Day 10 – Offerings and Murder

Memory Verse: God displayed His power in creation. He showed He had a plan in how it was done. Remind your children that we are the culmination of His creation. God’s image plays an important role in how we treat our fellow man because they are made in the same image.

Genesis 4:1-12
Adam and Eve have two sons. One becomes a farmer and the other becomes a shepherd. When it was time to give and offering to God, Abel brought his best and Cain brought just some of his produce. The difference here is one brought their best while the other just brought the normal every day stuff. We need to teach our kids young that God wants our best. He doesn’t want second best.

From here God warns against having the wrong attitude towards Him. Doing so provides the potential for sin. And since Cain failed to take God’s warning he ended up killing his own brother in cold blood. How dangerous is our heart and sin when we reject the warnings of God?

It is a tuff lesson for our children. Death, Murder, Sin. But God wants to warn us early on that we need to fear sin and seek him or else we can go down the wrong path with dire consequences. Let your children know that God desires us to seek Him with the right attitude.

By now I hope you have been enjoying your singing time. There are so many great songs for Kids as well as praise songs and Hymns one can be singing as a family. Enjoy this time and revel in it. If you can play an instrument, then you might try and lead your family in worship with that instrument. What can be better in the ears of God than a family singing together?

Day 9 – Sin

Memory Verse: Show your children where the verse(s) that you are learning are fond in scripture. Never forget to keep reminding them that what they are hiding in their heart comes from God’s word.

Genesis 3:1-24
Sin. It destroys the perfect environment God had created. Adam and Eve (both were there when the serpent was tempting them) listen to the lies that are told to them. They can be wise like God. God is trying to hold them back. They forget all that God has given them. They give into the desire to be like him. They take a bite and realize what they have done.

Next they hear God in the garden and hide. They say it is because they are naked. Suddenly they are ashamed to show themselves uncovered to their creator. Clothing might have been missing but perhaps it was the fact that they were no longer unblemished by sin and they knew it.

When God questions them they start the blame game. Like our children so often, when confronted with their sin, they blame someone else for it. Man blames woman, woman blames snake, snake is left in the cold… I’ve seen my two boys do this. Caleb blames Seth, Seth blames Micah… Micah being 5 months old sucks his hand and smiles…

God then doles out the punishment based on their actions. We need to STRESS to our children that there is punishment for our sin. Man and woman did not get off easy. Likewise God will punish us for our sin. We never know how it may come about but He cannot allow us to live in sin. He still protected them, giving them covering for their naked body. Sadly the relationship was never the same.

Depending on the age of your children will determine how deep you can go. Do not pass up the opportunity though to talk about the consequences of sin. With your older children see if they know of a time that they saw someone (or themselves) punished for sin. Perhaps as a parent you can share that with your children. Wise is the child who will learn from the mistakes of the parent. Proverbs 3:1 comes to mind… It is our job to help them store these lessons.

Pray tonight for any un-confessed sin. Pray that God will forgive us for them and restore our relationship with Him. Your family can draw close to God if we as a family will confess sin with each other and encourage each other to repent. Blessed is the family who prays. Look at Colossians 4:2,5-6. Devote yourselves to prayer. Live wisely among sinners. Make the most of every opportunity.

Day 8 – Man and Woman – Gods Special Plan

Memory Verse: Amazing how well our children do with learning God’s words when we spend time helping them to. If your children are pretty solid on having learned the first one, then do the other one listed on Day one. If they haven’t gotten it fully down, then don’t worry and keep at it! By the end of week two they should be ready for another one. My 2nd year old was able to do a verse every 2 weeks with a little help. Be patient and excited as they learn. Give them starter words and any help they need.

Genesis 2:7,15-25
Part of what makes man special is the extra detail that God gives when he creates man. God gives us the breath of life. This might be hard on a younger child to understand but the concept that God made man personally (versus say speaking us into existence like he did light) is pretty unique.

God also gave man a job and realized that he needed help doing it. He created woman for man. The two belong together forever. There is so much depth for how a wife and a husband become one and can never be separated (divorced). There is the fact that a man and a wife are supposed to be close (from Adam’s rib). For younger children I would focus on that God had a plan, and it involved Adam and Eve.

Don’t forget to look that God also told Adam what he could not do. The first rule is given. Of course what happens when rules are given? We will see that tomorrow.

Thank God as a family that your family has spent a week in His word together. Thank God that He has blessed you with your family. So many people in this world live in darkness without the Truth of God. So many people do not have any idea that there is a Lord who loves them and provided a way to be restored to Him. Prepare your child’s heart for tomorrow when we talk about sin and how it breaks that relationship with God.

Storms and Safety

Last night was an amazaing storm. Huge amounts of rain, constant lightning, thunder and high winds. It was loud and seemed like one should expect a tornado siren to go off at any moment.

Amazingly my kids slept through it. No real worries. Infact they didn't even know it had rained till they saw the wet cement outside in the morning. They sleep with a peace of safety. They know mom and dad are there to protect them.

My wife and I however were up. Checking the internet (which was down...), wanting to check the weather channel (but the satelite didnt work due to the storm), and I scanned the radio (yet was unable to get any news station at all). We wanted to make sure our family was safe. Short of calling someone and waking them up we did what we could to make sure that we were not in danger. Finally we prayed and gave it to God and drifted off to sleep.

King Daved wrote many Psalms about the need for God in times of trouble and times of life that are filled with storms. We can rest assured that God hears us and answers our prayers. We need to teach our children that God is there in those times of troubles and storms. We need to make sure they know who the Rock is that they can cling to in times of trouble.

Perhaps then as parents we will be able sleep soundly knowing that our Children are safe in their saviors arms regardless of what storms come their way.

Day 7 – Creation Finished - Resting

Memory Verse: Its been a week. You have done something amazing as a family. If you have not missed a day then way to go! If you did, no worries, just keep at it! Seven days ago did you imagine your kids and possibly you would have come this far? There should be no stopping now that you have had a taste of what this is like!

Genesis 2:1-4
Everything is finished. God rests on the 7th day and declared it holy because He rested on this day. Since we are created in His image we are supposed to rest as He did and consider it a Holy day (Set apart from the rest). What does this mean to us? Well as a family we often have crazy schedules that run 7 days a week. We work Monday through Friday and we try to ‘catch up’ on what we missed on Saturday and Sunday. Mix in church on Sunday and do we really ever have any family time where we rest? We might need to apologize to our children for never having spent the time we’re command to, resting as a family. Let them know that as a family you will do better to make an effort to spend more time together. Part of what makes this whole process of family worship and growth with God is time together as a family.

This might be a tuff one as you can go the easy route and just say we need to rest more, or stop and think about God more. The truth to this one hits parents more. Our job is to raise children in a Godly way, give them a biblical world view, and teach them some tuff lessons. This is one of the first… seven days into it. God wants us to not fill our lives with so much stuff that we can’t rest. We teach our kids to do 20 things more than they need to and wonder why we they have problems later on. Simple is the way to go. We might need to work a little more during the week, and plan a little better to have that one day were we can rest as a family. Take in a picnic. Go for a walk. Do something that doesn’t require us to run around non-stop.

Pray as a family that you will make the time to spend time together. Focus on your family. You might have to ask God for forgiveness during prayer time. We tell our kids they need to ask for forgiveness when they do something wrong, and we need to model it when we do something wrong. Rejoice in the fact that your family is on the right path with God!

Day 6 – Creation of the Animals and Man

Memory Verse: When you do your verses tonight pretend to struggle some and see if they can help you finish it. Thank them for helping you finish it and love on them for how good they are doing.

Genesis 1:24-31
Ask your kids to try and list off the order by memory. Give clues if you need to without using the flash cards. We used our hands to make animals and birds when it came to day 5 and made the sun and moon shapes for day 4.

Today is a big day. The main focus of God’s creation was made on this day. God made animals and saw it was good, then made man totally different than the rest of creation. He made us in HIS image. We are like Him. We were given a purpose, a job, and instruction. He formed us in a unique way and gave us the planet to rule over and take care of. That is a pretty important job!

Talk with your children about how each of them are unique. Shapes, sizes, hair color, eye color and more. Yet we all have that image of God in us. We have a soul which longs to be with Him! Ask your children how we can take care of the Planet and how we can rule over it. What does it mean to be masters over the birds, fish and animals. This is also a great place to point out that God made vegetables for us to eat! If your kids are anything like mine, they may go off on tangents some but let them. Younger children express what they are thinking at that moment.

When you pray tonight, thank God for making us in His image. Thank Him for making each of us unique. Thank Him for loving us.

Day 5 – Creation of the Fish and Birds
Memory Verse: As you do your verse tonight, have them read it from the Bible with you. If they cannot read, then have them sit on your lap while you point to the words as you read it aloud. This is a great technique to help them later on read the Bible themselves and memorize what they read.

Genesis 1:20-23
Put the flash cards on the table with the first four days mixed up. Now see if your kids can put them in the right order. Help and encourage them if they can’t but rejoice as they get it right. If they struggle the first time, give them another turn or two. It always helps the more they get to do it.

When we read about the fish and the sea my boys thought of sharks… they love sharks and for them that’s what they think of when they talk about this day. Ask your children what their favorite fish is. Talk about the different kinds of fish and sizes. Do the same for the birds. God created them in all sorts of different sizes and colors. The colors that He has in His painting collection is very extensive. He loves to mix and match and use bright and bold colors sometimes and other times he stays on the more muted colors. But each one has a purpose!

If you have a book filled with pictures of fish or birds let them look through it and show them the differences between them. Let them know that God made them all different for a reason.

Pray for your children. Pray for their salvation if they are not saved. Let them know that you desire for them to come to know God as their savior. Pray for them to have a heart for others and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Thank God for them in front of them. Let them know that you consider them a blessing from the Lord. Love on them a little extra after Family worship time tonight.

Beach Body vs Spirit Filled Body

I just got back from the gym. To say I am tired is an understatement. I started thinking about what all it takes to get a 'beach ready bod' (topic of conversation of some guys at the gym). Billions of dollars are spent on supplements, vitamins, workout programs and more all with the hopes of looking good in a swimsuit. People write out their workout plan so they know exactly what it will take daily to get there. They plan meals, snacks and more all with the intent of being physically pleasing.

Most never put in the effort to reach the pinnacle look. Some do look a lot better, and others give up because it hurt or it took to much time.

Read Matthew 23:25

My mind started to wonder about how much us Christians put in to having a Spirit Filled body. Do we invest an hour a day in the word? Do we scour the Bible and other spiritually filled books? What regiment do we follow or put on paper to reach our goal? Do we plan to succeed or fail to plan and thus fail to succeed? Do we care more about what is on the outside and not what is on the inside?

Just some thoughts

In Christ's Love

Shawn

Day 4 – Creation of the Sun, Moon, Stars and Heavenly bodies

Memory Verse: It has only been 3 days since you started this, but are you amazed yet on how well they remember their verses? Praise them and keep doing the verse. If they are doing really well then plan on doing a verse a week instead of every two. Each child is different and some learn faster than others. The key is to keep them learning. Also see if they will share the verse with a friend or family member who does not do family worship. They will be amazed and hopefully encourage your child to keep at it. On a side note, have you realized you may have learned a verse you didn’t know? It is wonderful how the whole family learns together.

Genesis 1:14-19
Refresh what they learned and keep encouraging them. Your children are fast on their way to being over half way through learning how God created the world. Be excited that they are receiving this time that so many children never get. How many of us wish we would have had this opportunity as a child?
The Sun, Moon and Stars are created. But the amazing thing is that they are not simple made just for light. They help with the seasons. They are put in motion in such a way that man can use them to tell time and direction. There is evidence of God’s great plan! The distance each is from the Earth provides just the right amount of warmth. It is an amazing part of how God creates something so good.
If you do your study in the mornings talk about the Sunrise and about the moon and stars. If you do yours at night, take them outside and let them look at the Moon or stars if you can. Ask your kids which they enjoy more, the sun or the moon and stars.

Keep on praising God in song. Remind them that God loves to hear us sing praises to Him. Even those like myself who do not have the best vocal talent can make a joyful noise (and some consider it noise) to the Lord! Psalm 100:1-2

Try taking turns praying for the person next to each other. Help them think about what the other person might need. This will help them to start learning about praying for others needs. Rejoice in the fact that God is overjoyed that you are training your child to have a heart for others.

Following Instructions - Our Childrens Safety

I'm putting together a fort for my boys... I have been working on it for about 2-3 months now. I can blame it on the weather. Rain, soggy ground, whatever. Its almost done (one window left to put on). The boys play on it whenever they can.

The one thing that amazed me about this fort is the instructions and the detail of them. You cannot use just any size screw, bolt or nut. Doing so could produce a very dangerous and deadly hazard waiting to happen. I even had some boards that were broke, so I had to wait a few weeks for the company to send me a new one. The biggest setback was when I found out the MAIN board that goes on the base was cracked and busted. I could have used it, but in doing so would have put my children at risk for injury because the foundation was not solid. It took 2 weeks to get a replacement but their safety was worth it. Did they like waiting a little longer? Not on your life.

What about when it comes to spiritual things? Do we follow the instructions God has given us in His word? Deuteronomy 6:7-9, Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 1:8-9, Proverbs 4, and more all speak about the importance of Parents rolls in training our children.

Do we take shortcuts? Do we depend upon the church to lay the foundation? Are we time with our kids for time with the world?

If God told you that unless you taught your Children daily about Him, that they would never come to know Him, would you?

Lets not hope our kids turn out right. Lets stop following instructions that the world gives us but instead follow the instructions the Creator of the world gave us.

Day 3 – Creation of the Waters, Land and Plants

Memory Verse: Hopefully their getting your first one down! Keep at it daily! Soon your children will have a verse and its location memorized. Sadly this will be more than many adults have.

Genesis 1:9-13

God separated the water and the land and caused plants to grow. This is the first step in bringing life to this Earth. God again saw that this was good. He formed the world and created food which would reproduce and allow life on this earth. Talk to your kids about how important plants are. They produce food and oxygen. God knew what we would need before we were created and He had a plan that allowed us to live off of His creation. Remind them that God has a plan for us too.

You might plant a plant to grow for this stage. You might pick flowers or some fruit and talk about trees. Give them something to put their hands on. Dirt, water, anything will work. The more they touch it and see it the better they’ll remember it and understand it.

What do you need in a sermon?

Here's an idea I'll toss out to you all.

Sunday is coming. You'll be in church (or you should be).

The preacher gets up to speak.

What is it that you know deep down in your heart you need to hear?

Share your heart if your willing.

Day 2 – Creation of the sky
Memory Verse: Repeat the one that you chose on the first day. Don’t worry if they struggle with it. Remember to repeat it a few times together and encourage them as they do it!
Genesis 1:6-8
Before you read this passage ask them what you studies yesterday. We are building a foundation for what happened on each day of creation. Show them the flashcard if you want for the 1st day to help remind them. Be excited as they remember!

This part talks about the creation of the sky or heavens. Some call it the firmament, some call it the heavens, some call it the sky. In the end God separated the waters and made that which the stars, moon and sun would be displayed in. Explain that God had to create this separation so that He could make our world and have a place for everything else.

As you sing songs remember they can be anything. “The BIBLE”, or “Jesus Loves Me” or anything that conveys God and who He is. Let them recommend one if they have a favorite. Praise songs or hymns are good too. Its your family. You know what they like!

Remember to have fun here and keep this time special between your family and God.

When it comes to prayer time give suggestions if you want for other Christians, your Pastor, missionaries, country and more! Take turns too. This allows everyone the opportunity to talk to God and learn how to pray.

Family Worship - Day 1

Day 1 – Starting at the Beginning
Memory Verse: Genesis 1:1 or Genesis 1:27. If you do Genesis 1:1 teach your kids the importance that everything was created by God. He made it all. Nothing was before Him. Everything we know started with Him. If you do Gen 1:27 then focus on how we were created special by God. No other creation bears His image. No animal, plant, dog, bird, ape, or anything but Man has this uniqueness. We were made with a plan to manage what He created and He gave us the tools to do so. Whichever verse you decide we’ll do for 2 weeks. This way you’ll have at least 26 verses memorized as a family by the end of the year!
Gen 1:1-5
A few basic points in 5 big verses. God made everything and he did it in 7 days. It starts with how god made the heavens and the earth. Everything was dark and God ‘spoke’ into being Light. That’s some power. God also saw what He had done was good. So God made day and night in the first day.
There are many different things you can do to help with the teaching of this. Some simple ones is to be in a room and have no other lights on but the one in it. Then after reading the passage, let them know you’ll turn off the light and then turn it on. Say “Let there be light” and turn it on. Let them try. Explain that God did so much more when He created the light.

You might sing the chorus for the song “He’s still working on me” by Joel Hemphill.

When you pray have your kids pray. If they are not sure about what to pray for give them some suggestions. Things like our home, or toys, family, friends, pets, and more are all good starters. Praying for family prayer needs is good but remember something private might be said to someone by your child. Rejoice in their prayers as they come from their heart and can be short or long. My eldest one time prayed for about 3 minutes, all valid prayer concerns, and amazed us with everything he mentioned. Other times prayers by him and his brother last only 20 seconds but again are reflections of what is on their mind and heart at that moment. I’ve seen our eldest pray for Nibiki, (his real name is 3x’s that length) that we sponsor over in Rwanda, each night for weeks then fail for a few days and then start praying for him again without any type of coaxing. I think the prayers of our child truly are special and really reflect the special relationship God has with children (Matthew 19:13-15).

Going Live!

Today is the first day of my blog aimed at helping families start a family worship time!

I am uploading videos to youtube under Familyworshipguy that can be viewed. They are designed to be watched a day before you do them so that you can do a little work and be prepared to roll them out to your children.

I also have an intro video which shares why I am doing this, my purpose, and why we as parents need to step it up.

A lot of what has pushed me in this direction is after having attended a conference by Voddie Baucham Jr. on Family Driven Faith (title of his book). My wife and I started our own family worship time in February 2009 with our children and they have ate it up. We enjoy spending time in God's word, singing, praying and memorizing scripture as a family!

Take a moment and ask if your family could benefit from gathering together and taking this journey. I'll gladly answer questions as fast as I can.

My email is familyworshipguy@gmail.com

Youtube link
http://www.youtube.com/user/Familyworshipguy

God bless and lets grow our children in His path together!

In Christ's Love,

Shawn