God’s Plan for Your Family

God’s plan for your family is not complex.  We make it that way, but it is truly simple.  This is the plan:

God wants to reconcile the world to Himself through Christ-following parents who disciple their own children to multiply gospel transformation to all people.     

In Gen. 12:1-3, we hear God’s plan for Abram.  God blesses Abram in order that he would be a blessing to all people.  Blessed to be a blessing.  He actually said that all the families of the earth would be blessed by this family.  How could that be?  This family would be the line from which Jesus the Messiah would come.

When God meets with Abraham in Gen. 18:16-21, He is on His way to punish Sodom.  God is revealing how seriously He takes sin and stops by to meet with Father Abraham still waiting on the son of the promise.  As they talk, God reveals His great plan that will be carried out through Abraham and it is surprisingly simple.

  1. God’s global plan of redemption, His strategy to bless all the nations of the world, began with one father teaching his one family to keep the way of the Lord.
  2. Abraham’s first task was to have a child and teach that child everything he knew about following God.
  3. While Abraham had a global mission, his first step in seeing that purpose succeed was to teach his children.
  4. Before Abraham would be a leader of a people, he would be a leader of a home.
  5. God expected Abraham to keep his family on the right track of following the ways of the Lord.
  6. God never intended organized religion to replace the family.

While I would have created some elaborate meeting place, or develop some in-depth training program, God commanded one father to be intentional with his family.  Are you willing to submit to God’s plan for your family?

Questions to Consider

  1. What are common pursuits that grab the attention of families these days?
  2. Some pursuits of families are probably unhealthy.  Some might be good pursuits but not God pursuits.  Of the above mentioned list, would you consider any of them to be good (not inherently evil) as long as they stay in a healthy perspective?  Why so?
  3. How can families prioritize scriptural pursuits when secular pursuits constantly grab for our attention?
  4. What examples (positive or negative) did you experience growing up that changed the way you thought about how family related to faith?  What lesson did it teach you?
  5. Read Psalm 78:1-8 in your group.  As you read, look for key words or phrases and how it relates to how we should seek to strengthen the faith of our families.  Share with someone what section impacted you and why.

Handout – Family Strong 01