Meet Big Daddy!
(Randomness on the farm! I just love my chickens!)
I love learning new words and what they mean. (It really helps when you're playing Scrabble!) As we can all tell from my writing, I forget about 75% of my new vocabulary words before I can actually use them. That's okay! It makes me feel smart while I'm learning them!!!
"We will not hide them from our children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength, and His wonderful works that he hath done!" Psalm 78:3
One of my new favorite words, actually term, is MULTIGENERATIONAL FAITHFULNESS. That means within your family you have many generations of believers who are faithful servants of Jesus Christ. Isn't that the legacy we all want for our family? To see our children's children faithfully serve our Savior?
It doesn't just happen because you love Jesus. Just bringing your children to church will not give assurance that they will not turn to the world. As a matter of fact, the statistics are staggering.
"They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. " 1 Jn. 2:19A recent study by the Barna Group from Los Angeles shows that 60 % of children raised in church leave the Faith by the time they are college age. A main stream denomination saw these statistics and did a study within their own denomination. They found the numbers to be closer to 80-90%. Are you serious? What is happening?
"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk about them while you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."
Deuteronomy. 6:6
Notice the YOU, as in the parents, at the beginning of the scripture. Why is it that these days we want to put the responsibility on someone else? Just because your kids attend youth group every week does not mean they love the Lord. Just because your children love VBS does not mean they will be serving in it when they are older. Children and youth ministries are great, but the spiritual well being of our children rest on us as parents. If you depend on someone else to guard the hearts of your children, you are leaving them open to the enemy. (Just a note, I love all of the children and youth workers in our church! As a matter of fact, most of them are my very dear friends whom I would trust my children with anytime. PLEASE HEAR ME....I am not bashing these ministries. I am saying they are there to AID you, not to take your place!)
Here is the simple fact. If we do not want our children to become one of the statistics, we better purposefully and intentionally disciple our own children. Teach them the Word. Teach them to pray. Teach them characteristics of God so that they might have them also. Teach them why you believe what you believe. Show them in the Bible so there is no room for doubt. Don't assume they know because you know! Teach it to your children diligently.
"Concerning the spiritual state of his family; the father ought to be very diligent and cautious, doing his utmost both to increase faith where it is begun, and to begin it where it is not. Therefore, he must diligently and frequently bring before his family the things of God, from His Holy Word, in accordance with what is suitable for each person. And let no man question his authority from the Word of God for such a practice." -John Bunyan
If you are a new Christian or you have just never spent much time in the Word until now, you can do this! My suggestion would be to read through the book of Genesis a chapter a day. If your children have questions you don't know the answers to, ask someone who is knowledgeable of the Word. When you are done there, read the Gospel of Matthew. Proverbs is also a great one to read through by reading the chapter coinciding with day of the month.
Allow each of your children to pray everyday with you. If they don't know what to pray for, give them suggestions. We actually have a prayer list we keep up with. My girls are always amazed when something we are praying for happens. It builds their faith!
If you are curious what we are using right now, here it is.
The top picture is the guide we are using to study Genesis. The bottom picture is a catechism book. Don't have a heart attack! The definition of catechism is a summary of principles of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers. Here some examples.
#1. Who made you? God made me. (Gen.1:26,27; 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Acts 17:24-29)
#2. What else did God make? God made all things. (Gen.1; Acts 14:15; Rm. 11:36; Colossians 1:16)
#23. What is sin? Sin is any transgression of the law of God. (1 Jn.3:4; Rom. 3:20; James 2:9-11)
#24. What is meant by transgression? Doing what God forbids. ( Sam. 13:8-14; 15:22-23; Hosea 6:7; Romans 1:21-32)
It has 135 questions with answers that children can comprehend. I especially love how it takes words like regeneration, atonement, covenant, and justification and gives definitions children can understand.
Every couple of weeks we go over characteristic we have learned about God and the scripture that we memorized to go along with it. I made a notebook full of them.
You don't have to have any of this, just read The Bible to your kids. I am passionate about discipleship when it comes to my children because this is what I want my children to be able to say.
The law of his God is in his heart; HIS STEPS DO NOT SLIP! Ps. 37:31
Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Ps. 119:105
I delight to do your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart. Ps. 40:8
Excellent! The catechism is really good.
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