Fall 2023 Newsletter

by  Dr. Jeff Schreve

Do you remember the show Supernanny? It was a reality TV show in which families with problem kids called in a childcare expert to help them sort out their wayward offspring. Pretty often, Supernanny’s verdict came as a shock: the root cause of the problems is not with the kids but with the parents! 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise. Moses taught exactly the same principle to the people of Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land …

“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 6:1–2)

Moses’ point is simple: If you want to be a good and godly parent, then it begins in your own heart. And there are two ways this needs to play out in your life and mine.

First, a good parent is a good disciple. 

Parenting is a lot like a relay race. It’s your job to hand the baton of faith to your kids. But that means you must be holding the baton in the first place.

Therefore, our first priority should be our own relationship with the Lord. We cannot pass on what we do not have. As Moses instructed the people … 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) 

Second, a good parent sets a good example. 

As a parent, you can be sure of one thing: Your kids are watching you! Your life needs to be a visible, tangible demonstration of a life submitted to Christ. You need to walk the talk, or as Moses put it:

“O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it.” (Deuteronomy 6:3)

As you apply these two principles to your parenting, be sure to remember that salvation is a gift the Holy Spirit alone can give. So, keep covering all your parenting in prayer, asking God to take your heart and your example and use them to impart faith to the next generation!

Q:  Pastor Jeff, I am going to be getting married and starting a family soon. What are your top tips for me and my fiancée as we prepare for our wedding?

A:  Make Psalm 127 the foundation for your married life, and you can’t go wrong. Read it, meditate on it, and live it out—and you’ll discover the blessing that comes from surrendering to the Lord each day and having Him as the builder, protector, and multiplier of your home!

David reminds us in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.” Nothing in the world will ever be greater than the One who is with you now and always. You can trust Him! 

Q:   What is your number one priority in family life? 

A : In every stage of life, I’ve had different hopes and dreams for my kids. But the one thing that always takes first priority is that they should know the Lord and walk in the light with the Lord. Everything else comes second to that. It’s often a struggle to keep that front and center amid the busyness of life. But it’s your job to make sure that raising your kids in the fear of God is at the top of the list in every season. 

If the Christian life is a battle, then one of Satan’s prime targets is your home. It’s up to you and me to push back against the evil one and fight for our families!

I want to strengthen you for the fight with my 7-message teaching series titled, We are Family. This series comes as our thanks for your gift this month to equip others with the real truth and real hope of the gospel!

Plus, I’ll also send you a copy of I Still Do—a booklet I wrote with my wife, Debbie, to help you strengthen your marriage on the foundation of God’s Word.

Be sure to request both of these resources when you give today!  May God bless your home and family as you build it up in His truth and love.

by  Debbie Schreve

Most of us start out with stars in our eyes when it comes to parenting. But it doesn’t take too long to realize that James Dobson wrote “Parenting isn’t for Cowards” for a reason! 

Parenting has ALWAYS had its challenges, but there’s one cultural shift that makes the task so much harder than previous generations – smartphones. When our kids were growing up a cell phone was just a phone. It wasn’t “smart.” 

In today’s world, the smart phone is a necessary part of our everyday lives, but as parents, we need to be aware of the many dangers they present to our kids:  addiction, distraction, harmful to self-esteem, masking true communication, just to name a few.

Today’s parents must be smart in this age of smart phones. We need to be very aware of the pitfalls and have boundaries in place to protect our kids. Healthy boundaries and rules that we can maintain and enforce. 

Here are a few suggestions:

• Operate phones in the light – no secret, full accountability.
• No phones at the table – preserve precious time for communication.
• Curfew – phones off after a certain time
• NO phones in bedrooms

Know in advance, your kids WILL balk at these rules. But your job is to be their parent, not their best friend. Pray for wisdom as you set your rules. And more than anything, PRAY PRAY PRAY for your kids as you equip them to live godly lives in this digital age. 

If you’d like more biblical wisdom on this topic, then Pastor Jeff has a truth-filled and practical message titled “Smart Parenting in the Age of Smartphones.” It’s part of his We are Family series which comes as thanks for your gift today.  Click here to request your copy.

Dear Friend,

There’s a poem by John Wooden that says,

No written word, no spoken plea, 

Can teach our children what they should be;

Nor all the books on all the shelves, 

It’s what the parents are themselves.

I’m sure those words resonate with you as they do with me. It’s a truth the Bible teaches over and over again: Raising children in the knowledge and fear of God can only flow out of a genuine, Spirit-filled walk with Christ on the part of the parent.

In fact, a strong and vibrant spiritual life is the source of all healthy relationships in every sphere of life!

That’s why I’m so thrilled you’re part of the family here at From His Heart Ministries—as together we nurture spiritual maturity by submitting our lives to the real truth of God’s Word.

I’m so thankful for your prayers and partnership which make it possible for others to experience the life-transforming power of a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ as we proclaim Him together on TV, on radio, and online.

May God richly bless you and your family!

In February of 2022, the President of American Family Association asked Pastor Jeff about hosting a live daily national radio program on American Family Radio. Although he was very honored to be asked, going live an hour a day was a big commitment.

But as he prayed about this opportunity and sought counsel from trusted friends, Pastor Jeff sensed a green light from the Lord to accept. So in March of 2022, Real Truth for Today with Pastor Jeff Schreve was launched on AFR.

Through this new medium, God has allowed Pastor Jeff to conduct exciting, informative interviews with some well-known believers like Joni Eareckson Tada, Dr. Irwin Lutzer, Dr. John Lennox, Kirk Cameron, Tim Tebow, and Big George Foreman.

If you haven’t heard the program, you can listen live on the radio or on afr.net each weekday morning from 8:00-9:00 a.m. Central. All previous broadcasts are also available online.

Check it out and let Pastor Jeff know what you think at pastorjeff@fromhisheart.org!

Do you invest in the stock market? Do you have shares that have appreciated over time?

If so, did you also know that giving shares to From His Heart is a tax-efficient way help proclaim real truth to more people all over the world?

For more information on how you can make a real impact for the Kingdom by donating from your stocks, shares, or IRA, please reach out to toni@fromhisheart.org today.

Thank you for your generous partnership!