Home. Ahhh. Unpacked and relaxed. Christmas music officially allowed on the stereo (one of the Windham Celtic Christmas CDs) and Noel is decorating/wrapping. The tree will be up tomorrow. Even though I have my two sermon/two class Lord’s Day (plus interviews) in front of me, I am excited about the first Sunday of Advent. Listened to two messages by Gregory Nichols, one of the preaching elders at Trinity Baptist in Montvale, N.J. Very searching and earnest application, the weakness of my own preaching, for obvious reasons. It is painful to put myself directly in the line of fire. Preaching tomorrow on the geneology in Matthew and the “Big Picture” that stands behind the name “God with us.”

Denise and I spent a lot of time discussing how we will want to relate to future sons/daughters in law. So important to build the right kind of relationship from the outset. Especially to let your adult children be adults, and to not treat them as children. (Where they can come for advice and encouragement, but not to act like children and escape from their own mistakes by blaming the spouse and knowing you will always believe them. )Also important to have a relationship with the prospective spouse built on the understanding of what you have invested in your children and what you want from them and for them. I want to have the kind of relationship where being Dad as authority figure, Dad as spiritual example and Dad as helper and advisor can all be together in one person. I want the prospective spouse to know that to have my blessing and my friendship will take more than just wanting to have sex with my daughter. I make a great friend, but I also can be a determined adversary and I will not sell out my commitments to accomodate someone else’s. I want to be a rock in every way that matters.

Also really felt the effects in the lives of our family of a lack of Gospel preaching. Liberals are one thing to talk about, but when you see what they do to the lives of people with their replacement of the cross with political crusades, it breaks your heart. The foundation of recovering from failed marriages and failed parenting and so much else is the honest knowledge of our own sin and the hope that comes from the Gospel of the cross. Without this, we are left to blame, and drown in our petty pride, and look to psychology- a waste of existence- for answers. The answer is who and what we are TRULY as rebels made in God’s image and what we are TRULY as people for whom Christ died and who have hope only in the Gospel. Liberalism leaves the hopeless with no hope except their own goodness, or psychology or political salvation. I truly can agree with the damnation of ministers who are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Quite moved by the new Sara Groves CD. More later.