Father of the Inklings

COA #51 - Show Honor and Respect to All

From home and family relationships, the apostolic commands widen to embrace all relationships. As Christian ministry begins in the home and expands into the church, so too does the capacity and training to treat others in ways that reflect Christlikeness. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

COA #50 - Care For Widows and Orphans

Without reading more meaning than probably exists into workmen being worthy of their hire, or elders being worthy of double honor, nowhere in the New Testament can we identify the precedent of huge church budgets for buildings, administrative staffs, music teams, or even paid clergy. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

COA #49 - Train Young Men to be Self-Controlled, Young Women to be Chaste and Domestic

The commands slice into our flesh in many ways. They slice uniquely and personally into my flesh at precisely the point of my rebellion and my independence. They will slice into your flesh in different ways than they do mine. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

Command #16 - Listen

It is now time to consider the third most frequently given group of Commands that Jesus gave behind Watchfulness and Courage which were considered earlier. That is a group of related exhortations that might be summed up as: Listen with understanding and discerning insight. These we will consider as four related commands: Listen, Listen carefully, Be clear-minded, thoughtful, mentally diligent, and, Apply yourself to think, learn, understand.  

From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.

COA #48 - Raise Your Children in the Wisdom of the Lord

How one reads and responds to this command will almost entirely depend on where on life's spectrum one finds oneself. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

COA #47 - Manage Your Households Well

How do we define "manage?" What does it mean to manage a household? The word is fraught with misunderstanding. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

COA #46 - Practice Hospitality

Hospitality as commanded of Christians in the New Testament does not mean throwing cocktail and dinner parties. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

COA #45 - Children, Obey and Honor Your Parents

If it is a cliche to say that the family is under attack, it is because it is so desperately true. These are perilous times for the values that hold marriage and the family together. The assault is not primarily one of ideas, as important as that is, it is an attack against relationships. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

Command #15 - Repent

The Gospel does not come to us one-dimensionally. The teachings of Jesus, while epitomizing simplicity itself, are also intriguingly complex. The intertwining mix of "spiritual" and "temporal" commands is constantly in play. The moment we get too spiritual, Jesus hits us with the parable of the Good Samaritan, urging us simply to be good and take care of people. Not a word in the story about getting the man saved or taking him to church...just Go and do the same. Yet the moment we begin thinking that kindness toward our fellow man is enough, there is Jesus telling Nicodemus he must be "born again."  

From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.

COA #44 - Wives, Respect and Submit to Your Husbands

If husbands have to recognize servanthood rather than authority as the foundation of their role, where does a wife's half of the servanthood equation begin? 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.