Steve's Blog Archives

One definition of strict is “extremely severe or stern.”  As my kids like to say, “Not!”  Let’s get one thing clear, extremely severe is not what makes for a good family.  Extremely severe fathers ruin their children’s lives. 

Men who stay the course, to quote the old hymn, “stayed upon Jehovah.”  And guys who are stayed upon Jehovah consistently do four things.  They stay in, they stay close, they stay away, and they stay alert.

In a nutshell, ministry begins at home.  My first responsibility is to my wife and my second is to my kids.  So let me ask you a question: if you get tied up with some woman who isn’t your wife, what kind of ministry are you going to have to your wife and kids?

God is not in the business of asking us to consistently neglect our families in order to further His Kingdom.  How about it, guys, how are you doing with your family.

Every child needs a father who is a moral beacon.  A good dad shines through the fog of confusing messages and temptations.  He models a moral standard by his life and behavior. He isn’t perfect, but he is consistent.

Samuel Goldwin, the powerful chief at MGM, once called his staff together after six straight box-office flops and said, “I want you to tell me exactly what’s wrong with me and MGM, even if it means losing your job.”

There was once a judge in the Wild West who had the strange custom of offering condemned criminals their choice between hanging and the big black door.  When the day of execution arrived, the judge went to the prisoner’s cell and presented the option.  “What will it be,” he would ask, “the rope or the big black door?”

The story is told of the old Persian ruler who wanted to impress a visiting dignitary.  He showed his guest a glass cage in which a lion was resting comfortably, next to a little lamb.  The visitor couldn’t believe his eyes.  How can a lion coexist with a lamb, he asked? 

Like a fine restaurant, every home has an atmosphere. Generally speaking, the atmosphere of your home is one of two kinds, constructive or destructive. In other words, are people in your home built up or are they torn down?  Construction or destruction? 

I once transferred into a new high school and got spotted during a physical education pick-up game by the varsity basketball coach. He approached me in the locker room and asked me why I hadn’t tried out for the team.

Guys, there’s good reason to be strict and consistent in our roles as dads. If you bend to every breeze that blows by, you’re sending a harmful message to your children.

In his classic book MERE CHRISTIANITY, C.S Lewis has a chapter called, “The Greatest Sin. With his characteristic insight and clarity, Lewis demonstrates that pride is the greatest sin. Not sexual immorality, not the love of money, but pride.