I’m curious. What type of relationship did you or do you have with your earthly father? I have asked this question dozens of times to different groups of men and women with surprising results.

She was referring to a comment I have made many times as a father. I have stated that the pinnacle of success for me would be to one day receive one of those sappy, mushy plaques that talks about what a great dad I am…from children that really mean the words. I guess in this modern age of social media, today I received my first plaque.

This is a blessing to watch. What are you going through that you would have never asked for, but have no choice but to endure? You can choose to embrace the unknown by trusting God, or you can become bitter and resist the great things He can do through suffering. I look forward to watching as God continues to develop Colt McCoy’s life.

One question I’ve been wrestling with since I’ve been at Moody is what the local church in America should look like. Since being here I’ve received some opposition towards the way Grace does church in Clarksville. I’ve gotten lots of questions like: Do small groups provide accurate means for discipleship? Is the governmental structure too corporate, and as a result too secular? Do topical messages truly teach the Bible? Should the environments be tailored for believers or non-believers?

Today my role very quickly switched from pastor to dad. I was in a meeting preparing for a potential new ministry our church is considering. We were talking future, big dreams, ministry, and new ways of helping people. I love thinking Kingdom-building strategy.

Most parents want to develop a close, lasting bond with their children that goes beyond the years a child lives in the home. Having a relationship with children that transcends time begins early in a child’s life as the heart of the child bonds with the heart of the parent.

Most Christian parents want to encourage their children to mature spiritually, but they do not know how. I am not an expert at this and I am still learning, but my boys are incredible men of God and they sincerely seek after Christ into their young adult years. Here are some thoughts for producing children who desire to grow spiritually:

Taylor, one of my 18 year-old son Nate’s best friends, is going to Wheaton University this fall. I am excited that he will be an hour away from Nate who will be at Moody Bible College. I wrote a blog about their friendship a couple months ago. Read that post HERE. I had coffee this morning with Taylor, because he is leaving this weekend for an extended and unusual college orientation.

This is video two from our student ministry mission trip to New Orleans. God is using them this week. As you know, this is my personal blog, so aside from my role as a pastor at Grace Community Church I am also a dad. I am very proud of Nate Edmondson this week. You’ll see him in this video in the gray shirt teaching with his hands. He loves teaching God’s Word. I love him loving to teach God’s Word. God has great things planned for him. He leaves in a few weeks for a new adventure at Moody Bible College. Prayers appreciated…

I love this video with LV Hanson and Darren Whitehead from Willow Creek. I want my boys to watch this. You should too.

Thanks to Brad Lomenick for pointing me to this.