Discipleship in the Family

- This is the greatest commandment of all! We are to love God with all our being above all else...with undivided devotion which will result in knowing Him, esteeming Him, delighting in Him, revering Him, trusting Him, worshiping Him, serving Him, and obeying Him.

- God's Word/commands are to be on our hearts (and in our mind). We must be a good example to our children by taking delight in God's Word ourselves and applying God's Word in our lives.

- For the perpetuation of God's principles among His people, they were to teach their children diligently and frequently at home. Back in the Old Testament time, books were few and scattered, the people were to write important parts of the Law on their doorposts and tie them on their hands/arms and foreheads, and talk of them constantly. The purpose was to remember, to be reminded, to be aware all day long of God and His Holy Word (you know how the Israelites (we also) had a track record of forgetting what God had done for them :)). 

- It is clear here that it's the parents' responsibility to train, educate, disciple, equip, and nurture their children with God's Word. "Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4b) We must teach our kids to love and follow God; otherwise, the world will teach them to love and follow the world (worldliness). We also must live out our faith at home. Our children are learning from us, whether we realize it or not. To them, the things we do or don't do speak just as loudly as the things we say. Discipleship in the family begins with the parents' commitment to God and His commands (verses 5 and 6). Our children can tell if these commandments are on our hearts and being lived out in our lives or not. It will not do our children any good if we do not walk the talk! Hypocrisy in parent(s) will likely turn children away from God.  

- I am thankful for homeschooling. It gives me plenty of opportunities daily to impress God's Word on my children, to talk & discuss about the Scriptures, and to answer any questions they may have about God and His Word. God and His Word should be so central to a Christian family that parents should naturally talk about Him and the Bible as they interact with their children in everyday experiences. We must help our children see God and how the Bible is relevant in all aspects of life. "Passing on the faith is more than imparting biblical knowledge or explaining theology. It's living it out. When children see faith lived out in the everyday activities of life, they're more apt to catch it." (from the book, Motivate Your Child). In our family, we desire God's Word to be heard, seen (displayed), read, studied, memorized, and applied everyday and everywhere. Every opportunity should be taken to instill the knowledge of God and His Word (which reveals His heart and will) into our children's hearts and mind.