Family Time…Spreading Grace
Celebrate…if you have been leading your family through the “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Open Your Eyes”, this is the last family devotional in this book! You will have completed this book and you deserve to be told “great Job!”! Next week, I will begin taking you through Sky Ranch’s second family devotional called “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Follow the Leader.” It’s going to be an amazing journey for your family…so get ready for next week!
The last family time topic from the “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Open your eyes” is on “God shows us grace” and this week’s focus is on “spreading grace.” Is that possible? You bet! Each person has to request God’s grace for themselves, but you sure can tell someone about the difference it has made to you and why they should try trusting God. Once you start to see the impact that God has made on your life, it is easy to share or spread the grace to someone else.
As a Mom, it was easy for me to share God’s grace with my kids, because they were receptive to it. However, extended family and friends was another thing. Our immediate family chose to believe Jesus and so did many in our extended family and friends. However, like in every family or friend group, there were some who would talk about Jesus, but did not have a personal relationship with Him and it was obvious in their lifestyle. So, what do you do? Pray. We prayed as a family for our family members and friends who did not have a personal relationship with Jesus and if God directs, we shared about the difference Jesus has made in our lives. I have been told by several of these family members and friends that they knew something was different in our lives but missing in theirs…and they were interested in knowing more. At that moment, I would share that Jesus is the difference and He wants a relationship with them and to make that positive difference in their lives as well. Sometimes, my explanations would go well and other times they didn’t, but I prayed through it the whole time. I have found the best witness to others is in how transparently you live your life…can others see your personal relationship with Jesus in your lifestyle? The good news of Jesus is definitely a witness, but your lifestyle is a strong witness of your relationship with Jesus, and both go hand in hand when spreading the good news of God’s grace to others.
This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by praying for your family and asking God to show you the people in your life that you could share God’s grace with. Ask your kids if they have ever told anyone else about their relationship with Jesus and the difference that He has made to them? What was the response? As a family, ask God to help you figure out the best way to share your faith with the people in your life who are the most important to you. For some reason, the people that we care about the most can be the most difficult ones to share Jesus with. But when you are in heaven, won’t you want to see them there too? Or how will you feel if you never took the opportunity to spread the message of God’s saving grace with them and then the time passed and it was too late? Why wait? Their response may be one that I got once… “I am glad you cared enough about me to tell me!”
Do you have questions or need prayer for your family? Email me at SkyMoms@skyranch.org.
I will be praying for you!
Stacy
Stacy A. Davis
Teach Intentionally
This week we are in the 12th Month Topic and 5th Family Time (or page 105) of the Sky Ranch Devotional “Open Your Eyes”…
Family Time 5:
Month 12 Topic: God shows us grace…Spreading grace
Talk with God: Read…2 Corinthians 4:15, 9:13, 12:9
~ 2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
- In 2 Cor 4:15, why are all things for our sakes?
~ 2 Corinthians 9:13 While they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.
- In 2 Cor 9:13, why would people yearn for and pray for you?
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
- In 2 Cor 12:9, when is power perfected?
Walk with God: Discuss… Are you spreading God’s grace? Have each family member share someone God has laid on their heart that needs to know of the grace of God. What can you do as a family to share God’s grace with these people? Invite them to church? Have them over to your home for a meal? Share ideas.
Prayer suggestion… Ask God to use your family to spread the love and grace of God with those you mentioned earlier. Speak each one by name to Him and ask for His help in reaching them for His kingdom.
Family Time 5:
Leader Answers:
- So that grace will result in thanksgiving and praise
- Because of the grace through Christ they see in you
- In weakness
- Discussion ideas: Make a list of friends you know who don’t talk openly about Jesus in their daily life. Sometimes friends don’t know Jesus well and don’t feel comfortable sharing about Jesus. Others may not know Him personally. Either way, pray for them. Encourage them and invite them into conversations by sharing what Jesus has done for you and the difference He has made in your life and then give them a chance to share too.
© 2011 Lisa Clark and Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.
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