ in Allen Park, Michigan Sunday morning July 31. That evening, he will be speaking for the Flat Rock Church of Christ in Flat Rock, Michigan.


• Cory Collins, Dean of Students and Assistant Professor of Ministry and Biblical Studies, will be speaking at the Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ in Florence, Alabama on Wednesday, August 24 at 6 pm. His topic will be: “The Cross: Our Only Claim to Fame.”


• Dolly Leighton , adjunct instructor in English, has the following speaking engagements: on September 10, she will speak at the ladies day for the Church of Christ in Oliver Springs, Tennessee. From September 30 to October 1, she will be speaking at the ladies retreat for the Woodbury (TN) Church of Christ at Short Mountain Bible Camp. On October 8, Dolly will be speaking for the ladies day at the Lois Church of Christ in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

We pray that we can bless each congregation we’re blessed to serve. Stop by and be with us. Your presence will be a great blessing.

Balance

HCU and Balance

Written by HCU Alumnus Matthew Morine

As most people know, I been to a lot of churches of Chirst schools. I have even attended Denver Seminary for a Doctorate level class. So this around the block is true about me. This has caused problems, as people have written to me (and up) about how liberal I am and also how conservative I am. And some people just do not have a clue how to label me, which is just great in my mind. It is sad that we judge people totally by the school that one attended. I can totally say that there have been totally liberal people at the conservative schools and conservative people at the most progressive schools. Some people will cast you off just because you attended a certain school. At this point in my education, and from the wide range of schools I have attended, this is misjudging of people. The best thing to do is call, instead of assume. All of this, what I call balance was mostly modeled and taught at Heritage Christian University. I really have followed the lessons of this school throughout my ministry. The school is generally conservative in theology or doctrine, but is willing to do what it takes to reach out into the world. It is balanced in its approach to the issues in the church. It taught me that no matter what your view is on an issue, responding to the issue is just as important. Being right is never a reason to act wrong. People during my time there, Dennis Jones the president, Bill Bagents, and Coy Roper really modeled this approach. These guys were sound in the scriptures, but loving in the interactions with the brotherhood. I believe this spirit of the school lives on as I am friends with some of the new teachers. I believe this school and the professors really formed the way that I operate in the church. Sometimes I might take fire for this approach, but I believe that no matter how people treat me, no matter my personal understanding of certain doctrines, it never gives me the right or the excuse to mistreat my follow man. At Castle Rock, we have a saying, “You can be right, and still wrong.” HCU taught this to me. I taught a deep love for the Churches of Christ, and this spirit continues during my studies at Harding School of Theology (Mark Parker will be happy I used the new name). So sometimes I have friends on the progressive side of the church, I have friends on the conservative side of the church, and I love them all. It does not always mean I agree with everything that is happening, but it means that I will continue to be presence for good wherever the Lord leads me. People sometimes wonder where I stand, I must state clearly and yes, pridefully, hopefully in a good way, I am a Church of Christ man (no I do not understand the big “C” and little “c” debate, so I just use it anyway I feel fit to). I love my fellowship, the doctrine and teachings of my fellowship, and the love that it has given me. As someone who has not grown up in the south or in the history of the churches of Christ, I still feel a total loyalty to it. I know some will say, you should be loyal to Christ, and I feel being loyal to the Church does not mean that I am not loyal to the Lord, it is just part of the faith journey. In all that I do in the church and for the Lord, I do with the spirit that HCU taught me, of being balanced, and treating people right, no matter on the stand on the issue is.

Media and the Christian

Written by HCU Alumnus Rusty Pettus

Recent studies suggest that the average student will digest 7 hours of media a day (Center for Parent/Youth Understanding). Much of this is done while multi-tasking (homework and music). This would include, TV, movies, the internet, music, talking/texting on your phone, etc.

When we think about a Biblical approach to talking about Media I like to use Walt Mueller’s 3D’s: Discover, Discern, and Decide.

DISCOVER

The first thing we have to help our students and parents to discover what is inside our media. When I look back at the music I listened to as a kid I am amazed at lyrics. I had no idea what many of the songs were talking about because I was just singing the hook. This is true for many of our students. We need to discover what is inside any music, TV, magazine, movies, etc. In the age of the internet we can do this by a simple Google search.

The reality is that most every form of media has something objectionable in it. But I like to think of objectionable media like sugar to a diabetic. A little won’t hurt you but a lot can kill you. We can usually handle a little objectionable material but too much will make us numb and acceptable to Satan’s messages.

DISCERN

Discerning is the art of identifying and understanding and then practicing good judgment. When it comes to media it is the art of paying attention to the message and understanding if it is profitable for godliness. In Ephesians 5, Paul encourages us to put away our old way of living and to embrace the life God has called us to. He tells us to “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord" (Eph 5:10 NLT). This is the heart of discernment. It is like a diabetic who can quickly determine if the food in front of them is good for them or dangerous. How much can they consume before it impacts them. It is the ability to identify the message and understand its impact on our ability to think godly thoughts.

DECIDE

We are now at the most difficult point, deciding what we need to do. At the end of Romans 7, Paul shares his struggle between wanting to do right and doing wrong. At the beginning of chapter 8 he continues this thought with a discussion on our thoughts. Paul says that those who are dominated by sin think about sinful things while those whose minds are controlled by the Spirit think on ways to please God (Romans 8:5). This is the heart of the media discussion. If I digest 7 hours of media a day and an hour of it is filled with objectionable material how will it impact my thought life that controls my actions? How many profane words, sexual suggestions, body images, etc. can I digest before they seep into my actions and worldview? We must decide what we allow into our heart.

For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander (Matthew 15:19). Jesus says that what we put into our heart will be lived out in our life. Our media consumption is a spiritual issue as it will impact our hearts, our minds, and our actions.

Peru Mission Trip

Caring for Cusco

Written by Josh Looney

Student at Heritage Christian University

From July 9th through July 17th, 2011, I had the privilege of serving in Cusco, Peru on a medical mission. This campaign was led by Ramon Gonzales, a Peruvian native and 2010 graduate of Heritage Christian University. I was blessed with support from the Fairview Church of Christ, the congregations at Florence Boulevard and Cox Boulevard, and many individuals.

While there, we gave: free medical care, haircuts, children’s classes, clothing, Gospel literature, and Bible studies with those wanting to learn more. We saw around 600 people with the medical care, 200 children in the children’s classes, and around 120 free hair cuts.

Our team was made up of many people of many professions who wanted to contribute their time and talent to the glory of God. The campaign was held at the building of the Wanchaq Church of Christ in Cusco. The congregation was more than generous in their love and support in the effort.

Aside from work, we were also able to see many of the awesome sights of Peru. We explored the city of Cusco, toured the Macchu Picchu, and spent some time on the Pacific coast of Lima. Some of us even went parasailing! Peru is a beautiful country and I got to see some of the best of God’s creation. The Andes mountains lined up like a mighty choir to sing to the Lord and the Pacific coast echoed the praise!

I have been involved with many stateside campaigns since coming to Heritage Christian University in the Fall of 2008, but this was my first international campaign. My soul was thrilled to be able to interact with people of a different culture and to be with the Christians in Peru. The congregation was so warm and welcoming and it was so awesome to see how universal the Church really is. We pray that, through this effort, we have generated interest in the faith in the community and hope to see more souls added to the Church in the future.