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Six Traits to Build Healthy Families

Interested in strengthening your family? Then read the six part  series on “Building Strong, Healthy Families for Christ.” It will address the six traits that help build strong, healthy families. I pray that my readers will think about these six traits, evaluate how their family is doing in each of these areas, and prayerfully work to improve those areas that they are weak in. Family Shield Ministries strives to assist individuals and families in implementing the six traits that build strong, healthy families. Did you know that over 25 years of research has documented that when families possess the following … More

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Prayerfully Parenting Teens

I love my job. The hours can be crazy at times with unpredictable demands and rigorous expectations. It is not a glamour job or a resume builder, nonetheless I have one of the most powerful and influential jobs in the universe. I am the mother of a teenager. As the mother of three daughters, two who have already survived the teenage years, my husband and I approached those years with some apprehension:  How would we deal with the unexpected highs and lows? The conflicting pressures that come from all directions?  Pressures, highs and lows?  It sounded like the ingredients for a … More

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Reaching Native Americans With the Gospel

Have you ever wondered who shares the Gospel with Native Americans? Some years ago I vacationed in Montana and saw the circumstances of these precious people the Lord loves. I wondered if there were any ministries focused on reaching Native Americans for Christ. I did research and learned of Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots, now known as Lutheran Indian Ministries. They are effectively reaching Native Americans for Christ! Over the years we have featured their ministry on the Family Shield radio program numerous. The following is just part of their story. Let me begin with the story of how … More

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Slander – A Sin That Can Destroy Lives

By Kay L. Meyer and Rev. Kevin Meyer “The Board of Elders requested that I tell them about the slander that had hurt me so much at my previous congregation. They assured me that anything I told them would be held in the strictest confidence. So I was open with them. Then last week, three months after this information was shared, a member asked me a very personal question. The only way she could have known about the situation she brought up was that one of these elders told her about it. This member thought the slander was true. I … More

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A Divine Appointment With a Jehovah’s Witness

Some years ago I left home at 6:15 a.m. to drive to Rolla, Missouri where I was presenting a five-hour workshop on Witnessing—A Lifestyle. Although only a two-hour drive, I had given myself an extra 45 minutes in case I got lost. Little did I know that God had a divine appointment scheduled for me. About half way there, I pulled into a rest stop. As I walked toward it I saw a man and a women standing outside. They had literature in their hands and I recognized it as material produced by The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. They … More

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Absent From the Body – At Home With the Lord

Every person who has ever lived has wondered about the place beyond mortality—Shakespeare called it “the undiscovered country.” God’s Word tells us about our bodies, souls, and heaven. What happens at the moment of death for Christians? Will we recognize and know our loved ones in heaven? What is haven like? Recently I interviewed Dr. Ron Rhodes, president of Reasoning from the Scriptures and author of many books, on the Family Shield radio program. We discussed one of his books Heaven—The Undiscovered Country. Christians go to heaven because of their faith in Christ. I look forward to meeting my Savior … More

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Begin with Prayer

A Christian man recognized the importance of prayer in bringing people to Jesus as their Savior and Lord. He selected three friends, who were not Christians, and began praying for their salvation. The first man came to faith in Christ after three years. The second friend came to faith after ten years. The Christian continued praying for the third friend. When the Christian was fifty-eight years old he died. He had prayed for his friend for thirty-five years. Three years after the man joined his Savior in Heaven, the man he had been praying for placed his faith in the … More

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Engage the Secular World in Spiritual Conversations

The hostess at the restaurant greeted me as I entered. The restaurant was empty so we continued to talk. She asked why I was at the conference center. I explained that I was a speaker at the Lutheran Parenting Convention being held in her city. As we began to get acquainted I asked about her and her family. She told me she had a 16-year-old daughter. I told her about my three grown children and that I was speaking at the conference on “Media and Its Impact on Today’s Children!” Soon she was telling me that she was having discipline … More

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Equipping the Saints to Grow Into Maturity Through the Word

Jim was chairman of the Board of Education. I was chairman of the Board of Evangelism. At our monthly church council meeting some of the leaders would become frustrated with Jim. His heart was in the right place, but he was a babe in Christ, not a mature Christian. Once he suggested that the council distribute a magazine to all of our members. Jim thought because the magazine talked about God, and it was free, that it would make a great resource for our members. The pastor and I explained to Jim that the organization that published and distributed the … More

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God Loves Life: Physical, Eternal, and Abundant Life!

Erica told me, “I came to live here because my parents told me that unless I had an abortion, they would not allow me to live with them anymore. When I said ‘no’ to an abortion, they gave me a suitcase, told me to pack it and leave. For a while I lived with friends, but that didn’t work out. I also lived in a homeless shelter. Then I learned about this maternity home and came to live here.” From 1998 through 2002 I worked at a Christian maternity home for teens and young woman who had chosen life for … More

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Let’s Grow Strong Christian Families!

Raising children in today’s world is a joy, privilege, and a challenge! Parenting is perhaps the most important job you will ever have. When you become a parent, God gave you a most precious gift—a child of His to care for as His representative here on earth. (Meyer, Kay L. Teaching Your Children Christian Values, CPH, 1996). Over the past forty years there have been drastic changes in families and our culture. In the 1960s there was a Judeo-Christian heritage which guided most families. Today we are moving toward godlessness. In the 1960s there was Biblical awareness. Today, individuals in … More

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Ministering to a Pregnant Single Woman

“Kay, I had an opportunity today to witness to a young, pregnant, single woman that I see several times a week at a local store near work,” my husband, Tjaden (Chad), told me when he got home from work a few months ago. “Today instead of being behind the counter she was stocking shelves. I walked over to visit with her after I’d paid my bill and asked how she was doing.” She said softly, “I’d like to talk to you outside.” When we got outside she shared, “I wanted to tell you that I’m going to have a baby.” … More

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Share the Light of Christ

Written by Kay L. Meyer and Kevin Meyer What are your favorite memories of light? Is it the flashlight that you turned off and on a camping trip with your family? Is it watching the light from a campfire as you sat and sang camp songs together? Is it going to see the Christmas lights with your family during the holidays? Is it catching and then letting go of lightning bugs on a warm summer evening? Or maybe it’s when you light a candle in your home to celebrate your baptism birthday or another special occasion? God’s Word has a … More

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Witnessing Begins at Home

Often, when I present programs at area congregations and schools, a mom or dad will come up afterward and say, “I wish God would give me a mission in life.” I’ll respond, “God has given you a mission. You mission, and my mission, is to raise our children to know and love Jesus Christ.” It isn’t an easy job — in fact raising Christian children in today’s world may be the most difficult job you will ever experience. It doesn’t happen by osmosis. It takes prayer, time, energy, concern, and care. It takes a lot of modeling of the faith, … More

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Witnessing to Homosexuals

“Amy was the Christian who shared Christ with me over a period of several months. She spent many hours praying and witnessing to me! She didn’t focus on the fact that I was a practicing homosexual, but focused on proclaiming the Gospel message of salvation. She showed her Christ-like love! Coming to faith was an exciting time in my life! If I could only share one thing about witnessing to homosexuals, it would be to build a relationship and focus on the Gospel. Ignore the issue of their homosexuality. Treat them like you would any other unsaved person,” stated Joe … More

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A Mother Who Shared Her Faith

Mom was in the hospital. It was serious. But, as usual, she wasn’t thinking about herself, but was thinking about her family. “Kay, did I tell you that Diane Winterer works at this hospital? Dad and I saw her in the emergency room the day I was admitted. You haven’t seen each other in almost 30 years. Why don’t you go downstairs right now and see if you can talk to her?” I did go downstairs. Diane and I had a quick, but enjoyable reunion. My mother, Eunice Schoenberger, passed away from death to everlasting life (John 5:24) on May … More

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Barriers, Obstacles, and Objections to Witnessing

“Sharon left you? I don’t know why you’re so surprised and upset Eric. I told you to get your life in order and begin going to church, but you never listened to me! Every weekend you were off hunting and drinking with your buddies. Now maybe you’ll listen to my advice!” The above is an example of how some Christians cause barriers when they try to witness. They project an attitude of insensitivity or superiority. They may think they are witnessing, but are actually preaching “the law” or “good works.” When we say, “Go to church and everything will be … More

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Begin at the Beginning!

“Do you really believe that God created the world and all that is in it?” Has anyone ever asked you this type of question? How did you respond? Often the first opportunity to witness will emerge when someone asks a question about God or the Bible. My answer to the above question would sound something like this, “Yes, I believe God created the world and all that is in it! Isn’t it a marvelous creation? Do you believe in God?” I might go on to say, “Did you know the Bible never tries to prove God’s existence?” The book of … More

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Go and Make Disciples

Sharing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ is at the core of Family Shield Ministries’ work in the ripe and plentiful harvest. Each year we respond to more than 6,000 people who contact us after hearing our radio program, discovering our website, reading this column, or attending one of our educational programs. About 10-15% of those we assist do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Lord allows us many opportunities to minister to these people and here is just one of those examples: Brian, an active Mormon, discovered Family Shield’s website at www.familyshieldministries.com. He e-mailed me for … More

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Look – A Newborn Baby

“Look—a newborn baby! Isn’t he precious! How old is he? What’s his name? Have you ever noticed how many people open up and talk to strangers when they see babies or young children? Babies captivate our hearts and give us great joy! Maybe that’s why God the Father sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, into our world as an innocent newborn baby. The next time you see a newborn baby, consider the awesomeness of our Creator and how He used a baby to restore our relationship with Him. Our sins are forgiven through faith in His Son. Isn’t God wonderful? … More

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Proclaim the Resurrection

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanne, and the other women (Luke 24:10) quietly walked through the darkness just before sunrise, toward the grave site where Jesus’ body had been laid on Friday. They carried the spices (Mark 16:1) which they were to use in preparation for His burial. These women had witnessed His suffering and death. They had heard the centurion’s words at His death, “Truly this was the Son of God!” They had been there (Matt. 27:55-61) when a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Joseph … More

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Use God’s Shield Against Satan’s Schemes

A spiritual battle rages in families within and outside of the church. Satan is firing missiles (Eph. 6:16) at us every day! God’s Word encourages us to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Eph. 6:11) by putting on the full armor of God. It is important to be forewarned of the enemy’s schemes. The following are some of Satan’s schemes: Satan uses deception. He is the father of lies. He deceives many into believing non-Biblical truths. He deceives people into believing they are saved by their good works instead of through Christ suffering, death, and resurrection. Maybe this … More

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Where is the Greatest Mission Field?

Paul is a good husband and father. He has attended church with his wife, Joanne, almost every Sunday for 28 years. But Paul does not believe in Christ. Close family members and friends know of his unbelief, but most members of his congregation would never suspect he does not have faith in Christ. Do you know Paul? Could he be attending your congregation? Jesus is head of the Body of Christ (Col. 1:19) and the true church is invisible. Be aware that many who attend church regularly do not have faith in Christ. Unbelievers attend church for a myriad of … More

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Witness God’s Way

“My younger sister, who lived hundreds of miles from us, was depressed. Mom had told me she had even threatened to commit suicide. I’d prayed, asking God to help me find a way to share my faith with her,” shared Judy while we vacationed in Minnesota. “We had a family reunion, but the opportunity to witness never arose. Traveling home following the reunion, I prayed again. ‘Lord, help me find a way to help and share my faith with Pam.’” Judy continued her story, “Kay, the most amazing thing happened. After I’d prayed, the desire to tell her about the … More

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The Impact of Christian Parents and Grandparents in Children’s Lives

7 Keys for Living and Sharing Our Christian Faith The Time in Which We Live Noah stood on the front porch and reached for his house key chain attached to his backpack. He turned the key in the door lock, went inside and locked the door. It had been a long school day in Grade 4. He was tired but even more, he was hungry. Thud went his backpack onto the entry floor. Noah grabbed a donut from the countertop, an energy drink from the frig, and plopped on the couch to start playing a favorite video game. Mom wouldn’t … More

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Dear Parents of Prodigals

God Loves Our Prodigals More by Rev. Kevin Arndt and Laura Langhoff Arndt The word prodigal is a description of the son’s extravagant and lavish lifestyle described in the parable found in Luke 15. In the church, we have come to use the term to describe someone we consider as having fallen away from the true Christian faith or having chosen a worldly life or lifestyle apart from God and His desires for them. Whether it be a brother, a sister, a child, or someone else, nearly every family has a prodigal. As Christians, we want to be sure that … More

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Fathers – Share Your Life and Faith!

My son-in-law, David, takes his responsibility to share his faith and life with his young son very seriously. This fact is evident whenever we attend church with our daughter, son-in-law, and their children. Last Easter my husband and I attended the Good Friday service with David and our four-year old grandson Seth. It was late and we weren’t sure Seth would stay awake for the entire service, but he did. As the Good Friday evening service progressed, his father quietly leaned over to explain what was happening and why. Seth took it all in quietly. He had little to say … More

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God Answers Prayer

Some years ago my husband and I traveled to Minnesota to pick up our college-aged daughter from a Lutheran camp where she had been a camp counselor. While we were in the area, we stopped and spent the night with one of my husband’s friends from Vietnam. I’d only met Chuck and his wife, Judy, once when they had visited us in St. Louis with their two young children. While Chad and Chuck visited in the family room, I went into the kitchen with Judy as she began to prepare dinner. She began telling me about her sister and extended … More

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How Can Dying Be Gain?

How do we live our life and always remember that although our bodies will die, our souls will live eternally? What did the author of Philippians mean when he wrote: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). How can dying be gain? You and I know about dying. People we love die. People we hear about in the newspaper and on the news die. Almost all of us have someone we cared about who has died. Dying surrounds us. Sometimes it’s sudden and unexpected and other times it is after a long, difficult … More

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Ministering to the LBGTQ Community

Originally written for the NADCE publication With the increasing acceptance of same-sex attraction and marriage in our culture and the changes that have occurred in our society, many Christians are caught in the crossfire of sounding too harsh or too accommodating. How can we effectively communicate with homosexuals and others that disagree with our conservative Biblical teachings regarding this topic without compromising what God’s word says? Family Shield, the radio program I host, has addressed this topic for many years. I recently again interviewed Joe Dallas, an internationally known expert and author on this topic, and a Christian counselor that … More