Family Matters

“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” – Mother Teresa

I’d like to take some time over the next several months to delve into the concept that “Family Matters,” and no I am not talking about the 1990’s TV series with Steve Urkel. I am referring to the importance of parents, guardians, and the church’s role in training up our children in the way of the Lord.

A Call to Parents & Guardians

Over the past two years, I have been participating in a parenting bible study group, where I have been learning practical ways to equip parents to model biblical truth for their families through habits, routines, prayer, and love.

A quote that has stuck with me from the Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley in regard to the struggle over allowing screentime, is “The fight is about whether you are forming your children or you are defaulting to letting screens form them.” As parents, we want to provide the “first line of defense,” so to speak when it comes to our children and their exposure to our fallen world. The spiritual warfare going on through technology and our adolescence is very real! With this in mind, we need to be proactive and intentional about our family lifestyle, so that we live in a way that uses the context of daily life to teach about God. When we provide our children a clear foundation of God’s truth through the understanding and knowledge of his word, they will be able to decipher whether what they are seeing or hearing is truth from God (ultimately good) OR lies from the enemy (ultimately sin and death).

The Bible is clear that we all will encounter temptation, trials and struggles in our lives and our children’s lives are no exception. That is why it is so vital that we provide them biblical tools and habits to combat sin and evil with the truth of God’s word.

Resources for Parents

This book shows how “parenting happens in the habits….(and) how these ordinary routines are extraordinary opportunities to live out the love of God in profound ways.”

“Good theology must always end in good practice.” – Justin Whitmel Early

Provides biblical-based principles to encourage intentional rhythms around: Waking, Mealtimes, Discipline, Screentime, Family Devotions, Marriage, Work, Play, Conversation, and Bedtime.

This practical and inspiring book shares strategies based on biblical principles, such as learning to pray a hedge of protection around your children, passing on generational blessings, and circling your children with the promises of God.

“Prayer primes us as parents. It helps us see and seize teachable moments that can become defining moments in our children’s lives.” – Mark Batterson

“If you are not covering your children in prayer every day, you are leaving their lives to chance.” – Stormie Omartian

Stormie states that: “God has given you spiritual authority over your child, and your prayers have power...(and) leaving their lives to chance is not good enough.

Upcoming Prayer Opportunities: National Day of Prayer: May 2 @ 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm; Combined Prayer Service: May 5 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

New Hope Counseling Center offers Christ-centered counseling services to individuals, families, and couples. Several counselors provide counseling to children and adolescents at Solanco Middle School and High School.

The school-base counseling provides a safe space to work through difficulties and struggles related to emotional regulation and intelligence, sexuality, anxiety, depression, anger management, and living environments among other challenges.

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.

Isaiah 54:13

A Call to the Church

As a church we need to be diligent in – mentoring our youth in biblical knowledge and application; encouraging parents and guardians to be in God’s word with their children every day; and praying zealously for our youth to resist the devil’s schemes and put on the full armor of God (which we will delve into next month).

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