Two Tips #5
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 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. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. –Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Leading our families in worship can be intimidating. But the reward is worth the effort. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 connects the way we teach our children to our own love for God. It also instructs us to weave our teaching into our lives, so that it infuses whatever we’re doing, whether we’re sitting, walking, or lying down. The instruction to write God’s instructions on doorposts and gates is an encouragement to be intentional about reminding ourselves and our families of God’s instructions. Each month, we provide you with two tips for developing your personal and family discipleship from dads who, like you, are taking on the challenge of investing spiritually in their families.
Tip #1 for Personal Devotion
Read Tim Keller
Last month, one of America’s most influential pastor-theologians passed on to glory. Tim Keller, longtime pastor of Redeemer Church in New York City and co-founder of The Gospel Coalition, was used by the Lord to build up his church in powerful ways during his life. One of Keller’s many gifts was writing about deep theological issues in an accessible way that connected them to the cultural, existential, and practical questions that people currently face. Your personal devotion will be enriched by reading one (or more!) of his best-selling books on the gospel, idolatry, suffering, marriage, work, mercy ministries, and a range of other subjects. In fact, soon before his death, Keller said he wished more people read his book on prayer, not because he wrote it, but because people don’t value prayer as they ought. Following his advice would be a great way to honor this man who invested so much in the church and the Savior to whom he dedicated his efforts.
Tip #2 for Family Discipleship
Tiny Theologians
When we’re looking for resources for family discipleship, it often feels like we need to choose between resources that will hold our kids’ attention or those that will teach them the deep truths we actually want them to learn. But Tiny Theologians rejects that choice; instead they offer family discipleship tools that are creative and inviting for kids between 2 and 14 but also theologically robust introductions to topics like theology, church history, missions, and discipleship. This includes theology ABC cards that explain rich theological terms like atonement, gospel, and liturgy, cards that walk kids through the fruit of the spirit and the Apostle’s Creed, a “Tiny Systematics” workbook, and even floor puzzles depicting the entire stories of the Old Testament and the New Testament. These resources promise to make family discipleship both manageable and fun for both you and your kids.
