March 5, 2013
As the first episode portrayed the life of Abraham, it came to the part when Abraham takes Isaac up on the mountain to offer a sacrifice. We all know the story; we’ve heard it a thousand times and can recite it in our sleep. But to watch it played out in “real life” was incredibly moving. To see a father torn by his desire to obey his God and at the same time to protect his child was heart-wrenching. We don’t often talk about how Isaac might have responded, but it seems appropriate to think he was scared, wondering what was going on, and like the movie portrayed, pleaded with his father. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: children, family, kids, parents, Orange, dad, students, mom, sacrifice, grace, The Bible, Abraham
January 29, 2013
Society in general seems to be trying to de-emphasize the critical role father’s play in the lives of their children. But the social implications on the other end of removing fathers from the equation are not insignificant. In fact, recent studies and research suggest that both marriage and fathers might be the biggest keys to successfully raising children. First, let’s look at the statistics showing the devastating effects absent fathers have on children:...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, Orange, students, parenting, marriage, society, fatherlessness, fatherless, ills, single, fathers
January 17, 2013
If you or your children have smartphones, you might find these suggestions for wise use of technology helpful. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, HPCC, Orange, students, rules, parent, smartphone, technology, cue, app
January 9, 2013
It’s the start of a new year and many people are making resolutions and vowing to never drink soda, smoke, eat processed foods, or step through the doors of McDonald’s ever again. It’s that time when people feel that change and “starting over” is appropriate. I will confess, I’ve never been one to make resolutions or alter my life in some dramatic way at the first of the year; but I get it.
Since this time of year has so many people focused on setting goals I thought I would share some things I picked up on the net that seemed worthwhile to consider.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, Orange, teens, goals, new year, 2013, spiritual, social, Resolution, physical
January 2, 2013
As parents we want our kids to trust us and know that we say what we mean and mean what we say. But the only way to ensure that such a message is clearly communicated is to be consistent and intentional in our dealings with our kids. If we have to use other means to back up our word, an oath, a promise, a bribe, then we can be sure that our kids don’t believe that our “yes” means “yes” and our “no” means “no.” In other words, our kids don’t trust us. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: kids, parents, generations, Orange, Word, yes, no, trustworthy, trust, behavior
November 7, 2012
God has given fathers the central role in teaching, training, disciplining, and leading his family and kids. So it comes as no surprise that when a father abdicates this role and refuses, for any number of reasons, to accept his God-given responsibility that his family is more vulnerable to attacks and falling apart. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, Orange, dad, mom, father, biblical, man, fail, role, gender, category
October 24, 2012
You might be thinking, like most well-intentioned parent, that your kids don’t need any other adults because they have you and will talk to you about anything and everything. Well, let me ask the same question Carey Nieuwhof asks in his recent article on this topic, did you talk to your parents about everything? Of course not.
So the question becomes, who do you want your kids talking to about the important things in life, and the things they question, wonder, and worry about? Doesn’t it make a little more sense to hand-select the other adults in your kids’ life than to sit back and “see what happens”?
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, Orange, dad, mom, trust, counsel, influence, talk
October 15, 2012
You may not know this, but pastors are under a heavy burden to preach the “whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27) Ultimately pastors will stand and give account to God for how they led the flock God gave them. So quality pastors seek to preach and teach even the hard parts of the Bible that other stay away from. This is done not to anger or insult anyone, but to bring to light the truths of Scripture that are designed to grow us spiritually. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, Orange, dad, mom, sermon, pulpit, preacher, fruit, mediocre
September 27, 2012
As I’ve been saying, you have to model the behavior you want your kids to learn. You have to be the example for the attitudes, habits, values, and behaviors you want your kids to pick up and carry with them. So, if you want your kids to model the biblical principle of forgiveness, you must first model it for them. If you refuse to submit yourself to Scripture and model forgiveness, you can be assured that not only will your kids not understand the need for it, or live it, but they will always have an excuse for ignoring the principle. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, generations, Orange, dad, mom, forgiveness, model, biblical, forgive, essential
September 6, 2012
I don’t know about you, but I came from the model that says “men take care of everything outside and women take care of everything inside the home.” Does that sound familiar? Maybe you came from a similar home where your mom was constantly cooking, cleaning, and sewing buttons while your dad mowed the grass, changed the oil, and shoveled snow from the drive.
But times have changed. Now there is a push to erase all gender lines and move our society toward something more androgynous. No longer do families emphasize roles and responsibilities for men and women, now it’s a shared responsibility where everything is split 50/50. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, Orange, generations, dad, mom, husband, wife, complimentarianism
August 21, 2012
Have your kids ever been sitting in the middle of a huge pile of toys, watching one of their 83 DVD’s, after they just got done playing on one of their game systems while they waited for the batteries in their Nintendo DS to charge so they can go on the Internet from their computer to get game codes, and whined “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do!”
In that moment, have you wanted to yell, “When I was a kid we played with sticks and rocks and we liked it!”
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, Orange, students, things, whine, complain, thanks, thankful, grateful
August 15, 2012
There’s a common principle in business called the Pareto Principle. This principle says that 20% of the clients for any given business produce 80% of the businesses profits. This principle is often cited in churches as 20% of the people do 80% of the work or, 20% of the people give 80% of the tithes. The principle is hard to deny.
The question is what is the most meaningful 20% of your time together as a family?
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, generations, Orange, twenty percent, maximum, impact
July 25, 2012
I can't help but wonder if parents have forgotten that it is not just their job to raise their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," (Eph. 6:4) but also to be a steady influence into their adult years. Then again, maybe influence or the lack thereof, is the problem. And just maybe what has happened is that in the attempt to be loved by their kids parents have lost all influence and consequently are not much loved either. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: children, family, kids, parents, generations, teens, relationship, Orange, influence
July 17, 2012
Last week I wrote about child-centered parenting and how dangerous it is and can ultimately develop self-centered, selfish kids. If you missed it, check out "Stop Worshipping Your Kids!" So this week let's talk more about this topic from a preventative viewpoint. Because let's face it, none of us have set out to intentionally raise selfish kids that believe they are the center of the universe. And there are a few things we can do to make sure that doesn't happen. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, generations, parenting, worship, style, child, centered
July 11, 2012
Not long ago I wrote about the danger of becoming a narcissistic parent. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, and equally as dangerous, is falling into the trap of worshipping your kids and believing they are the center of the universe. Countless well-meaning parents fall victim to this idea that children are the center of the home and parents are simply there to serve them. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, parents, generations, 1 Cor 13, kids, selfish, universe, center, worshipping
July 4, 2012
There is no doubt whatsoever that we live in a narcissistic society. With websites like YouTube.com that tell us to "broadcast yourself" it's no wonder we all don't walk around with a mirror in front of our face. And while this idea of self-absorbed aggrandizing flies in the face of everything Jesus told us to be: humble, concerned for others, servant, and externally focused, one area you may not have imagined narcissism showing up in is parenting. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, parents, generations, Orange, parenting, kids, 1 Cor 13, narcissism, style
June 19, 2012
Below you will find three articles that I want to pass along to you. You could easily read all three in 10 minutes, but I recommend reading one each day during your lunch break or devotional time. Don't let the titles fool you, because though they seem to be geared primarily towards student ministry, I believe there is practical and valuable information in each that applies to every group.
Please don't allow yourself to become complacent or apathetic towards your ministry. Surely you would not want me to be any of those things. You want me to continue learning, growing, and trying. I want the same things for you. Only as a team, reaching together, can we succeed. So take a few moments and read these articles and find a way to apply the truth here to your group, your role, your area of ministry; or even your own life. Thanks for all you do.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: generations, 1 Cor 13, theology, conversations, 2 dimensional, training, team
June 6, 2012
Generations Ministry: Team Training
by Nathan A. Cherry, 06/06/2012
As we move forward as a ministry I want to do my best to get training materials into your hands on a regular basis so you are continually thinking and learning and imagining new ways to do ministry; and to do it better. The point at which we stop trying to move forward and reinvent our ministry is the point it becomes stagnant, which only leads to really smelly stuff.
With this in mind I have two articles that are incredibly well written and very practical for you. We might not be able to use everything in them, but certainly much that is written here can be absorbed and utilized. As you read, think about your group, and how you can apply what you are reading to your specific group. Talk with your Coordinator if you have questions or comments.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, generations, Orange, small groups, 1 Cor 13, training, team, students, visitors, preschoolers
May 23, 2012
The topic of bankruptcy is all around us. We hear in the news about famous people going broke, companies going broke, and even entire countries going broke! Being broke and bankrupt almost seems to be a normal part of our life and culture. But is it supposed to be a normal part of our life as Christians? Or is being bankrupt (financially, physically, emotionally and mentally) a sign of trouble that we need to address immediately. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, generations, 1 Cor 13, Orange, bankrupt, empty, input, output, deposit, withdrawal
May 17, 2012
There's an old saying in churches that "20% of the people do 80% of the work." I've heard it all my life and, worse yet, watched churches slowly die as a result of its truth. Thankfully it is very obvious to anyone that looks around Harvest Pointe that this cannot be said of our church. So many people faithfully give of their time and talents every Sunday that we are certainly not the "norm" when it comes to serving percentages.
There's another saying I have heard most of my life but seems to be getting more prevalent in churches (not to mention society in general). It goes something like this, "We are looking for some really great programs for our kids."
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, Orange, church, 1 Cor 13, serve, volunteers
May 9, 2012
Do you want to help your kids?
This might seem like a silly question. You might be thinking that I've lost my grip on reality for asking something so inane and obvious. But, I think there is greater depth to this question and the answer than we might know. In fact, there is a possibility that you are doing more to harm your kids than help them.
Of course every parent wants to help. There is something in every parent (well, nearly every parent) that innately desires to do everything within our power to help our kids. This help looks different for every parent and child of course, but we all want to help.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, kids, parents, generations, Orange, faith, 1 Cor 13, help, hinder, development
May 5, 2012
Generations Ministry: Parents & Family
by Nathan A. Cherry, 04/17/2012
Your kids need another voice in their life besides yours. That statement might cause you to hyperventilate, or it might be a breath of fresh air; it's all in how you look at it. You need to know that your voice will always be the most important in your child's life (though you might wonder at times), but that does not diminish the fact that kids need another voice besides their parents.
Let me see if I can illustrate this for you.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, generations, 1 Cor 13, Orange, truth, kids, parents, lives, speaking, adults
April 24, 2012
Generations Ministry: Parents & Family
by Nathan A. Cherry, 04/17/2012
Have you ever been out in public and saw some kids behaving in a way that made you want to grab their ears, twist, and "teach them a lesson?" To emphasize her point, my mom used to grab my ear, twist, and proceed to show me exactly what it was I was supposed to be doing, or not doing. To say I was "all ears" would be an understatement.
Or maybe you've had an experience like this one where you end up hiding from your own kids because you've concluded that they are aliens sent to destroy you and take over the planet. And more often than not you sit back at the end of a long day, sigh (or perhaps cry) and wonder aloud "how did it get this bad?"
Well, the truth is that kids don't "end up bad." They are not pre-programmed to be out of control, rude, misbehaving delinquents. The truth is, if they are that child that they were allowed to become that childby you! Yes, we as parents are the culprits behind our children's behavior issues.
Discipline is a hot button topic for many parents these days. I've had a lot of conversations about parenting and discipline recently, so when I came across a couple of articles I couldn't help but think God was nudging me to write about the topic (believe me, it's just as much for my benefit as anyone else).
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: generations, Orange, family, parents, discipline, kids, teens, Bible, Proverbs, HPCC
April 11, 2012
It takes literally minutes for a girl to have a bad reputation that she may spend years rebuilding. So it is gravely important for parents, particularly dads, to invest heavily in their daughters. Our #1 priority dad is to model exactly what type of man we want our daughters to seek as a husband. If they can't look to us to set the example they will look elsewhere, and that is a bad idea. Our #2 priority is to speak truth into the errors and lies the culture routinely spews in their direction. By imparting biblical wisdom and values our daughters will derive a self-worth that is based on who they in Christ, and His opinion of them. This is worth far more than anything else we could accomplish. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, parents, generations, Orange, father, 1 Cor 13, teenage, girl, ten, things, truths
April 11, 2012
There's an old saying I've heard all my life which says, "If Satan can't make you bad, he'll make you busy." This sly strategy has effectively rendered the life of many Christians null and void. While inspiring authors like John Piper say "Don't Waste your Life," and visionary pastors like David Platt call us to be "Radical," and respected leaders like Francis Chan push us toward a "Crazy Love" for God; Satan pushes us toward the breaking point with a calendar so full it rivals presidents and pop stars. Click here for 5 characteristics of a hurried life....Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, parents, generations, 1 Cor 13, training, Orange, faith, service, kids, life, hurried, hurting, schedule, calendar, busy, priority
April 3, 2012
The last couple of weeks have reiterated the importance of father's being actively engaged in the life of their kids. Unfortunately most dads are simply present, doing the necessary things, but never truly becoming fully engaged and involved in the lives of their kids. The effect of this terrible pattern is astounding. It has been proven time and again that absent father's contribute to poor academic performance, the likelihood of drug and alcohol use and abuse, sexual immorality and trouble with the law. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, parents, generations, Orange, dad, kids, boy, shave, engaged, involved, lives
March 28, 2012
The truth is many kids are kind, caring, and tenderhearted. And many adults are not. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood a change happened that caused these once kind, caring, tenderhearted people to grow hard, calloused, and self-centered. With this in mind it becomes critical that we as parents not only enjoy the tender moments with our kids but focus on continuing to develop them as Godly adults. There's a few ways we can do this:...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: kids, parents, generations, Orange, 1 Cor 13, invest, qualities, selfish
March 28, 2012
As a 5-year old child I can vividly remember asking my parents if we had enough money to pay bills, and get food. Not because we ever lacked the ability to pay our bills or buy food, but because things were tight and I had enough sense to be concerned about our financial matters. Now, people who know me best often joke that I still have the first nickel I ever earned saved somewhere for a rainy day.
One thing is for certain; I don't want my kids to grow up without the ability to be savers and givers, and the responsibility of teaching kids proper stewardship falls squarely in the lap of parents. This is a responsibility that, sadly, many parents neglect and conclude their kids eventually learn.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: money, kids, parents, generations, 1 Cor 13, Orange, wise, steward, biblical, principle
March 20, 2012
Generations Ministry: Parents & Family
by Nathan A. Cherry, 03/20/2012
We live in a society where the family structure has changed dramatically from what it was even just 50 years ago. There are far fewer homes with a father and mother and their biological children. There are many more homes with second marriages, step-children, and singles parents. We can sit and debate the pros and cons of this social paradigm shift all we want, but the fact remains that as the church we need to stand ready to love and support every family that walks through the doors.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: Paul, Titus, older, younger, generation, parent, spouse, 1 Cor 13, invest, help, support, counsel, wise, Godly
March 13, 2012
As I heard the comments and thoughts from different people on the previous article I got to thinking about the specific things my wife and I do to discourage entitlement and encourage giving; both in our kids and in ourselves. So I thought I would share some of those things in an effort to pass on the tips and practices that have helped us. I hope these thoughts are helpful to you and something you can use to build on for your own family. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: parents, generations, entitlement, Orange, peace, stewardship, 1 Cor 13, financial, family
March 7, 2012
Every parent holds their newborn child and speculates on what his first word will be. Perhaps she will say "dada" or "mamma," or even "pfluglhis." Either way we are excited about what they will say. In recent years though it seems that kids are far more "me" centered and before we know it words like "mine," "want," and "give me" are being thrown around.
And many of us want to give our kids every advantage, we want them to have everything we didn't have growing up, so we struggle with giving our kids the latest and greatest of everything. One by-product of our sincerely good intentions is a generation with an entitlement mentality believing they are owed anything and everything. Those items we would have described as "wants" and "privileges" when we were growing up are now called "needs" and "necessities" by our kids. Something went wrong.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, parents, generations, training, entitlement, culture, society, I, me, want, mine
February 29, 2012
Earlier this week I wrote about how knowing God leads to self-control, self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to Godliness (2 Pet 1:5-6). One of the keys to the success of that formula has to be patient endurance. Endurance in general is a quality needed in the life of every parent if we hope to retain our sanity and raise our children to be God-honoring adults. ...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: endurance, parents, generations, 1 Cor 13, quit, Kendra Fleming, orange parents, endure
February 22, 2012
Generations Ministry: Parents & Family
by Nathan A. Cherry, 02/21/2012
Do you have integrity? Wait, don't answer that. Maybe we should let those who know us best answer the question. What would they say? Would they affirm us as a man or woman full of integrity or someone lacking basic ingredients of integrity?
For that matter, how would your kids answer the question? We would all be nave to think our kids don't know us the best. We think we hide our shortcomings and weaknesses from them, but honestly, we know they are smart enough to notice the issues that we struggle with the most.
I can't think of a single parent that doesn't want to raise kids full of integrity. Sure, we want them to be healthy, happy, talented, successful and well-liked. But to see our kids grow into men and women full of character and integrity is surely at the top of the list for any parent.
Some people struggle to identify what integrity is. Is it simply being honest, faithful, loyal, a person whose word is their bond? Or is it something more? Legendary basketball coach John Wooden says that boiled down to its simplest form, integrity is "purity of intention." Yes, integrity contains other elements such as honesty and loyalty, but broken down to its most basic expression, integrity is having pure intentions.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: kids, parents, generations, 1 Cor 13, integrity, five signs, lack, build, teach, model
February 14, 2012
Have you ever noticed that it's easier to honor a perfect stranger, or someone you hardly know, than it is the people you love the most? I find this to be not only true in my own life, but very perplexing. How is it so much easier to patient, kind and understanding to people I don't really know that well than it is to be all those things with my wife and kids?
Do I love the people at the gas station more than my own family? Do I prefer the company of the grocery store clerk over my kids? Are my co-workers more deserving of my best than my wife? I doubt we would answer any of these questions in the affirmative and yet, practically speaking, we live life as if we answered "yes" to them all.
I am reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13: 7 as he teaches on what love looks like in daily life. Paul, speaking of love, says that it:
"Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things."
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: family, love, parents, patience, generations, Paul, honor, stranger, 1 Cor 13, kindness, bears, hopes, Corinthians
February 9, 2012
We're approaching the time of the school year when we'll honor our young people: from high school graduates in their cap-and-gowns and life-will-change-forever speeches to kindergarteners earning ribbons for tying their shoes to "participation trophies" for you name the sport. It's pretty easy to get honored by somebody during this season of accomplishment.
Honor, though, is more than a shelf full of trophies or even a yearbook full of accolades.
True honor comes not because of what someone has done, but because of who someone is.
...Read More
by: Nathan Cherry
| Categories: Generations Tags: kids, parents, generations, Harvest Pointe, HPCC, honor, virtue, character,
October 24, 2011
We are excited to welcome Nathan Cherry to the Harvest Pointe family as our new Generations Director. Nathan has been married to his wife, Bonnie, for almost six years. They have two cool kids, Judah and Esther, and another set to arrive in April 2012. Nathan grew up as a pastor's son and has served in two churches over the past ten years under his dad's leadership. ...Read More
by: Jason Smith
| Categories: Generations
