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)
