Perfection Not Required

“Dad, you have an opportunity to cultivate the soul of the next generation. You can point them to the ‘one true and good Lord of that field which is their heart.’ You don’t have to be enough for them because God already is enough. Cultivate your soul and act like your heavenly Father toward your kids. Teach them the gospel, repent quickly, and be present—no perfection required—Jesus has that covered.” -- Jonathan Dodson

For This Reason Only

"Christ has been manifested in a human body for this reason only, out of love and goodness for His Father, for the salvation of men." -- St. Athanasius

Related Links
The Christmas Gospel - Scot McKnight
The Story of Christmas - An Animation (12:57)
Christmas is About a Tree (4:10)

Gospel Quote - Fathering Like God

"The more a man settles into the perfect love of God, the more his fathering becomes an approximation of the perfect Father. The more rooted you are in God’s approval, the more inclined you are to give it to your kids. The more you are aware of the holiness of God, the more you will call your children into his holiness—cultivating their soul. The more you are aware of God’s unfathomable grace, the more quick you will be to extend it to your children." -- Jonathan Dodson

Photo by Kate Dreyer

Gospel Quote - Didn't Wash His Hands of Us

Photo by Lucille Pine

(Continued from yesterday) "But God, good Father that he is, didn’t wash his hands of us. He didn’t say, “What a bunch of screw-ups. They’re no kids of mine.” Instead, he made things right, indeed, even better than before, because he still believes in us, he still thinks the best of us, and he longs for us to trust him back. Is this not the greatest untold story of human history?" -- Paul Ellis (Continued tomorrow)