Family Worship Times

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One of the greatest ways you can reach your world with the Good News Gospel is by living it out in your family. Christianity found only in a church sanctuary is about as helpful as a car that never leaves the garage! We’ve got to lead our families into authentic, daily worship. Worship that begins at home and then overflows into the rest of life-at the grocery store, at the workplace, on the golf course. Following Christ isn’t just a Sunday thing! A Christian is a Christian 24-7!

Psalm chapter 1 says of the man (or woman) who is blessed by God, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Make following Christ a part of daily life by having regular family worship times. Read the Bible together and discuss it. Sing a favorite hymn or chorus. Pray for each other. What about involving your children in ministry? Or making holidays and traditions spiritually meaningful? Invite missionaries into your home?

Whatever you do, show your children how to worship God with their whole lives-not just on Sunday. You’ll make an eternal impact not just on your family, but on every person who witnesses what living for Christ is really all about.

Promoting Christian Behavior

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When you think about Christian behaviors, what comes to mind? Do not lie. Do not steal. Respect your elders. Honor your parents. The list goes on. As parents, we want our children to behave in a Christian way. We want them to follow God’s law and behave accordingly. But the Lord wants more than just “right” behavior.

“Funderstanding” is a renowned website focused on how children learn. It tells us that, “Behaviorism . . . only focuses on observable behaviors and discounts mental activities.” So focusing on behavior alone disregards the mind and the heart. We want the Good News Gospel to reach our children’s minds and hearts, so that they purposefully behave in loving ways.

In Luke chapter 10, Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.”

Encourage your kids to obey God from their hearts. Model loving God first and foremost. Teach them to serve others. Show them how to love their neighbors. Cultivate God’s ways in the hearts of your children. Your family will become more and more a Christian community that reflects the Good News of Jesus Christ in relevant and transforming ways!

Developing Strong Relationships

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During a midnight television broadcast a 12-year-old boy with a high-pitched voice called our program. “Mr. Palau,” he said, “I’m all alone, and it’s so scary out there.” When I asked him why he was alone, he told me that his dad was in a bar somewhere. He said that his mother left him and his two sisters four years ago. One of his sisters had two babies, was unmarried and lived in another town. His other sister was on drugs and never came home.

This is an extreme example. Perhaps that dad or mom thinks if they spend a few moments of quality time with their son, it will make up for all the time they left him alone. It’s so sad. Developing strong family relationships takes ample time. A little bit of quality time does not equal lots of time spent together. So show your kids that they’re important to you-and to Jesus Christ! Spend time with them today!

God’s second greatest command says this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Did you know that that command is repeated nine different times in Scripture? Maybe you’ve never thought of your children as your neighbor, but they really are! By sharing God’s love with them, you’re living out God’s holy Word and reaching hearts for Him.

Teaching the Bible

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Here’s a common scenario: Your children grow up going to church. They go with you every Sunday. They hear the Bible stories. They learn cute songs about God. They even decide one exciting day to accept Jesus as their Savior! You’re thrilled! But there’s one thing missing. Somehow in all of that they never learned how to study the Bible for themselves. And without that, their spiritual growth could be handicapped for the rest of their lives.

We’ve got to help our children grow in personal knowledge of the Bible. How? Read the Bible with them. Memorize verses together. Teach them how to use a concordance. And if you don’t know how, you can learn along with them! Finally, help them connect the Bible to real life, applying God’s Word to their daily struggles.

Proverbs 22 says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Ephesians 6 says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Our children are a vital evangelistic mission. Train them to study the Bible for themselves and they will be able to take the Word of God to their world!

The Christian Life Begins at Home

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Children don’t become Christians by osmosis. It’s true that God has no grandchildren. As parents, we should deeply care that our children make a genuine commitment to Jesus Christ. We can’t make the decision for them, but we can take an active part in leading our sons and daughters to a solid and lasting faith.

Proverbs 11:30 says “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he (or she) who wins souls is wise.”

It’s thrilling to win someone to Jesus Christ. Your life may be full of exciting moments, but none will match that special time when your child gives their life to the Savior.

I made the decision to follow Christ at a summer camp. Still, the seed of the Gospel had been planted and watered by my parents at home. It’s in the home where life’s most crucial curriculum is taught. God designed the home as the place where His word is to be taught, lived and passed on from generation to generation.

The Lord longs to welcome children into His family. Through our instruction, our example and our prayers we can have an active part in seeing God work in our children’s lives.