Monday, December 5, 2016

13. Bible Study Begins At Home



     Attention parents: Bible Study does not begin at church. It begins in the home.

     As we study about "Bible Study" this week, the BELIEVE passage begins in Deuteronomy 6:13-25, but it would be good to get out your “real” Bible and begin in Deut. 6:1.
     Of all the weeks that we have studied BELIEVE, I hope this week that families will get together and study the Bible at home. Read the following excerpts from Deuteronomy 6

“Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deut. 6:7
“In the future, when your son asks you (the parents), ‘What is the meaning of (the Bible)?’” Deut. 6:21
The answer is that the PARENTS should teach their children not only what the Bible says, but also how God has delivered us personally in our own lives (See Deut. 6:22-25).
     Ephesians 6:4 instructs that parents should bring their children up “in the training and instruction of the Lord.” One of the most compelling reasons that FBC Killeen is doing BELIEVE is to get the families to come together and study the Bible together. On page 211, Deut. 31:13 says clearly:

“Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord  Your God…”
     As it says in BELIEVE, page 210, “Parents were charged with the responsibility to share with their children God’s principles and commandments.” Not only is our memory verse, Heb. 4:12, a good passage to teach our families, Joshua 1 explains that meditating on and obeying the Bible (book of the law) will lead our families to have courage, success and godly prosperity and keep us from fear and discouragement.

     I love how the Bible says the worship service (see BELIEVE, PAGE 213-214) in Nehemiah ends. It says “And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced.”
     It wasn’t the women leading and the men being passive or not even coming. The passage doesn't say that Sunday School or church was just for children. No, corporate worship at the community level is led by the fathers, with women and children “also” rejoicing.

     Psalm 119 talks about young people keeping their way pure by studying the Bible (Psalm 119:9, page 216 in BELIEVE). The VBS pledge of making the Word of God a lamp for the feet and a light to the path is found in this week’s reading.

     If you want a successful, prosperous, fearless, courageous, encouraged family, choose what Joshua chose:

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Josh 24:15)