What Grace Affords The Family
At this moment, my home is quiet and it’s 10:41am. A real rare occurrence these days. Humbly and confidently, I think that’s probably true for you too. Quarantine has given us a new normal. The home now has become the workplace and the classroom. Congratulations, you can now be frustrated and exhausted by work within the confines of your own home along with the noise and endless requests of your children. God’s providence can feel inconvenient and even uncomfortable, but it’s infinite grace lavished upon us by an infinitely wise, wholly good, and sovereign God. Lord help us to believe this!
One grace afforded to us during this season of COVID-19 is the opportunity for families to practice a slower pace and be together more. Maybe you have been able to spend more time outside together or gather around the dinner table as a family more often. If so, that is a gift from God! These are great, but even greater is this opportunity to prioritize and leverage the moment to make disciples within the context of your home.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Deuteronomy 6:7
This verse communicates the necessity of discipleship within the context of the home. If fact, not just necessary, but commanded to God’s people. The Israelites were to make it a priority to teach their children about God and His work in the life of their nation. Parents were entrusted with the responsibility to teach their children what God is like and what God has done for them! So it is with you and I.
He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
Proverbs 10:5
The harvest is now. While excuses might abound, none of them will relieve you of the responsibility. In light of the temptation to not prioritize family discipleship, we want to provide some resources for you, especially during this season.
On Sundays
Participate in the online gatherings—worship together and listen to the sermon together.
Read the sermon text together.
Access sermon based questions on the Worship Gathering Guide—available under the online gathering.
Pray as a family.
Resources for Family Devotional Time
New City Catechism. NCC is an app that provides short questions and answers foundational to what we believe. These would be fun to talk about at the breakfast table or while riding in the car. Try going through the questions often and memorizing the answers together.
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. TJSB is a beautifully illustrated children’s Bible that points to Jesus in every Bible story; reminding us that the Bible is a book about God before it is a book about us.
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. Bunyan’s classic work is a wonderful Christian allegory that’s replete with Scripture references. It’s sure to captivate listeners and create perspective on the Christian Life. This book is more appropriate for older children.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. This collection by Lewis would be super to read as a family and talk about how characters symbolize us and God.
Emblems of an Infinite King by J. Ryan Lister. Our family has been slowly moving through this book for months. It’s systematic theology for Children that is illustrated wonderfully.