Category Archives: Family Matters

Family Matters: Life in the Family of God

The Family of God is about ___________________________________:

with ____________________ and with  __________________________.

Ideals in the Family of God:

_________________________  John 13:35

_________________________  1 Peter 2:17

_________________________  Ephesians 4:2 NIV

_________________________  Ephesians 5:21 NIV

These all fit under God’s ideal for ___________________________________.

The family of God is not just about relationship; we also have a ______________________.

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

1 Corinthians 12:4-27

 

_________________________ : Putting first things first.

 

Family Values: Putting First Things First

We will choose to _______________________________________ doing what we _____________________________.

Matthew 6:21

The specific things we _________ will __________________________.

Our ____________________________________ should never change.  

Matthew 6:33

Sometimes we must _________________________________________ in order to ______________________________________________. 

1 Timothy 4:7b-8

Sometimes we must _________________________________________ in order to ______________________________________________. 

Luke 10:38-42 NLT

Reflection: What is your greatest priority?

Psalm 90:9-10, 12  
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.  10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

 

This Week’s Family Challenge

This week there was an illustration that used rocks, pebbles and sand in a jar as an illustration.  The point of it was that sometimes we fill our life with the little things instead of putting in the most important things first.  Then we find ourselves with no time for what is supposed to take highest priority… Jesus.

Set aside about 45 minutes for this activity.

For Families or Individuals:

  1. Discuss: What unimportant/trivial things (sand/pebbles) are getting in the way of our devotion to Jesus? What things have taken too great of a priority in our life?
  2. Discuss: What should be the first thing (biggest rock) in your life?

Write that down on the rock.

  1. Discuss: What are some things you could do to keep this as first priority in your family.

List those ideas below.

  1. Decide: Of those ideas, which 3 or 4 are most important/helpful to keeping this priority?

Write a word or phrase on the rock in a different color to represent each of them.

  1. Discuss: What will be some of the challenges you will face in keeping this commitment?

When you are finished, put the rock in a place where you will see it often as a reminder of your commitment to keep this priority at the forefront of your life.

 

Family Unplugged: Taking a Break from the Chaos of Life

Matthew 7:21-23

John 15:1-5

Godly Ideal: ________________________________________________.

Unplugged: music performed with acoustic (rather than electrically amplified) instruments.”

1.

1 Kings 19:9-13

It will help us _______________________________________________.

 

Unplugged: to relax by disengaging from normal activities.

2.

Exodus 20:8-11

It will help us _______________________________________________.

Luke 5:15-16 

 

Unplugged: to remove an obstacle or blockage to make a clear path.   

3.

Luke 9:62

It will help us _______________________________________________.

 

This week’s Family Challenge

Families: Set aside 90 minutes this week to spend time engaged in an “unplugged” activity together.  Do something that does not involve TV or electronics. Afterwards, discuss the questions below.

Individuals/Singles Please do the same thing, but ask friend or relative to participate with you.

Questions:

  1. What did it feel like to unplug for a while?
  2. What was the best thing about spending some unplugged time together?
  3. How do you think it would help you as a family to do this regularly?
  4. Make a list of other unplugged activities you would be interested in doing together.

 

Family Battles: Godly Ideals we Should Work and Fight For

Nehemiah 4

Two Godly ideals.  One we work for and one we  fight for.

We are called to ______________________________….

Joshua 24:15

by ___________________________________…

Mark 9:35

in  _________________________________.

Colossians 3:17

2.

Psalm 133:1

Philippians 2:2

Romans 15:5-6

_____________ in our family brings ______________________________.

 

Nehemiah 4:14      When we are discouraged:

_______________________ and _____________________________!

This Week’s Family Challenge

Families: Set aside 20 minutes to discuss the following questions:

  1. Why do you think it’s important to serve others on behalf of Jesus? How has your      family served others in the past?  In what ways has it pointed people toward Jesus?
  2. Why do you think it’s important to be fight for unity—that together as a family you seek to bring glory to God? How has your family displayed unity that in the past?  How could your family work together to do a better job of bringing glory to God?

After you have worked through the questions, come up with one thing you can commit to doing in the next month that serves others in the name of Jesus.  It should be something that involves at least an hour or more of your time.  It should also be something you can do together.

Individuals/Singles: Consider these questions, then then try to think of a way to serve  others.  Consider inviting your friends or relatives to participate with you.

Note: If you are falling behind’ in these family challenges, that’s okay.  Just take them one step at a time.  But please be deliberate to work through at each one!

 

Faamily Feud: Conflict and Forgiveness

James 4:1-3 NIV

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you [do] ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

The source of conflict is this:

_______________________________________________________.

Two things we must acknowledge:

  1. I am ________________________________________________.
  2. What ______________may not be what ______________________.

Things we must learn to say:

*Note: some materials  taken from Andy Stanley’s Future Family series.

This Week’s Family Challenge

Families: Set aside about 20 minutes to go over this week’s challenge,  Make sure that everyone in the family understands the objectives clearly.

Individuals: Take this challenge to your family of origin or with people at work.  It really could apply just about anywhere!

The goal is to pause before conflict/confrontation to consider the key ideas presented this week.  Ask yourself:

  1. What do I need to acknowledge is ‘my part’ in the conflict?
  2. What does God want in this situation?

Also, actively seek opportunities to use the four ‘things we must learn to say’ with each other. It may be helpful to post these phrases in places around the house to remind people of what they are.

Note: If you are ‘alling behind’in these family challenges, that’s okay.  Just take them one step at a time.  But please be deliberate to working hard at each one!

 

Family Pictures: Many Different Personalities, One Big Challenge

Ephesians 5:22-6:4   

Four basic instructions from this text:

Husbands: love your wife.

Wives: respect your husband.

Kids: obey your parents.

Parents: don’t exasperate your kids.

Three key ideals:

_________________      _________________       _________________

Ephesians 5:21

Godly Ideal: ______________________________________________.

Submission: the act of yielding to the will or authority of another.

Mutual: something held in common

Practical Question: _____________________________________________________

This question forces us to _______________ instead of __________________.

Philippians 2:3-4

Our biggest barrier is _________________________________.

If you are a _________________ you don’t really have a ________________!

Mark 10:45

When you want to ask it __________, that is when you need to ask it ___________.

*some material taken from Any Stanley’s Future Family series.

This Week’s Family Challenge
Families: Set aside about 15 minutes to go over this week’s challenge, Make sure that everyone in the family understands the key question, and how to use it.

Individuals: Take this challenge to your family of origin or with people at work. It really could apply just about anywhere!

This week’s family challenge is a big one. The goal is for EVERYONE in the family to start putting other people’s needs ahead of their own by asking one simple question. That question is:

What can I do to help?

Each day this week ask this question to someone else in your family. Be prepared to follow through in love, no matter the cost. Since every family varies in size, work your way through the each of the family members, then start over once you’ve done this for everyone.

At the end of the week, have a short conversation around these questions:
1  What were some of the ways that other people helped you out?
2  How did it make you feels to help the others in your family?
3  What was the worst request someone gave you? What was the best?
4  Is this something you would like to continue from here on out?

Family Matters: Real vs Ideal

FAMILY MATTERS: LIVING IN THE REAL WHILE STRIVING FOR GOD’S IDEAL

God _______________________________ for our families.
Genesis 1:27-28

From Ephesians 5/6
Husbands:
Wives:
Kids:
Parents:

Three key ideals from Ephesians 5 and 6 here:
_________________ _________________ _________________

What it would look like if your family was deeply marked by these three ideals?

*Jesus pointed people __________________________________________.
Matthew 19:3-8
*Jesus refused to ____________________________________________.
John 8:3-11

Question we must answer:
Will we strive for God’s ideal in our family even though our reality doesn’t measure up?

*Some material taken from Andy Stanley’s “Future Family” series.

This Week’s Family Challenge

Families: Set aside an hour this week as a family (or an individual) to consider your reality. Those with young children may need to simplify the questions a bit.
Individuals: You may need to consider these questions with regard to your family of origin, or perhaps within your closest friendships/relationships right now.

What things are good about our family? How are you living out God’s ideals as a family? Make a list of AS MANY AS YOU CAN! THINK OF!
What would you say are your best 3 qualities? Why?
Talk about the 3 ideals taken from Ephesians 5 and 6. First ask: How well do you feel your family demonstrates each of these qualities? Then ask: Would it look in your family if each one of them things were more evident :
Love
Respect
Cooperation.

There are always ways we can grow to become more of what God intended for us, whether as individuals or as a family. What are 3 most important things you would change about your family if you could? In other words, what 3 areas would you like see improve?
Is there one of these areas that you could agree to work on as a family this week?  What steps could you take?

Pray for God’s help to grow in this area, and to become a better family in the weeks ahead during our FAMILY MATTERS series.