Building Faith Families with Steve Demme

When Jesus was baptized, the audible words from His Father were: “This is my beloved Son.” With these five words Jesus knew He belonged. He was God’s Son. When we receive Jesus, and believe on His name, we are each given the right to become children of God. We are adopted into the family of […]The post #3 of the “Be” Series – Belonging appeared first on Building Faith Families.

In an age when we are bombarded with the media encouraging a spirit of discontent, God patiently reminds us to not covet, but be thankful, and “be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5) Subscribe to the Building Faith Families podcast on iTunes.The post #2 of the “Be” Series – Be Content appeared first on Building Faith Families.

Being thankful is a fruit of our faith in an all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing God. Subscribe to the Building Faith Families podcast on iTunes.The post #1 of the “Be” Series – Be Thankful appeared first on Building Faith Families.

Hymnbooks were a regular part of Christian worship for over one hundred years. But when D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey first ministered in England the only music they had was found in a scrapbook of Sankey. The songs which he sang were so popular people wanted to have a printed copy. Listen to the podcast […]The post The History of Hymnbooks and Neander’s Valley appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12 KJV). “Hymns will get you through the night.”- E Elliot “Never doubt in the DARK what God told you in the LIGHT.” V. Raymond Edman. Dr […]The post Hymns – Affirming Truth. I Know Whom I Have Believed appeared first on Building Faith Families.

What do these people of faith have in common? God met them in the valley. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) ”Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain […]The post Joni – Jacob – Fanny appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“Many of the churches my husband Lars and I visit on our travels seem to know nothing of the great old hymns that have instructed, comforted, and enriched the church for centuries. Hymns constitute a crucial part of worship … Hymns will get you through the night. In January of 1956, when five women were […]The post A Note From Elisabeth Elliot & The History of “It is Well with my Soul” appeared first on Building Faith Families.

Fanny Crosby wrote: “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been […]The post Hymn Histories appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“Love one another: just as I have loved you,” (John 13:34). The Father beautifully and perfectly loved on His Son. The Son then wonderfully and fully loved us. As we receive and marinate in this divine affection, we are equipped to love our own children in a similar fashion. Subscribe to the Building Faith Families […]The post God’s Design for Families – Part 4 appeared first on Building Faith Families.

The only perfect father-son relationship which has ever existed is between God the Father and Jesus the Son. How did the Father love His Son? As we seek to understand this wonderful loving dynamic, we get a glimpse of how to love our own children. Subscribe to the Building Faith Families podcast on iTunes.The post God’s Design for Families – Part 3 appeared first on Building Faith Families.

As parents seek to teach their children diligently and live a Christian lifestyle in front of them, God’s word calls parents to love Him with all their heart, soul, and might, and have His word on their own hearts. When we are in love with God and His word, we are prepared to teach our […]The post God’s Design for Families – Part 2 appeared first on Building Faith Families.

What is your vision for the family? How do you understand the role of parents in discipling your children? What one scripture or scriptural principle has influenced your parenting? Join us as we consider how the word of God guides us on our understanding of the Christian home. Subscribe to the Building Faith Families podcast […]The post God’s Design for Families – Part 1 appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17) “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Subscribe to the Building Faith […]The post Thanks Giving And Giving Thanks appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22) I know of nothing else I desire more, when setting out to work with God, than His blessing. You can have the best business plan and be very diligent in applying all the biblical principles we have studied, but […]The post The Blessing Of God appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“On the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:2-3) Working […]The post A Day Of Rest appeared first on Building Faith Families.

There is merit in working with one’s hands. “Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12) Subscribe to the Building Faith Families podcast on iTunes.The post Dirty Hands appeared first on Building Faith Families.

As Christians, we are living for Christ. When it comes to entering into a partnership with an unbeliever, my advice is to avoid it all costs. This alliance will not work. We are living for different gods. I would also suggest that you be prudent and cautious entering into partnerships and binding contracts with a […]The post Yoked appeared first on Building Faith Families.

To co-sign means to sign along with someone else. The contract will now have two signatures, yours and your friend’s. By cosigning you and your friend are committing to pay back the loan with interest. The reason your friend is asking you to cosign, is because the bank does not think your friend is a […]The post Guard Your Signature appeared first on Building Faith Families.

In place of shortcuts to have our needs met, consider many of the scriptures in Proverbs that magnify diligence and warn against laziness. “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who […]The post Standing Before Kings appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“Whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:20b). Be wary of “get rich quick” schemes. If they seem too good to be true, they probably are. Be more concerned with the condition of your heart if you are pursuing “get rich quick” schemes. “He that hastes to be rich hath an evil […]The post Becoming Rich Quickly appeared first on Building Faith Families.

God is just and fair. “A just balance and scales are the LORD’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.” (Proverbs 16:11) And He appreciates fairness and justice in our dealings with one another, and He has very definite opinions about unfair business practices. “Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an […]The post Just & Fair appeared first on Building Faith Families.

Being led by the Spirit of God is my last piece of purchasing wisdom. It is definitely connected to praying and asking God for assistance, but it is more about understanding how God directs us, and speaks to our hearts. Being led is one of the many benefits of having a God who knows how […]The post Purchasing With Peace appeared first on Building Faith Families.

You have heard “haste makes waste”. Here is the scriptural basis for that idiom. “Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’” (Isaiah 28:16) Salesmen understand […]The post Purchasing Carefully appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:3) Many older translations use the word ‘lusts’ in place of ‘passions.’ Another word which can replace lusts or passions, is ‘desire,’ or ‘strong desire.’ We all are familiar with strongly desiring things or objects. One of the […]The post Purchasing With Discernment appeared first on Building Faith Families.

When making major expenditures, such as a car, a home, or furniture, there are four concepts which assist me in making a wise and godly decision. The first is prayer. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) […]The post Purchasing Begins With Prayer appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions” (Malachi 3:8). Tithes belong to God, and generally are returned to the church in which you are a member. Contributions are in addition to the tithe. But where and to whom do we […]The post Giving Through Contributions appeared first on Building Faith Families.

“As you excel in everything … see that you excel in this act of grace also.” (2 Cor. 8:7) The Corinthians were being exhorted to receive a particular kind of grace, the grace to give. The fact that we can become a giver, by asking for the grace to give, is very encouraging. It is […]The post The Grace Of Giving appeared first on Building Faith Families.

Giving is the fruit of a redeemed life. The evidence of a heart transformation is an open wallet. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be. Conversely, where your heart is, there will your treasure be. I was told of a tight fisted individual who was converted and baptized. He became a wonderful example […]The post Giving from a Redeemed Heart appeared first on Building Faith Families.

Debt is a spiritual issue. My primary concern with spending beyond my means, with my out-go surpassing my in-come, is I am presuming upon the future. Presume means to take for granted that tomorrow will be the same as today. “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such […]The post I Owe I Owe, It’s Off to Work I Go appeared first on Building Faith Families.

It seems that the majority of problems that a married couple will face are related to money. Conflicts arise about who makes it, who spends it, how it is spent, should they go into debt, and what are their long term goals concerning retirement, etc.I would hope that most of these questions would be discussed at length and in depth BEFORE you get married. This allows you to be pulling in the same direction. Some will say such deliberations are not “spiritual” (I may have said that when I was 25, sigh), but recall the scripture on the front of this book.“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)

Two of the reasons I work are to provide for my family now, and leave an inheritance for the future. Saving money for the future encompasses physical assets and a spiritual legacy.“Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.” (Psalm 112:1-3)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)There is certainly a balance between being a diligent provider and living by faith. These are not in opposition. Unfortunately it took me a while to learn this lesson. Before I was a Christian, if I needed money I worked for it. After I rededicated my life to serving the King, I began reading books about godly men and women, like J. Hudson Taylor and George Muller. There I began learning about the life of faith, or praying for your needs to be met.

“But if any provides not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever”. 1 Timothy 5:8 (ASV)This passage is speaking directly to caring for widows, but it also sums up what is obvious and should not have to

“Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:9-10)Work is good. God called man to be a steward and tend the garden which He created. Tending a garden is work. It is the task of a steward. And since this command to work in the garden was given before the fall, we can assume man was created to labor, and this labor was good.

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10)Whether you are a supportee or a supporter, endeavor to support those who are serving in the church and in other ministries as you would want to be supported if you were in their position.

When you are living for Jesus, all that you do is for God’s glory. It doesn’t matter what you are doing, as long as you are doing it unto the Lord. In the divine economy, work was created by God and is therefore good. Even before the fall of Adam, he was still given the task of tending the garden. Yes, “sweat” and “toil” are added to work as a result of the curse, but work is good (more on this in another lesson). May God set us free from the lie that some jobs are secular and others are sacred.

Thanksgiving is a special holiday set apart to give thanks. Like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day which are one day events, we are subsequently reminded to honor our parents throughout the year. Similarly, Thanksgiving is a gentle reminder to be thankful every day.

“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10)

Part two of a joint podcast with Heidi St. John. I have had the privilege of spending time with Jay and Heidi St. John at conferences over the years. She is a true kindred spirit and advocate for the Christian family.

Part one of a two part podcast I did with Heidi St John. Heidi is a popular speaker at conferences and has been a friend for may years. During this broadcast she interviews me as we discuss the good news of God’s liking us.

There is unmistakable teaching in scripture that God sometimes blesses his people with material things. For those that do have wealth and have been blessed with material possessions, it is wise to remember Deuteronomy 8:18, “You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.”But never mistake a lack of material “blessings” as some kind of indication that God is not blessing you or doesn’t care for you. That is clearly not taught in scripture.

The word heart, as used in scripture, does not represent the organ responsible for distributing blood throughout the body. Neither is it to be interpreted as a passion or emotion. Rather, it is the very essence of who we are. It is the inner man.“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)

I believe the best defense is a good offense and if we focus on the positives we can ward off the negatives. Instead of examining ourselves regularly to see if we are coveting, I suggest we take the opposite tack and pray to be content. The character trait of a Christian who is free from coveting, is contentment.“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)

Notice, money is not evil, the love of money is. So why is the love of money such a stumbling block? As Christians, our primary calling is to love God with everything in us. Anything which takes away or diminishes our devotion to Christ has to be examined. Jesus is our wonderful Lord and compassionate master. We cannot love or serve two masters, nor do we want to.

God is King over all the earth. He appoints His children to be faithful stewards of all that rightfully belongs to Him. We are not owners but careful managers of His possessions. “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2)

This weekend I had the privilege to speak at the state homeschool convention in Portland, Oregon. On Friday I had a few men’s workshops and offered The Christian Home and Family Worship for free to those who would commit to reading it within thirty days of the the conference.Saturday morning one of the dads informed me he had read the entire book on Friday evening. And before he left for the second day of the convention he spent some time with his eight year old daughter. He asked her if there was anything she would like to share with him so he could pray for her.

In The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien there are seeing stones or palantiri. These stones could not show false images, but they could select which images were seen to create a misleading illusion of the state of the world. Our own media chooses what we see and without being aware, we become discouraged and lose hope. But this incomplete picture is not accurate because it leaves out the main player, our Great God.His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom which is irresistibly growing for “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). If we only watch what the world and the devil want us to see we will have our minds poisoned unto despair as did Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. But if we, like Aragorn and Gandalf, see the whole picture, we will continue to press on, with a hope that is secure and cannot be shaken.

This week I spoke to a gathering of leaders of successful family businesses. Although I had attended meetings of this nature in the past four years, this was the first time I had spoken to such a group.I was a little stressed as I was not going to share a success story of the best way to pass on your business to the next generation, for I felt I had made most of the mistakes a founder can make. In fact my text was “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25)

We're celebrating our one hundredth episode with a look back over the past two years.

After death comes life. Resurrection follows crucifixion. God rebuilds us and this process, this journey, continues as we grow in our understanding of grace and the good news. As we appreciate afresh the goodness of the gospel, we also understand more about the nature and character of God Himself. The good news is good, because God is good.