The next four ingredients for a successful family devotions experience are: talk about what you read, keep a record of how God has worked for your family, close in prayer, and just do it.

Scripture says that each member of the body of Christ, including all members of your family, have something to contribute to other believers. After we have read the scripture, we now give each member n opportunity to communicate any insights they received that day.

I hope parents are in the facilitating mode at this juncture, so each person has an opportunity to speak. Then if we have time, we like to think back at the end of the week, to how God has helped us. We not only focus on being thankful, but on recording our gratefulness in notebooks.

Then before we head in our separate directions, we pray and commit what we have learned that day.

The final ingredient is to JUST DO IT. And if you are discouraged because you missed several days, do it anyway. I am so encouraged and inspired by Proverbs 24:16 which reads: “A righteous man falls seven times and rises up again”

May God help us to doers of the word and not hearers only. Amen.

The word remember, or some form of this word, occurs over 200 times in scripture. The Psalmist encourages us to praise the works of God from one generation to another. Psalm 145:4

Have you told your children how you came to Christ, or how you met your spouse, or other answers to prayer that you have experienced? Not only are the older folks to recount the mighty acts of God in their own life, it is equally important to record God’s work in the hearts of the children as well.

Teach as you would like to be taught. This is the golden rule applied to having worship times in the home. This does not have to be a dry time, but ask God to give you ideas to make the study of God’s word enjoyable. I have a couple ideas I will be sharing in the podcast.

If we had time, we liked to sing as part of the worship experience. Worship and the word complement each other. Perhaps your family may consider memorizing some worship songs or hymns. We committed 9 to memory years ago and I still recall many of the verses.

“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand” Psalm 149:6

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” Colossians 3:16

Don’t ever forget that the work you are doing is of great value in the sight of God.

“The greatest gift a church can receive is to have a group of families who take their responsibilities with such Christian seriousness that they are willing to completely alter their lifestyle to raise up disciples for Jesus Christ.” —Abraham Kuyper

While we seek to diligently teach our children the word of God, ultimately it is God’s responsibility to reach their hearts.

“For a shepherd enters through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice.” John 10:2-4

As we teach and read God’s Word, we also want to make sure that we are presenting the good news of the gospel to your families. We all need grace along with truth. Jesus was the perfect balance of grace and truth.

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

“Loving kindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalm 85:10

This is a critical time to explain the forgiveness that only Jesus can extend since He died to take away our sins on the cross. He had no sins of His own and so He could take ours upon Himself.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

Conviction and condemnation. These are big words, but they are the difference between death and life.

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10

One of the questions I am frequently asked is “At what ages do we begin having worship times as a family?” Based on these scriptures with Jesus’ instructions to Peter and Paul’s advice to Timothy, I think the sooner the better.

“Feed my lambs” John 21:15

“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” 2 Timothy 1:5

“And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 3:15

When you begin having regular worship times, the best advice I have is to assemble the family and then turn over the meeting to Jesus. In all of my years reading scripture myself, I am always amazed at how good the Spirit of Jesus is at teaching and applying scripture to each person in the room regardless of age or ability.

For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst” Matthew 18:20

Then after we pray, my conviction is that while reading other books is edifying and encouraging, family worship is a wonderful opportunity to focus on the living word of God. As a family we would endeavor to read one chapter per day, aloud, with each person reading a few verses at a time.

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” 1 Timothy 4:13

“Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near” Revelation 1:3

This is what we did, but as always I have more ideas to prime the pump and encourage you to find what works for your crew.

God’s divine blueprint for family worship begins with the husband and wife each loving God with everything in them, and then having God’s inspired word foremost in their heart, before they commence teaching their children. We find this plan revealed in Deuteronomy 6:5-7.

In this final episode on the Family That Stays Together, some specific ideas for learning to understand one another and express love for each other.

When families are together 24/7, sometimes these skills are not for building family, but for surviving as a family. We will be discussing, personality types, love languages, and a final exhortation to be content with the family that God designed you to be without comparing yourselves to other families.

We make a wonderful us, but a lousy anybody else. Comparison is the enemy of vision. Develop your own flavor and chemistry.

As Mother Theresa received a Nobel Peace Prize, she was asked, “What can we do to promote world peace?” She replied, “Go home and love your family.”

Shared experiences, such as reading books together, watching movies as a family, learning together, and playing together are instrumental in developing your own family chemistry.

When you do things together, you understand each other’s comic references, and provide commonality, which is the basis for relationship. Equally important is safe, open, honest communication in the home.

Listen as we share more ideas and stories of how the Demme’s developed their family identity, and an interesting application of the movies Mary Poppins and Saving Mr. Banks.

After discussing strategies for husband and wives, here is what the Demme’s did to love and affirm their children. From birthday celebrations, eating meals together, to working, and worshiping together, I hope this broadcast will stimulate your thinking for ways to love and appreciate children.

Psalms 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As a husband and father, I have more to say about what I have learned in 35 years of marriage and 34 years of being a dad. In this broadcast, I have some tips for ladies. I hope you will find them encouraging, biblically sound, and helpful.

God created and designed men to be husbands and fathers. But the only way we are able to fulfill our calling is bey falling in love afresh with God, laying down our lives for our families, serving them, and using the authority He has granted us to build them up. The best thing men can do for their family is love God and His word. Our individual relationship with God determines how well we build relationships with our family. When each member of the family is each rooted and grounded in Christ, then each are free to be in a healthy relationship with one another. I used to believe the ideal family was: Where each lives for the other and all love for Christ. I now am convinced that it is: Where each is loved by Christ, then we are enabled to love for the other.