May 21 was our Worship on the Lawn; a great time of worship, fellowship, and eating! Pastor Ken is continuing his teaching series on Home-Life 101, this week focusing on children, from 2 Timothy 3:14-15. Our apologies, but the sound volume has been increased the best we could.
In a Barna survey, parents have indicated what parents desire to give their children:
- Good education
- Know they are loved
- Have faith – a distant third at that.
And you know that from childhood…
The initiative of spiritual health of our children. There are two ways to prioritize this initiative:
- Relationship – recall that which people have personally poured into your life. Who has taught you, and who are you teaching?
- Repetition (Isaiah 38:19, Joel 1:3) – what are you passing on to the next generation?
You have known the sacred Scriptures…
- Knowing the Scriptures – have we passed on the truth of God’s Word, or just what I think about God’s Word? Have they seen it come alive in my life? Have they seen it, engaged it?
- The Ezra Principle (Ezra 7:10) – Ezra purposed to study God’s Word, keep it, and teach it. We cannot do the third if we lack the first two.
To give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus…
- The goal: the salvation of their souls.
- The vision: to create a venue in which faith in Christ Jesus may be encountered, understood, and received. We are not desiring our children to be doctrinally sound as much as knowing Jesus personally.
Study Questions:
- What did Paul encourage Timothy to do?
- How long had Timothy known the holy Scriptures?
- What are the holy Scriptures able to do?
- How authoritative are the Scriptures to you?
- Have you personally responded to Christ in faith? When?
- What steps have you taken to learn how to more effectively share your salvation story with others?
- How have you personally continued in the spiritual teachings you have learned?
- How have you passed faith on to the next generation?
- Name some teachings from the Bible that you are convinced of (a settled faith).
- Name other teachings where you still doubt or struggle.
- What steps can you take to be discipled, and also disciple others?