This weekend I have been listening to a conversation among church leaders from various places who desire to see families be and do who and what God has told them in the Bible. I have been challenged first and foremost to take a look at me. As a pastor, my desire is for my family, my first ministry, to be presented holy and acceptable before God. I can’t “do” that. No one can. But as a husband and dad, I can lead my family to keep their eyes on the prize for which God has called them. (Philippians 3:14). I can pray for and with them daily. I can read the Bible with them weekly (at least). Frankly, I do not pray with my wife enough. I do not pray with my daughters enough. What I have come away from this weekend with is that it must begin with me. And that’s my challenge to every parent.
Check out the live blogs of the conference at www.sbts.edu/family.
2 Comments
March 21, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Troy, do you have family devotions? How often? What do you do to read the bible with your family? Thanks Troy!
March 21, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Kevin, we have a family devotion/worship each morning at breakfast between 7:00-7:15. It usually lasts 15-20 minutes. I have two modes. Mode #1 I read (sometimes one of the kids reads) a chapter in Psalms & a chapter in Proverbs. Mode #2 I read from The One Year Book of Josh McDowell’s Family Devotions: A Daily Devotional for Passing Biblical Values to the Next Generation and a chapter in Proverbs. Then we share 1 or 2 prayer requests usually about family or friends at their school. And there you go. I’d like to say we hit it 7 days a week but we are gold for at least 4. Hope that helps.