Christian Home and Family Radical Faith for Generations

God seems to love illustrations and symbols. The scriptures are full of them: sheep, goats, seeds, plants, vines, brides and bridegrooms, light, darkness - you get the idea.

This episode uses the biblical illustration of light to show you a fun and effective way that you can use light to teach your family that God is light, and what that means for their lives.

There are a million different ways you could get into the scriptures and get the scriptures into you. But here's one that's honestly new to me, taught to me by my daughter. I call it the 30 day Bible saturation, and it's really a cool way to get yourself immersed in some of the main themes of scripture in a very contextual way.

In this episode of the podcast we'll be considering a very common statement I hear from people who have lived for many years in a painful or hurtful circumstance. "I can't do this anymore." I know how you feel, but is it true? Well, yes and no.

I can't count the number of times I've either heard someone say, or have said myself, "I can't do this anymore." We say it after a prolonged time of endurance, when the difficulty, frustration, we've been hoping will go away, hasn't. In that moment, when the same old, wearisome thing is happening for the thousandth time, it's natural to give in to the frustration and hurt and say, "I can't do this anymore."

On the one hand, it is true. You are not God, which means you have limits to your capacity for pain and your ability to endure hardship. You have emotional limits, places where you simply can't endure another hurtful word or neglectful act. You get to the end of your rope because you are human.

So it's true, there are times in life when you can truthfully say, "I can't do this anymore."

Scripture even bears it out. John 15:5 says,

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

Think about the picture Jesus is painting. He is like a vine; rooted, strong, supplying all the nutrients and water that the rest of the plant needs. We are the branches, entirely dependent on what He provides. Apart from Him (the vine), we cannot produce fruit or even survive. That's the place where we can't endure the hard things of life.

It's when we are operating in our own limited strength and according to our own limited resources. The hardships and pain become too much and we scream the words, "I can't do this anymore!"

It's the side that makes our cry of frustration untrue.

Jesus' main point is that even though your situation is hard and even though your resources are limited, you don't have to give up. You can not only endure, but you can produce good godly fruit in that difficult situation. You do it by abiding in Christ.

But that's a church-word, what does it really mean?

My understanding is that abiding in Christ means that you stay close to Him relationally. You get to know Him on a personal level. You learn to relate to Him on a deeply spiritual level, where His Holy Spirit becomes your strength and guide. Naturally, that's going to require dedicated time in the scriptures. It's going to take a commitment to prayer. It's going to demand that you get into relationships with people who can and will help you develop a deeper interaction with Jesus.

All that to say, when prolonged difficulties tempt you to abandon your resolve and give up hope in the situation, you have the ability, through Jesus, to not only endure, but to thrive. But you have to believe that deep down because God says it is true. HE is the one who says that if you rely on His strength, He will accomplish much more in and through you than you ever thought possible.

Practically, that means that if you feel the situation is too much to bear and that you should get out, you need to stop and check in with the LORD. What is HE telling you? What would HE have you do?

Looking at biblical examples of those who we call "heroes of the faith" I find many of them who God kept right in the middle of their difficult circumstances, and brought about amazing things as a result. The example that sticks in my mind the most is Joseph. The majority of his story is one of suffering and mistreatment. He was betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery. He was wrongly accused by his slave master's wife and thrown in prison. He stayed in that prison for over 2 years. Yet in every stage of those injustices, God turned the difficulty into a path of blessing, for Joseph and for others.

and we surely don't know what the LORD is doing through it. In times like that, when the pain is the most intense we have got to take our focus off the situation and onto the LORD. We've got to look beyond the discomfort of the moment so that we can submit ourselves to the will of God in the situation.

So, if you are in a difficult marriage, or if you are enduring hardship with your children right now, or you're carrying a long-standing burden of another kind, you need to take your eyes off the issues you're experiencing and put your focus on the LORD's will for you. Don't let the pain cause you to convince yourself that God's will is to "get out."

Hebrews 10:36 tells us that we have need of endurance, so that when we have done the will of God we may receive what is promised. There is more at stake in this than your present comfort. God has bigger things in mind... for you, and for your family.

RADICAL FAITH FOR GENERATIONS IS WHAT CHRISTIAN HOME AND FAMILY IS AIMING AT. I'D LOVE TO HELP YOU HEAD TOWARD THAT GOAL FOR YOUR FAMILY. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT CHRISTIANHOMEANDFAMILY.COM/CONTACT

God has given us one of the most wonderful AND most daunting responsibilities we could ever have and it's one that is intended to change the course of history. We're not just living, we're not just raising kids, we're building a foundation of radical Christian faith that can last for generations.You and I are responsible before almighty God for the eternal destiny, not only of ourselves and our immediate families, but also for the generations to come. Just like your grandkids and great grandkids will be able to trace their blood ancestry through you, they will be able to trace their spiritual heritage through you as well. Your children's children, and their children, and their children, though unborn, are depending on YOU to build the spiritual foundations that will enable them to know Christ personally, to live their lives by the power of His Spirit, and to lead THEIR families into an authentic, radical faith that endures.Imagine generation after generation of your family, knowing, living, and passing on the powerful legacy of genuine Christian faith. Imagine the impact they could have on the world. Imagine the day when your life is over and you land in the presence of God. What would it be like to realize on that day, that hundreds, even thousands of years of your descendants have walked faithfully in the ways of the Savior because of your radical faith in Christ, begun years before?

Make sure that YOUR life is one of deep relationship with Jesus Christ, today.

Then do the same thing tomorrow and the day after that.

Don't let a day pass when you are not pursuing your relationship with Jesus more than the day before. Commit yourself to knowing Jesus as deeply and powerfully as you can, so that His life becomes manifest in yours.

The results of that kind of daily faithfulness will be a ripple of radical Christian faith that transforms the generations of your family. It starts small, in the changes Christ makes in you personally. The work He begins in you will spill over into your marriage relationship, bringing about changes you never thought possible. And as your children witness the transforming power of Christ in you and in your marriage, they will be irresistably drawn to the radical faith that makes that kind of transformation possible.

As they come to faith in Christ, the ripple will continue as you teach and model what it looks like to walk with Jesus day by day, to depend on Jesus for every need, to humble yourself under His leadership, and to make every decision and take every step with the aim to bring Him glory and honor. Your kids will see His peace, and power, and blessing that are yours because of your radical faith, they'll see it multiplied in your family, and they'll begin to experience the fruit of it in their own lives. Until finally, they leave your home filled with the fruit of a family that experienced the reality of Christ day after day. They will be determined to see the fruit of that radical faith expressed in their own lives.

As wonderful as that dream is, it's much too small. There are generations of children still to come, your descendants, who will be affected by the radical faith you begin nurturing now. Jesus likened it to a tiny seed that grows until it becomes a mighty tree, and I'm telling you that what may seem to you to be a tiny seed of faith in your heart right now, can grow in the power of God's Spirit into a mighty family tree that demonstrates God's transforming power.

1) On your knees.

Stop everything and turn to Jesus in utter dependence. Rid yourself of every attempt to be strong in yourself and ask Him to fill you with His desires for you and your family. Affirm your desire to pursue Him in everything. Ask Him to help you, to transform you, to give you the strength you need to chase after Him for the rest of your life.

2) Talk with your family about what's happened in your heart.

Begin to paint the vision of what Jesus can do in the generations of your family. Tell them that you are going first, you're taking the lead to let Jesus make YOU into all you need to be to lead the family into that place of greatest blessing. Ask them to pray for you, to encourage you, to hold you accountable.

3) Connect with others who are committed to the same glorious goal.

Ideally that would be in your local church, but if you can't find people there, look further. I've created an on-line community for that purpose, if you'd like to find out more, click the link shown in the video or go to www.ChristianHomeandFamily.com/community to find out more.

4) Establish daily habits to fuel the fire.

You need daily time with Jesus. He is your life (Galatians 2:20) To help you get started, I've created many resources to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus. Everything one of them has a free version so that nothing stands in the way of you getting started right away. You can find those resources by clicking the link in the video or by going to www.ChristianHomeandFamily.com/store

Parents, it's time to get real. There's too much at stake for you and I to waste another precious minute of life. The generational faithfulness of your family depends on the work God does in YOUR life, starting today. What are you going to do ? It's my prayer that you will take your responsibility seriously and begin nurturing a radical Christian faith of your own... for the sake of seeing radical faith for generations in YOUR family.

HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY DO A FAMILY DEVOTIONAL TIME?

• For my family it consists of three parts: Song, Scripture, Prayer
• We covered the song part last week  - www.ChristianHomeandFamily.com/82
• This week we'll talk about how to include scripture in your family devotional time.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. - Psalm 103:1-5

TAKE IT SLOW

• Make sure words like "bless", "soul", "benefits", and "iniquity" are understood... remember podcast 81?
• Explore the meanings through discussion (you don't have to give all the answers).
• There's going to be no meaning and no impact if the passage is not understood.
• Depending on the age / spiritual maturity you may only take 1 verse at a time - that's OK.

ASK QUESTIONS (that require more than "yes / no" answers) - here are some examples:

• What are some reasons the LORD wants us to bless Him?
• What do you think it means that God's name is "holy?"
• What is forgiveness? How has God forgiven you?
• What impression does this passage give you of God?

TELL STORIES FROM YOUR OWN LIFE THAT ARE APPLICABLE

• Your kids need to hear about God's work in your life.
• It gives them real-life examples.
• It demonstrates a pattern of how God deals with people.
• It shows them how sinful people can relate to God.

END WITH PERSONAL APPLICATION - here's some examples I might ask based on this passage...

• Let's list all the benefits the LORD has given to our family, or to us as individuals.
• What ideas do you have of how WE can bless the LORD for all He's done?

Music used by permission of Adam Rey at www.HeyReyGuitar.com

If you're not musically inclined, what do you do? Before we get into the "how" part of including music in your family worship, there's one other step we need to take first...

• Why do we sing to God in the first place?
• It's not only that it's fun (though it is), it's one way that we worship God. And remember, younger children may need an explanation of worship. See podcast 81 for details on how to go about that.
• In singing we are speaking truths about God and to God
• When we sing ABOUT God, it's for our sake - to increase our faith and remind us of the truths we believe.
• When we sing TO God, it's in worship, for all that He is and does, to show our love and appreciation.
• Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. (Ps. 95:1-2)

• These are songs that you may have on a CD, mp3, or other source that is professionally produced... and your family just sings along!
• You have a professional leading you, so the pressure's off. You don't have to be musical at all.
• No instruments are needed, though you could include them if you like.
• Everyone will be able to follow along
• Most of the time, kids love it.
• Find this kind of music on YouTube, internet apps like Spotify or your own collection.

• You have to know the songs well in order to do this one, and someone needs to be able to sing moderately well to start the tunes.
• You can sing a cappella (no instruments) if you know the songs well.
• Another option is to use songs the kids know from Sunday school (Jesus loves me, This little light of mine, etc.)

• When a person won't sing, it's usually a heart issue, not a singing issue.
• Find out what's going on.
• Is there some embarrassment? Bitterness? Something painful that needs to be explored?
• Your job is not to get them sing, but to find out why they won't.
• Patient, loving inquiries will get you there in time.

Next week - Using scripture in Family devotions Carey does speaking on this and other topics. You can find out more here. Music used by permission of Adam Rey at www.HeyReyGuitar.com

Before we begin to talk about the "how to" portion of family devotions with younger kids involved, let's remind ourselves of the purpose of family devotions...

• PURPOSE OF FAMILY DEVOTIONS: Facilitate heart-level connection between your family members and the God of the universe.

That kind of connection IS possible in the hearts and minds of younger kids. Don't underestimate their capacity to make very real connections with the living God.

• Attention span
• Understanding
• Mixture of ages (How can you engage the younger children without losing the older ones - or vice versa?)

1. Think like a child…

• Don't assume too much
• God, Jesus, sin, cross - all of these are words they may not understand.

2. Take it slow…

• Ask questions to gauge comprehension
• Don't move ahead if they don't get it
• Make deeper topics a project, over time

3. Keep it simple…

• One simple point is enough.
• No need for a 3 point sermon or loads of illustrations.
• Once they "get it," you're good.

4. Apply it in a relevant way… relevant to the child, that is.

• They know "love" in the context of family and friends, so give illustrations related to those contexts.
• If you want to illustrate the concept of "mercy", go back to the last time they were disciplined and talk about what it would have been like if they'd received mercy... and why they didn't.
• Always emphasize God's desire to help them obey His truth. That's called "grace" and it's why Jesus came to die.

5. If older kids are involved too… dismiss the younger kids, give an activity while you continue the conversation Next week - Using music in family devotions Carey does speaking on this and other topics. You can find out more here. Music used by permission of Adam Rey at www.HeyReyGuitar.com

UNDERSTAND YOUR PURPOSE

• Family devotions are intended to facilitate heart-level spiritual growth. They are not just about getting more knowledge into your head (or the heads of your kids). So your goal in devotions should never be to teach your kids to be perfect little theologians, having all the answers to every questoion, or applying religious formulas for a happy day/life.

• Family devotions are about relationship - between each member of your family and God. Your family devotionals are for the purpose of pointing every one of you, every day, toward God and His purpose for your lives.

That can be done at breakfast, before bed, after dinner - or all of the above. You pick and be consistent.

SOME FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTS

1. Be real

• From your real-life experience (no fakers allowed). You need to demonstrate what an authentic relationship with God looks like, warts, mistakes, and all.
• Be who you are. Don't get over enthused about family devotions just because you want your kids to be excited. Be who you are and let God lead you in the enthusiasm part.

2. Use your Bible

• When you pick up the scriptures, your demonstrating that there's something of value between the covers of that book.
• Makes the scriptures an authority to your kids, not just an irrelevant old book.

3. Be flexible

• Stuff will happen. Phones will ring, burps will happen in the midst of prayers, readers will mispronounce words as they read the scriptures. Roll with it. God is sovereign over all those things and will use them
• Relax.

4. Trust God to use every effort.

Remember that God is in control, and He wants your family close to Him, more than you want them close to Him. He'll handle it. You need to let Him lead.

Carey does speaking on this and other topics. You can find out more here.

Music used by permission of Adam Rey at www.HeyReyGuitar.com

This episode is brought to you by... DRAGON SLAYER: BEGINNINGS - Book 1 in my Christian fantasy series. The reviews I'm receiving on this book are both encouraging and incredible. Believe it or not, lives are being changed by this work of fiction. You can get your copy at htttp://www.DragonSlayerBook.com Now, on with the podcast...

But the sad fact is that all of us do thing, say things, and neglect things that wind up being hurtful to the people we love the most - our families. And the way that I see people destroy their loved ones more than anything else is not what you might expect.

• It's not through physical violence.
• It's not by neglect.
• It's not by harmful teaching or education.
• It's with words.

 When I was a kid there was a taunt we said to each other in an attempt to console ourselves when harsh words came our way. It was, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me." It was and still is, a lie. Words can do at least as much lasting damage as any stick or stone. I still remember hurtful, untrue, vengeful things that have been said to me. Even trial things come to mind sometimes and give me reason to doubt myself, become discouraged, want to give up. I'm sure you have some similar experiences.

The Bible says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. (Proverbs 18:21) Death and life - those are two extremes, two different points on a continuum. One is what we all want, the other is what we all fear. And words have the power to produce both.

DO YOU REALIZE THAT YOUR WORDS HAVE THAT KIND OF POWER? Do you recognize that your spouse and your children can be given life by your words, or that they can be destroyed by your words? That's a lot of power, for good or for evil. Let me ask you a follow-up question: WHAT KIND OF EFFECT ARE YOUR WORDS HAVING? Would the people in your home, your spouse and your kids, say that the typical type of words that come from your mouth are life-giving? Or would they say that what typically comes out of your mouth is destructive? Are the kinds of words you typically use words of encouragement, affirmation, or equipping? Or are they typically critical, negative, and pessimistic. Look at yourself, right now. Look at the relationships in your life. I'm not pushing this so hard because I want you to feel badly about yourself. I'm pushing this because every one of us is prone to self-deception. We don't see ourselves realistically. We don't really see how we truly effect others. I want you to step outside the bubble of self-deception and see yourself realistically.

#1 - You'll be able to see yourself realistically SO THAT you can go to God in true sorrow over what you've done and what you've become. I know, that's a pretty heavy thing to say. But I say it that way for a reason. The Apostle Paul says it this way, For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:10) Sorrow, or grief over what you've done and who you've become, is the first step toward change. It's where you have truly come to grips with your own sin and the damage it has done. Once you are there, you are ready to go on to the next step... #2 - You'll be able to go to God in repentance. Godly repentance is where you take your sorrow to God, asking for forgiveness and the power to change. It's where God takes your broken and contrite heart and begins to work His miracle of transformation in you as a person. So, here's the real question...

You have to ask the people who are most affected by your words. You've got to be brave enough to ask your family members for their honest, nothing-held-back assessment of your words. If you do, and if they're honest, you'll see a real picture of how your words are impacting them. When you do, make sure you respond well. You asked for the honest assessment and they were brave enough to give it, so make sure you use it to truly move toward godly sorrow and true repentance. Use their loving criticism to move toward becoming a source of life for them.  If you'd like to engage with me directly about this topic, please feel free to do so in the comments below. The Christian Home and Family ministry is aimed at helping you develop a legacy of faith in your family that lasts for generations to come. If I can help you toward that end in any way, please contact me. I also invite you to join the CHAF facebook community. Finally, if you would take a few minutes to help spread the word about Christian Home and Family, I believe God would be honored. Go to here to find all the ways you can help.