Parents want the best for their children. Would you be willing to give the best to your children even if it included getting intentional and personal?
Psalm 78:1-8 teaches that each generation needs to be reminded of 3 things:
- The Faithfulness of God
- The Frailties of the Past
- The Focus of the Future
The Faithfulness of God
- The next generation needs to know who God is.
- The next generation needs to know what God has done.
- While we are faithless, God remains faithful (2 Tim. 2:13).
The Frailties of the Past
- If we want our children to avoid our missteps, they need to know where they are.
- You might need to tell your children to do as you say if they don’t need to do what you did.
- You don’t need to share sordid details to provide practical wisdom.
The Focus of the Future
- Discipleship is key to the health of a family.
- We must teach our children to desire biblical obedience and not just cultural morality.
- A parent’s job is to set a child as close to the Lord as possible.
Questions
- FAITHFUL. God has proved Himself faithful countless times in the past. Whether it was in the pages of Scripture or the moments of your life, what moments of God’s faithfulness would you want to pass on to the next generation?
- FRAILTIES. How could you share your scars with your children without giving them scars in the process? How do you think you can teach your children to avoid mistakes you have made?
- FOCUS. If you could have your way in your family, what would they know about God and what would they be able to do for His Kingdom? What would the focus of their lives be?
- Is there any advice you have received regarding family discipleship that you would share with others?
- How would you pray over your next step with your family regarding discipleship?
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
