Glenwood Community Church

What makes a mother special? Is it that she keeps her children clothed and well-fed? Or that she is gentle, loving and a good listener?

Although those are good things, it is her children that makes a mother special. A mother is honored when her children know the Lord and honor Him with their lives. A mother who has invested so much of her time and energy into her children is blessed when they honor her by their Christ-like living. We read in 2 John 1:4,

"It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us."  --2 John 1:4

"Some" of her children were walking with Jesus, thus implying that some were not. A parent's duty is to provide spiritual training for the children, but a child may reject that training. Parents have failed only if they have neglected to provide spiritual training for their children in the home. We will be considering the blessings of a godly mother during the Message Time this Lord's Day.

   Do you know people who claim to be Christians, yet do not attend any church?  Their reasoning may be, "I haven't found a church I like".  Or they may say, "I'm against organized religion".  Other people will say, "I don't attend church because Sunday is the only day I have to sleep in".  These are just a few of the excuses for not attending worship on the Lord's Day.  But if people really love the Lord they will want to worship Him with His people on the Lord's Day.  The Scriptures urge Christians to gather with the body of Christ and, even more, to be a functioning part of the church as we read, 

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. "  Hebrews 10:24–25. 

 Love for the Lord and His people will prompt us to be an active part of the body of Christ.  Do you view yourself as a participant or spectator when worshipping the Lord?  We will be considering the blessings of worship during the Message Time this Lord's Day.

When we were Born Again as New Creations in Christ, we were also birthed into the family of God. We are now the children of God having been adopted into His family through faith in Jesus. We are now His sons and daughters. As His children, it is the desire of our Father in heaven for us to be an active part of His family - the church. As the body of Christ, the church is our spiritual family. We need to be an active part of the body of Christ for the church to be healthy and fruitful. Gathering as the body of Christ for worship is important on a number of levels. First and foremost, we gather to worship the One who is worthy to receive all glory and honor and praise. We also gather as the body of Christ to encourage one another. The church is our spiritual support system. We will be counting the blessings of our church family during the Message Time this Lord's Day.

The Family Discipleship Seminar is instruction for parents seeking God's commands and guidance in their parenting roles. Starting with the scriptural basis for the discipline and training of children, the seminar then expounds on general guidelines of disciplining and training children: the do's and don'ts, suggested levels of discipline, and suggested areas of discipline to work on at various age levels. Additional topics covered are: the spiritual development of your child, drawing near to your child, and parenting in the transition years (adolescence and beyond). The success of Christian parenting is dependent on making faith an integral part of life.

The spiritual training of young people must be life-oriented, not just information oriented. Use the context of daily life to teach your children about God. If you want your children to know Christ, you must make Jesus a part of your everyday experience. You must teach your children diligently to see the Lord in all aspects of life, not just those that are church related.

Please pray for the seminar. Be sure to invite your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to join us for this important seminar on the family. Don't allow the everyday activities of life to keep you from this potentially life-changing weekend!