Monday, January 27, 2025

RALLY SUNDAY: A New Plan for Memorization

Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

God's Word is POWERFUL. 
Rally Sunday is the perfect time to start a memory program for the whole congregation and change the culture of your Bible studies.

Bible Sound Bites - It's the Real Thing

Most kids go through confirmation memorizing Bible verses and then promptly forgetting them because they only learn them long enough to recite them.  I often encourage teachers of confirmation to make memorization a family event or task to give it more meaning.  I've even thought about having the whole congregation learn along with the confirmands or putting Bible memorization back into our culture by having a theme verse for the year or a church season.

The Bible Out of Context - No More Topics!!

Cultural Christians have gotten very good at taking verses out of context to suit our topical needs.  We want to know what God says about drug use or pre-marital sex or parenting or we don't want people to feel sad so we take verses out of context to use as we see fit.  There is a local pastor here who uses Jeremiah 29:11 to tell people that God wants them to be rich.  Convenient and something every cultural Christian wants to hear but absolutely and completely out of context.  In an attempt to appeal to people we've begun to study topics instead of books but the one and only Almighty God is NOT our psychologist.  He offers us ETERNAL LIFE, not an hour of psychoanalysis.

If people study the Old Testament and they see and understand the true nature of God, they will not need psychoanalysis.  If they read the life of Jesus as told by four different men in the New Testament, they will hear His words and their hearts will be changed.  If you want to know what the Bible says about parenting then look at how God treats His children... with love and discipline.  It's an overall picture.  You don't need somebody to find verses to fit into the 5 easy steps to Biblical parenting. 

You want a good topic about you, your life, and how you should live to be happy?  Try the book of James... the whole book! 

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

FAMILY: Parents - Faith Builders for Life!

Parents are the greatest influence in a child's life... their WHOLE life.  It may seem easier during their younger years, and most parents may think that during the adolescent years kids may be throwing away what their parents taught them, but research shows that that's not necessarily true. If you've talked to your kids and prayed with them while they were growing, they won't forget what they heard as quickly as you might think. Teens are on a road to independence. They try new things and may explore other beliefs, but they are actually looking for confirmation outside the family of what they've been taught. If parents leave everything to the church, kids learn that their faith belongs in the church. If parents actively live and speak of their faith, kids learn that their faith is a part of their lives inside and outside of the church.  How, then, do we equip parents to teach the faith to their kids? 

The key is intentionality.  If it's not something that comes naturally in the family, parents need to make the effort to intentionally talk about their faith.  If your children ask what you believe, can you tell them? Perhaps it's time to get back into Bible study. 
  • Family devotions after dinner.  It's ALWAYS a good idea to read scripture or Bible stories! You can read a devotional book appropriate for the age of your children or just read the Bible and pause every so often to paraphrase what you're reading so they understand it. There are some exciting things in there! 
  • Eating dinner together and discussing life.  Turning off the TV, putting phones in a drawer, and talking about your day can be very enlightening.  Kids say things to each other that give you insight into their lives and an opportunity for you to model and discuss appropriate behaviors, attitudes, and how Christ is a part of your family's journey together, even at school.
  • Praying before meals. Simple thanks for the day, for food, and for everything God provides... EVERYTHING is important for everyone! It changes what we think and feel about the stuff in our lives. Also, adding on prayers about life challenges or troubled loved ones to the end of our standard, "Come, Lord Jesus..." prayer is easy and only takes a few more minutes. 
  • Participating in your child's Sunday School and confirmation education. Ask your younger kids what they learn in Sunday School. Talk about it on the way home and even later in the week. Some confirmation programs include parents as small group leaders or volunteers in another way. Do you know what your child is studying? Does your child come home with family discussion questions? One of the best benefits of parent involvement is that parents have the opportunity to rediscover things they probably haven't thought about in a long time. Younger children also get a head start in understanding the information in Luther's Small Catechism. 
  • Moments for meaningful discussion.  Take advantage of opportunities for meaningful discussion of the sermon. Churches can provide a few simple discussion questions in the Sunday bulletins or have them printed, texted or emailed to homes after Sunday School. They may provide interesting dinner conversation starters or would be great while you have kids trapped in your car while driving places.
  • Bedtime prayers.  Teach and model for your children how to pray/talk to God by making their bedtime prayers personal to them. You can also say a simple blessing over your child out loud before they fall asleep. A child who hears every night that they are a gift from God, that they they have been given a strong faith, that they love the Lord and He loves them, that God has given them wisdom and good judgment to face daily challenges, that they are a blessing to their family and friends, and that they are reminded that the Spirit of God lives in them, that they wear the Armor of God to stand against anything evil that comes their way, and that the Lord goes with them and loves them, will sleep well and it will change how they face each day.  
  • Actions speak louder than words.  They really do.  Tell your kids what you believe, but show them even louder. 
  • Encourage questions.  If your kids ask questions you can't answer, tell them you'll find out and call the pastor. When you bring it up again later they'll see that it was important enough for you not to forget. 
Parents can encourage or discourage faith. If your kids don't hear it or see it in your life, it will most likely disappear from theirs. If your kids see that going to church and being in God's Word is important to you, it will become important to them. Don't give the world a chance to take away what you want for your kids.