Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. - NLT

Proverbs 14:26 Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children. - NLT

Psalm 115:14 May the LORD give you increase, you and your children!
15May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth! - ESV

This blog will be most helpful for current parents. However, I believe in a, “dig your well before your thirsty” philosophy. If you are not a parent, begin to think through the discipleship your future children.

The primary disciplers for children should be their parents. Some of you are new parents. Others have been at it for awhile. If you have not laid a foundation for family worship, now is the time. So, what do you do next?

Begin by modeling what you want duplicated. Do not expect your children to catch what you ain’t got. That is not how communicable actions work. Ask yourself what you want to see in them: unashamed worship, hunger for the Scriptures, compassion for the helpless, vital prayer life, hospitality, generosity… If you are deficient there find someone to disciple you. Then pass on what you receive.

Keep it simple. Be prayerful. Be strategic. Go to the dinner table or living room couch. Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide the time. Sing a song - if you are not good at it, ask one of the kids to help you. Read a story from the bible. Ask questions.

Take Matthew 8:23-27 for example:
23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” - ESV

Ask, “What was the problem?” (This always helps us clarify the human condition)

Ask, “Who is the hero of the story?” (God is always the hero. Man never is. Even when obedient, he obeys because of the grace of God.)

Ask, “How did God rescue or show His love?” (This helps us see how the gospel meets our story)

Ask, “How should we respond to God’s rescue or love?” (Understand that Jesus was righteous/obedient as a substitute for us. That substitution was furthered by taking God’s wrath for our disobedience. Grace is placed upon us when we repent and place faith in Him. Grace enables us to walk obediently in His steps.)

For you Sojourners, I hope that you take advantage of the take-home materials that kids receive from the discipleship classes. Our objective is to give you tools that help you connect to the teaching and connect the dots with your children.

Here are a few resources I recommend that the Thew family has used:

The Big Picture Story Bible, David Helm, Crossway - Age: ~0-5

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, Sally Lloyd-Jones, Zonderkids - Age: ~2-6

Discovering Jesus in Exodus, Susan Hunt & Richie Hunt, Crossway - Age: ~6-12

Fun, but with biblical truth:
365 Trivia Twist Devotions, Betsy Schmitt & David Veerman, Standard - Age: ~6-14

As you can see, this covers internal family worship, but not external action. Pray through how to bring Christian fellowship into your home. Think through how to be hospitable and bring non-Christian friends into your home. Strategize how to serve the poor or wounded outside of your home.

If this is a new season, embrace the tension. Though you may not have it figured out Jesus does. He has a plan. He desires to reveal it to you and see it walked out. But remember, it begins with you. And for you future parents, dig the well now.

Epilogue:
There are some children who do not have parents or have parents that are not responsible enough to raise them. We thank God for other people and systems that help disciple them. We are called to community, therefore others should play an important part.
__________________________
David Thew
Sojourn Pastor
Thewblog