When people argue about whether or not an infant can be baptized, they aren't clarifying what they believe baptism "is" first. If baptism is a statement of your faith, yeah, an infant can't articulate that. That would be silly.

If baptism is a work God does FOR you, as he adopts you into his family, then yeah, infants get adopted all the time. For that matter, people who are mentally disabled, or unable to articulate things can be included too. It's more inclusive, because it doesn't depend on your ability even a little.
1/4 I've grown up Lutheran, but I attended a non-denom/Baptist church for about 5 years in there. What I notice is that when baptism is a proclamation of faith, just a symbol, the pastor and congregation are "proud of them" for taking such big step in their faith. All the accolades go to that person.

The stress is on the individual's faith. It's on their individual decision.

When baptism is something that God does FOR you, bringing you under his name, you come helpless. In fact, Jesus says we need to receive him like a little child. Not only can they receive it, they are the EXAMPLE of how we must receive faith. We were just sitting there helpless--all glory to God.

And while God saves the individuals, look at the Old Testament and you see he came for families. He came for nations. He came for people groups. The idea of "believer's baptism" thrived in the American environment of individualism.

Moses didn't leave the babies on the other side of the waters until they were old enough to walk across themselves.

2/4

As I have 2 adult children who will be able to vote in the next election, we talk about it a lot. I want my advice to outlive me, so we usually don't talk candidates, we talk voting principles:
(I'll add more as I think of them) 1) An educated voter knows what authority is given to the office a candidate is running for. Candidates research your fears and make promises accordingly.

Does the office they are running for actually give the authority to keep that promise, or are they just making stuff up?

I'm typically reluctant to give parenting advice, but I've been thinking a lot since our oldest is now in college, and all 6 of our kids are DIFFERENT. Boys and girls, laid back kids, kids with sensory issues, etc.
So why not. Here's what I know, and can stand by:
🧵 Each stage has a big issue. How do I get my baby to sleep? How should we discipline? Where should my kid go to school? Should my kid have a phone? In every stage, there's experts saying IF YOU GET THIS WRONG YOU WILL SCREW UP YOUR KIDS FOREVER.

It's scary, and intense.

Ok, my Bible reading suggestions:

1) keep both personal and communal reading. If one has to drop, don’t drop the communal. It’s not just Jesus and you. You are part of a body. The Bible has a historical/church context. 2) if you struggle to concentrate, try audio listening. I like the Dwell app. You have to pay, but you get to pick not-annoying voices.

Ever since our lead pastor was diagnosed with leukemia last year, the elders have asked our associate pastor to look for areas to delegate, and we've hired multiple people part time for newly created positions. One of the jobs that was created was we now have a parish nurse.

1/ Our parish nurse is a young woman who is in seminary full time as she prepares to go into mission work in Africa. Her background is an RN, and ever since she was hired, I hear so so many people in my church talk about how she advocated for them, she explained things to them...
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Last Saturday I got to share with the women at a church about how Christ is for us, and the gospel is for Christians too. I’ve been pondering what one woman—who has been a Christian her whole life, told me afterward.

1/ She said with tears in her eyes, that we forget how much we need to hear the gospel, and then when we finally hear it, it’s sweet relief as we realize all the things we are carrying that we were never meant to carry.

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As someone who has been homeschooling for about 12 years now, I have met many families who homeschool because they want to insure their kids grow up Christians. I get that. Logistically, there is so much more TIME to disciple your kids when they're around that much.
1/ I'm a fan of talking to your kids throughout the day about our faith, about our God, and most of all, what God has done on our behalf. These conversations are beautiful. I don't think you have to homeschool to get them, but different families have different situations.
2/

Through my book, people are sometimes concerned that I’m downgrading the importance of spiritual disciplines. On the contrary, they are good, but the means in which we encourage people to do them are often bad.

We think “A” is good. Let’s use any means to get people to do “A.” But the means matters to God, especially when the means is putting rules on people he never put, encouraging people to use their own strength, making them question their salvation because they don’t have the strength, and…

This morning my 10 yo daughter and I dropped in at the old church my husband and I went to when we lived in the twin cities. We went to this church through our engagement, early marriage, and had our 1st 2 kids here. Not gonna lie, I cried.
1/ Most the older people were still there. So many big hugs. These people threw me a bridal shower, and baby showers, when they barely knew me. They loved my babies in the nursery. They invited us to their homes.
2/

Recently after one of my Gospel Mentoring trainings, I was talking with a woman in her 60s. She told me she was struck by one of my questions: "Who was an older woman in your life who pointed you to Christ?"

"No one in my group had an answer," she said.

1/ She continued, "Thinking back, we were taught to grit our teeth and bare anything. We were taught how to be good. We were taught to do the things godly women should do without complaint. No one talked about the gospel. We weren't taught to reach out for help from the church."

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One of the things that homeschooling my kids has taught me is how much various education philosophies have infiltrated the church.

Modern education philosophies driven and funded by the tycoons like Rockefeller and Ford, wanted education to be practical and direct.
1/ They didn’t want thinkers, they wanted workers. They wanted people who wouldn’t form unions, who followed orders, did their job. At this time, the classical approach which focused on developing logical rhetoric was dismissed for more profitable, practical skills.
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Those celebrating a mega church meeting without social distancing or masks or other precautions, saying that everyone there has freedom to stay or go, likely doesn’t understand the mega-church culture.

I went to Harvest Bible Chapel when I attended Moody Bible. I’ve seen this. Do you have any idea what it’s like to hear an amazing orator preach every Sunday? A person wrote books that have changed your life? You get all the feels of conviction and understanding during sermons. You start to believe this man is the very voice of God.

When we use terms like “law and gospel” it’s important we define it. In the last few years I have asked women’s ministry leaders what law and gospel means.

1) the Old Testament is law, and the New Testament is gospel. ❌

1/ 2) the law is the things God tells us NOT to do, and the gospel is what God tells us we MUST do. ❌

Titus 2 tells the older generation to teach the younger what accords with sound doctrine.

Women’s ministries rarely can differentiate law and gospel. They often focus on DO

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