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September 10, 2019 8:00 am
I'm in a tell you that we got people going to be waiting to pray with you and and get alongside you and more importantly, we just wondered celebrate, put our arms around you and we we wanted to we want to get alongside of you. We want to kill the fat to cough and be reminded of that sacrifice of Jesus made all of us. I came back home. I want to say to you, as you pray for those before they leave and often they come back home.
God is in control and he's doing an incredible work and there is a new tomorrow then you die in a new beginning. There were God has an Encouraging Word for you and me today to the Bible-based breaching of Dr. Don Wilton on this edition of The Encouraging Word. What back into this conversation back in this wonderful message from God's word with Dr. Wilson talking about particles both before and after. Because you may be a different stage with your prodigal that I am with mine and as we pray for each other and that we see God work in our own lives, always working in the lives of those that were praying for speaking your prayer if you'd like to have someone praying with you and for you right now. We'd love to be a part of that prayer support team. You can call us at 866899 word that's 866-899-9673.
That number and so many other ways to connect on our website as well. At the Encouraging Word.org now.
Today's message with Dr. Don Wilton. I want to say something to somebody about some of the things that you and I can do before they leave. This is what we need to be doing parents.
This is a special word for you.
This is a special word for parents going to give you some thoughts now they many more and I want to predicate what I'm saying you can do this and you still will never match the pure father's love. Some particles come out of the very-based home. What can you do before your child gets to that time yet are a couple things number one pray a lot just pray a lot. Prayer changes things, pray a lot. I will as long as I can have life. I can remember coming home and I know that my little mama is going to just sit there and cry, but I can remember coming home so angry and discombobulated, rebellious, and I can remember sometimes walking down the corridor door of our home in Africa and as I would go cost my mother and father's bedroom. I could hear a voice and and it would be like a magnet.
I would stop and look through the crack in the door in my little Scottish mother was on her knees and these prodigal use would hear that little mama of mine, crying out to God the son who went from a prodigal to' I can hear the drone coming out of my father's study of my father calling out to the Lord. Pray a lot number two dedicate two babies to the parents look at me, Jesus was dedicated. Baby dedications are not a ritual. Jesus was taken to the temple' that temple took that baby. He prayed number one for the parents. Baby dedications are first and foremost for you and me as parents because we need a lot of wisdom. Bunkley if we don't have wisdom you not you going to do you just going to ring the little fella's neck listen just for the record psych bringing up children.
Sometimes what you really want to do, say excuse me, gunplay in the traffic.
Are you talking to me or are you treating a brick run hot. How do we know how to love and exercise spiritual wisdom. The second thing that he did was that he took baby Jesus and he dedicated him to God the father, you must do that dedicate your children number three impress on your children. The Old Testament is full of that impress the truth of God's word on your children from the youngest age write them on the goalposts folks let me tell you what's up for grabs in America just a little while. I spoke to you about a fresh vision. We were a church that believes in sharing God's truth we stand upon God's word. That's what we do. We believe we need to hear from God. So I don't come here on Sunday mornings and give you a whole lot of little stories and then type God and Jesus out of the cloud somewhere and salt-and-pepper. What I'm going to say and that's happening all over America delights the most popular form of preaching is to just get up and do a whole lot of cutesy things pulled God out of the clouds and give them an honorable mentions some way to make everybody feel better known on sharing truth standing on God's truth means that what we do is we put God's word out there and we ask God to allow us as life group leaders as preachers and teachers to illustrate real-life of God's word because it's God's word that doesn't return void. It's not my word. My word is meaningless. It may be good and it might be wholesome and it might be valuable at a graduation services but it's what God writes upon our hearts impress this on your children. From the earliest I teach them what truth is, it's the truth that sets us free. Folks, it's not our freedom that sets us free.
It's truth.
That's why want all of you to be in life groups you need to you need to be passionate about this with your children. Number four. Establish family devotions member.
This is long before they leave. Establish family devotions the toughest single thing you will probably ever do as parents is to try and establish family devotions.
You know what is everybody's going hundred miles an hour and wait until the ballgame start and the swim meets and the cheerleading and try to get all the family to sit down at the same time and just have a simple little reading.
It's tough folks establish family devotions number five reason together, sit down with your children.
The Bible says come let us reason together, work out your salvation establish that conversation. Reason together.
Number six celebrate phone seizure. Now some of you just going to crack up when I give this to. I believe that there are essentially 123456 major problem decisions that all children go through. Now all you educators man I love about educators that all getting ready to go. Starting back to school tomorrow all those kinds good things we pray for you and some of you great educators you going to know so much more about this than I but I believe that there are six major Trenton season periods in the lap of every child. They are you ready I'm on the Pres those early years. Everything is pre-something is not the Pres, all they previously pre-that they previously pre-that I want you to just think about that word from.
I don't have time to get inside their strong seizure number one is the Pres, you know number two second stage between Queens are not teenagers but they also certainly don't want to be regarded as little children between state between ages.
They caught between a rock and a thousand places they don't know whether they all this all that up or down, or short, where the diaper arrived or just begun and they expect you as parent to treat them accordingly run those all between then you get the T celebrate teams. I better stop right there because I'll get myself in serious trouble. You get the teens but they did the next stage. I call them the preens.
What's the difference between a teen and a pre-when I get to the preens like they spend far more time preening themselves than they do actually going out marriages become very important head drives stuff that you put on your eyes. The rock close designer jeans budgets get affected. Preparation is the name of the game does all the preens very critical stage of development because the preens for the first time, all becoming even more acutely aware of what everybody else thinks but then you get to the next stage, which I called the Kenyans. Now the Kenyans are very interesting.
They just coming out of the preens, but they certainly still preening themselves. They not teens, they certainly not between us. They've gone gone from the Pres to the tree to the teams to the preens. Now they the Kenyans they are going to charge hell with a water pistol. They got the on so that everything in life and they certainly know much more about you life and you do mom. Are you kidding me by know it all very critical Trenton season. Folks if you not celebrating this within you, leaving them to something that your mother is a battlefield that you Kenyans like keen to establish themselves. They came to get to college like keen to get that degree like keen to get the jump bail clean break.
This is everything I mean it's just up and vibrated the ballgame. It's being there on time at job.
Yeah man, you know what I mean.
And then the final stage of child young child older child.
What I called the dream you're listening to Dr. Don Wilton and he's our teacher here on The Encouraging Word joy to be able to share with you these teachings and also share with you opportunities to go deeper into God's word that affect the discipline of being God's word on a daily basis is paramount in the growth of each of us as a follower of Christ. If you like we have a wonderful email.
We can put in your hands that will help jumpstart your day jumpstart my quiet time every morning comes from Dr. Wilton about 6 o'clock in the morning.
It's called the daily Encouraging Word email. You can sign up on our website@theencouragingword.org or pick up the phone right now and call us and let us know you're interested, perhaps in a hard copy we presented together in a bound three-month addition you can have the stick in your Bible are over your visor. I know many friends of mine that this is a way that they pray and get close to God in the carpool line it's available by calling 866899673 that's the hard copy or if you're not ready for that one dive in electronically will send you that email by just texting the word daily to 30500. That's right, just text the word daily to 30500 will send you a link within a few minutes to be signed up and ready all the details of course are our website@theencouragingword.org. Let's get back today's message with Dr. Don Wilton here on The Encouraging Word and then the final stage of child young child older childhood is what I called the dream.
They then get to go and start college. Now you've lost them and they move into the dream state what they going to be how much money they going to be Mike the job they will eventually have an even the crew. The great contract they going to sign with the Dallas Cowboys.
The dream states beautiful freight stage ambitious it standing up straight and screaming all that go the most beautiful thing I've ever met him and to marry her. Everything is this wonderful dream.
It's it's it's reality fused with striving and desired its people standing up parents.
If you just let someone dream without any kind of timeline within which to dream. The dream arrived. I know what happened to this guy that Jesus told us about or he dream took it all and said man I'm going to go over there and bore my going to hit it big time just didn't kinda work out the way he dream he came back home well, there's a lot that we can do when it comes to particles, even the thought. I'm just going to tell you folks. Every family has a potential prodigal and there's a lot you and I can do to mirror the father's love. Now what about when they come back home. You know I called ignore the story. Why did Jesus talk about this big brother. Surely he could just lift that out. I Barajas myself so I want to close today and I want to give you just three biblical nuggets taken from this passage that a very important you ready for this.
When they come back home church.
I want to look at me every person who has sinned against God has me stop is welcome back in this church. Christians are sometimes the worst and especially big brother Christians who really believe that they deserve it all because they never let's never let's never folks become like the big brother I now ask yourself Lord will have the father responded that and these are the three principal ready for them.
Number one.
Explain gracefully if you look at this passage that I've just written verse 31 particular the father.
Realizing this real problem that the brother head with the sun coming back on. He just explained dream gracefully. The operative word here is gracefully because what you're doing is explaining God's grace me tell you, God's grace was the only means by which the oldest son stayed at home and God's grace was the only means by which the younger brother came back.
Let me run that by again. Are you ready for this.
Explain gracefully God's grace was the only reason why the oldest son never left, and God's grace was the only reason why the younger son came back.
It's by the grace of God. Explain it gracefully.
Number two act practically this whole passage is about the practical love of the father, you might want to get lost weeks message. If you weren't able to hear what the father do he saw him and ran to him hugging the head. Compassion kiss to and even took it further. He put a coat on him. He put a ring on his finger. He put shoes on his feet, he killed the fatted coffin filled up his empty stomach act, practically God's grace is not just something that we say it's something that we see. I don't want us to ever be a church where we just talk God's truth. We've got a make certain that people who don't know Christ see God's truth. We must not just know about Christ.
We must do Christ number three close with this, forgive unconditionally, forgive unconditionally, et al. it doesn't the spa squeak. I watched a movie that I didn't know existed.
You never hear me talk about movies.
This was law fraud prepared this mission called the railway men Colin Firth and Englishmen is the act. My wife and I watched this. It was so moving.
That's the story about this man who gets taken captive by the Japanese and as a POW, so to speak. He suffers great torture great torture.
They break his body in the whole movie is flashbacks and how he just cannot shake and how his life comes back together and years later he just school is carrying the scars totally understandable pain of this horrible torture at the hands of his Japanese torturers and in particular, one man in particular in the story of the movie is this man going back to an area in Thailand where he was interred in finding this man in the final scene is so moving with a man so badly torture stood next to the Lieut. Col. 10 balance people that we honor and love and admire and respect so deep in that final scene of that form a POW with these arm around his Japanese torture and the Japanese man bent over and sobbing sign.
I'm sorry, was one but to see that man look into the face of these Japanese torture and say I forgive you.
I don't know that I could do that but by the grace of God. Could you that's what our heavenly father has done for us all askew today to come back. I'm in all askew today to lay it down. I'm in all askew to draw that line in the sand not not for Dawn not for this person, not for that person.
But because of the truth of God's word because of the father's love.
I'm going to invite you to come and all of us have faced hurt and we look back and turns into anger and we suffer, even depression and and we battle with all of these things. These things are some real long thing, but the father's love. It's worth it. It's so with and above all, I want to invite you to give your life to Christ.
Would you do that turn your life over to him, just as you all just come just as you all because the Spirit is calling that's what graces he signed come just as you all not because of this personal back person and for some of you folks. This involves something that goes so deep you were abused as a youngster or somebody see you went through these things are incredibly difficult folks is that it is the hardest thing that what you cannot do that in your own strength.
That's why the father explained disgracefully. He acted practically and he forgave unconditionally.
Perhaps you've heard Dr. Wilton say that before, and perhaps you've been saying okay maybe, but I've got questions, let us discover the answer to those questions in God's Encouraging Word the Bible itself together.
Our phone numbers 866899 word I really do challenge you to jot it down. You shall never need. Perhaps you might need it. Maybe at 2 o'clock in the morning would be happy to be at 2 AM friend for you to pray with you and for you at 866-899-9673 regret it will connect online it keyboard to keyboard@theencouragingword.org that's the Encouraging Word.org before we get away. Dr. Don has a final thought for you could be the most important thing he needs to share today with you.
Are you ready would you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that Jesus loves me and that he died on the cross for me today. I repent of my sin and I can face my sin to the Lord Jesus, and I give him my heart and my life in Jesus name I pray, amen. If you prayed that pray from your heart and you given your life to Christ. I welcome you to the family of God. You are my brother, my sister in Christ. Let's get engaged together because we are connected together for ever as believers in Christ and don't leave whatever you do is I'll be right back that number to call is 866899 word.
We have great resources for you if you just given your heart to Jesus Christ. Let us help get you started. As it is a new believer with resources that will help you grow. Or perhaps you're coming back to Jesus and you need resources to help you stay focused stay true grow deeper roots in your faith. You can find that@theencouragingword.org you can call us right now at 866899673. I just want to say thank you to so many of you who become encouragers to us that The Encouraging Word what's that all about is Dr. Don with details you know in all my years of sitting at the feet of Dr. Billy Graham. He said this to me. He said Don the most important thing in life is to know that you belong to Jesus and then he said the second most important thing is that you know that you belong to Jesus. He encouraged me to write this book totally secure to help you find the audiences to these important questions.
That's why he endorsed this book of mine.
I want you to have a copy of this book. I want you to have the assurance that you are going to heaven. Please pickup of telephone right now and call the number on the screen and request your personal copy of totally secure the Encouraging Word board cost ministries supported by viewers and listeners just like you want to make a difference in the world. So thank you for requesting my book totally secure your financial support enables us to continue moving forward for Christ. That number once more is 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 you can find that number and other ways to connect with us on our website as well@theencouragingword.org, you know, these are such special times together. I'm so grateful my friends that we can worship together like this through the Encouraging Word broad cost ministries and use such a vital part of all that God is doing and I just love you and I want you to know that you know this ministry goes on 24 hours around the clock all the time.
We want to be involved in your life and we want to continue to pray for you. You can call us at any time you can partner with us all the time through prayer and through your giving. We know that you are 100% engaged as we are in sharing God's truth without searching will that's what this is all about. We need Jesus Dunkley God is doing a great work and I love you today. Thank God for you, pray for you. God bless you Dr. Wilton and staff it is my pleasure to share how the daily Encouraging Word played an important role in my recovery breast well having surgery, chemo and radiation treatment. I would find myself with little or no energy + tired I couldn't stay awake long enough to read anything greatly. That is where your precious devotional caning. I can read, pray, God was with me every step that long. That was four years ago and I praise God for his mercy and grace and healing power.
For I am now can safely