By jimwideman on 8/26/2010 1:40 PM

5. Make choices based on God’s word
Psalm 119:9-16 is an important scripture to know and live!
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 
10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart 
that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; 
teach me your decrees.13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts 
and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

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By jimwideman on 8/25/2010 1:31 PM

4. Model applying yourself.... Do your best! This is something your children need to see as well as hear from you!
• Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might another key scripture is 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
I love how the word used for study in the KJV is translated "do your best" in the NIV. You children need to see this in your life
Why not...

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By jim wideman on 8/17/2010 9:28 AM

3. Model putting God first for your child!
Here are two great scripture you must model as well as pass on to your children.
• Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well
Teach your children to be Kingdom minded and seek a right relationship with God before any other things

• Exodus 20:1-3 And God spoke all these words; I am the Lord you God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other Gods before me.”
Modeling keeping God first is the best way for your children to catch this.

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By jimwideman on 8/15/2010 8:18 AM

2. Take advantage of the time God has given you!
God’s plan for parenting is found in Deuteronomy 6:1-9 let's look at these verses...
1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

Here's what I want you to see...
• Parents set the example spiritually for your children (Model what you want them to do now and later)

• Live consistently and expect your children to do the same.

• Use the time God has given you to talk about the Lord and His word! (When you get up, when you stay at home, when you travel to where you are going, and when you go to bed.)

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By jimwideman on 8/9/2010 11:45 PM

Last Sunday night I taught a lesson to our parents here at World Outreach Church I thought I would share here on my blog entitled "8 ways to empower your child to have the best school year ever!"

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By jimwideman on 8/8/2010 3:18 AM

Two other things that I learned is that droping everything and resting while spending time with family means a ton to your family. At first I think Julie and Whitney didn't know if I was serious about doing nothing or if I would just do a lot of different stuff. I have said before that the good thing about a day off is you get to pick what you work on. I still agree with that but on a vacation it's important to unwind. The first two days where hard but the more I relaxed and did nothing the more excited and energized my family got also. You owe it no your family as well as yourself to take a break on a regular basis.

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By jimwideman on 8/5/2010 11:01 PM

The first thing I learned is that resting is hard. This was the first time in my life that I went on a trip without my laptop. Yes, I had my ipad and my mifi but not havng access to my hard drive was a huge step to let go. To rest you have to be intentional and this means letting go of your need to prove your worth. Anything that's hard requires focus and want to. Not bringing my laptop was a huge step. Making a plan to rest was another key part.

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By jimwideman on 8/3/2010 11:25 PM

 

Well I did it. I took a vacation without doing any ministry. I know that might not be hard for some of you but for me it was a huge victory. Not only did I take a week off from the church but I also took a week off from my blog, infuse 1,2,3, & 4 and all other Jim Wideman Ministries projects.

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By jimwideman on 7/25/2010 11:38 PM

 #7. Identify the things that you are doing that others can do and commit to do the tasks and functions that only you can do. (v. 22-23) Remember all believers can do ministry. They won’t be able to do it as good as you can at first but you weren’t that fabulous yourself when you started. You grew and got better and you need to return the favor. Doing the things that someone else can do for you keeps you from being totally effective.

#8. The proof that you heard is that you do what needs to be done (v. 24)  James 1:22-25  tells us “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it --he will be blessed in what he does. Obedience is always best! Thus saith the Lord always works, it’s so much better than thus saith the seminar speaker or the children’s minister blogger. 

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By jimwideman on 7/24/2010 11:35 PM

 #5. Teach and model procedures and policies (v.20b) There are two questions that every volunteers need to know. What do you want me to do and how do you want me to do it? (Policy and Procedure Manuals are important!)

Here are the steps to follow to make sure you are staffing for excellence. Identify all positions. If people were no problem where could you use a worker. Make job descriptions. Everyone does better when they know what to do. Write all policies based on your desired action. I give everyone each other’s job descriptions and duties so everyone knows what everyone else should be doing.

Be sure and operate by policies, don’t make exceptions on a regular basis, if the policy needs changing, then change the policy.

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