What often passes for science is merely philosophical presuppositions clung to with religious fervor. Science is a method for investigating reality. Materialistic Darwinism is another false religion.

A stunning admission from Harvard genetics professor Richard Lewontin:

“Our willingness to accept scientific claims that are against common sense is the key to an understanding of the real struggle between science and the supernatural. We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs . . . in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.” [1]

[1] Richard Lewontin, quoted in Gregory Koukl, Tactics, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019), 207–208.

Join us for a Good Friday Worship Service at 6:30pm.

Our Spring Midweek Prayer Services meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 6:30pm.

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

The Worth A Look feature in the blog is meant to bring helpful resources to your attention. Here are three that are worth a look:

Considering Our Gatherings: Why Sunday Worship Is “Required” by Ihor Zhakunets (podcast w/audio)
Excerpt -- "This does not mean there won’t be emergencies, illnesses, or unexpected events that disrupt our schedule. But because this gathering is “required,” we joyfully treat it as such. As Nate Pickowicz wrote, “Church should be your excuse for missing everything else.” A helpful (though not perfect) rule of thumb is this: if I wouldn’t skip a day of work for it, I probably shouldn’t skip the Sunday morning church gathering for it."

Freedom From Porn by Matt Timmons (a new book Lucerna Press)
Though lust has been a problem since the fall of man in Eden, the current availability of pornography has made the external temptation to lust ubiquitous—with snares waiting at every turn. The majority of men and an ever-rising contingent of women have been ensnared by pornography. But for the Christian, freedom from porn is possible and available in Jesus Christ. This short book is a biblical guide to such freedom. Matt Timmons, a pastor and biblical counselor, outlines the key elements God uses to set his people free from sin.

Easter Isn't Pagan by Wes Huff (video)
"It's commonly asserted that many of our modern Easter traditions — including the name of the celebration itself — have pagan origins. This idea, although popular on the internet and in popular shows, when actually dug into (much like the accusation around the pagan origins of Christmas) really start to fall apart."

Our Spring Midweek Prayer Services meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 6:30pm.

Men of MHC join us for a special Leadership Training meeting (with guests Sean Demars and Samuel Sey) from 6-8:00pm (dinner provided) at 10720 Memphis Ave, Cleveland, OH 44144.

Join us for this one day conference on ethics. Our speakers include Sean DeMars (pastor, Glory Community Church & Room For Nuance Podcast) and Samuel Sey (author, https://slowtowrite.com/).

The conference will also include micro sessions on: Abortion, IVF, Gambling, Euthanasia, Therapy Culture, Homosexuality, Transgenderism, Pornography, Politics, Immigration, and Education.

Join us Saturday, March 21st from 9am-4pm as we think, learn, pray, and fellowship. A boxed lunch and snacks are included in the registration price. We will also be giving away over 100 books throughout the day that have been provided by some generous partners.

Read this short story from Greg Koukl's book Tactics. Then, consider signing up for the Core Class based on the book beginning March 1st.

THE WITCH IN WISCONSIN

"Several years ago, while on vacation at our family retreat in northern Wisconsin, my wife and I stopped at a store in town to get some photos digitized. I noticed that the woman helping us had a large pentagram—a five-pointed star often associated with the occult—dangling from her neck.

“Does that star have religious significance,” I asked, pointing to the pendant, “or is it just jewelry?”

“Yes, it has religious significance,” she answered. “The five points stand for earth, wind, fire, water, and spirit.” Then she added, “I’m a pagan.”

My wife, caught off guard by the woman’s candor, couldn’t suppress a laugh, then quickly apologized. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just that I’ve never heard anyone actually admit right out that they are pagan,” she explained. She knew the term only as a negative one used by her friends yelling at their kids: “Get in here, you bunch of pagans!”

“So you’re Wiccan?” I continued.

She nodded. Yes, she was a witch. “It’s an earth religion,” the woman explained, “like the Native Americans. We respect all life.”

“If you respect all life,” I ventured, “then I suppose you’re pro-life on the abortion issue.”

She shook her head. “No, actually I’m not. I’m pro-choice.”

I was surprised. “Isn’t that an unusual position for someone in Wicca to take—I mean, since you’re committed to respecting all life?”

“You’re right. It is odd,” she admitted. Then she qualified herself. “I know I could never do that,” she said, referring to abortion. “I could never kill a baby. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt someone else, because it might come back on me.”

Now, this was a remarkable turn in the conversation, for two reasons. First, notice the words she used to describe abortion. By her own admission, abortion was baby killing. The phrase wasn’t a rhetorical flourish of mine; this was her own description.2 I did not have to persuade her that abortion takes the life of an innocent human being. She already knew it.

What she didn’t realize, though, was that her candid admission had given me a leg up in the discussion, and I was not going to waste that opportunity. For the rest of the conversation, I abandoned the word abortion. It would be baby killing instead...

Second, I thought it surprising that her first reason for not hurting a defenseless child was self-interest—something bad might befall her. Is that the best she can do? I thought. This comment was worth pursuing, but I ignored it and took a different tack.

“Well, maybe you wouldn’t do anything to hurt a baby, but other people would,” I countered calmly. “Shouldn’t we do something to stop them from killing babies?”

“I think women should have a choice,” she responded quickly, without thinking.

Now, generally statements like, “Women should have a choice” are meaningless as they stand. Like the statement, “I have a right to take . . .” the claim requires an object. Choose what? Take what? No one has an open-ended right to choose. People only have the right to choose particular things. Whether anyone has a right to choose depends on what choice they have in mind.

In this case, though, there was no ambiguity. The woman had already identified what the choice amounted to: baby killing, to use her words. Even though she personally respected all life, including human life, this was not a belief she was comfortable forcing on others. Women still should have the choice to kill their own babies.

That was her view. She did not state her conviction in those words, of course, but that was clearly what she believed.

When bizarre ideas like these are implied, do not let them lurk in the shadows. Drag them into the light with a request for clarification. Make the implicit idea explicitly obvious. That is what I did next.

“Do you mean women should have the choice to kill their own babies?”

“Well . . .” She thought for a moment. “I think all things should be taken into consideration on this question.”

“Okay, tell me: what kind of considerations would make it alright to kill a baby?”

“Incest,” she answered.

I was not surprised by her response, since the line is part of the pro-choice playbook, but I don’t want you to miss something significant here.

This dear young woman was advancing her view by trotting out standard slogans in favor of abortion: women have a right to choose, all things should be taken into consideration, incest justifies abortions. Yet in this case, her slogans did not defend abortion in the abstract but explicitly promoted baby killing.

The fact hadn’t registered with her, though, because her slogans were getting in the way. She was simply reciting her lines without thinking. However, you can see that from where I stood, the conversation was starting to sound a little weird.

This happens all the time, of course, on both sides of the aisle. We trot out our pet slogans—whether secular ones or Christian ones—letting our catchphrases do the work that careful, thoughtful conversation should be doing instead. The habit often obscures the full significance (or ramifications, in this case) of our words.

I decided to take the conversation one step farther, hoping to break the slogan spell.

“Hmm. Let me see if I understand your view,” I said. “Let’s just say I had a two-year-old child standing next to me who had been conceived as a result of incest. On your view, it seems, I should have the liberty to kill her. Is that right?”

This last question stopped her in her tracks. Though the notion was clearly absurd, it was also clear that she was deeply committed to her pro-choice convictions. She had no snappy slogan to respond with and had to pause for a moment to think about the corner she had backed herself into. Finally, she said, “I’d have mixed feelings about that.” It was the best she could do.

Of course, she meant this as a concession, but it was a desperately weak response. (“Killing a two-year-old? Gee, you got me on that one. I’ll have to think about it.”)

“I hope so,” was all I had the heart to say. At this point, I noticed a line of customers forming behind me. I realized our conversation was interfering with her work, and my brief opportunity had come to a close.

True, I hadn’t gotten to the gospel, but that was not the direction this conversation was going. This wasn’t a gospel moment but a gardening moment that involved a vital moral issue. It was time to abandon the pursuit, entrust her to the Lord, and move on. My wife and I finished our transaction, wished her well, and departed."

Join us beginning March 1st, 10:50-11:20am for an 8-week Core Class where we will aim to sharpen our conversation skills as ambassadors for Christ. Register and receive a free copy of Tactics!

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

Our Spring Midweek Prayer Services meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 6:30pm.

All MHC members are invited to join us from 10am-12pm for a mini-conference discussing how Family Ministry partners with parents to prepare children for baptism and church membership. We will split the morning into three twenty-minute talks:

Preparing Your Children for Baptism - Chuck Bokisa
The Process of Baptism and Church Membership - Ihor Zhakunets
Post-Baptism Discipleship - Oleh Zhakunets

Ever feel stuck or unsure in gospel conversations?

Join us for the spring Core Class called Tactics beginning March 1st, based on the book Tactics by Gregory Koukl. Learn how to ask better questions, think clearly, and keep gospel conversations moving forward—with grace and confidence.

If you want to talk about Jesus more naturally and thoughtfully in today’s culture, this class is for you.

Register to receive a free copy of "Tactics"
 
Core Class is a discipleship class that meets Sundays at MHC for 30 minutes (10:50-11:20am) between the Ukrainian and English worship services.

Sunday morning worship is primarily about the people of God gathering for the worship of God. But it also presents evangelistic opportunities of which we ought to be mindful. (1 Cor. 14:23) The following are three evangelistic opportunities most Christians have every Sunday morning.

Invite Someone to Church
Use the Sunday morning worship gathering to expose people to the gospel. Technically this opportunity needs to be taken advantage of before Sunday morning, but it fits this list because the bulk of the engagement with the gospel will take place on Sunday morning.

It is possible for every Christian to make this a regular routine. During the week, call or text a friend and ask them to join you for breakfast and church or church and lunch afterwards. At a basic level, all you are doing is asking a friend, family member, or co-worker to spend time around an activity that is important to you.

On an evangelistic level you are inviting your friend to see God’s people worship, to hear the Bible explained, and to see you engage with Christ and his church. Not only will they observe all of this, but this shared time can also open the door to evangelistic conversations. “So, you do this every week?”, “What did the lyrics of that song mean?”, “The pastor seemed very worked up about the Bible…” So, invite someone to church this Sunday.

Talk to New People in Church
Another evangelistic opportunity that presents itself most Sunday mornings is that you can meet new people at church. This Sunday take time to look around for someone you don’t know. Maybe it’s someone you haven’t seen before or just someone you’ve never talked with.

God in his wisdom has brought that person into the doors of our local church. Let’s not squander that opportunity. To be clear, this won’t necessarily be an opening to share the gospel right then and there – though that may happen on occasion. But it will be an opportunity to represent Christ and his church, to show hospitality by our engagement, to get to know names, to find out how people are doing, to invite folks to a discussion group or answer questions about the church, and to begin building a relationship in case the person is there again next Sunday. So this Sunday talk to someone new in church.

Pray During the Sermon
Rather regularly at Mercy Hill Chapel the sermon takes an evangelistic turn. What I mean is that not only is the preacher talking about gospel content but he is addressing unbelievers directly.

Some of us may be tempted to tune out at this point, but let me encourage you not to. You can use this time to celebrate the gospel as it is rehearsed again. And, you can use this time to pray for the unbelievers in the room who may be engaged in an intense spiritual battle at that moment.

Pray. Pray for the preacher as he heralds the gospel message. Pray for the unbelievers listening. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be working the miracle of new birth. And, pray for God to give you opportunities to follow up with people after the sermon. This Sunday pray for the preacher as the gospel is proclaimed.

Most Sundays there are more opportunities than we realize. More work than workers. More ministry than ministers. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few…” (Matthew 9:37) Let’s get to laboring.

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

Our Spring Midweek Prayer Services meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 6:30pm.

MHC Members join us for the first member's meeting of the year at the new time: 4:30pm on Sunday, January 25th.

The Worth A Look feature in the blog is meant to bring helpful resources to your attention. Here are two that are worth a look:

Christmas Isn't Pagan and Here's Why by Wes Huff (video)
Wes Huff dispels some common myths about Christmas traditions.

Keeping the Heart in Our Christmas Traditions by Kristin Tabb (article)
Excerpt -- "When our traditions help our hearts to draw near to the living God, they are a tool functioning rightly. But when our traditions distract our hearts from the true purpose of Christmas — adoring Christ the Lord — then it is time to reevaluate and perhaps to repent."

Why Does It Matter that Jesus Was Born of a Virgin? by Kevin DeYoung (article)
Excerpt -- "The virgin birth is part of what Christians have believed in all times and in all places, and it is a key element in what it means for the incarnation to be “for us and for salvation.” We ignore the doctrine at our peril; we celebrate it to our benefit and to God’s glory."

Join us for the Christmas Carol-Sing! We will spend the evening singing and worshiping both in English and Ukrainian. Come sing with us!         

Join us for a Christmas Eve Worship Service at 6:30pm!

In three short blog posts, I hope to introduce three words that help set vision and define norms for our gatherings at MHC. I first heard Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman use these words in the context of their churches and found them helpful—and I pray they will be useful for ours as well.

Required
This is how we should view Sunday morning corporate worship: it is a required meeting. There are both biblical and practical reasons we elevate this gathering to “required” status.

Biblically speaking:

1. The Lord’s Day gathering has been the church’s ongoing celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ since the earliest days of the church (Rev. 1:10).
2. This kind of regular, habitual gathering is explicitly commanded in Scripture (Heb. 10:25).
3. Gathering for worship and mutual encouragement is part of what it means to be a church. The word we translate as “church” in the New Testament is the Greek word ekklēsia, meaning “the gathering” or “the assembly.” Yes, there is more to a church than gathering, but it is certainly not less than gathering.

Practically speaking:
This is an agreed-upon meeting that our church can plan around and that members can guard on their calendars. This gathering is an essential and explicit part of membership. For this reason, it is included in the church covenant that every member affirms: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” This line primarily refers to the Sunday morning worship gathering.

Brothers and sisters, the “required” status for Sunday morning worship means that, whenever possible, we should join the gathering. It means we plan vacations, trips, work schedules, and family events around the Lord’s Day gathering of the church.

This does not mean there won’t be emergencies, illnesses, or unexpected events that disrupt our schedule. But because this gathering is “required,” we joyfully treat it as such. As Nate Pickowicz wrote, “Church should be your excuse for missing everything else.” A helpful (though not perfect) rule of thumb is this: if I wouldn’t skip a day of work for it, I probably shouldn’t skip the Sunday morning church gathering for it.

The next two posts will cover two other types of church meetings: members meetings and group meetings. For the sake of both summary and preview, here are the words that correspond to each:

Sunday Morning Worship = Required
Members Meeting = Expected
Group Meetings = Encouraged

See you Sunday!

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

Our fall Midweek Prayer Services meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 6:30pm.

MHC members please plan to attend the Members Meeting on Sunday, November 30th at 6:30pm.

The Worth A Look feature in the blog is meant to bring helpful resources to your attention. Here are three that are worth a look:

21 Biblical Truths Your Children Need to Hear Regularly by Ihor Zhakunets (article w/audio)
Excerpt - "How much of this list would be new to your kids? Would anything on this list surprise your children?"

The Five Solas (a new book from Lucerna Press)
This short book unpacks the five historic phrases that marked the Reformation.

What is the difference between Catholics and Protestants? (video)
Happy Reformation Day!

Our fall Midweek Prayer Services meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 6:30pm.

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

Join us for the 5th annual Reformation Celebration — Sunday, October 26 at 6pm!

Location: Community of Hope Lutheran Church
1435 W Royalton Rd,
Broadview Heights, OH 44147
Please RSVP ASAP!

Leftover sermon notes from "The Insanity of Pride" (September, 28th)

This quote on pride from Iain M. Duguid didn't make it into the sermon. But it is helpful, insightful, and worth sharing.

"...looking away from oneself is the essence of true humility, and the means by which we can distinguish it from the counterfeit form. Counterfeit humility may confess cringingly, "Oh how worthless I am," yet its eyes are still fixed on itself. In counterfeit humility, I am caught up in my weakness rather than my strength, but I am still as focused on myself as I was in my pride. True humility, in contrast, looks away from myself to heaven."

It feels volatile out here. It’s understandable why. Iryna Zarutska’s look of horror before her death is haunting and her murder is revealing some significant rot in our justice system. And now yesterday a 31 year-old husband and father was assassinated because of his Christian faith and political views. The murder of Charlie Kirk is clear evidence of the rot of ungodliness in our culture.

What does God’s Word tell us about how God’s people are to process and respond to the rot of sin? At least three principles to remember:

Remember to be angry and do not sin.

It’s right to be angry with sin. By all accounts Charlie Kirk was a genuine and devoted follower of Christ. He was a husband. He was a father. He was a young man. He devoted his life to engaging people with ideas that would lead to human flourishing. He regularly shared the good news about salvation in Jesus Christ. He took the moral stances of Scripture seriously and tried to convince others to do the same. He was murdered. Be angry.

But do not sin. (Eph. 4:26) We should pray for the authorities to catch the assassin and to punish him to the fullest extent of the law (Rom. 13:3-4) but we should not seek vengeance (Rom. 12:19). We should feel and express the pain of injustice but we should not return evil for evil (Rom. 12:17). We should be clear-headed and straight-forward in our condemnation of evil but continue to walk in the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit. 

Remember it’s worse than we know.

Isolated evil events are symptoms of the greater disease. When viewed through the lens of Scripture we should remember that this is not merely about political discourse, radicalization, mental health, or any other of the presenting symptoms. This is about sin. This is about the radical corruption of human nature. This is about creatures rebelling against their Creator. 

Isolated evil events are also flashpoints in a great cosmic war. The apostle Paul writes, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). Satan is at work to diminish the glory of God. He wants to stop the spread of the gospel. He wants to silence God’s Word. He wants to make sure the salt doesn’t reach the rot and the light doesn’t reach the darkness. He wants God’s image-bearers to suffer and dishonor their Creator.

This is bigger than we often imagine. These are flashpoints in a war between heaven and hell. In light of this the Christian’s most powerful and productive course of action is to share the gospel. To Attack the gates of hell with good news that Jesus Christ can restore rebels to a right relationship with their Creator. The preaching of the gospel will deplete the ranks of Satan and bring glory to God.

Remember to pray.

Pray for the Kirk family. Pray for Charlie Kirk’s church. Pray for Turning Point USA. Pray for justice. Pray for righteous leadership. Pray for the fear of God for our country. Pray for peace. Pray for the return of Jesus.

Just pray? That’s all. If you are a follower of Christ, there may be much that you are called to in response to the rot. We are, after all, to be salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16). Our responses will vary depending on our vocations, spheres of influence, personalities, and spiritual gifts. But we are all called to pray and then respond in obedience to God.

If we are dismissive of prayer in situations like these, it may be that we truly don’t realize just how bad it is out here. It may be that we don’t see the evil of sin. We should work toward righteousness, just laws, a moral society, but we should pray and pray fervently for Jesus to return and bring the peace and justice that only he can (1 Cor. 16:22). Pray his promises and live with the assurance that he who promised is faithful.

It feels volatile out here. But “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

Our fall Midweek Prayer Services meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, beginning Wednesday, September 10 at 6:30pm.

A new Core Class called, "Knowing Sin" begins September 14th!

Core Class is a discipleship class that meets every Sunday at MHC for 30 minutes (10:50-11:20am) between the Ukrainian and English worship services.

At times the discipleship of our children is formal. Most of the time it is informal. Most of the time it is done during the normal course of life (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Often it is accomplished and even effectively so, in the margins of our lives; during the drive to school, cleaning up after dinner, while brushing teeth, etc.

With this in mind what follows is an informal catechism. A list of 21 biblical truths that our children need to know. And because they need to know, they need to hear them regularly. They need to hear them sitting in your house, walking by the way, lying down and getting up (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). They need to hear them in the car, around the dinner table, and before bed. This also means that we, parents, need to be diligent in teachings our children these truths.

The list is not exhaustive or systematic. Much more could and should be taught. Not everything on this list is equally important but everything on this list is necessary for passing on a Christian worldview. Use this informal catechism with this goal in mind.

21 Biblical Truths Your Children Need to Hear Regularly

1. God wrote the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16)
He guided men to write down exactly what he wanted and because of this there are no mistakes in the Bible.

2. God is invisible but he is more real than anything else that exists. (Acts 17:28)
Nothing else can exist without him.

3. God is triune. (Matthew 28:19)
There is one God who eternally exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It’s ok if young children do not understand this as much as they will when they are adults. But this vocabulary will later help them as they begin to organize theological truths in their minds. Hearing this regularly will also help to develop a theological immune system in kids so that they can avoid cults, many of which deny the Trinity.

4. Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man. (John 1:1 & John 1:14) Not half God and half man but fully God and fully man. 100% God and 100% human but one unique and amazing Savior.

5. Every person deserves to be punished by God in hell because of their sins. (Romans 6:23)

6. Jesus Christ died on the cross and then rose again from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

7. On the cross Jesus took the punishment for the sins of all who would believe in him. (1 Peter 3:18) Jesus is the substitute for and the representative of his people.

8. God gives people new spiritual hearts so they can think and act in a way that glorifies God. (Ezekiel 36:26)

9. Salvation is a gift received by faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) You cannot earn it. You do not deserve to be saved.

10. Jesus is coming back and will judge the world. (2 Timothy 4:1) For Christians this is great news that should bring joy. For non-Christians this is terrifying news that warns them to seek salvation.

11. The church is a group of God’s people that get together to worship God and help one another follow Jesus. (Hebrews 10:24-25) The church is very important to Jesus and should be very important to his followers.

12. You can pray to God anytime and anywhere. (Psalm 139:4) He hears everything.

13. Not everything you hear, read, or watch is true. People make mistakes and often lie on purpose. (1 John 4:1-6) We need to check everything with God’s Word.

14. God wants you to listen to your parents. (Ephesians 6:1)

15. A Christian cannot marry a non-Christian. (1 Corinthians 7:39)

16. A boy cannot marry a boy and a girl cannot marry a girl. (Genesis 2:24) That is silly. Only when a boy marries a girl can they have children and that is one of the main reasons God established the idea of marriage.

17. God designed boys and girls differently for an amazing purpose. (Genesis 1:27) When God made you a boy/girl he made you that way on purpose with a plan.

18. Trying hard to do something well brings glory to God. (Colossians 3:23-24) On the other hand being lazy is a sin.

19. God hates it when we lie. (John 8:44) Every time we lie we are actually acting like the devil.

20. Life is short. (Psalm 103:15-16) Unless Jesus comes back during our lifetime we will all die soon.

21. God is in control of everyone and everything. (Psalm 115:3)

Much more could and should be added to this list. Dad, mom, how would you extend this list? How much of this list would be new to your kids? Would anything on this list surprise your children?

So, whether we use this list during family worship times, as quiz topics during road trips, or as a list of things to study together, parents, let’s get to work for the glory of God and for the eternal good of our children.

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

Join us Sunday during the Sunday school period (10:50am - 11:20am) for a Missions Prayer Meeting as we hear updates from our missionaries and pray for their ministries and gospel work around the world.

August marks the beginning of the 2025–2027 small group season!

If you haven’t RSVP’d for a small group but would like to join one, please let us know as soon as possible. 

Small group leaders will begin reaching out to their members and will start meeting sometime in August.

The Worth A Look feature in the blog is meant to bring helpful resources to your attention. Here are three that are worth a look:

Intentional Fatherhood: A Purposeful Approach to Guiding Our Daughters in Dating by Brandon Philip (article)
Though not everything from Philip's article may apply in your situation there is much wise advice for parents to consider.

Excerpt -- "Fathers, if you are not already doing so, I urge you to have intentional conversations with your children. Talk to them about the importance of being discerning and purposeful when considering whom to marry."

A Legacy of Light by Chuck Bokisa (article w/audio)
Excerpt -- "Bless the world and be a light to your neighbors by teaching and training your children."

If You Want to Be Sanctified, Rehearse Your Identity by Sean DeMars (article)
Excerpt -- "If you have a malformed or underdeveloped understanding of your identity in Christ, you’ll stunt your Christian growth."

Join us Sunday during the Sunday school period (10:50am - 11:20am) for a Missions Prayer Meeting as we hear updates from our missionaries and pray for their ministries and gospel work around the world.

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training gathering from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

We begin a new sermon series through the book of Daniel!

We will also begin a new 7-week Core Class called, "Foundations for Personal Evangelism!"

Core Class is a discipleship class that meets every Sunday at MHC for 30 minutes (10:50-11:20am) between the Ukrainian and English worship services.

MHC members please plan to attend the Members Meeting on Sunday, July 27th at 6:30pm.

On our recent visit to the City of God Church in San Juan, Puerto Rico, we had the opportunity to sit down with Pastor Hector and ask him a few questions about the challenges and blessings of ministry in the past season. Take a moment to hear from Pastor Hector.  

Pastor Hector along with Pastor Felix are a tremendous blessing to the Island as they number among only a few healthy Gospel churches in the region. They are also involved in larger gospel networks that help to equip Spanish speaking pastors all over Latin America.

Please keep pastors Hector and Felix in your prayers as we pray and explore opportunities to support gospel work in their part of the world.

Join us for an 8-week Summer Bible Study through the book of Colossians at MHC. The study will take place on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., beginning on Wednesday, June 4. Everyone is welcome! We just ask that you RSVP ASAP so we can make appropriate arrangements.

Drop off your students for Friday Night Bonfires in June (7-9pm)! All children who are currently in 3rd grade up through Summit are welcome. We'll play games, enjoy s'mores, sing, and spend time together! Students may bring their own blankets or chairs.

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training gathering from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

Last summer, I took my family to the circus. We saw things that truly made our jaws drop. In fact, I’ll never forget the faces of my children when dogs came onto the stage upright and riding scooters. It was amazing. But there was one thing that was even more surprising. All around us, children were going bananas —throwing fits, running up and down the aisles, screaming, trying to get onto the stage, and all of them missing the incredible show taking place right in front of them. There was an entirely different circus inside that tent and it was one that was far less entertaining.

In at least five places in Proverbs, Solomon urges his son to be obedient (Proverbs 1:8-9, 3:1-2, 13:13, 16:20, 19:16). One could throw up his hands, get frustrated, and yell at the children inside the circus tent saying, “Why don’t you guys just obey your parents!” However, that’s not the tactic that Solomon uses in Proverbs. His son’s obedience is obviously important to him, but he never beats his son over the head with it. Instead Solomon, who is not afraid to spank his son when he disobeys (Proverbs 23:13-14), takes a different route that never goes out of style.

While there are specific verses that speak about obedience, the whole first part of Proverbs is an example of a parent discipling his child. You cannot walk away from a serious reading of Proverbs and be unclear about the wisdom he is dispensing. It’s straight to the point and direct. At times, it is uncomfortable. But that’s not to say that it isn’t loving and patient.

Children need to be taught and trained—they need to be discipled. So parents need to teach and train—they need to disciple. In the five verses about obedience listed earlier, he essentially repeats the same message. Solomon understands the human heart of his son is wired to forget instruction. With love and patience, he repeats his instructions over and over again in a way that is direct and cannot be misunderstood or confused.

“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” Proverbs 1:8-9

The standard is set and the reward is promised.

Obedience is the Reward
There is a reward that we can promise to children for their obedience and it’s way better than a piece of candy. Solomon calls the obedience of his son, “the garland on his head and the pendant on his neck.” Every occasion for a child to obey is like an Olympics where the world can see their gold medal and crown on their head. It is their glory. Obedience is their reward.

The way we might have thought about obedience in children is that it is something that must be rewarded because adhering to rules is something that a child will never enjoy. But what olympian, standing on the podium with garland on his head and a medal around his neck isn’t beaming with joy. Solomon claims that obedience IS the reward. It is a reward for the child and a reward for everyone around them.

But how? How is obedience a reward? There are at least two ways.

First, a child that has been trained to be obedient and taught to love their obedience is a blessing to the world. A microcosm of this is a children’s choir. If you’ve ever seen a children’s choir, Christian or not, it is an amazing thing to experience. Dozens of children, following directions, working together, staying focused, and singing loudly. Those children are not only expected to stay on key and sing when their part comes, but also taught to love it. Pretty much every children’s choir on America’s Got Talent makes it to the second round because they are universally loved. The same is true when this is taught outside of a choir setting. Obedience is a blessing to everyone around the child and this is a powerful thing. Think about the circus performers who have spent years training and crafting their show. Think about how exasperated they might feel when they perform in front of a group of children who want the show to be all about them. But an obedient audience of children encourages the best performances out of performers who are happy to share their skills with them.

Second, Jesus Christ’s obedience was his glory. God the Father highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name because of His obedience (Philippians 2:1-11). Christ’s obedience was His reward. The comparison is undeniable between Solomon’s urgent instruction to his son and the example set by the Son of God. When children are taught to both be obedient and love their obedience, that is fertile soil for the Christian faith to flourish.

Our Legacy of Light
Our primary legacy as Christians is our Christian children. While chasing a legacy is never the goal, it is the effect of a life that has been stewarded well.

Earlier this school year, I took a class of third grade students on a field trip to President James A. Garfield’s house and estate in Mentor, OH. The tour and activities were led by the National Park Service rangers. After the tour, the students were split up into groups and given a challenge to go throughout the museum and collect facts for a timeline that would be put together in the main room. The park rangers told me, with a bit of a sideways groan, that no school had ever finished the timeline and and asked if we would make sure the students followed directions. Then the park rangers took a deep breath and set my class free in the museum.

The students eagerly set off to work on the challenge. They asked for help. They helped each other. Within minutes, they finished the entire timeline. The park rangers were so flabbergasted that they didn’t actually know what to do to fill the remaining time.

After the field trip was over, three of the park rangers and their supervisor pulled me aside to thank me for bringing the students. They said that they tour school groups of all ages every single day and none but our group of third graders was able to complete their timeline. It wasn’t because it was hard and our students were just that smart (though they are smart). It was because they followed directions when other students refused to do so. The park rangers shook my hand and had beaming smiles on their faces as we left.

One day, Lord-willing, these children and our MHC children will be unleashed on a world that desperately needs Christ. Light going out into darkness. A crown and pendant of obedience to Christ adorning the hope that is inside of them. This is the legacy of light that we are working towards when we put forth the effort, administer the discipline, and lift up the prayers necessary to make it happen. Bless the world and be a light to your neighbors by teaching and training your children.

Men of MHC join us for our monthly Leadership Training gathering from 6-7:30pm (dinner provided).

A new Core Class called, "The Lord's Prayer" begins May 18th!

Core Class is a discipleship class that meets every Sunday at MHC for 30 minutes (10:50-11:20am) between the Ukrainian and English worship services.

Join us for a Memorial Day Picnic at 3pm. Please invite your family and friends!

Join us for an 8-week Summer Bible Study through the book of Colossians at MHC. The study will take place on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., beginning on Wednesday, June 4. Everyone is welcome! We just ask that you RSVP ASAP so we can make appropriate arrangements.