The family is under attack. That is not news to anyone that is reading this blog. Today we have learned that the government is making it possible for a girl of any age to buy the morning after pill over the counter. This is great news for those that put no value on the life of a baby in the womb.

The Boy Scouts have now said that they will allow homosexuals to be a part of scout troops. We have now thrown out the part of the Scout law that encourages boys to keep their lives morally straight. This is only the first step to the Scouts giving in totally to the homosexual agenda. They will not stop until they have homosexuality accepted at every level. In my estimation, this is the end of scouting as we have known it. It is a real tragedy.

These issues and many more only put more pressure on the family. There is a great need for the family to be able to live for Christ in a completely secular world.

But, no family is perfect. All of us have our issues. In many cases the issues have become so common that we have surrendered and settled for less. That does not have to be the case. The Lord wants to do some great things in your home and mine, but we must pay careful attention and make every effort to live for Him.

This month we are offering three classes on Wednesday night designed to help the family in some critical areas. Most of us are facing pressure in these areas and if you are not, someone who is dear to you is.

I want to encourage you to take part in these classes at 6:15 in “The Rock”.

• Courageous Families – Media: Learn to navigate today’s digital universe. Everyone could use this and it absolutely critical for parents. If you think you have a hold on it, you are probably mistaken. Taught by John Leathers
• Courageous Families – Finance: How can you survive and prosper in today’s economy. You feel you cannot get ahead but there are some biblical principles that can make all the difference. Taught by Roy Renard and Brian Osburne
• Contagious Families – Family Conflict: Every family deals with conflict at some level. We are often thinking of the status quo rather than a solution. By using Biblical principles we can protect and improve those relationships that are dear to us. Here is a hint; It starts with you rather than the other person!

These will provide some real help. Come with your questions and a desire to improve in these areas. It will be worth your time.

The ABBA prayer group is a group of men that have been meeting for twelve or thirteen years on the first Saturday morning of every month. They meet at Ryan’s at the Dorman Center at 7:30 a.m.  They have a time of fellowship, share prayer requests, pray together, and have breakfast together.  I joined them a number of years ago and I try to do that every month. They are extremely faithful and tremendously supportive. They are prayer warriors.  It is such an encouragement to me and a witness to see a group that is so consistent and committed to praying for our church and for one another.  We have a large number of other groups that pray at various times. This happens to be one in which I have been able to participate for a number of years and they have always been an encouragement. I keep meaning to say something about it and I always forget it. They will be meeting tomorrow morning at 7:30 and I would invite anybody who would like to come and join in and be a part of it. I think you will find it meaningful and encouraging.

Sunday we will be talking once again about prayer and the importance of being persistent in our prayer efforts. Even though we may have been praying for a certain situation for a number of years, we can be sure God is hearing our prayers and He will answer and that He promises to honor our persistence in prayer.  In the most challenging times of our lives, we have a tendency to want God to do something instantly.  By being persistent in our prayers, we are allowing God to do some special things in our lives as He responds to our prayers according to His schedule.

Sunday we are going to talk about the importance of asking, seeking and knocking.  Perhaps you have been praying for a particular person or situation for many years…now is not the time to stop.  We’ll see that together on Sunday. I hope to see you there.

Chris  Arp has been coaching for 13 years.  As our Athletic Director and Head Basketball coach at Spartanburg Christian Academy, he has led in  building one of the most successful athletic  programs in the state,  I love to watch him coach.  Last night I had the opportunity to sit right behind our bench and watch him deal with our varsity basketball team.  He is a great coach and I watched how he  puts it all together.  Here’s what I saw:

1. He loves his players and they love him.  It is obvious by the way he talks to them and the way they respond to him even in times of great pressure.  Those guys are willing to work hard to please their coach.  They respect him.
2. He motivates them to do their best.  He is constantly teaching and has created a desire in them to be better.
3. He holds them accountable.  Everyone makes mistakes but Chris does not shy away from grabbing one of the guys and pointing it out.  He then makes it clear that he expects them to work on correction immediately.
4. He shows them the big picture.  He is doing so much more than coaching a team.  Through his coaching he is setting an example of how to be a champion for Christ and that is what our school is trying to do.  Those guys learn that it is more than wins and losses, points scored, or playing time.  When you play for coach Arp, you learn what it means to be a Christian and a  member of a great team.

It was a good learning experience for me and I am so grateful for the impact He has on our kids.