Paul W. Powell Legacy Library

The Bible does not say, “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” but it does say, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes [early]” (Proverbs 13:24). Unquestionably, the home is the place for discipline. The God-ordained purpose of parents is to give guidance and training to children. But today many pa...

Juvenile delinquency is a problem in America. This problem may seem far away from us, but it is not. Some time ago a store manager told me about catching 17 shoplifters in his store in one week alone. When you seek for a cause of this youthful lawlessness, you are driven ultimately to the home and to the parents. In fact two Harvard Law School criminologists pinpoint...

There is much talk today about the generation gap—that invisible chasm between parents and their children. While there has always been a gap between one generation and the next, there are many who feel that it is deeper and wider today than ever before. Several factors, like the rapid changes that are occurring all over our world, improved communications throug...

One of the most difficult of tasks is to explain death to a child. How do you do it? First, be calm. How you tell them is almost as important as what you tell them. If you are composed, they will probably accept your explanation calmly. If you are hysterical, they will probably become hysterical. Their experience and understanding is limited and so they are likely to...

One of the greatest blessings of life is a Christian home. It is a source of strength and help for all of life. An essential ingredient in a Christian home is a family altar. You cannot have a Christian home in the fullest sense of the word without it. What is a family altar? It is not a piece of furniture or a place. It is an event. It is a time when the family join...

To a startling degree, American parents have handled their primary duty of child rearing to educational institutions or babysitters who cannot and will not do the job. Because of our divided lives, most young people are left to grow up without adequate guidance from their parents.  Parents need to wake up. Parenthood is not just biological. It is also moral and...

The diplomacy of the White House in the days of Theodore Roosevelt was “Talk softly but carry a big stick.” In life there are times when it is necessary to carry a big stick—but there are also times when it is good to talk softly. The Bible says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous [harsh] words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1)...

William E. Gladstone, the great statesman of England, once said to E. DeWitt Talmage, “Talmage, you talk about the questions of the day. There is only one question, and that’s the question of religion in the home. Settle that and you will settle all questions.” There have been many changes in our world since those words were spoken but they are still...

In a few short years, we have gained a material abundance in America that surpasses anyone in history, yet we have become among the most lawless and violent nations among free people. Our cities are torn by riots and violence. Thousands are killed, thousands more injured, and property losses approach billions of dollars. Leaders around the world have long been calling...