This week’s sermon: “Parenting with Hope in the Worst of Times”

There are no easy times for parenting. It was hard nearly 3,000 years ago in the day of the prophet Micah. It was hard in Jesus’ own day two millennia ago. And it’s hard as nails today.

Micah’s seventh and final chapter shows us that parenting in the worst of times calls for brokenhearted boldness.

We are broken, not just because we have been sinned against (every parent has), but because we know ourselves to be sinners (every parent is). The main cause of our brokenheartedness is our own sin, our own failures, our own missteps and indiscretions.

And we are bold, not because we are cavalier about our sin or flippant about the lives of our children, but because we know God, the amazing pardoning God, who delights in forgiving and restoring sinners like us.

He is a God so rich in mercy toward sinners that he sent his own Son to bear the just penalty for our sin, so that we could go deep with his life-changing pardon, and then be strengthened by his grace to be better imperfect parents—for his Son’s sake.

David Mathis (@davidcmathis) is an elder at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Twin Cities, and works as executive pastoral assistant to John Piper. He and his wife Megan have twin sons (Carson and Coleman) and live in Minneapolis. David is co-editor (with John Piper) of Thinking, Loving, Doing, most recently, and Finish the Mission, forthcoming. Yep, he plays rec softball and went yard in his last game.