To learn means to acquire knowledge or ideas of something before unknown.  Some of the ways we learn things are by instruction, by study, by experience, and by observation.

There are two prerequisites to learning spiritual things.  The first is a changed heart, one disposed toward righteousness.  The second is a heart forgiven and cleansed of sin.

Consider this verse:

Psalm 119:26  I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

The psalmist confessed his sin (declared my ways), was forgiven and absolved of sin (thou heardest me), and now has a teachable heart ready to learn (teach me thy statutes).

You can’t really have a teachable heart unless sin is confessed and absolved.  This is why you might notice that people who are holding onto sin are not teachable.

This is critical to good relationships, to worship, and to just about anything you want to name.

My desire for myself, my family, and friends is that being teachable would be a defining characteristic of life.

Let’s be good learners.

A learner’s prayer (based on Psalm 119:26):  Lord, I have kept score of what I have done.  You are aware of this.  You know my score is pitiful, and I humbly come before you with nothing to give.   Thankfully, in Your Word You have said that you will hear me.  Please, hear me.  Take away my sin, absolve me of guilt.  Lord, I know that when you remove sin from me, I will be in a state of learning.  I am ready to learn.  Teach me.  Yet, I know I’m going to react to Your gentle and nurturing teaching so don’t just teach me in that manner; goad me, prick me, and pierce me so that I learn the lesson and will never forget it.

More thoughts and quotes on family life from the Puritans…

• 1.  They took the role of a father in family life seriously.
• 2.  The father was the head of the house.
• 3.  Family worship was essential.

Matthew Henry - Why give them [your children] a Christian Name if you will not give them the knowledge of Christ and Christianity?

Matthew Henry - Make a business of your family religion and not a by-business.  Let it be your pleasure and delight, and not a task or drudgery.  Contrive your affairs so as that the most convenient time may be alloted for both morning and evening for your family worship, so as you may not be unfit for it, or disturbed or straitened in it…

Matthew Henry - Houses that do not pray are a sty for swine rather than a dwelling house for rational creatures.

Phillip Dodderidge - [without family worship you give an] example of negligence and so may entail heathenism…on your descendents and theirs in ages to come.

Richard Baxter - [calls the neglect of a Christian education] inhuman negligence.

George Whitefield - To what greater degree of apostasy must he have arrived, who takes no thought to provide for the spiritual welfare of his family.

Thomas Manton - A family is the seminary of the church and state…

Jonathan Edwards - Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church…

 Scott Browns exhorts us not to neglect our families.

Matthew during one of the breaks.

James McDonald (husband of Stacy) paid us a visit with one of his sons, and gave me some good counsel on a few of my questions.

A few of the ladies that worked behind the scenes take a break to eat.  The food, decor, and service was outstanding.

View from the back porch.  A beautiful facility in a gorgeous location.

The Men’s Advance began on Friday with dinner.   After dinner we heard some inspiring words from Scott Brown and Marcus Serven.  Here are some great quotes…

Marcus Serven - The natural tendency of all children is to follow mother and father and play in the manure of life.

Marcus Serven quoting John Calvin - Let our children be fondly cherished, [and let] them to know that their father and mother love them and the Lord has placed them in a Christian family.

Scott Brown - We have been transformed by the degrading of our minds [instead of the renewing of our minds].

Scott Brown - Our bodies are the battleground for worldliness.

Scott Brown - If one person in the church presents their body to the world, the whole church is affected in some way.

Pictured in the foreground are Christopher Berkompas and Caleb Hayden.  I had some edifying talks with these two outstanding young men.

Pastor Serven addressing the men.

While here Matthew and I stayed with the Bringe family.  What a delight for us to stay with these folks.  God’s blessing is on this home.

We have been blessed by the presence of two outstanding young men, Nolan and Phillip, who are interning with a business owned and run by a member of our church.

These two men have been a delight to get to know, have been faithful contributors to our church fellowship, and have provided a terrific example to our sons.  We will miss them when their time here is finished.