If you’re starting to talk to your kids about God’s design for marriage when they’re preteens or teens—you might be too late. On FamilyLife Today with Dave & Ann Wilson, Author and pastor Sam Allberry knows parents need key discussions with kids about the ways God’s ideas for marriage get it right.

Jesus modeled servanthood for us.   ~~~   Welcome to another episode of Storybook Homes. Today, you are getting to witness one of the least glamorous parts of my job - trash pick up. I know, I know, not very exciting- but don’t tune me out just yet. This is a side of construction you might never see on popular channels, but it’s both necessary for a safe workspace and, for me, it’s a key component of my leadership strategy. As the General Contractor and Project Manager, my job is to oversee the skilled tradesmen and women I hire to implement the design of the project. I hire most jobs out because quite frankly I do not have the skillset to do it myself. I mean, I wouldn’t even know where to begin to rewire or plumb a house. But, one thing I am fully capable of doing is clean up. Now, I don’t always do the cleaning up myself, but when I have the time I like to do it as a way of showing my team that I am not going to ask them to do anything I’m not willing to do myself. I’m not above getting my hands dirty to get the job done. I also hope that when my sub-contractors see me cleaning up, they will recognize that a clean job site is important to me and they will then be more likely to clean up after themselves. This leadership style was taught and modeled by Jesus during his short earthly ministry. During Jesus’ days, it was customary for the priest to be treated like royalty, waited on hand and foot, and given the best seat in the house. Jesus turned that thinking upside down when he taught his disciples to lead by being servants. In Matthew 20 vs 25- 28 he teaches his disciples: 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus did not just command his followers to practice servanthood, he modeled it. Perhaps the greatest example of this was when we see Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. In John 13 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. Don't you think this image of the Son of God humbling himself to serve them came to mind anytime the disciples were faced with an unpleasant task in their future ministries? What action can you take to model humility and servanthood to those you have been tasked to lead? Let’s follow Jesus’ example and seek ways to put this reminder into practice. Thanks for joining me for another chapter of Storybook Homes.

In the face of constant attacks against the church, we must be uncompromising and rely on the Holy Spirit.   ~~~   We all have a part to play in warring for each other’s deliverance. Saul sent out the message for all the fighters to join him for the sake of this people in Jabesh-Gilead. And you know from our study in 1 Corinthians that every believer that belongs to this church has been given a gift, or maybe better fitting terminology for our purposes today is a weapon to fight the enemy and encourage and build up the church, which, when used consistently makes the people say, “We are glad!” Attacks upon the church are constant, whether they come from within or without. Compromise is not an option. Compromise to the attacks only makes us weaker. We must pursue and depend upon the Spirit of God together. Our posture is never one of comfort or ease in this world. Our posture, although one of being joyful and abiding, is at the same time a posture of warfare. Do we think of ourselves as people who are going to battle together? With one another instead of against one another? Are we going to battle depending upon the Spirit to deliver those who are under attack? Of those who feel helpless, of those who are not sure if there is anyone in their corner who will fight for them, of the hurting, the threatened. Listen, when one among our flock is attacked, we are all attacked. We are family in that sense.  

In the wake of porn addiction, where you do turn? How do you rebuild trust after such intimate, searing betrayal? On FamilyLife Today with Dave & Ann Wilson, Authors Bob and Dannah Gresh share the pervasive realities of their own heartache—and their own rocky path toward healing.

On FamilyLife Today with Dave & Ann Wilson, Bob and Dannah Gresh’s marriage has traveled dark roads of addiction. But they decided to participate in God’s redemption story. Together, they discovered something better than romance: a love that endures, and happily even after.

You’ve found the success you were shooting for. Why does it feel so…disappointing? On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson host Bryan Carter, author of Made to Last, and his wife Stephanie. The Carters share their own story of success, emptiness, and seeking true significance.

You’ve found the success you were shooting for. Why does it feel so…disappointing? On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson host Bryan Carter, author of Made to Last, and his wife Stephanie. The Carters share their own story of success, emptiness, and seeking true significance.

On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson host authors Howard and Danielle Taylor, who intentionally invested in each other, founded a marriage ministry—and then tragedy dealt a gut-wrenching blow. They reveal how their marriage survived, and how a relationship can pull through the worst of times.

Long-lasting relationships don't happen by accident. On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson host Bryan Carter, author of Made to Last, and his wife Stephanie. The Carters share their own story—and how it’s helped them build a stronger forever.

Authors Howard and Danielle Taylor didn’t start out thinking they’d run a marriage ministry. They just longed for an intentional, intimate relationship that would go the distance. Hear how their own challenges galvanized a purposeful, more weatherproof marriage.

No human leader was meant to be our ultimate Savior.   ~~~   The power for the church is not if she has a dynamic pastor, but if the power of the Spirit has a hold on the pastor and church. 1 Samuel 11:5 “Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, ‘What is worn with the people, that they are weeping?’ So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.”   The same Spirit that rushed on the anointed one, Saul, in all of his weakness to give deliverance to Israel, is the same Spirit that resided on Jesus Christ, the perfect and all powerful King. You see, Saul, with all of his faults and shortcomings, helps us to see that no mere man can deliver people from their own calamities and distresses. We need God. We need a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. The Spirit of God led the perfect and willing Son of God to attack the greatest threat to mankind, and that is man’s own sin and the punishment that comes along with it. Jesus was despised and rejected like Saul was. But Saul would ultimately rebel against God. As would all the other kings that would come along, in some way. They were not made to be ultimate kings or saviors. But they made us long for one. And Jesus is that one. He is the one who truly delivers us from our sin, and it is in His Spirit that our strength as churches is found.  

We should live out our love for Jesus by giving Him everything we have.   ~~~   You know what one of my favorite features is of social media? The memories. I love when random memories pop up for me to see. For nearly two decades now we’ve been posting status updates, photos and selfies! With ALL of those posts, pictures, stories and moments in time captured and put out for the world to see, we have LOTS of memories. Aren’t you thankful for the memories? I love seeing my girls when they were little or times I was with dear friends and family. You see, I take A LOT of pictures. Like… A LOT. I love being in the moment and I guess deep down I want to capture it and make it last forever, or at least be able to look back and remember it. I find myself, now that my Dad has gone to be with Jesus, clinging to the memories. As I dig back through photos or as a family we’re going through things, I hold it all so dear. It keeps him close in a way I guess. We tell stories and the moments of his life and legacy live on. We remember. I want my girls to remember. I want them to tell stories of their Pop to their children. I love how Paul said in Philippians 1:3, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” I as well thank God for the moments and the memories. They can shape who we are and how we live our life. In ancient times they did not have camera phones or social media, but they told stories and passed those stories and memories down for generations to come. The Bible, being one complete story of God’s redeeming love for us, from Genesis to Revelation, is made up of 66 books filled with 236 stories. Out of them ALL, there is one in particular that Jesus said would not only be remembered, but would be told anywhere the gospel is preached in the world. Do you know what story it is? It caused a bit of a fuss, but to this day, we’re still talking about it. Mark 14:3-9 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Jesus was about to be betrayed. He was spending precious time with his disciples and dear friends. And this woman, who we read in John 12 is Mary, the sister of Lazarus, knowing what Jesus had told them about his death, did what she could. She took what she had, in the moment she was given with her savior, and she didn’t hold back one ounce. She took this costly, aromatic essential oil and poured it freely on Jesus’ head and feet. The smell filled the room. There is much we could unpack in this story, but here’s what I want you to know today, she gave her ALL to Jesus. And even in the presence of critical disciples, she was only focused on Jesus and this moment of lavish worship. I can’t help but think that maybe as the crown of thorns were being put on Jesus’ head and the nail was being pounded through his feet that maybe, just maybe, the aroma of that oil still remained on his skin. Could it be the memory of that moment brought some comfort in the midst of his pain. I don’t know, but what I do know is her act of pouring out her love for Jesus in this way is not only one Jesus wants us to remember, it’s also her example he wants us to follow. That’s the truth. Dig deeper into this story and don’t only remember it, live it out today as you follow and give your all to Jesus. I'm Lori Cline.

You hope to be grandparenting teens for an impact that lasts. But does it look like what you’d think? On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson host authors Mark Gregston and Larry Fowler, who weigh in on pursuing your grandkids in tough years—in ways that work.

We are constantly surrounded by enemies who want to prey on God’s people.   ~~~   As we finish up reading about the growing animosity from the worthless fellows from within, we are introduced to a new character named Nahash the Ammonite. Nahash brings threats of shame and slavery upon Jabesh-Gilead.. Nahash tells them that he will strike a treaty with them, but part of the treaty will be to gouge out the right eye of each man. This will accomplish two goals. First, it will just bring pure and utter humiliation upon that tribe. It will be a mark that they will have to bear for a generation or two, and will always be known in that way. The second goal that would be accomplished by the gouging out of the right eyes is that it would not afford them to fight in battle. The customary way to hold a shield was to protect one eye or side of your face, while using your other eye to peek around the shield. This could not be done, so it would reduce the men of the tribe to servanthood or slavery. So you have the threat of shame and slavery. And Nahash is so confident in his power and in the men of Jabesh’s, and perhaps surrounding Israel’s weakness, that he allows the men of Jabesh to try and hunt up an army for the next seven days. Can I tell you that we are surrounded by Nahash’s at every turn—people who want to prey on the perceived weakness of the people of God. They want to make a mockery of us as the church of God. They want us to live in fear and guilt and shame. They want to kill, steal and destroy because they act just like their father. The enemy, Satan, wants to silence the church, to render us ineffective. But this is where the story gets good. Now I want you to notice something…there is a tension that has been building since the middle of chapter 10. Samuel said in verse 19—“You have rejected your God who saves you from all your calamities and distresses.” What was the question the worthless men asked about Saul—“How can this man save us?” And what is the request of men of Jabesh to Nahash in verse 3?—“Give us seven days that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” In 11:9 “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-Gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance (salvation).” The question hanging in the air is, “Who will save Israel? Can Saul really save Israel? Can Saul bring peace to the threats from within and vanquish the threats on the outside?” That question is one you should ask? Who can save you? Deliver you day by day? Who can rescue you from the threats of the enemies that surround the church? To find out what happens, join us for another episode of Day by Day tomorrow.  

Those who follow Christ won't truly be home until we are with Him.

Do you ever think about the future and get scared?

Could we trust that God's plan really is better even tho it may require pain and isn’t the easy road?

We stand next to Jesus one guilty and the other innocent and the innocent sacrificed himself for our sins.

Are you in a chapter of your walk where you're not feeling God's presence?

Do you walk around feeling inadequate? Are you constantly shocked that God picked you all people for the job? Do you know that you are exactly where God wants you?

The chains of sin bind us in a place of no joy or freedom.

Ridicule of church leaders is like a virus that spreads if we do not control it.   ~~~   Do you find it easier to ridicule church leaders versus praying for them? When we ridicule others, the real goal is to make ourselves look smarter, braver, wiser, better. Ridicule offers no help, no concern, no compassion, no burden bearing. Ridicule does nothing to move the church forward. It only seeks to derail others while propping yourself up. And ridicule is like a virus that spreads. One person opens up the way to nit-pick and find fault, so others think they have the same right to do the same thing. In 1 Samuel 10 we read where Saul has just been designated as king of Israel, to which a few men quip, “How can this man save us?” They are actually described as worthless fellows. What makes what these worthless men were doing and saying so bad is not so much that they were doing it against Saul the man, but against the one God had just designated as King. We will see in a few chapters, that when David is anointed as king, while Saul is still king, that David never raises his hand against Saul, even when he had the easy chance to do so. This is about recognizing what God is doing, and not trying to undo it in underhanded ways. Threats from within are constant. The threat and reality of division is constant. There were those who looked at Jesus and said, “How can he save us?” And there will be those within the church who look at the church and say, “How in the world can she be effective in the culture?” They will look at the pastors and say, “How can they lead us?” That temptation will be there, for sure, because I am a man of many faults. If you think I am bad, can I tell you that you do not know the half of it. I am far worse than you can imagine. And the real answer to the question is “I cannot lead you.” But there is a solution to that very problem. It is the Spirit of God leading me and leading you.

An important part of our walk with the Lord is Scripture memorization.

Sometimes I think about how crazy it must have been for the disciples to get to be with Jesus.

Do you ever wish you could wear a headset and have someone else telling you what do to and say all the time?

Once we were dead, and now we are alive in Him.

God is with us in our journeys even when bad things happen.

What we ask for is not always what we need.   ~~~   1 Samuel 10:5 In verse 5, Samuel says to Saul, “After that, you shall come to Gibeath-elohim (hill of God), where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophet coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flue, and lyre before them, prophesying. Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you!” So on the hill of God is a garrison, or a group of Philistine soldiers. When you get there, Saul, the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you are to do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. That is a strange phrase, isn’t it—“do what your hands finds to do.” What is Samuel getting at in telling Saul this? Well, we see a similar phrase in Judges 9:33, and there it has to do with military advancement and attack. Could this be why Samuel mentions the Philistine garrison? Here is an opportunity, Saul, for you to have faith in God, the power of God upon you, and let him move through you to attack the enemy, from whom you are to deliver your people. But we do not hear of that taking place. We see a little bit of military might later on in Saul’s career, but here it seems we get a sneak peak on what it is going to be like in the majority of Saul’s reign, and that is that Saul spiritually yellow. He is a spiritual coward, unwilling to trust the LORD’s presence and power in his life. So Israel is getting what they asked for, but it is not at all what they need.

So If you have ever lied, stolen, cheated been disrespectful to your parents. Then you're not good enough to get to heaven. But here’s the encouragement!

There is hope & purpose in Jesus.