Two Tips #8
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
Memorize Scripture
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). Memorizing Scripture is a powerful tool for shaping our lives to God’s will and growing in our faith. But it requires discipline. Here are some tips:
Tape a verse of the week on your bathroom mirror.
Use the Bible Memory App.
Learn memorization techniques, like the ones here.
Make a plan, like the one here.
Involve your family.
Need some more encouragement? Check out this article: “You Can Memorize Scripture This Year.”
Tip #2 for Family Discipleship
Holy Sexuality
For parents of teens, Christopher Yuan’s online course, The Holy Sexuality Project, brings a gospel-oriented perspective to the most pressing issues related to sexuality and gender, including identity, temptations, desires, singleness, marriage. Yuan has an incredible story; once an agnostic gay drug dealer who put his identity in his sexuality, he is now a pastor, Bible professor, and Christian author who puts his identity in Christ alone. The videos and discussion guides in his course will guide you through the vital but difficult conversations about sexuality every family must now have while helping your kids grow in their understanding of the gospel. Thanks to gifts from donors, you can get the 36 videos (4.5 hours of content) for just $20!
