Last week, Natalie and Dylan came up with this creative rendition of the David and Goliath story, using Lego blocks. One of my favorite moments is when David “somersaults” over to the army of Israel.

Discipline. What comes to mind when you hear this word? Harshness? Insensitivity? Perhaps even abuse? In the Bible, ‘discipline’ is consistently portrayed as an act of love. Consider these verses:

Proverbs 13:24 He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Hebrews 12:6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

Hebrews 12:9-10 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

I can testify that as a child, discipline was never “fun.” But I am very thankful that my mom and dad faithfully disciplined me as seemed best to them. Even at the time, I respected them because I knew they did it out of love, and never out of anger.

Now, with children of our own, Natalie and I struggle daily with the matter of discipline. How strict should we be in our rules? When should we be firm? When should we give another warning? And what punishment will fit the crime, so to speak?

I really appreciated these words by Danny Akin, as he recalled how he and his wife raised four godly sons:

In our family we tried to provide a big playing field not a small one. Why? Because kids are kids and, if the box is too small they will break the rules constantly and you will probably not be consistent in your discipline. We always told our boys they would establish the size of the playing field. If they were faithful, truthful and trustworthy, the playing field got bigger and bigger. If they were unfaithful, untruthful and untrustworthy, the playing field got smaller. We also adjusted the way we disciplined as they grew older. We believed spanking, in moderation and always under control, is both biblical and effective when the children are small (e.g. Proverbs 29:15). However, as they grow older, unless the situation is extreme and exceptional, the rebuke and restriction is a more effective way to mold and shape their character and behavior.

This was just released from Southern Seminary. I’m sure it will be a program well-worth listening to.

Mohler to appear on Focus on the Family

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is scheduled to appear on Monday’s broadcast of Focus on the Family with James Dobson. Mohler will offer an evangelical perspective on various issues concerning the 2008 presidential election. Focus on the Family is broadcast on 3,000 radio outlets and heard by more than two million listeners per day. Please check your local listings for time and station in your area. The program is also streamed at www.family.org. Mohler serves on the Focus on the Family board of directors.

Well, our son Dylan is becoming quite the big boy. He’s feeding himself, using the potty, speaking coherent sentences, and beginning to pray out loud (with our word-by-word guidance) as part of his bedtime routine. So, I felt it was finally time this morning to introduce him to a catechism.

As we were finishing up breakfast, I told Dylan with an excited tone that we were going to start learning some verses and questions out of the Bible. Then, we spent the next five minutes or so reciting Genesis 1:1 and the first catechism question: “(Q) Who made you? (A) God made me.” Dylan seemed to enjoy it, though an hour later, when I asked him, “Dylan, who made you?” He answered, “I made me.” This is going to take a lot of patience and repetition. 🙂

The resource our family is using is called the Truth and Grace Memory Book, published by Founders Press. There are three books in the series altogether: Book 1 is for two-year olds through fourth graders; Book 2 is for fifth through eighth graders; Book 3 is for ninth through twelfth graders. Each book involves three areas of memorization: Scripture verses, hymns, and catechism questions.

For many of us, “catechism” is a completely foreign concept. So in his introduction, Tom Ascol explains,

The phrase ‘Baptist catechism” may sound strange to many contemporary Baptists. Some may even consider it to be a contradiction of terms. The truth of the matter, however, is that ‘catechism’ is not a Roman Catholic or Lutheran or Presbyterian word. Rather, it is the anglicized version of the Greek word, katekeo, which simply means ‘to instruct.’ It appears, in various forms, several times in the Greek New Testament (it is translated as ‘instructed’ in Luke 1:4 and Acts 18:25).

Obviously, then, anyone who has been instructed has in some sense been ‘catechized.’ But the word came to refer to a specific type of instruction early in church history. In the early church new Christians were taught the essentials of the faith by learning how to answer specific questions. Certain catechetical questions were grouped together and came to be referred to simply as a ‘catechism.’

…By learning a whole, well-constructed catechism a child (or adult for that matter) will be introduced to the overall biblical scheme of salvation. Such discipline will frame the mind for receiving and understanding every part of the Bible. A good catechism helps one to read the Bible theologically. (pp. iv-v)

Our family is just getting started, but I’m very excited about doing this together as a family in the coming years. I believe it will be an important part of raising our children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4), and will benefit Natalie and I in our own knowledge of God’s Word.

Picnics, kites, and sawhorses are some of our highlights from the month of may…