Palatine Prayer Club started this week.
I was so encouraged by the dozens of people who showed up to take a step forward in connecting with God in the day to day.
Join us this week,
Wednesday 10a (w. childcare)
Wednesday 12p on-zoom
Wednesday 7p (w.childcare)
Let us know you are coming, we would love to connect with you.
dad stuff
i love being a dad.
it’s a challenging job, but an absolute blast. each of my four kids is like a living puzzle, and i love trying to put the pieces together. just when i feel like i’m starting to figure one of them out, what makes them tick, what they need from me, how to speak their language, they enter a whole new season and i’m confused again. new emotions. new challenges. and suddenly i’m back at square one.
sometimes, i miss the days when a snack and an episode of jake and the neverland pirates could fix anything. these days, sometimes their problems are more complex.
lately, i’ve been pondering this verse from james 4:6:
“but he gives more grace. therefore it says, ‘god opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
those words hit me differently as a dad.
god gives more grace. not just “enough.” not just a little boost. more. overflowing, multiplying, ever-present grace. but he gives it in a specific direction, to the humble. because if there’s one thing parenting will do, it’s humble you.
let me share three truths i’m learning as a dad, drawn from this verse and from my life in the trenches of parenting.
1. a humble dad shows up where needed
being present doesn’t always mean you’re the hero. sometimes it means you sit on the floor next to a messy science project at 9:30 pm. sometimes it means driving your teen to practice in silence because they’re not ready to talk. sometimes it means listening to a problem you can’t fix.
pride says, “i’ll be there when i’m appreciated.” humility says, “i’ll be there because they need me.”
there are moments where you don’t get thanked. where your kids push back. where your patience gets thin. but god gives more grace, right there, in the quiet places where a dad chooses to show up again and again.
humility looks like presence without pretense. it’s not loud or flashy. it’s the quiet strength to be where they need you. even when i’m tired.
2. a humble dad gives up pretending perfection
i love the phase when the kids are like 6 or 7 and they think everything dad does is amazing. it’s brilliant because dad said it. its funny because dad thinks its funny.
but by the time kids hit junior high, they already know you aren’t perfect, and you really them by admitting it too.
there’s a lie many dads believe: that to lead well, you have to be flawless. never admit weakness. never show fear. never get it wrong.
but that’s not what our kids need.
they need to see that strength and failure can co-exist. that saying, “i was wrong,” isn’t weakness, it’s wisdom. that asking for forgiveness is part of being a man, not a failure as one.
i’ve had to look into my child’s eyes more than once and say, “i overreacted. i’m sorry.” but every time i do it, the relationship grows stronger, not weaker. they don’t need a perfect dad. they need a real one. one who’s honest about his mistakes and committed to growing.
god gives grace to the humble, and humility often shows up in confession. the best way to teach repentance is to live it. and the safest dads to be around are the ones who are comfortable saying, “i don’t have it all together.”
3. a humble dad looks up to god for help
this is where it all lands.
i can read parenting books, follow family influencers, and listen to podcasts—but at the end of the day, my greatest resource as a father is my relationship with my heavenly father.
when james says, “he gives more grace,” he’s not talking about generic encouragement. he’s pointing to a well that never runs dry. and that’s good news, because parenting will drain you.
the weight of raising a child can feel overwhelming. we’re shaping souls, building character, navigating emotions, and preparing young people to face a world that’s often harsh and confusing.
but we’re not alone.
when i look up—when i humble myself and admit, “god, i can’t do this without you”—he shows up. every single time. in the moments i feel lost, his spirit speaks gently. in the moments i feel spent, he refreshes. in the moments i feel like i’m failing, he reminds me: “i’m still here. i’m still working.”
grace in the gaps
there’s a kind of grace that fills the gaps between what i want to be and who i really am. between what my kids need and what i can give. between what i understand and what i simply don’t.
and that grace comes not to the proud, but to the humble.
i want to be a dad who receives that grace daily. who leads by showing up, owning my faults, and looking up. i want my kids to know that the strength they see in me doesn’t come from me, it comes from the grace of a god who is strong in my weakness.
father’s day prayer
God, Thank You for the gift of fathers.
For their strength and their sacrifice, for the love they show in quiet ways. For the joy, the laughter, the play. Comfort the fatherless — be near to them now. Bind up every wound.
Give grace to every man learning to lead with wisdom and love. Remind us that You are the Father who never fails, the One who sees us, provides for us, and protects us.
We honor You today, and we honor the earthly Fathers.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
from artist Sharon Irving
RELAXED : walking with the one who is not worried about a thing
by Megan Fate Marshman
(this was another vacation read for me, i could not put this one down either )
Megan has an extraordinary candor in this book that shares her struggles in a way that makes you want to link arms with her and makes you feel seen and known. Her ability to share the insights from the grief of losing her husband gives hope. She says, “Our pain gives us a unique opportunity to know God more because we get to know His.”(pg. 114) She shares about a 90 day ‘adventure’ that she challenged herself to before her husband died to take a risk (big or small) everyday. The interesting thing she found was, “that what I used to think was risk-taking is really Christ-likeness, which makes a life of faith worth the risk.” Furthermore she says, “Could it be that constant comfort is a sign of autonomy, of believing the lie that we can do it ourselves?” (pgs. 129-130)
Because grief doesn’t avoid any area of our life, she shares her insights on money, friendship, trials, risk and mistakes and allows you to see how relationship with God and Proverbs 3:5-6 that you’ve probably heard many times can be applied to your life with fresh insight. Her trust in a faithful God who has walked her through the darkest valley is the clearest evidence of hope.
Last Week’s Sermon
we had our first neighbor Sunday, I taught on believing God still can and not giving up on prayer
every sunday … we will update the music from the previous Sunday on this playlist, hopefully helps you connect with things a little better.
this is good news,
luke + kristen