4 Oct 2015

Family Ministry Book: Pass It On

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Pass It On

How do you lead your family to know God better and to dwell in the truth of the Gospel?

As Christian parents, we know that is our chief goal as parents – not to save them (because only God can do that) – but to introduce them to the Gospel and to pour the Gospel into their lives so they will have every chance to respond to the Gospel before they are out of our homes.

But, it is much harder to do.  We usually want a play by play or some ideas to help us achieve said action.  Some of us struggle to know how to incorporate the Gospel into our every day lives, every day conversations, mini van rides from soccer games.  And we also struggle with knowing how to plan special events that will hopefully be a supplement to our every day conversations – but will help drive home the Gospel into our babies’ hearts!

The new book, Pass it On, by Jim Burns and Jeremy Lee, is a special one to me.  One of the authors, Jim Burns, wrote the first devotional I ever read as a teenager, Spirit Wings.  I remember it being the first one I read when I was in high school and I was learning what it meant to have a quiet time.

Pass It On is a very helpful instructive book to parents.  Not only does it give insight into your children (or children of the same age) on many different viewpoints, it helps you with activities you can do with them to help cement the Gospel into their lives.  At every age it gives you a larger activity (not just a conversation).  You can get some wonderful ideas from this.  You can take all of them word for word and incorporate them into the life of your family, or you can just take the ideas, pray, see what the Lord would have you do – how to change it up, match it to your family.

The most important concept this book drives home is that raising your children to love God is hands on.  It is active.  If you want to make a lasting impact for the Gospel on your children, you need to always be sharing the Gospel with them, living it out in front of them.  And parents, with older kids, parents who may have just become believers – its not too late.  Its never too late.  Don’t be regretful over the years in the past – but confess them to the Lord and press on in obedience now.

Thankful for Litfuse for sending me this book in exchange for this review, and all thoughts are my own.

30 Oct 2014

Daniel Tiger and Moral Behaviorism

by | posted in: mothering, parenting, Shepherding Children | 0

 

Daniel Tiger

The only show that my toddlers watch 5-7 days out of the week is Daniel Tiger.  We only have Netflix so I can just put one on in the morning as I’m cleaning up from breakfast before we go out to do any errands or go to Bible study.  Both of my little boys love it.

I do believe my older son’s first sentence was (in his own language) “Daniel Tiger rides a school bus”.  School bus is his term for anything that moves that’s big.  And my younger son does The Twist when the theme music begins.

I love that the show is based on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, which I loved as a child.  Teaches good things to kids and helps them learn social behavior that is acceptable.  My mister even was telling me the other night that he was able to put a Daniel Tiger song into practice during a conversation with some co-workers.

And I write this blog  post from a stand point of a Mom who is in the throws of trying to get my two year old to behave.  I’m trying to teach him about authority and what is right and wrong.  When not to run away, why shoving his brother is wrong, how to share toys, why we don’t spit out food onto the table, why we don’t pitch fits when we leave time with Daddy at his store, why we don’t scream in the car long enough to make his brother cry.

Daniel Tiger is great at teaching what to do and how to be nice while doing it – playing nicely with others.  Obeying your parents, giving hugs, etc.  But, if that is all we teach our children as Christian parents, than we are missing the (gospel) boat entirely.

When my son disobeys, like he is right now because I’ve asked him to be quiet and play in his room or take a nap and he is singing and talking at the top of his lungs, I have trouble because I go to him and I say “I love you, E, BUT I really want you to obey Mommy.”  When I should be saying “I love you E AND I really want you to obey Mommy.  Here are some truths I’m learning about this way of parenting:

1.  My love for my sons should not be conditional upon their obedience.  I remember asking my Mom one time decades ago what she would do if I or my brother killed someone.  She said I’d still love you, pray for you, and I’d turn you in.  Good job, Mom!  They should not have to work for my love or my snuggles.  The Bible is very clear on this in Romans 5.10

2.  Our children should learn how to have good behavior.  Not by bribing, not by rewarding, not be yelling – but just because that is what is expected of them as one of our children. I don’t want to raise two little Pharisees, I want to raise little boys who see their need for a Savior.  My Mister and I have been talking about this, especially now that our older one has gotten to a point where he completely understands what we are saying when we are trying to get him to obey.  A sweet friend who is years ahead of me in parenting told me that these early years are for your children to learn that the parents are the authority.  If they don’t learn that, they will have a harder time learning God’s authority.  And that is where we definitely want to point them.  One key Scripture is Ephesians 6:1-4

3.  The main point of the Gospel is not so we will be better Christians.  The Gospel is not there to tell us how to be good.  It is actually the opposite.  The Gospel tells us that we can’t be good and we can’t obey. The sin nature living in us makes us want to do our own things.  Only turning our lives over to Jesus and relying on the Holy Spirit to shape us and live through us will work.  Believing through faith is salvation.  That faith is given to us.  Out of a heart that has been changed will come right obedience.  See Romans 6-8 and Ephesians 2.

4.  We have to discipline, love and teach the Bible to our children through the eyes of the Gospel.  We can’t teach them Bible stories that will lead them to share better, be kind more, or obey.  We need to teach discipline, love, and teach them so they see Jesus in EVERYTHING.  We must be the ones who share the Gospel with our children.

After all, that is our biggest job as Christian parents.  Show the Gospel to our children.  And pray the Holy Spirit will turn their little hearts.

 

14 May 2013

Book Review: Rob Rienow’s Limited Church Unlimited Kingdom

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I’ve learned over the years that there are many people out there who think they have a handle on Family Ministry, but really just know what not to do or think they have ideas.  I don’t know much about this relatively new (to the modern church world) arena, but I have found one author I like and respect in this area: Rob Rienow.  He is the founder for Visionary Family and Visionary Marriage.  I’ve read several of his other books or writings.  This one is no different: true to what it says.

Let me explain.  In the first few chapters, Rob compels his readers to make sure they know what to do with Scripture.  To let Scripture speak for itself, know it, apply it, and know that the Word of God is true and sufficient – even for determining how to run ministries in your church.  And Rob doesn’t stop with just the first few chapters.  He then proceeds to complete the rest of the book using this method.  He lets Scripture be the driving force behind the remainder of his new book, Limited Church Unlimited Kingdom.

He goes through the Old Testament through the New Testament, Early Church, Reformation to present day in how the family has acted (and in specifics what the Word commands for families).  Rienow gives some great advice on the children in worship services discussion, shouldn’t parents have the main discipleship in their children’s lives, and what role does youth ministry have.  These are all important topics in this family ministry discussion these days.

What I appreciated most about Rienow’s book is that he stated at the beginning of the book that the Word demands that it have full authority (it is sufficient and perfect) and should also tell us how to do our local church ministries.  Then, he actually does it.  He doesn’t then go on to make up his own thoughts – he sticks with what Scripture says and bases his book on that.

Good man.  Good book.