FAMILY

Welcome to RGC family bible-time

Vision: To build Christian homes that serve the Lord and pass it on from generation to generation. Josh 24:15

The vision of the just ended online bible club is nested into this, as children will be nurtured/helped to develop their personal relationship with God and shown how to pass it on to coming generations.

Tips:

Have a scheduled day of the week and time for your family bible-time

Make the family bible-time participatory

Allow the children open their bibles and read some verses

Welcome their contributions (older children can be told to read the text ahead of time)

Teaching the word is not once and for all, rather it is done again and again on any topic

Consistency is very crucial.

#<insert your family name> family bible-time; from generation to generation.

Parents’ meeting Feb 2025_summary

Here are some highlights from the last parents’ meeting. Please take action steps.

1. ……..But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Josh 24:15

Key messages:

Family is first ministry

It is a choice

Beware of ungodly things that may appear godly.

• ……but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Dan 11:32b

Key messages:

Seek God intentionally

Follow God intentionally

Have an unending thirst for God

• Purity talk:

Purity is not only about sex education, address the topic from a more holistic view.

The foundation of holiness is love IThess 3:11-13

What Does Holy Really Mean? – The Superbook Show

You can read books to start off a conversation around purity talk. Click here for recommended books

• Soul winning:

You can’t win souls that you do not have a burden for

Beyond fishes (money, qualification), fish men

Intentional plan for soul winning

Preach through your children: Your children can invite their friends to church just as other children invite them to the park

• Family Time

Family retreat

Regular family time

Encourage active participation

Parents’ meeting_summary

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways of supporting our children to grow in the knowledge of God through studying the bible and meditation. Some children are at an earlier stage in developing their personal quiet time (Jesus and me time) while others need to be encouraged to take a deeper dive. Phi 3:14. The bible is a sealed book. We need the help of the author of the book to understand it. Is 29:11-12

Insights shared for children below 10yrs

Age 0-infancy: Create an atmosphere saturated with God’s presence around them. Lk1:15. You can do so through worship, prayers and declaring God’s word over them. Purchase an age appropriate bible.

Toddlers: As soon as your child can mutter some words, they will begin to say ‘thank you’ when you give them something. You should teach them to say ‘thank you Jesus’ first thing in the morning. It doesn’t matter if the words are not clear. Teach them to pray and read the bible to them daily. Use the bible you purchased earlier along with other Christian books. Some recommended books are listed here.

School age children:

Purchase an age appropriate bible that gives examples of how God’s word can be practiced in real life. Support your child to schedule a time/space for personal bible study/prayer

Show them examples of what to do in that time:

Pray before you read your bible asking for the help of the Holy Spirit to understand

Be conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit while you read your bible

Write or draw something to show what you have learnt

Write any questions you may have

Pray after reading asking the help of the Holy Spirt to do what it says

As they grow older, you will support them to add other things-line upon line; precept upon precept.

For instance, memorising scriptures and using it in prayers. Refer to previous post ‘scriptural challenge guide’; improve their bible reading plan e.g study a bible character, or read more verses/chapters; meditating on scriptures-refer to previous post-‘what is in your mouth‘.

Introduce more Christian literature especially those that provide space for reflection.

*Consistency is key at this stage. As they grow older, you can support them to increase the amount of time they spend doing this.

*Regular appraisal: Initially, you could review this schedule with your child weekly. A progress chart will be helpful. Refer to this post.

Please make adjustments as necessary.

*Emphasize that love for God should be the motive for personal study/prayer time, not just routine activity.

*Regularly ask them to share their experience about ‘personal walk with God’-can they identify any positive changes e.g  character, understanding scriptures, desire to spend more time with God.

Insights shared for children above 10 years

⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deu 6:6-9

The key message is to make the word of God visible to the children as much as possible and very close to their heart.

You can use scriptural wall hangings, magnetic posters; seize any available opportunity to teach the word; use relevant scriptural examples to explain your answers when your children ask any question.

Teach them other ways of studying the bible e.g the story of Prophet Micah and the two kings. Ask your child to assume the role of each character and think about what they would have done differently or similarly.

Encourage them to keep a journal

Study the bible along with them and have regular discussions. It provides opportunity to spend quality time with them and demonstrate how to have intelligent conversations using appropriate examples from the bible.

Overtime, they will be able to discuss God’s word outside the home too.

#Consistency

#Structure is important

#Periodic review

Parents’ meeting_summary

Practical wisdom tips for spiritual, academic, emotional, financial growth and health.

Overall, acknowledge we are partnering with God.
Set goals and do regular re-appraisals- Click here for guide on how to do this.
Pray! Pray ! Pray!

SPIRITUAL: Josh 1:8
• Invest in books
• Invest in bibles appropriate for different age groups- click here to see sample kids study bible
• Read the books with your children and review lessons learnt
• Ask about what was learnt in church and add your input where necessary
• Allow them ask questions and provide biblical answers.

• Be a role model-read the bible and Christian books yourself
• Family altar: Schedule a time for bible devotion a.m and/or p.m, allow your children lead the session sometimes.
• Personal devotion: Support each child to schedule their ‘Jesus and me’ time
• Family Bible Time (FBT): have regular FBT for in-depth study of the word beyond quick devotions. See previous FBT guides below.

EMOTIONAL
• Teach love I Cor 13: you can ask your child to write out this chapter replacing love with his/her name • Love is the bedrock for purity: I Thess 3:11-13

• Fruit of the Spirit craft to help your child continuously grow the fruit of the Spirit: cut out small pieces of paper; Label each as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; make a paper tree and whenever your child portrays any of these characters, hang that piece of paper on a tree. At the end of the week, see how fruitful the tree is.

You can cut out the shape of one fruit from cardboard, label it as above to show that it is ONE fruit of the Spirit. We can’t have one item without the other, but we need to consistently develop all elements of the fruit.

ACADEMIC
• Have a scheduled time for home learning
• Encourage your children to have high aspirations Deu 28:13

FINANCIAL: Ps 23:1
• Let your children understand that God is the provider
• Teach your children to pay tithe correctly: it is not only when the amount is large that tithe should be paid, it is about the covenant practice regardless of the amount involved.
• Show your children how to prioritize what money is spent on

HEALTH: 3Jn 2
Divine health is God’s will but we have a role to play.

• Eat food: For those children who do not like to eat, show them scriptures that talks about Jesus eating 😊
• Drink adequate water/fluids
• Exercise

Resources suggested by parents:
Purpose driven life devotional for kids by Rick Warren
Tweens rooted in faith by Kingdom press: 5 mins devotion for preteen boys
Podcasts: God’s big story, Kid’s corner, Gospel adventure show, Truth seekers, Kids bible stories,

Other recommended books here.

Family Dedicated to God

I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Psalm16:8
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Josh 24:15

Man was created by and for the pleasure of God. Rev 4:11, Isa 43:21.
Dedication
1) Going all the way with God. Gen12:4-5. Not stopping , not quitting, not compromising in our walk with God. Exo8:28, Exo10:11, Exo10:24. Exo10:8-9
2) Making God the centre of your life/family. That God is utmost, reflects and is the determinant in everything you do. Psalm16:8. Gen14:19. Everyone knows that your life/family is around God.
3) Absolute ownership of your life/family by God. Use of our time, resources, talents for the praise of God. Isa 43:21
4) Unconditional commitment to God. 2Tim4:2, Job13:15, Deut 8:11-14
Profits
1) Unction: supernatural ability for exploits Psalm 89:19-20
2) Elevation: As a reward for your diligent dedication to God , you will be uplifted in all areas of life Heb11:6
3) Distinction: God will set you apart for excellence Dan1:8,19-20
Counsel
1) Secure and maintain His presence
2) Be intentional
3) Be consistent

Inner Beauty

Inner beauty  Ps 51:10-17

Our heavenly father, the creator of heaven and earth is undoubtedly beautiful beyond description. We can see the wonderful works of His hands even though we do not see Him. As His children created in His image we are meant to be beautiful as well.

Beauty is a combination of qualities in a person/thing that gives pleasure to the sense or the mind.

Are you beautiful inside and outside?

Within the next two weeks, we will focus more on the inward beauty.

(Outer beauty in terms of physical appearance, hygiene, dressing etc is also very important. Please discuss this with your children especially those approaching puberty)

1. The psalmist prayed for a new heart and a right spirit Ps 51:10, this is inner beauty. A clean heart and a right spirit brings together a combination of qualities that make our lives pleasing unto the Lord such as: Love, goodness, clear conscience, purity, words of wisdom, diligence, graceful attitude/behaviour.

2. Why do we need a clean heart?

*Heart here is not referring to the physical cardiovascular organ. It refers to our inner being.

The actions we perform and the expression of our feelings all originate from the state of our heart. For instance, the choice of words we use , the clothes we choose to wear, the places we visit are all processed first of all in our heart.

Family discussion: Make a list of qualities of inner beauty that seem to be lacking or need improvement in your family without picking on anyone. Discuss each one and pray that the Holy spirit will help to make that quality find expression in your lives e.g attitude/behaviour.

Do you have children whose attitude (the way they feel) when corrected is not appropriate and their actions (behaviour) is unacceptable sometimes?

Refer to the previous notes below on ‘attitude’. Explain with examples (without naming anyone) how to take correction and make improvement.

Activity 1: Ask the children to mention some behaviours that are acceptable or unacceptable to God. See from the bible the consequences of such good or bad behaviour e.g Esther’s  obedience to the eunuch, Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law, King David’s lustful behaviour.

 Activity 2: Encourage everyone to make Ps 51:10 a daily prayer asking God to not only forgive us, but give us a new heart which is pure, that is, all previous sins and errors have been wiped out and we can start another day with a right spirit and live to please God. This prayer gives room for daily repentance before the Lord and regular re-examination of our way of life to ensure that it is pleasing unto our maker.

Reflection: Take a few minutes to think about all that has been discussed. Ask each family member to write out action points and support one another to achieve your set goals.

Memory verse: Gal 5:19-21

 Prayer: Thank you Lord for your word. Holy Spirit help us to see those aspects of our life that we may think ‘it doesn’t matter’, yet they compromise our inner beauty, and help us to work on improving those areas 1Pet 1:16.

Finishing strong

Rocky foundation

The vision

My bible and I

We are not orphans

Tilling the ground-Part 1 &2

The Holy Spirit and you-Part 3

The Holy Spirit and You-Part 2

Engaging /interacting with the Holy Spirit John 3:8, Gen 28:16

• Holy Spirit is a spiritual personality that you can interact with just like you do with physical friends.
• For you to enjoy the friendship of the Holy Spirit, you have to deliberately interact with Him like you do with your friends.

Important things to note:

a) You must be aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in order to engage Him. You need to spend quality time with the Holy Spirit.

b) You should expect Holy Spirit’s response to your interactions with Him

*His presence is always there, but you need to stir it up

How to engage/interact with the Holy Spirit

1) Engage/interact with God’s word: Read, and most importantly meditate on the word and do what it says.
a) The word is Spirit and life Jn 6:63
b) The word has the ability to interact with your spirit and reveal to you the things of God Heb 4:12, 1Cor 2:9-12
E.g: The Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his household while they listened to God’s word through Peter Acts 10:44-45

2) Pray abundantly (especially in the Spirit): Praying is not just to request from God, it is also for fellowshipping and interacting with the Holy Spirit.
Jude 1:20 It builds you up in the spirit and makes your spirit sensitive to receive from the Holy Spirit.

3) Eph 6:18: “……all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…i.e intentionally praying in order to, and until you are tuned to the Holy Spirit and attentive enough to hear him.
e.g Peter’s vision while praying on the roof Acts 10:9-13; apostles’ prayer for boldness after been threatened. Acts 4:18,31

4) Quality and continuous worship
Praying always draws us close to God, worship draws God close to us
Eph 5:18-20 Worship attracts the presence and manifestation of the Holy Spirit to a worshipper e.g Paul and Silas in prison Acts 16:24-26
Disciples in Antioch Acts 13:2

Remember to do the above with awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit, spend more time with the word, in prayer and in worship and expect the Holy Spirit to respond as well.

Q&A

Prayer circle: Take turns to pray for each member of the family asking for the help of the Holy Spirit to develop any of the interactive channels discussed that they may be struggling with (may be inconsistency in studying/meditating on the word, inability to pray or worship effectively).

The Holy Spirit and You-Part 1

The Holy Spirit and You Jn 14:16

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity. He was first mentioned before creation Gen1:2

Holy Spirit in the old testament:

The Holy Spirit was mentioned several times in the old testament.

Activity one: Can you try to list some instances where the Holy Spirit manifested in the lives of some people in the old testament? See some answers below:

1. The 70 elders Num 11:24-27
2. Gideon Judg 6:34
3. Samson Judg 13:25

Holy Spirit in the new testament:

In the new testament, Jesus promised that he will send to believers the Holy Spirit Jn 15:26. The Holy Spirit will be with us forever as opposed to the occasional experience some people had in the old testament Jn 14:16

The ministry of the Holy Spirit:

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever. Jn 14: 16 (Amplified version).

Activity two: Can you share with one another instances where the Holy Spirit has been a Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener or Standby to you and/or your family.

What do you need to do to develop intimacy with the Holy Spirit?

1. Know the Holy Spirit-You can learn about the Holy Spirit and his ministry by studying the Acts of the Apostles.
2. Be conscious of the person of the Holy Spirit and his ministry as discussed above.

For instance, acknowledge his role as your helper by asking the Holy Spirit to give you understanding of the word before you read your bible and bible resources like bible story books, Christian literature, bible app etc.

Ask the Holy Sprit to help you to pray for he knows the heart of the Father 1Cor 2:11

3. Invest more time interacting with the Holy Spirit whether in word, worship or prayer. You know he is present with you, but are you speaking to him and expecting response?

Prayer: Father, we pray for a deeper encounter with the Holy Spirit in Jesus name. Amen.

Easter celebration

Happy Easter!
As we rejoice because Jesus died and rose again, let’s use this opportunity to explain to our children again the relevance of an event that occurred over 2000 years ago.
Easter is not just an event, it is the reason we have hope of eternal life. Jn 3:16
Click here to watch a short video that tells the salvation story. Pls watch with your children and answer their questions.
God bless you.

Discovery of purpose-Part 1

Text: Luke 19:11-27

Interactive bible reading: You can take turns to read some of the verses OR re-enact the story as you read along OR watch a video of the parable to help visualization and better understanding of the bible study.

How does this apply to us?

Everyone of us have received mina (s) like the servants in the parable. Our family bible time within the next two weeks will focus on identifying the talents given to each member of our family (if we have not identified them yet). We will assess how well we have traded with them and what more we can do before the master returns.

Discussion:

1)      Ask each family member to make a full list of things they know how to do so well i.e things they do with ease, joy and passion with little or no assistance compared to their peers. Then ask each family member to suggest what they think another member of the family does so well (each person can update their list if they agree with the suggestions).

2)      Think about how you can glorify God with these abilities e.g

a)       Creativity: You can offer to help with beautifying the house of God. When you decorate your room/home or even your classroom (if allowed), do it as unto the Lord, this will also glorify God.

b)      Drama: If you find out that you naturally prefer to demonstrate your thoughts when you are trying to communicate with others. You can use this ability to re-enact bible stories during bible time at home or in church. When you use this ability to demonstrate a book you are reading in class (when the teacher ask for volunteers to act part of a book you are reading), you are also glorifying God if you do it excellently.

(Parents please explain the caveat to this. Christian children must not use their God given talents to demonstrate ungodly book contents. They should politely decline participating in such activities and report to you.

Suggested activity:

Try to apply these principle to all abilities on your list (You don’t have to finish in one family bible session).

Prayer circle: Take turns to pray for each member of the family for grace to identify and deploy their God given abilities profitably and always.

Discovery of purpose-Part 2

Recap part 1:

How does using my talent profit God?

Can I use my talents to please God sometimes and use it to please myself or others sometimes?

Discussion continued:

3)      Check if you are currently using any of your abilities in a way that is not profitable to God. E.g If you have a very good voice and you sing songs that do not glorify God either because of some bad words or wrong message the song conveys, then you are not trading your talent profitably. You need to stop doing so, rather use that ability to sing songs that inspire you and other people to worship God. Rev 4:11

4)      When you discover your abilities and use them well, you may discover more hidden potentials. For instance, when you start playing the drums, you may discover that you can actually compose songs as well.

Prayer circle: Take turns to pray for one another that none of you will ever try to take the glory that belongs to God. Pray for grace to overcome self glorification.

Questions and answer:

Allow your children to ask questions and provide answers that are scriptural.

Pls leave your comments and answers to the questions here

You can click here and here to read previous posts about talent/purpose.

# Go to work now

# Keep trading

# The master is coming!

Review

We have had a great time exploring what the bible teaches about obedience, attitude to worship and correction. These lessons were preceded by a call to re-building/strengthening family altars. Within the next two weeks, we will do a recap of previous lessons. This will provide opportunity for more in-depth study, question & answer, and allow families to catch-up on outstanding topics.

Here are some suggested activities:

Memorization of scriptures: Read about importance of memorizing scriptures here. You can request for scripture cards at no cost here.

You can check if you still remember some of the scriptures. To help your children, you can ask them to fill in the gap e.g 1Sam 15:22b To obey ————–, and to heed is better  ——

Or quote a bible passage and ask them where it is written e.g “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Role play:

You can re-enact some bible stories as a family and have fun e.g 2^nd Sam 12-Nathan rebukes David; Gen 4-Cain and Abel.

If you need help with developing a script, you can send a message here.

Q&A:

1)      What are the components of a functional family altar? (1Kg 18:30-34)

2)      What did God promise children who honour their parents? (Eph 6:1-3)

3)      What are the benefits of wisdom? (Pr 3:12-18)

God bless you.

Attitude (Part 2)

Topic: Attitude to correction

What is correction? A change to make something right

Last lesson we mentioned that we must worship God in reverent fear. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom Pr 9:10. Let your fear of God be born out of love for God and love to worship him.

God loves you and He will correct you, the blessings promised will be yours Pr 3:12-18

Right attitude to correction: How do you feel when you are being corrected? You would feel unhappy and even try to make excuses, but with the help of the Holy Spirit you can do the following:

1. Accept that you were wrong
2. Show that you are sorry for the wrongdoing
3. Be determined not to do that wrong thing again by the help of the HolySpirit
4. Take action-make a change

Examples showing right attitude to correction (tell the story around the wrong doing/correction)

David and Bathsheba 2^nd Sam 11,12

Examples showing wrong attitude to correction (tell the story around the wrong doing/correction)

Saul and the Amalekites 1^st Sam 15

Activity one: Give other examples of people who accepted correction and repented when they were corrected. Also discuss examples of those who did otherwise and the consequences that followed.

Benefits of right attitude to correction:

A person who accepts correction and makes a change is wise. Pr 3:13-18 enumerates the gains of wisdom: riches, honour, length of days, peace etc

Activity two: Mention other benefits of wisdom Pr 16:22, Pr 24:14, Pr 19:8

Family discussion:

As we study our bible, the Holy Spirit can make us see our wrong doings 2^nd Cor 3:18. Also parents, teachers or even friends can point out some errors to us. 

Use some scenarios based on personal experience to demonstrate the right attitude/the wrong attitude to correction. Encourage each person to talk about how they feel when corrected and why they feel so. For instance, ‘I just think dad is always picking on me’; ‘I do not see anything wrong with what I have done’.

Remember the aim of the discussion is not to upset anyone but to help us become wiser as we learn to embrace correction.

Reflection: Allow a few minutes for everyone to think about how they usually respond to correction. Think about today’s lesson and be determined to see correction in a positive light.

#For correction to be effective, you must be willing to make a change.

Prayer circle: Take turns to pray specifically for each member of the family asking God to help them accept correction and make a change. Also pray that the Holy Spirit will help parents to correct in love.

Declaration: The benefits of finding wisdom will be mine in Jesus name.

Attitude (Part 1)

Topic: Cultivating the right attitude at the altar

Sequelae to the previous post-“Raising and sustaining effective family alter” (pls see below)

Ø  We are not expected to approach God on our own terms we are required to come to Him on His own terms

Ø  God is not man, hence His worship should not be taken lightly or done casually. It is serious business Rev 4:2,5,8-11; Rev 5:11-13

Ø  Your altar is not just a physical location involving you alone, it is spiritual throne room. Heb 12:22-24. A good understanding of this should influence our attitude when we come to the altar

Ø  Your attitude therefore in this room determines your results 1 Sam 2:30b

What does Attitude mean?

Ø  A position of the body or a figure; a particular feeling or way of thinking about something; the position of something in relation to something else.

PS 5:7 describes a healthy and acceptable attitude required at the altar (fear-reverence, awe, respect, reverent fear, deepest awe, utmost respect)

It is obvious that attitude can then be  expressed both with your body and your mind/thinking/mind set

a)       Attitude to worship:

i) in spirit and truth: You must engage your heart, having a strong desire to worship God; it must be done sincerely/wholeheartedly/with the right mind set, inspired by our love for God and gratitude.

……God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth Jn 4:24

LK 10:27a …..You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind

ii)  …with your body/posture/action (lifting hands, bowing, kneeling, other acts of reverence) ‘present’ your bodies Rom 12:1, Rev 1:17; Dan 816-17; Dan 6:10; LK 22:41; Eph 3:14

iii)  With joy Ps 98:4-6

iv)  With expectation to experience His presence and His glory Ps 63:2

NOTE: If it is not sincere, it cannot last long

Take a look at these examples from the bible:

 King Amaziah  2^nd Chro 25:1-2;26-27

Judas Iscariot  Matt 26:14-16

ACTIVITY ONE:

Mention examples of those who worshipped God in Spirit and in truth with bible references

b)      Attitude to the Word

The bible is God’s gift to us 2^nd Tim 3:16. We must pick it up with joy and expect God to express His thoughts to us daily through the scriptures.

ACTIVITY TWO:

Wrap a gift with multi-layers of wrapping sheet or any paper. Play ‘pass the parcel’ game, watch the face of your little ones glow with a smile when they get a chance to unwrap a layer and get a gift.

Action steps

1) Develop a mental picture of God’s almightiness and wondrous acts from scriptures and let this ignite your reverence e.g God as a consuming fire, the ancient of days, mighty in battle, ask everyone to add more Rev 4:1-end.

God is a loving father that must be worshipped in reverence fear.

2) Avoid distractions at all cost (internal/external) Lk 22:41, Dan 6:10; LK 22:41

3) Express yourself sincerely before God either while singing/dancing/praying/studying the word (remember Amaziah)

Are there consequences for wrong attitude at the altar? See  the following examples:

Ø  Sons of Aaron Lev 10:1-2

Ø  House of Eli 1Sam 2:12,17,30

Ø  Cain Gen 4:3,5,6-7

Reflection: Ask yourself, why am I worshipping? Am I expecting to see God’s glory? If yes, then you cannot ignore right attitude to worship.

ACTIVITY THREE:

Draw a big smiley face, cut it out. Get ideas from the whole family to generate a word cloud based on the attributes of God.

Family discussion: Can you identify characters that are distractive or connote outright disrespect for God during worship? The reason for the discussion is not to blame but to highlight the wrong characters and reiterate the right attitudes as explained above.

Question and answer

Prayer circle: Take turns to pray specifically for each member of the family asking God to help them deal with habits that are not right during worship.

Declaration: I will always worship God with joy and reverence.

Obedience

Text: Eph 6:1-2

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honour your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise”

Materials needed: bible, journal, pen/pencil

Read the text and discuss the meaning of the key words highlighted:

Obey- to carry out an instruction

Parents in the Lord- parents who know God and serve Him

Honour- regard with great respect

Promise- assurance that something will happen

How does this apply to us?

Discuss obedience as it applies to each member of the family. Give examples of those who were obedient (e.g Ruth- Ruth 3:6) and those who were disobedient (e.g Saul- 1 Sam 15:16-22) and their rewards.

The aim of the discussion is not to blame anyone but to highlight areas that need improvement and agree on action steps.

For instance, parents may need to check that instructions given are understood clearly and both parents should not give conflicting instructions as the children may get confused. Also, it may be helpful to allow a child finish with one task before assigning another depending on the child’s age and capability.

Children should stop whatever it is they were doing and listen carefully when a parent is talking and not be afraid to go back for clarification instead of disobeying or completing a task partially.

Emphasis: Obedience must be prompt and complete always. Please refer to previous notes on this topic titled ‘live the word ⁰⁰¹‘.

Prayer circle:

Take turns praying for each child especially in areas that need improvement as identified during your discussion. Pray that they will do as instructed in Eph 6:1 by the help of the Holy Spirit.

Question & Answer

Declaration: I will always obey promptly and completely in Jesus name

• I decree that every child that declares the prayer above has lost the ability to disobey henceforth. The doing grace to comply with what God commands is released upon you in Jesus name.

Suggested activities

Memory verse: Eph 6:1 

Age <6 years: You can download and print the bible verse for colouring- Google ‘colouring Eph 6:1’ or type and print it yourself.

You can print pictures of a bible story that exemplifies obedience e.g The story of Ruth

6-10 years: Meditate on 1 Sam 15:22. See previous notes titled ‘what is in your mouth‘ for step by step guide on how to meditate on a verse.

10+: Study the life of Ruth as a bible character.

*Encourage older children to share their knowledge of God’s word with their siblings/parents.

Note: If a child is 8 years and above and is still struggling with obedience, establish further from God’s word (e.g 1 Sam 15: 22, Pr 22:4) the importance of obedience and pray/fast together as appropriate for age. Fasting is not punishment or starvation, you just need to invest more time praying/studying what the word says using some of the time that should have been spent eating. 

Raising and Sustaining Effective Family Altar

Text: Gen 12:7-8

Altars are points of connection between the physical and the spiritual. A portal of connection with divinity.

Types:

• Personal
• Corporate-family, marital

Importance of family altar:

• Service your relationship with God
• Empowerment Mark 1:35
• Battles are fought and won
• Supernatural encounters for the whole family
• A place of spiritual mentoring  Gen 18:18-19, Deu 6:6-7
• A place where love and unity is promoted Ps 133:1

Examples:

• Abraham: Gen 12:7-8

⁸. ……..pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

• Isaac: Gen 26:24-25

²⁵ And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well.

• Jacob: Gen 35:1

And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother

Structure

• Physical location/time Mark 1:35, John 18:1-2
• Priest Gen 18:19, Is 24:2
• Important components (1Kg 18:30-34):

a) Rock-solid foundation (Christ) 1Pet 2:6

b) Wood-fuel that keeps the fire i.e, the word, worship, prayers Lev 6:12-13

c) Water-Holy Spirit John 7:37-39

d) Sacrifice- You Rom 12:1

e) Fire-God provides the fire: power, presence, impact

Conclusion

• Be deliberate in building the components of your altar
• Ask God for help
• Resist devil’s discouragement
• Periodic reappraisal: check the effectiveness of your structure and the impact of your altar on each member of the family.