Teach Them Diligently 2012

For every Christian man who is married, life's primary call is at home. A wise man is a faithful companion to his wife and a diligent mentor to his children.

God’s call to parents is to “teach them diligently,” but not without continual prayer. Prayer is the believer’s admission of weakness and even helplessness before God. For parents that means continually entrusting themselves and their children to their heavenly Father “who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” thus preparing them to recognize the blessing of God when they see faith and repentance in their children after years of instruction.

Parents are called to take the lead in the faith education and formation of their children, but the challenge must be met in the context of the church and with the partnership of the covenant community. Thus, the church must be affirmed and parents can be encouraged to know that they are not alone.

Even as family devotions is too often a waning practice among Christian families, parents need to hear the call of God to disciple their children. By a renewal of “family devotions” and a transition to “family worship” and even “catechism” in the home, parents can answer the call with a great sense of purpose and privilege. The use of Reformed Confessions in the home will be explored, with a particular focus on Ephphatha’s publication, The Young Heidelberg (Ephphatha Reformation Ministries, Inc. 2012).

Family devotions are an invaluable tool in developing spiritual maturity in our children. However, the content of the Scripture passages read or the lessons taught are often quickly lost. Incorporating singing into our Family worship is one way in which the Word of Christ dwells in us richly. (Col. 3:16) In this session, we will discuss the nature and purpose of singing Psalms and hymns in Family Worship along with the Biblical rationale for doing so. Additionally, we will discuss the potential benefits of establishing a regular practice of singing in Family worship. Moreover, we will discuss what and how to sing in Family worship as well as how to address questions that your children may raise concerning various musical practices in corporate worship and how they relate to our Reformed doctrine and world view.

The pattern of self-sacrifice inherent in mothering is profoundly significant and ironically yields the richest harvest of lasting satisfaction. A wise woman builds her home, knowing it yields eternal blessings for herself and her family.