LEAD LIKE MEN

[4] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:4–9).

Christian families we are being challenged by Scripture to disciple our families. As Moses has written in the above passage from Deuteronomy, we must be intentional about teaching and training our families. The primary means for discipling our young people is the family unit. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). This is a direct call put primarily on the shoulders of fathers in the home. The world is momentary, the devil is deceiving, and our flesh is fleeting. The call is urgent for us to heed the Apostle Paul’s command: Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong (1 Corinthians 16:13). For single mothers, this responsibility would fall on your shoulders, but we the church are here to help.

Family worship time involves a simple format: pray, sing, read, share, pray. Depending on how old our children are, the more in depth we can speak. Family worship can be five minutes and begin by choosing one or two days a week. The point is to develop the discipline of grace.

• PRAY. This involves very simplistic prayers to the LORD. I would encourage everyone in the family to pray, read, sing and share at some point. We learn by doing! An age-old acronym that can assist is ACTS. Adoration is praising God for who He is. Confession is telling God our sins and agreeing that we want to repent and need Jesus. Thanksgiving is a time to praise the LORD for all that He has done and provided, namely in Christ. Supplication is time ask the Lord for specific prayer requests.

• SING. Simple songs can be sung during this time. With modern technology, there are a variety of formats to use like YouTube or Vimeo if you feel uncomfortable singing in the living room accapella. Here are some suggestions.

1. Seeds Family Worship. CLICK HERE.
2. The Getty’s Worship. CLICK HERE
3. Sovereign Grace Music. CLICK HERE.
4. Indelible Grace. CLICK HERE.

• READ. I would simply start reading through the Bible. Pick a book and read through it. Start with a shorter book or a gospel. Depending on the age of your children, you need to only highlight one important truth from the reading. Here are some other family devotional reading ideas.

• PRAY. I would end the worship time with prayer for specific needs in the church and in the area of missions. Here are some ways to pray.

1. The Vitter Family in Italy. CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE.
2. International Misson Board prayer. You can download the app, sign up for daily reminders, or  browse the site HERE.
3. Joshua Project. You can download the app, have emails sent, or browse the site HERE.

My prayer is that the Father will bless you and your family. Whether you have fifteen or one person in your family, God is the source of our growth.  Let’s lean into Him. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).

**For further resources check out Donald Whitney, HERE and HERE.