Devotional

Devotional, Family

Family Worship

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Not long ago I created a team at church. This team will help me plan family ministry and offer suggestions and support as we move forward as a church to a more intergenerational church family approach to ministry. At that meeting we acknowledged that this would be a long process. The shift does not happen overnight but I believe the effort and time it will take is worth it! What are some shifts we can make in our own families? Let's look at one today… Family worship.

12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Deut 31:12-13

As we read scripture we can clearly see that discipleship should take place in the context of an intergenerational family. The church is meant to a help in the process, but the main responsibility is ours, as parents. There is no greater privilege.

Here are three things that family worship does for me:

  • Refreshes my soul.

When I gather with my family after the initial groans and hesitation, they usually do settle down and engage. The word of God is powerful and has a way of refreshing the soul. With more frequency the groans will stop, maybe.

  • Strengthens my faith.

I know I am called to this. When I am courageous enough to work through the business and sometimes inconvenience it feels like I am stronger for it. Consistent time of family worship makes me stronger.

  • Ignites my passion for spiritual leadership.

When I see my "little flock" submitting to my leadership it gives me confidence that I can be the spiritual leader that God has called me to be. It can be work at first but eventually it will turn into a rewarding worship experience.

These are three things family worship does for me. Family worship can take many forms based on your families familiarity with it. As your family grows spiritual it will change. The basic elements of family worship are found in Colossians 3:16.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

  • Scripture
  • Teaching/encouragement
  • Prayer
  • Singing

PS: We have tried to be consistent with our times of family worship. We have managed to get as many as 3 days in week. Sometimes all are present sometimes a few are out at volleyball or soccer practice. My conviction is that we need to do something! We have done dinner table devotions, car ride conversations, and living room family worship. Do whatever works for your family no age is too young. Start small and be encouraged!

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Devotional

The Inner War

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There is a battle raging. It is not a physical battle that we can see. It is one that is going on inside of us.

We are all born with a soul at war. The war is between the sin nature that we are born with and the awareness that there is a personal creator who loves us and desires us to live a certain way. We learn more about this as we grow in Christ likeness but it is even there from the start.

There is this great sense that we were made for a greater purpose. That is God and his general revelation to us throughout the world. We see Him at work even if we are unaware. We see him working in the lives of those around us. We see his work in creation. It is there and it is obvious.

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20

So how do we win the war inside?

  1. We seek the things above.

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:1-2

The way of this world is easy to follow and contrary to what God wants for our lives. As we seek Christ there will be plenty of distractions. We need to make sure we are doing all we can to eliminate those distractions and seek Christ in His word.

  1. We find others who are seeking Christ as well.

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

We were never meant to live this life alone. As Christians God gave us each other to experience life with. We will have trouble in this world. Trouble with our circumstances and trouble with sin. When we have others to share with, we will make each other better as we seek God together.

  1. We publicly worship with other believers.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

CHURCH YALL! The church is God's family. As we each individually seek God and worship him it is also important to share what God is doing in our lives with other believers. We gather for corporate worship to give God glory and celebrate what he is doing. The more we focus on him the more we see what he is doing. As we gather and share what God is doing we encourage other believers who may be going through a similar situation. We NEED each other.

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Devotional

Men – What are you thinking?

Men.

If you are like me you are stubborn, a creature of habit, and have a problem with pride. As I write those words I don’t think there is anything wrong with those characteristics necessarily except they can cause you to be selfish, immovable, and want your own way. These can be barriers in relationships. 

Any good relationship takes time and intentional effort. Relationships that don’t receive the time and attention needed can drift and be unhealthy. I don’t want that in any of my relationships. Especially my marriage. 

What does it take to have a good marriage?

It takes work. And if you are willing follow me for a moment. 

What do you think about your marriage? Where do those thoughts come from? Do they come from societies view on marriage? Do they come from examples you saw in your parents or grandparents? 

Our preconceptions about marriage come from somewhere and they are not always bad. But for some they can be damaging. They can lead you to toxic thoughts about your spouse or what marriage is supposed to be. Even when we don’t mean too. 

Our thoughts have a mind of their own. In fact a lot of the time they are on auto pilot. We don’t know how we got to thinking about the things we think about and even occasionally an inappropriate thought will show up. We didn’t go looking for it and we don’t know how it got there. Our thoughts really can have a mind of their own.  

If you have ever been a victim of this mind roller-coaster I want you to know there is hope. The Bible gives clear instructions and commands to help us win the battle of our thoughts before they run away. 

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

  1. Do not conform to this worlds ways. Your thought patterns ,your words, or your actions. Because it is unclean and unholy.
    1. To conform means to form to a mold, for example following the worlds ways and ideas that are contrary to God’s Word. 
  2. Instead be transformed or changed by renewing your mind with God’s word. As you renew your mind you are stronger and know what to think about things of this world. How to respond to affliction and difficult situations, etc…
  3. When trials or questions come up because you know God’s Word it will be easier to make your stand for faith and the right or good acceptable and perfect, decision.   

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

  1. We need to remember that we are battling forces we cannot see. 
  2. The influences of this world pull us in every direction but what is right. 
  3. We do have the power in Jesus to stay with the truth. 
  4. So we take captive bad thoughts, and replace them with truth from God’s word. 

Next time you find yourself thinking in the wrong direction. I hope this helps you steer your thoughts in the right direction. I know it helps me!

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