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INSTRUCTED by the Scriptures, LED by the Spirit
Bold Christian Living E-Mail Newsletter, Issue #129
Top 10 Mistakes of Homeschoolers
Copyright 2005 Jonathan Lindvall
Permission to re-post in full is granted.
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Top 10 Mistakes of Homeschoolers
I am very thankful the Lord spoke to my heart, as a single man back in
1972, that when He gave me children I was to teach them myself. At the
time I thought I was unique. I had never heard of anyone besides foreign
missionaries without access to schools teaching their own children. It
didn’t occur to me that the Lord might be speaking the same word to many
others.
Later, after marrying and having our first child, my wife and I
encouraged a few other families to teach their own children. We even
started a Christian School ministry to facilitate this (we have never
had a campus–all the students are taught at home by their own parents).
We didn’t call it homeschooling for well over a year–we hadn’t even
heard that term yet. We thought we were the only ones in the world doing
this, and only knew we were to disciple our own children rather than
send them to school.
We were amazed to later begin meeting many others in diverse places who
reported that they, too, had thought they were the only ones the Holy
Spirit was leading to teach their own children. This became one of
several evidences to us that what God was doing in us was part of a much
larger movement of God–a sovereign outpouring of His Spirit in our
generation.
Over the years I have been fascinated to study such moves of God
throughout history–what have come to be called “revivals.” I am not
alone in my conviction that homeschooling is part of a true awakening of
the church initiated in God’s heart. I suspect that the rest of the
church will one day look back on the history of the homeschool movement
and see it as a great awakening that shaped and rescued the church.
But just as past “revival” movements were corrupted by flesh and
compromises, I fear the homeschool movement will one day lose its
freshness and become another stale monument to what God has done in the
past. Like previous awakenings, I suspect this one will leave a lasting
impact on the church (I don’t imagine the conviction of parents
discipling their our own children will be lost). What God is doing in
our generation will, if the Lord leaves us on this earth for more
generations, be another foundational restoration of His purposes for the
church.
But it is nonetheless tragic to me to see what I suspect are the seeds
of the death of the freshness of this awakening, already among us.
Recently a friend encouraged me to make a list of the top ten mistakes I
think many homeschoolers make. I believe these are things that grieve
the Lord and undermine the ongoing blessing He intends.
Our compromises and provision for the flesh don’t solely impact us. The
most grievous result of resisting the Holy Spirit’s leading in God’s
ways is that the Lord Himself is grieved. Our lives are about bringing
Him pleasure (Rom. 14:8; 2 Cor. 5:9). The worst thing I can do is
withhold from the Lord what He longs for and deserves. He is worthy of
the joy that was set before Him as He endured the cross (Heb. 12:2). May
we not grieve Him in our lack of yieldedness and insistence on self-effort.
But our little failures and compromises also affect others. God’s word
repeatedly reminds us that our children can be benefitted by a heritage
of godliness or handicapped by our failures (Ex. 20:5-6; 34:4-7; Jer.
32:18).
Our precedents will even aide or hinder other homeschoolers, now and in
the future. Our generation is, by God’s design, to be a trailblazer
generation for those who follow us. If, as I suspect, homeschooling
becomes the dominant, assumed practice of the whole church in future
generations, the patterns we walk out in our seemingly mundane minor
details, will likely become standard practice and “traditions” for a
wider circle than we can currently imagine. And the Lord calls us to be
alert to how our actions affect other saints (Rom 15:1).
In fact, our yieldedness (or disobedience) to the Lord will affect the
whole world, even non-believers. As the salt of the earth and light of
the world (Matt. 5:13-15) we are useless if we accommodate our flesh
rather than wholeheartedly pursuing the Lord and His ways. The Lord
intends our distinctive surrender to Him to be a striking “fragrance of
Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are
perishing” (2 Cor. 2:14-16).
In all this we are not called to perfectionISM, but rather perfection
that is mature completion (Matt. 5:47; Col. 1:28). It is important to
keep in mind that there will always be room for improvement (Ps.
14:2-3). Yet that should never be an excuse to cave in to less than what
God shows us of His desire (Rom. 6:1).
Mistake #1: Wrong Reasons
I am always excited to hear of Christians teaching their children at
home, regardless of their motivations. Yet it seems to me this is one of
the most likely mistakes we, as homeschoolers make–we teach our
children at home with the wrong heart. While I have seen people
homeschool initially from wrong motives, it seems the Lord wants to
refine these to His intent over time. Our motive in everything we do
must be to bring pleasure and glory to our Heavenly Bridegroom.
It is quite possible to make homeschooling too high a priority in our
hearts and lives. It must be seen as a means to an end. And the end must
be kingdom of God. This is what we are to seek above all else (Matt.
6:33). Homeschooling, like every other activity in our lives, is not
really about this earth at all (Col. 3:1-2). Everything in our (and our
children’s) lives must be about Jesus (Col. 3:17).
Perhaps to clarify, we should contrast this with some of the
questionable motives we should be alert to. As wonderful as academic
excellence is, it must not be what drives us. We are not homeschooling
for the purpose of producing young geniuses. While the scripture
repeatedly encourages wisdom, knowledge, and learning, it also warns us
that knowledge can (if not in its proper role) be a hindrance to us (1
Cor. 8:1).
We all want our children to have the skills and disciplines to provide
for their families some day. But job preparation is similarly not worthy
as a primary goal of homeschooling. Jesus explicitly warned us not to be
concerned with how our food and clothing are supplied (Matt. 6:19-34).
This, in fact, is the context in which he called us to “seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness.”
There are many desirable, God-pleasing results likely to come from our
obedience to God in choosing to personally disciple our children. But no
matter how good they are, if they are the focus, rather than our aim
being to bring Jesus pleasure, they can become idols for us. Many
homeschoolers have become enamored with the vision of the long-term
societal (political/economic) impact our practices can have. May the
Lord bring all this about, but may our hearts be set on Him more than on
the impact we can have.
Mistake #2: Lack of Understanding of Parental Responsibility
One of the most frequently-raised accusations and arguments against
homeschooling is the charge that we are “sheltering” our children.
Somehow, this has come to be seen as negative in modern society. We
generally consider it appropriate for parents to protect their children
from physical dangers, but sheltering them from spiritual, social, and
emotional risks is perceived as “over-protection.” Spiritually alert
parents recognize that spiritual harm is immeasurably more dangerous
than physical harm.
In scripture the term “shelter” is always portrayed positively. The
Psalmist sings (Ps. 61:3-4), For You have been a SHELTER for me, A
strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I
will trust in the SHELTER of Your wings.” God lovingly describes His
people as His “sheltered ones” (Ps. 83.3).
Despite our cultural abhorrence of potential “over-protection,” I’m
unaware of a single time when scripture teaches against it. On the
contrary, there are many instances of scripture lauding God, parents,
and others in authority for protecting those they are responsible for.
Jesus taught us to pray to our Heavenly Father (the model of fatherhood
we should follow), “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil” (Matt. 6:13). Jesus taught us to “pluck out,” “cut off,” and “cast
away” things that might “cause one of these little ones to sin” (Matt.
18:6-10).
Another objection virtually every homeschooler in western society has
been confronted by is the “socialization” question. In our society is
assumed to be essential for children to spend time with peers to be
properly adjusted. Yet the preponderance of scripture cautions from the
opposite perspective. Proverbs 12:26 warns, “The righteous should choose
his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
Proverbs 13:20 is even more pointed, saying, “He who walks with wise men
will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.” Paul was
apparently quoting an accepted proverb at the time when he wrote, “Do
not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’" (1 Cor. 15:33).
No doubt the Lord wants our children to learn to benefit from edifying
fellowship, just as He wants this for us. However, positive social
skills are generally not learned from children. God intends for fathers
(not peers) to shape their children’s values and tendencies “in the
training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). This requires
protecting our children from peer domination, and instead structuring
our family lifestyles to facilitate intense, intimate relationship
between our children and ourselves.
Sadly, perhaps as a result of the world’s challenges regarding
“socialization,” many homeschoolers feel pressure to provide settings
where their children can spend large amounts of time with peers. Thus,
over the years we have seen homeschool support groups move from
supporting the parents to supporting the children with extra-familial
activities like sports teams, group music experiences, and cooperative
classes. There are probably times when it is appropriate to expose our
families to teaching situations where the parents are not necessarily
doing all the teaching, but it is a significant danger to fall into the
habit of exposing our children to the addictive peer group influences.
{mospagebreak}
Mistake #3: Overlooking Gender-Specific Roles
One of the issues the Lord has used homeschooling to confront in the
church over the last several decades has been the creeping androgyny
infecting our culture. Many of us remember that when we were children,
at least in the church there was a fairly clear distinction assumed
between the roles of men and women. But over the last couple of
generations, as western culture has abandoned any vestige of biblical
moorings, the notion of full-time motherhood has been disdained.
The church initially resisted this trend, but eventually capitulated. By
the 1970's and 80's it seems the majority of Christian mothers were
employed by others outside their homes. This became a generally unspoken
impediment to homeschooling, which logically required the presence of at
least one parent with the children. Many courageous Christian families
withstood the scorn of the society and embraced the call of Titus 2:4-6
for the women to be “workers at home.”
However, another trap went largely (thought not completely) unnoticed.
Homeschooling began to be perceived as something mothers do. I have
repeatedly been asked if my wife homeschools our children. I try to
respond graciously, but refuse to allow this assumption to be
perpetuated. Certainly my wife is very involved in our homeschooling
activities. But God has called FATHERS to accept the responsibility for
teaching their children (Eph. 6:4). I recognize I can’t do it all, and
thankfully God has provided me a wonderful helper. But in many
homeschool families the father is seen as his wife’s helper. She is
perceived as the one who is carrying out the homeschooling, with his
permission.
As persuaded as I am of the benefits of homeschooling, I have counseled
many wives who have been given permission, by their husband, to
homeschool their children, not to do it. A mother who homeschools with
only her husband’s approval, is constantly laboring under a sense of
being on probation. She is subconsciously aware that her husband’s
authorization might be revoked if he determines she is not doing an
adequate job.
Instead, if the father is the one who is persuaded of homeschooling, and
accepts responsibility for leading his family in this, his wife can
fully and freely help him without fear that he will withdraw his support.
Let me risk taking this a step further. The homeschool movement has
become largely a women’s movement. Most homeschool support groups are
made up primarily of women, and led by women. These dear sisters have
much to give, and are called to teach younger women in the ministry to
their families. However, there is a latent unscriptural feminism that we
can inadvertently become vulnerable to, if we are not careful. I
encourage homeschool groups and ministries to seek the Lord about being
led by men, not just in name, but in fact. This will make it more likely
that other men will embrace God’s call to truly lead their own families
(1 Cor. 11:3).
The gender issue is impacting our children, as well. We all know that
God has designed boys and girls differently. The distinctions are more
than just physiological. We do our children a disservice when we train
boys and girls identically. It makes no sense, for example, for boys and
girls to have the same curriculum.
In Titus chapter two, Paul instructs certain people to teach certain
things to young women, and other people to focus on distinctive things
with the young men. One of the tragedies I observe in many homeschool
communities is the encouragement of young ladies to aim themselves
toward careers outside the home, rather than following in their mothers’
footsteps as homeschool moms.
God has always desired for the genders to maintain their distinctives,
even in the way the look (Deut. 22:5). But today girls are being
masculinized and boys are being feminized in our culture. For example,
most institutionally-schooled boys spend virtually all their time under
the influence of women (mother, teacher, cub scout leader, Sunday School
teacher, etc.). I thank God for the influence of godly homeschool
mothers in boys’ lives, and God clearly uses that (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14-15).
But I frequently hear such mothers longing for more male influence in
their boys’ lives.
Many homeschool families have found that as they press into the Lord’s
ways, not only does mom want to be home with the children, but dad also
has a similar longing. A phenomenon has been increasing, in which a
growing number of men are seeking (and finding) ways to meet their
family’s financial needs while still being accessible to their children
throughout each day. Some are tele-commuting. Others are becoming
self-employed entrepreneurs who can determine if and when their children
can be with them. Thankfully, a growing number of boys (and girls) in
godly families are able to spend lots of time with their fathers. God is
turning “the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of
the children to their fathers” (Mal. 4:6).
{mospagebreak}
Mistake #4: School Rather Than Apprenticeship
Most of us were ourselves educated in institutional environments, and
have very little (if any) model of how to homeschool. We all had
parents. Even a poor parental model is better than no model. We are
being called to recover a lost heritage from nothing more than
scripture. (Can you think of a better source?) But instead, our natural
inclination is to look elsewhere for our model of how to educate our
children.
As we have embraced the term “homeschooling,” this has been initially
helpful in dealing with professional educators and other inquisitive (or
even hostile) observers. However the term has become a handicap for most
of us as it produces a set of assumptions that draw us away from
scripture. (Note that the word “homeschool” is never found in scripture.
In fact, the notion of “school” in any form, as we know it, is
completely absent from scripture.)
A mistake virtually all of us stumble into, to one degree or another, is
letting the educational assumptions of our culture dictate how we
disciple our children. I believe God is calling us to let scripture
shape not only the content of our children’s education, but also the
methodology. We are not called to mimic the school at our own home.
Most Christian homeschoolers have recognized the need for
Biblically-based educational content. However, few of us have questioned
the underlying methodology we were taught with. Our culture’s
educational paradigm has been largely shaped by the Greek system of
thought, as brought down through the Prussian school structures emulated
in American schools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
What kind of education did children in the Bible receive? Interestingly,
most of the Jews of Christ’s day were literate. Yet they weren’t
educated in schools. Even those who were educated by someone other than
their parents, like the apostle Paul, were trained using a completely
different methodology from that of the Greeks.
To the pagan Greeks, the goal of education was for the teacher to
package knowledge he possessed and somehow transmit it to the students.
They thus contemplated a body of knowledge and sought an efficient way
to carve it into manageable segments. They increasingly minutely divided
knowledge into disciplines, courses, lessons, and specific task
instructions. Thus the focus was on curriculum.
Most of us today would not hesitate to question either this aim or the
process. But the Biblical Hebrew approach to education is completely
different. They were confident knowledge would be transmitted, but that
was not the primary thrust. To the Hebrews, the goal of education was to
shape the life of the learner, rather than simply his mind. Jesus said
that “everyone who is perfectly trained will be LIKE his teacher” (Luke
6:40).
This resulted in a methodology far different than that embraced by the
pagan Greeks. In the Biblical Hebrew culture the focus was on
relationship more than on curriculum. As a boy, Paul was taught by
sitting “at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3). His education was shaped
by “hanging out with” Gamaliel, listening to whatever he talked about,
and watching whatever he did. It was dealing authentic life rather than
artificially contrived learning experiences.
I often have young families just beginning to homeschool a five-year-old
ask me for advice about curriculum. I will ask them what they’ve been
using up to that point, and they say something like, “We’re just
starting out. We haven’t used curriculum.” So I will facetiously reply,
“So your child doesn’t know anything?” They immediately exclaim that
their child actually is quite bright and has learned a lot. I ask them
to give examples, and they begin enumerating some of the things the
child knows. I dramatically marvel at how knowledgeable the child is,
and express surprise that this was accomplished without curriculum. I
then gently suggest that if their current approach is working well,
perhaps they shouldn’t change course. They have taught much without
curriculum, relying on relationship. This is what the Bible portrays of
discipleship.
Today, most homeschoolers are strongly focused on curriculum. This is a
common question raised when one meets another homeschool family. Imagine
asking Jesus such a question. Jesus was the best teacher of all history,
and yet, from the scriptural account it is clear He didn’t rely on a
curriculum. We don’t even have any accounts of Him leading a Bible
study. Instead, his approach was relational. He called His disciples to
“Follow Me.” He invested time in them, and had them study Him, rather
than focusing on theoretical propositions.
If we follow the model we grew up with, we will try to reproduce the
institutional classroom in our homes. This is a mistake that will become
a huge hindrance to what God intends as His best. He is calling us to
disciple our children relationally, using the Biblical methodology, as
well as content.
{mospagebreak}
Mistake #5: Focusing on Outward Appearance–Neglecting the Heart
We all enjoy hearing the feedback of relatives, neighbors, and friends,
as they comment on the fruit of our homeschool efforts. And certainly we
want our children to display good behavior and project maturity to those
around them. If we are not careful, though, we become addicted to the
praise of men.
God looks on the heart, and wants us to learn to focus there, too. Paul
told us that true godliness is not about what we look like, but it is a
matter of the heart (Rom. 2:28-29). Peter encouraged the women to focus
on “the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a
gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God”
rather than the outward beauty seen more immediately by others (1 Pet.
3:3-4).
When we focus on outward appearances, we typically fall into judgmental
legalism, both of ourselves and others. Rather than harshness, the Lord
calls us to a heart-based gentleness flowing from merciful hearts that
loves God’s righteousness.
{mospagebreak}
Mistake #6: Biblically Principled
We are not typically trained to think in terms of cause and effect. But
the Bible (particularly the book of Proverbs) calls us to connect the
dots of how our actions affect the things we experience. Paul further
warned against the deception inherent in overlooking that “whatever a
man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
There are many families who recognize the possibility of falling into
legalism, and thus react against any emphasis on living life by
principles. In fact, Christianity is about relationship with God rather
than living our lives according to a code of conduct (even a Biblical
code of conduct).
However, there are universal laws of cause and effect that impact our
fruitfulness and happiness. It is not legalism to embrace these “laws.”
It is a huge mistake to neglect the principles God has ordained. The New
Testament warns against “lawlessness” and neglecting principles. Peter
described the oppression resulting from the “conduct of unprincipled
men” (2 Pet. 2:7) and warned against being “carried away by the error of
unprincipled men” (2 Pet 3:17).
Sadly, there are many Christians who have a real relationship with God,
but lack integrity. For example, God calls for His people to be
principled enough to keep their commitments, even when this brings us
loss (Num. 30:2; Ps. 15:4). We are not under the law, but neither are we
to live “lawlessly” (Tit. 2:14).
Such lawlessness is an easier trap to fall into than most people
realize. We certainly need to be dominated by our love relationship with
Jesus in the Spirit. But He also desires for us to love His word and be
instructed by it. The purpose of scripture is to shape our “world-view”
into a Biblical paradigm that interprets every experience in light of
scripture, and anticipates the Lord’s leading according to scripture.
{mospagebreak}
Mistake #7: Led by the Spirit
On the other hand, there are many homeschoolers who are so focused on
living their lives by scripture, and impress this deeply on their
children, that they neglect to emphasize that Christianity is about
relationship with the living God. Jesus told the religious leaders of
His day (John 5:39-40), “You search the Scriptures, for in them you
think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But
you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
Like the Pharisees Jesus dealt with, we can unwittingly focus on the
letter of the law (and our interpretational schemes) that we lose the
life the scriptures are meant to point us to. Christianity is not about
our self-effort to fulfill regulations! It is about a living
relationship where we are actually led by the Spirit. This is not to
deny the importance of being instructed by scripture, but to clarify
that the source of life is in the relationship with God.
Certainly there have been many who have claimed to be led by the Spirit,
and have clearly displeased God. Yet there are also those who have
twisted scripture to derive erroneous “principles” God never intended.
If there is one message in the New Testament that is unequivocal, it is
that the children of God must walk in ongoing communication and
relationship with Him. Paul said (Rom 8:14), “For as many as are led by
the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” He had previously (verse 9)
said, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of
Christ, he is not His.”
It is not enough to know and follow scripture. Paul even argued (2 Cor.
3:6) that “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Paul loved
scripture, but the key issue of the reality of the Christian life was
whether or not someone was living with God in the Spiritual realm beyond
the temporal plane. He told Timothy “the law is good if one uses it
lawfully” (1 Tim. 1:8). When the scripture is used as a replacement for
relationship with God, it is an unlawful use of scripture. The scripture
is to lead us into communion with God.
Paul loved the law, but He knew its limitations. He said, “But if you
are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Gal. 5:18). We must
teach our children to love the scriptures, but we must also teach them
to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Without this
all the scriptural knowledge in the world will only produce death.
{mospagebreak}
Mistake #8: Isolationism
Many homeschoolers have found that the most insidiously negative
influence in their children’s lives comes in the context of their church
experience. God has clearly called us to protect our children. This has
prompted many to withdraw from the vulnerability of what their children
are exposed to in gathering with other believers. This can be a subtle
trap. Proverbs 18:1 says, “A man who isolates himself seeks his own
desire; He rages against all wise judgment.”
God has clearly called us to walk in fellowship with other saints. The
New Testament warns against “forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together” (Heb. 10:25). We are to walk in fellowship with other
Christians, yet we must not lead our children into temptation by
exposing them to ungodly influences. This is a dilemma.
Note that the scriptures do not tell us to “attend” church meetings, but
rather to “exhort one another.” Many people never miss a meeting, but
never experience the mutual exhortation the scriptures prescribe. God
wants us to walk in authentic fellowship with others of His people. John
describes “walking in the light” (1 John 1:6-7) and says fellowship will
result. We must not hide in isolation, but rather find other believers
to walk and confide with.
In the New Testament the churches were dominated by relationships rather
than programs. The fellowship relationships flourished in the context of
home-based hospitality. The apostolic epistles repeatedly call believers
to hospitality. Paul wrote that we are to be “given to hospitality”
(Rom. 12:13). Peter told us to “Be hospitable to one another without
grumbling” (1 Pet. 4:9).
God calls us to avoid isolating ourselves from non-believers, too. We
need to protect our children from vulnerability, yet position ourselves
to “be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the
hope that is in you” (1 Pet. 3:15).
{mospagebreak}
Mistake #9: Short-Sightedness
Wise parents look ahead in the lives of our children. None of us knows
the future, but based on our own experiences and insights, we can
predict the issues our children will face, and prepare them. Proverbs
22:3 says, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the
simple pass on and are punished.”
One of the evils we must foresee is the fruit of failing to direct our
children. Many parents are fearful of their children’s responses. They
become child-centered rather than Jesus-centered. Like Eli, we end up
honoring our We often
When our children are young, we need to be alert to the precedents we
are setting for our children’s futures. We must be assertive in
forthrightly training our sons and daughters. We need to be aware that
the older children will be examples (either positive or negative) to the
younger ones. The younger children will follow in the footsteps we allow
our older ones to walk in. The older ones will unwittingly be part of
the training environment that shapes the younger ones.
Another trap is failing to foresee the negative peer-influence of youth
groups. Our young people certainly need to enjoy Christian fellowship,
but most youth groups are tainted with influences that make the young
people vulnerable to the enemy. Paul says the young men are to be
exhorted to “sober-mindedness” (Tit. 2:6). The young people are
frequently tempted to flirt with experimental romances they will later
regret, even if they succeed in maintaining physical purity.
{mospagebreak}
Mistake #10: Fear of Further Leading
Most homeschoolers recognize that even today what they are doing is
contrary to cultural norms. Sometimes they feel they are on the fringe
edge already, and fearful of what the Lord may lead them to next. In
fact, this is a realistic fear, and tests our willingness to surrender
all to Jesus.
We see other homeschoolers becoming increasingly radical in areas that
seem unrelated to homeschooling. Our natural inclination is to fear the
Lord may lead us the same way. We watch as first it is the mom staying
home rather than having a job. Then perhaps the parents begin to ponder
the family’s diet and opt for eating more healthy foods (first whole
wheat, then home-made, then grinding their own wheat, and so on). Then
they begin considering more natural health remedies (herbal medicines),
and perhaps even opting of home birth of new children. Then maybe the
whole family begins wishing dad would stay home, too. So the whole
family begins exploring ideas for home businesses in which each person
has a role. Maybe the family even opts to begin gathering with other
Christians in a house church.
As we see other homeschool families take increasingly counter-cultural
steps, we become frightened, and at some point draw a line in our
hearts, saying, I’ll never go that far.
God is faithful to take us beyond what we thought possible, but it is a
mistake to fear that He has us on some sort of “slippery slope.”
Certainly we want to guard against eccentricity for its own sake. But
the more in love with Jesus we are, the more abandoned we become in our
commitment to yieldedness. The key is to position our hearts to be open
to whatever He brings to us, with caution as the Bereans (Acts 17:10-11)
who compared everything to scripture, but with open hearts to every new
adventure He wants to lead us in.
Never say “No” to God. Rather, may we all be willing to be taught and
persuaded.
I’m sure there are other mistakes we all make. Perhaps my list will
prompt you to meditate on this question and the Lord will reveal unique
pitfalls your household should avoid. May we all love and learn from His
word, and be led by the Spirit in this pilgrimage, for Jesus’ pleasure &
glory, and our families’ good.
{mospagebreak}
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*** FELLOWSHIP CONNECTION ***
People who resonate with the teaching of our ministry often report that
they feel quite lonely in living out the seemingly extreme convictions
they have come to. Thus we now provide a forum for connecting with
others who share these convictions. We encourage you to exercise
hospitality with Christians you connect with, and focus on your mutual
love for the Lord rather than just your common beliefs or convictions
("like-hearted" vs. "like-minded"). Yet it can be comforting and
encouraging to meet others with similar godly lifestyles.
We are committed to not giving out people's names and contact
information without their express permission. But if you would like to
be listed (by community) in our fellowship connection, just send me a
message with the pertinent details. Or if you see a listing below (or in
a past newsletter issue in our archives at
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BoldChristianLiving/archive>) that you
would like to pursue, send me an e-mail message, and I will forward it
to the family listed, as well as forwarding you their message.
As implied above, I believe looking for "like-minded" people to have
fellowship with can be a trap. We must gather around the Lord Jesus
rather than our distinctive beliefs, convictions, practices, tastes,
etc. What I am to look for is "like-hearted" saints who love Jesus,
rather than "like-minded" believers who agree with me. Our fellowship is
to be based on our joint relationship with Jesus, rather than our
relative agreement on secondary issues.
If I am gathering with "like-minded" folks, sooner or later we will come
to some point of disagreement and have to separate. But if I learn to
"love the brethren" (others who are truly alive in Christ) regardless of
disagreements, we will become increasingly like-minded in the process of
walking together in the light.
Perth, Western Australia
Haymarket, Virginia
Savannah, Georgia
Walnut Creek, California
Covington, Kentucky
San Jacinto, California
Placerville, California
Gympie, Queensland, Australia
St. Louis, Missouri
Nowata, Oklahoma
Montpelier, Virginia
Clawson, Michigan
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We keep track of tapes you have ordered previously, and try to provide
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ask that you at least cover our cost of $1.25 per tape + shipping &
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the books and tapes we sell, with stimulating descriptions of the tapes.
You can order our materials by mail, e-mail, through our web-site order
form, or by phone, for WHATEVER YOU CAN AFFORD. We ask that you at least
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ARCHIVES: I can't respond to requests for previous issues of the newsletter.
However, for past issues of the Bold Christian Living E-Mail Newsletter,
you (or a friend) can quickly & easily find them in our public archives
at <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BoldChristianLiving/archive>. You can
select past issues by date or issue number, or you can search the
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God bless you.
Jonathan Lindvall Lindvall@…
Bold Christian Living http://www.BoldChristianLiving.com
PO Box 820 Voice 559-539-0500
Springville CA 93265 Fax 559-539-0804
…He who has begun a good work in you will complete it… Phil. 1:6
