Dr. Grant Ethridge - Parenting Your Parents: A Practical Guide for Caregivers

I t takes a winning team to care for parents, and it takes a winning team to put together a project like this book. We want to express our thanks to the excellent team at Harvest House. They have been a joy to work with. Wed also especially like to thank our good friends Ron and Michelle Smith. Without their persistent encouragement we would have never taken on this project. To everyone who assisted and contributed in any way, from conception to completion, thank you.

Miss Tammy is the love of my life and my best friend. Shes been by my side faithfully every step of the way in our 34 years of marriage. God has blessed us with five children and eight grandchildren, and our story is a God story. Its been an incredible ride! Tammy, I cant wait to write the next chapter of our lives with you. Every day I wake up knowing the best is yet to come.

To our parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and extended family, thank you for loving us through the good times and not so good times. Through it all, we are family, and we love you. To our moms sisters, thank you for faithfully calling and checking on our mothers. Their days are always brightened when you do, and your kindness means so much to us.

Stephanie Fortune has been my assistant for more than 12 years. Shes become like family to us, and Tammy and I dont know what wed do without her. Few people have the professionalism, dedication, and heart for ministry Stephanie does. Without her careful attention to detail and every written word, this project would not have been completed. Thank you, Stephanie. We love you!

Its a joy to be the senior pastor of Libertylive.church in Hampton Roads, Virginia. This community of faith demonstrates what it means to be part of Gods family and to live out the gospel. I also want to thank our mothers churches in Georgia. The relationships they enjoy there have stood the test of time. Thank you for all you do to minister to them.

Ultimately, we thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is our Shepherd. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. With Him, we can do all things.

Dr. Grant Ethridge is the senior pastor of Libertylive.church in Hampton Roads, Virginia. He holds six academic degrees, including a DMin and a DD. He served as president of the National SBC Pastors Conference, as president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention, as president of the SBC of Virginia, and on many other state and national boards. Liberty continues to be in the Top 100 Fastest Growing / Largest Churches in the US and is a multiethnic, multigenerational, multisite church, with locations in Hampton, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Williamsburg, and Smithfield, Virginia.

Tammy Ethridge is Grants wife and mom to four adult children. They have one son, Christian, who went to be with the Lord June 4, 1992. Tammy has a BS in elementary education with a minor in missions, and she earned a nursing degree. She has taught in public and private schools and worked for the state department of education.

Grant and Tammy have been married for 34 years, and together they lead marriage and parenting conferences. Their life verse is Jeremiah 29:11. They are G-Daddy and Gigi to eight incredible grandchildren.

God Has a Plan for Your Life

He created you, He loves you, and He wants you to live an abundant life.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, I know the plans I have for you, declares the L ORD , plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future ( NIV ).

In John 10:10 Jesus says, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full ( NIV ).

When we are Gods children, He promises to be right with us through anything we face, good or bad. For those who are in Christ, He promises an eternity in heaven with Him someday.

We Have a Sin Problem

Because of our sin, we are separated from God and the good plan He has for us.

Romans 3:23 says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ( NIV ).

Romans 6:23 says, The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord ( NIV ).

Our sin separates us from our holy God. The punishment for our sin is death, eternal condemnation apart from Christ. God is just, so our sin cannot be excused; it must be paid for.

God Has Made a Way

While the punishment for our sin is death, God sent Jesus to die in our place.

John 3:16 says, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life ( NIV ).

Romans 5:8 says, God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us ( NIV ).

Jesus paid our price so that we could be set free from sin and death!

We Have to Decide

Salvation is a free gift from God, but we must accept it.

Romans 10:9-10 says, If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved ( NIV ).

Believe in the Romans passage is a belief that prompts action. It is belief in who God says He is and in all of who He says He is. Confessing Jesus as Lord means turning from your sin and your own ways of doing things and turning to God and His ways. Finally, we are instructed to confess that belief before others.

Do you want to commit to follow Jesus and to become a Christian? If so, just follow these steps:

1. Admit that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior. Ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins.

2. Believe that Jesus died for your sins. Believe that He not only died, but that He rose again on the third day. He conquered death so that we may live forever in heaven with Him one day.

3. Confess Jesus as Lord of your life. Give Him control from this point forward.

Here is a sample prayer that you can pray to the Lord:

Lord, I know I am a sinner and my sin deserves death. Thank You that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for my sin. Please forgive me of my sin and come into my life. I turn from my sin, give You control, and confess that You are Lord. In Jesuss name, amen.

If you just prayed that prayer, congratulations! You are now a child of God. The Bible says everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13) and that heaven is rejoicing over you! Please let us know about your decision. Contact us at www.drgrantethridge.com so we can follow up with you.

Its also important that you find community. You need a support group. I encourage you to find a local church and to identify with other believers. We invite you to connect with us at LibertyLive.Online.

Gather Together

I grew up in church going to a small group. My small group was called Sunday school. Tammy and I met in church, but we got to know each other in a small group. Its so important that we attend both. Acts 2:46-47 says, Continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. The early church met regularly in worship in the temple (big group!). They also met in houses (small group!). We see this throughout Scripture (Acts 5:42, Romans 16:5, and 1 Corinthians 16:19 are a few examples). The local church involves both big groups and small groups.

Grow Together

Deuteronomy 31:12 says, Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the L ORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law. Notice how this verse says we are to gather so that we may hear and learn. We help each other grow! The church dropout rate is five times higher for those who attend worship services only. You may drop out of church, but its harder to drop out of community and relationships.