By: Jeremy Berry I sat on the edge of the bed; my heart was pounding as I watched my hope seemingly unravel. There was a deep anxiety and even fear in what I witnessed. For months I heard that this could happen, though I never thought it would. Of course, only being 17 years of age, what could I do? I stared into the 13-inch television, waiting, sweating, pacing, anything to keep me from yelling. The rest of family was asleep. How could they sleep!? How could they not care about what was happening? Then suddenly, the inner chaos went silent. I almost stopped breathing as all of my senses w ..read more

By: Jason Cook The following is a poem I wrote reflecting on the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15: 11 – 32. It is part of a larger series of poems I have written about fatherhood and faith. Where is Your Dad? I love you son, The Father cried.  I want what’s mine, The son replied. My heart is broken,  Son, just stay. And then the son ran, Dad, I have to go away.  The days pass by, All without joy.  How will he make it? Where is my boy? The days pass by, Home just before the sun. Finally, free from Him, Life has just begun. Reckless abandon,  Until the fund ..read more

By: Olivia Meade The beginning of the book of Genesis paints a beautiful picture of God’s character through his act of creation. In Genesis 1, we find a list of all the good things God made. Then, Genesis 2 offers more precise detail of this good creation, particularly the creation of man and woman. We read of a garden full of beauty, goodness, and truth. All seems to be well—nearly perfect—until it isn’t. We all know what comes next in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve disobeyed, and sin marred their sweet communion with both God and creation. When God asked what happened, Adam answered, “The woman ..read more

By: Josh Tucker Honor your father and mother. Fathers, bring your children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:1–4). The most natural means of Church growth is the family unit. God commands man to be fruitful and multiply. One of the primary purposes of the institution of marriage is the propagation of the church through the natural means of generation. Raising children is one of the most important of God’s commands. There is no future for a marriage, church, community, or nation that does not produce children. Christians ought to give serious thought to the first of G ..read more

By: Matt Meade As I’m writing this, we’re preparing our oldest daughter to start public preschool in one month. I can’t believe I’ll soon see my firstborn child put on sneakers and a smile as she walks away from us and into the care of another human for the day. It’s a melancholy feeling—excitement mixed with uneasiness, fear, and sadness. I grew up in Lincoln County, West Virginia. Back then, there were four high schools in our small county. My graduating class had about 30 people. For us, there was no thought of alternative education; most of us only had public school as an option. Fast ..read more

By: Jeremy Berry I am a product of a divorced home and my two homes were drastically different. When I lived with mom, the word “random” really is the most fitting description for each day. We were not disciplined on breakfast or bedtime. When mom gave a time for when she would be somewhere or be home, it was more of a general time frame, always an “ish” tagged on. On the other side of my life was my father. A military man who had the saying, “If you are not 15 minutes early then you're late.” There were strict times to awake up, to lay down, dinner was at 6, and you get the idea. It was ..read more

By: April Bennett   In my best moments as a homeschooling parent, I remember that education should engage my children as holistic beings in relationship with their creator, and not as brains to be filled with facts and skills. I have the privilege of sharing with my children the good, the true, and the beautiful—God’s fingerprints in the world—and the story of the gospel. We are called to bring up our children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4). Homeschool is not the only way to work toward this, but it has been a life-giving choice for our family. Homeschool a ..read more

By: Jeremy Berry Nothing splits the parenting world like discussing discipline and spanking. A hot topic once, but by this time most have retreated into their corners on where they stand. One side glares across the room and sneers at the spankers, essentially classifying them as child abusers. The other scoffs at who they view to be soft, offended that they seemingly let their kids lead in their house. I know the presumptions are unfair, but they are present whether we like it or not. Not that I want to reignite this debate, but it is a question that I get more often than you think. Rather ..read more

By: Corey Bonasso Any parent will tell you that choosing the right school for your children is not always an easy task, and many parents stress over these decisions almost constantly. Parents ask many questions because of the uncertainty over school choices—questions like, “Should I put my child in a private Christian school?” or “How can I protect my child from worldly influences if I put them in public school?” or “Is sending them to a school even the right choice if I can homeschool?” These are all valid and important questions, and this article marks the beginning of a new series in wh ..read more

By: Will Basham Every church is unique. The members and leadership create culture within their local church and make decisions on orthodoxy as well as orthopraxy. This article concludes our series entitled “Errors of the Faith,” where we’ve examined some of the dangerous doctrines some churches choose to stand on. This erroneous footing may seem like it does not compromise the gospel, but in actuality, these errors inherently lead to an ultimate compromise of the gospel message and true Christianity altogether. Pride month is upon us, and June has become an all-out declaration of embracing ..read more