Family Time…Spiritual Development
As a young Mom, I went to several “Mom groups” wanting to find out what do I do as a Mom. I had watched my Mom as I grew up, but I wanted to know what else was being suggested by other Moms. One of the groups that I attended had invited a speaker who was encouraging us as Moms to raise a godly family and godly kids. I had been part of the church myself, but this was a new idea to me of passing on my faith intentionally to my kids. I assumed that the church Sunday school class would handle this aspect and I figured they were better prepared than I was to teach my kids the Bible. But this speaker challenged me to look at where I was in my faith and then teach my own kids. I realized that I needed to know more about Jesus in order to teach my kids about Him. So, I prayed and asked God’s direction and I joined a bible study and almost 20 years later, I am still in one. I realized that in order to teach my kids. I needed to learn myself.
Once I realized that I had a responsibility to teach my kids the Bible. I struggled with what to teach. When my kids were young, I read “the Story Bible” to them at bed time. But as they grew to late lower school age, they needed more in-depth teaching of the Bible and their questions grew more complicated. I searched for what to teach them. I actually had a hard time finding the right balance for our family. Our family is blessed with ADD and it keeps the conversation active and fun, but we needed the study short. I also wanted a stronger focus on the Bible in the lessons, with a look more at the Bible, than an opinion of the Bible. Since I had been a Bible teacher for years and had taught both kids and adults, I began to write a family Bible study just for us that had the balance that our family needed, which eventually led to later writing for the Sky Ranch Family Devotional that is provided below for you and your family.
This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by looking at your own spiritual development and the change in your own life. Consider the difference in your life before you believed Jesus and after you believed Him. Did your lifestyle change? Believing God has a way of cleaning us up and causing us to do what is right in God’s eyes. Pray for your kids before your family meets and ask God how each of you can grow closer in relationship with Jesus. God tells us in Colossians 1:16 that each of us was created by Jesus and for Jesus. He wants us to be in a relationship with Him and that growth comes by spending time with Him by reading and thinking about His Word and by praying to Him. It is conversation or communication that encourages and sustains a relationship and the same applies to your family and their relationship with Jesus. Ask God, if your family has the right balance or is there more that could be done to strengthen your relationship with Jesus?
If you have questions, email me at SkyMoms@skyranch.org.
I will be praying for you!
Stacy Davis
Click the link below for your free copy of the Sky Ranch “Open your Eyes” Family Devotional …
This week we are in the 3rd month and 3rd week (or page 31) of the Sky Ranch Devotional “Open Your Eyes”…
Family Time 3:
Month 3 Topic: God can do anything because God made everything…Your spirit
Talk with God: Read…Zechariah 12:1
~ Zechariah 12:1 [Thus] declares the Lord Who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.
In Zech 12:1, what does God form within a man?
Walk with God: Discuss… God forms the spirit of a man. God knows what our spirit needs to be strengthened, developed or refreshed. What is your family’s spiritual life like? How much time is spent with God, learning about Him or allowing Him to develop you? Evaluate what you could do as a group to improve spending time in the Bible or praying or having godly discussions. How can you encourage each other to believe God more?
Prayer suggestion… Pray for God to help you believe Him.
Family Time 3:
Leader Answers:
His spirit
Discussion ideas: Individual study really helps the group discussion. There are ways to study the Bible for yourself, or a family member may want to go further in self-taught Bible study. Encourage each other to join a Bible study. Being in a community of Christians also teaches us a lot, and that can add to the family time discussion. Look at your church website for class ideas.
© 2011 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.
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