Thanks for providing solid, Christ-centered posts on your blog Denny.

Great post. This book was a game-changer for me.

Barry

We, also, belive that families should be spending time together in worship both at church and in the home. I have found that even in ‘good’ Christian homes it appears that many parents are handing over the spiritual education/training of their children to the church i.e. children’s pastors, youth pastors, etc. And think that if they are at Sunday School or Youth Group then that is enough, or that they (the parents) have done their job in the spiritual rearing of their kids.

I don’t agree with this and think that as parents we are responsible for our children’s spiritual development and will answer to it. Ministries in the church that come alongside parents/families are great, but they can’t be the only thing, or shouldn’t be. And for kids without Christian parents, I believe that is where we need to take responsibility as a church family to come alongside this young ones and train them up.

I like what Rick said, “However, I think that perhaps the bigger issue is the lack of discipleship that takes place throughout the day. Setting aside a specific time may be helpful, but finding teachable moments, and displaying discipleship in the midst of the average day and night seems to be lacking the most. We need to stress that following and thinking of Christ is not just for a certain time of the day, or day of the week, but is 24/7.”

It is true, actions speak louder than words. This is especially true in the case of our kids watching us. Being a Christian should be more than just knowing a lot about Christ, but that knowledge should be reflected in every area and facet of our lives. As parents who are training up young ones, we need to make sure that our spiritual growth and development doesn’t just happen on Sundays (or whenever the weekly worship gathering is). We need discipleship, too. Our spiritual journey doesn’t end, it grows and matures, but is never complete imho. We need to make sure that our kids are not just hearing ‘wha wha wha wha’, but are seeing us live out Christ teachings in our lives, how we deal with them, our spouses, others, etc.

One vivid memory that remains in my husband’s mind from his childhood was ALWAYS seeing his dad, a Boeing engineer, reading the Bible in the morning before work. This spoke volumes to Jon as a child. He saw that his dad took seriously the need to be in the Word, to study it, to live it out. And my father-in-law is a true man of God and lives out Christ’s teachings.

Looking forward to picking up this book and adding it to our library, and having it as a potential resource for others.

Yesterday in church, our pastor was teaching on Romans 1, and our 8 year old son was in service with us. Half way through, he leaned over and wanted to tell me something and I shushed him…so instead he wrote his question down on his paper, to ask later.

As SOON as service was over, he popped out of his seat and showed me the question he’d written down…with much anticipation he asked/read his question…
“Am I a Bond-Servant?” (referencing Paul in verse one)

When I told him that he was, because of his commitment to Jesus Christ through receiving salvation and entering into covenant with Christ, he JUMPED up and down with excitement!

It was wonderful…and gives me a visual to remember all of my life.

Oh, that my heart will always be that thrilled to be a slave to Christ.

However, I think that perhaps the bigger issue is the lack of discipleship that takes place throughout the day. Setting aside a specific time may be helpful, but finding teachable moments, and displaying discipleship in the midst of the average day and night seems to be lacking the most. We need to stress that following and thinking of Christ is not just for a certain time of the day, or day of the week, but is 24/7.