Heart Connex Parents Page - March 16-19, 2011 - Commitment ...
Truth Flowing from One Generation to the Next—Through Strong Heart Connections
PA R ENTS PAGE March 16-19, 2011 Commitment to the Local Church—Richard Ross, Ph.D. 1. Heart Surprise (Today a parent goes first): Say: If God wills for you to marry, I will look forward to your wedding with joy. Something I will feel or think that day will be . . . 2. Read Scripture: Invite a family member to pray. Ask family members to read Hebrews 10:24-25. Discuss the Truth and Untruths in light of these verses. Truth • Christ expects believers to live out their love and devotion to Him through the local church. Untruths • I really don’t need a church since I can worship God anywhere at any time. • My local church would probably be better off without me. • Churches are filled with hypocrites, so what’s the point of going? 3. Explore Scripture: Read aloud Hebrews 10:24-25. Tell your family that Bible scholar John Gill identified three reasons believers were obligated to worship with a local church body: • God commanded it, and He is glorified when we follow through. • We can encourage, teach, and support other believers through worship in a local church. • Unbelievers can come to Christ by watching Christians participating in genuine worship together. Discuss how these three elements fit into your family’s worship experiences in your local church. Discuss how using your spiritual gifts in a local church can make each of these elements a reality. 4. Think It Through: A teenager will lead this step. 5. Nail It Down: Say: As you move from our home into young adulthood, you will find many who say they want Jesus but not the church. But that’s not really possible. You can’t obey Christ and ignore the church. You can’t really connect with Him without connecting to His body. Encourage family members to evaluate their attitudes toward church attendance and to figure out ways they can glorify God, support believers, and challenge unbelievers by using their gifts in the church. 6. Pray: A teenager will lead this prayer. 7. Blessing: Say: I bless this family for expressing its love and devotion to Jesus through our commitment to the local church. Parent Tip: As a kingdom parent, you have the privilege of leading your family in personal worship. It’s tempting to think that the only worship we need occurs at church on Sunday morning. If your children don’t learn to worship at home, though, they will often find worship on Sunday a boring intrusion into an otherwise exciting week.
Copyright © 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention
PA R ENTS PAGE March 16-19, 2011 Commitment to the Local Church—Richard Ross, Ph.D. 1. Heart Surprise (Today a parent goes first): Say: If God wills for you to marry, I will look forward to your wedding with joy. Something I will feel or think that day will be . . . 2. Read Scripture: Invite a family member to pray. Ask family members to read Hebrews 10:24-25. Discuss the Truth and Untruths in light of these verses. Truth • Christ expects believers to live out their love and devotion to Him through the local church. Untruths • I really don’t need a church since I can worship God anywhere at any time. • My local church would probably be better off without me. • Churches are filled with hypocrites, so what’s the point of going? 3. Explore Scripture: Read aloud Hebrews 10:24-25. Tell your family that Bible scholar John Gill identified three reasons believers were obligated to worship with a local church body: • God commanded it, and He is glorified when we follow through. • We can encourage, teach, and support other believers through worship in a local church. • Unbelievers can come to Christ by watching Christians participating in genuine worship together. Discuss how these three elements fit into your family’s worship experiences in your local church. Discuss how using your spiritual gifts in a local church can make each of these elements a reality. 4. Think It Through: A teenager will lead this step. 5. Nail It Down: Say: As you move from our home into young adulthood, you will find many who say they want Jesus but not the church. But that’s not really possible. You can’t obey Christ and ignore the church. You can’t really connect with Him without connecting to His body. Encourage family members to evaluate their attitudes toward church attendance and to figure out ways they can glorify God, support believers, and challenge unbelievers by using their gifts in the church. 6. Pray: A teenager will lead this prayer. 7. Blessing: Say: I bless this family for expressing its love and devotion to Jesus through our commitment to the local church. Parent Tip: As a kingdom parent, you have the privilege of leading your family in personal worship. It’s tempting to think that the only worship we need occurs at church on Sunday morning. If your children don’t learn to worship at home, though, they will often find worship on Sunday a boring intrusion into an otherwise exciting week.
Copyright © 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention
