Last night we decided to have some popcorn in the evening after dinner. Now for those of you who do not know me, I love theatre-style extra butter popcorn. I rarely get it because we rarely go to the theatre. I thought we had some of the “ACT” Microwave popcorn in the pantry that was…
Author: Carl Van Vliet
Carl and Liela share a heart to integrate discipleship back into the home. Together they desire to equip and empower Parents, Families and the church to live out Kingdom life at home, in their communities and within the body of Christ.
Carl has served in Pastoral ministry since 1991. He attended Trinity Bible College and Theological Seminary with emphasis in Pastoral Ministry.
Together Carl and Liela have homeschooled their children over the last 20 years and continue to homeschool their remaining younger children.
Discipleship Series Part 2a “Am I a Disciple?”
Hello friends, Welcome to Part 2 of our Discipleship series and ask ourselves the question: “Am I a Disciple?” I am calling this Part 2a since I think as I have been preparing this it will take me longer in one video than I would like, so look for Part 2b next week as we…
Discipleship Series – Part 1
Hello friends, Thank you for joining me today as we start a new series on Discipleship. In this series we are going to cover four topics: What is discipleship and what is a disciple? Am I a Disciple? Am I a Disciple-Maker? Family Discipleship Today I want to jump right into this first question: What…
I am a Theological Anomaly and that often makes me feel like an Orphan in the Body of Christ
I am a Theological Anomaly. There, I said it. Now it is out in the open. What a strange way to start a article, right. For many of my readers, you hear in your minds all kinds of things, things that may stretch the spectrum from those who are “coming out of the closet” to…
Offense, Unforgiveness, and Bitterness Epilogue – Gossip
Hello Friends welcome back for this Epilogue video to our recent series on Offense, Unforgiveness and Bitterness – Today we are going to be discussing Gossip. Last week we closed out or series talking about Bitterness and Hebrews 12:14-15 “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking…
Offense, Unforgiveness, and Bitterness Part 3
Hello Friends welcome back for part 3 of our video series on Offense, Unforgiveness, and Bitterness. So far we have covered offense in week #1 and last week we covered forgiveness and unforgiveness. In last weeks video teaching we discussed how forgiveness is a choice, and if we choose unforgiveness we put ourselves in the…
Offense, Unforgiveness, and Bitterness Part 2
Hello, friends thank you for joining me on this second video in the 3 part series on Offense, Unforgiveness and Bitterness. Last week we covered the topic of offense and you will remember we looked at Luke 17:1 It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!…
Offense, Unforgiveness, and Bitterness Part 1
Hello friends I want to take a few minutes over the next few weeks and share with you on the subject of Offense, Unforgiveness, and Bitterness. First I want to say a big thank you to all of you who have reached out to Liela and I after our departure from Crossroads. That said I…
Maundy Thursday – Jesus most emotional day with the disciples
As I ponder and reflect on this Holy Week, and each different event that took place, from the triumphal entry where the crowds cried Hosanna all the way through to the crowds screaming crucify Him. Even on through the horrors of abuse and torment of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion, the burial, and the Resurrection. I…
Children’s Church vs the Gospel-Centric home.
I was recently challenged by a well-meaning children’s minister on my bent towards Family Ministry and more specifically of the effectual results of a Gospel Centric home vs Children’s Church unto salvation for children. The reason for said challenge came from this particular minister’s personal experience of not being raised in a Christian or even…
What does Thanksgiving even mean in a year like 2020?
COVID-19. Death. Quarantine. FEAR, Anxiety and separation. Business closures and jobs lost. Stark needs for food and financial aid mark our communities in a fashion much like a scarlet letter did in previous ages. Not a shame from sin but a shame from being proud Americans who can take care of themselves being driven to…
Christians and Halloween
The conflict. This topic, Halloween and whether Christians should participate in it is a proverbial hot potato. Pastors and leaders seem to be equally divided as are the members of the body of Christ on this topic. 1. Some say it is totally permissible to participate in the Halloween festivities. Just this last year I heard…
Hope deferred
I wrote this blog a few years ago and thought it fitting to repost this year. In the midst of our stay at home orders and COVID-19 there seems to be a lot of hopelessness in our world. I hope this is an encouragement to you today. We call it Good Friday. Our tradition is…
COVID-19 and Gods People – Fear or Faith
It has been a while since I wrote a blog in the traditional sense, we have been doing a lot of video. This COVID-19 has me wanting to do both. We have a video already published addressing this Corona Virus for parents but I wanted to maybe add a little more. Liela and I went…
Parenting in a Deconstruction Culture
Vision 2020
https://youtu.be/V1C4ZqSWQrA
Advent 2019 – Fourth Sunday video discussion on Peace
Advent 2019 – Third Sunday video discussion on Joy.
Advent 2019- the second Sunday topic – Obedience
Advent 2019 – First Sunday video discussion on Hope.
Marriage & Covenant – A call to a generation to return to the old ways
This last week I had the great privilege and honor of seeing one of my sons get married. They honored me by asking me to speak on covenant in their ceremony. I couldn’t have been more proud of these two amazing young people who love Jesus fully and love each other so deeply for such…
The Call to Prayer on the Anniversary of the Moravian Revival
August 17, 2019 the anniversary of the Moravian Revival of 1727. Children and youth spark 100+ years of 24/7 prayer. Birthplace of the modern missions movement. We cry out would you do it again today Lord would you release revival in the lives of this generation of children and youth. Do it again Lord.
Happy Birthday – The Moravian Revival
Happy birthday. August has special meaning to the Van Vliet family. My Grandmother was born in August. So was my father. As was I, and three of my children. Yep all born in August. Its a pretty significant month around our house. The month of August also holds the title of being the month God…
Joyfilled pessimist
In Christendom no one ever wants to admit they are not the eternal optimist. After all if one had so much as a negative thought we might not even really be saved (read the dripping sarcasm here). I think we have sometimes embraced so much humanism and the power of positivity into our Christianity that…
Sometimes Mothers Day is not a happy celebration- God has not left you hopeless.
Mother’s Day. Mothers are so key in releasing Destiny. The prophet Isaiah declared: The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his…
The Bookends of the Home – Spirit Filled and Spiritual Warfare
Bookends. In today’s culture you don’t see bookends very often like you did generations ago. Well I think we maybe in an internet age we don’t see books very often either but that’s another subject entirely. Bookends. Bookends according to Dictionary.com are: noun plural noun: bookends 1. a support for the end of a row…
The womb of your child’s destiny – your home
In Utero. Am I talking about the title of the third and final album of the 1990’s alternative rock band Nirvana or the Latin term for “in the womb”? I am actually talking today about a natural phenomenon that happens when God takes a moment in His timeline of eternity and chooses a womb to…
Parenting Holiness in a world of compromise – Part 6 I love my Father and want to be in His presence
We have been on this journey discussing holiness, parenting and ultimately parenting holiness in our homes. This is our 6th and final part of the series. In this weeks edition I hope to get us to the place of recognizing we as parents need to host the presence of God in our homes, raising our…
Parenting Holiness in a world of compromise – Part 5 I love my Father and I don’t want to disappoint him
It has been a few weeks since my last post, working in the marketplace has had my schedule a little off kilter. We have been on this journey discussing holiness, parenting and ultimately parenting holiness in our homes. The paradigm we have of pursuing holiness is key. Paradigm is the lens through which we all…
Parenting Holiness in a world of compromise – Part 4 He is for my Good
Over the past few weeks we have been breaking down this overly simple way of changing how we view our motivation for holiness towards God and transitioning our children from a legalistic obedience to household rules and standards, to a relational identity based obedience that will launch them into adulthood with a right perspective of…