Commentaries

Week: December 30th, 2024 - January 3rd, 2025

12/30/2024 - Liberties are The Gift of God

Thomas Jefferson believed that if a nation moves away from its belief in God, the freedom of its citizens will be in jeopardy.

Thomas Jefferson wrote about the importance of always remembering that our liberty comes from God. He wrote these words, which are now engraved on his memorial in Washington DC:

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?

Jefferson’s words reflect what the Psalmist wrote: “Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits…”

The Founders wrote so much about God and government you could have family’s devotions connecting their words to Scripture. In fact, we’ve done it for you. Download our free family devotional, Faith of Our Fathers. Simply visit DOWNLOAD.

12/31/2024 - One Great Advantage

How have the words of Jesus helped America?

John Adams was a leader in the American Revolution and was the second President of the United States. Later in life, he wrote in his diary about the importance of Christianity for the nation he helped create. He wrote:

“One great advantage of the Christian religion is that it brings the great principle of… Love your neighbor as yourself and do to others as you would that others should do to you – to the knowledge, belief, and veneration of the whole people.”

Adams saw that Christianity provided the necessary elements of civil society to, what he described as, “all ranks and descriptions of citizens.”

The Founders wrote so much about God and government you could have family’s devotions connecting their words to Scripture. In fact, we’ve done it for you. Download our free family devotional, Faith of Our Fathers. Simply visit DOWNLOAD.

01/01/2025 - Only for a Moral and Religious People

Can America survive if we lose our moral and spiritual compass?

Late in his life, one of America’s Founding Fathers, John Adams, wrote about his concern that America would not maintain its moral and religious foundation. He warned Americans of his day that the Constitution could not help people who are unwilling to govern their personal conduct.

Adams wrote: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

You can be a gateway to better education for your children by helping them think about the wise words of America’s Founders like John Adams.

The Founders wrote so much about God and government you could have family’s devotions connecting their words to Scripture. In fact, we’ve done it for you. Download our free family devotional, Faith of Our Fathers. Simply visit DOWNLOAD.

01/02/2025 - Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King Day is quickly approaching. Leading up to it, students should learn about the influence of Christianity on the Rev. King.

In his famous, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King answered a group of clergymen who criticized him for being what they called “an extremist.”

He wrote, “Was not Jesus an extremist for love: ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.’" It is well within legal boundaries for students to read Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount as a way of understanding King’s message.

You can be a gateway to better education. If you know public school teachers, encourage them to come to our website to learn how to teach about Dr. King’s faith.

01/03/2025 - Children’s Spiritual Confidence

Children can develop athletic confidence and academic confidence by knowing what to do, practicing it, and achieving some measure of success.

The same approach can help children develop spiritually. Too often we just focus on making sure our children know Biblical truths. Of course, that is essential. But we also need to give them opportunities to put those truths into practice and achieve some success.

For example, after reading the story of the Good Samaritan, ask your child to think of someone at school who may be wounded emotionally. Maybe it’s the student who sits alone at lunch, or who doesn’t have anyone to play with during recess. Your child could practice being a Good Samaritan by simply sitting with, or playing with, that student. Spiritual confidence comes through practice and seeing positive results. Today, think how you can help your children do that.