CONTENTS
1. Come to Jesus Daily devotional
- Monday – God wants to speak to you
- Tuesday – Listen to the right voices
- Wednesday – What does it mean to honour?
- Thursday – Teach what is right
- Friday – Obedience is pleasing to Jesus
3. Course in basic Christian teaching
You can listen to the message at: Link for audio content
For more information visit: www.communitychurchputney.com
1. COME TO JESUS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
One of our goals as a church is to spend at least 20 minutes every day in prayer and worship out of the bible. I hope you find this devotional helpful toward that end.
This week we are looking at how children are to behave in the family.
If you are a parent or guardian of children, try to go through these notes with your family. If you feel that your children are old enough, encourage them to do the short daily studies themselves.
If you are not a parent, I’ve added notes that relate to you, and it’s still good to know what God teaches on this subject.
I trust that you will find the notes helpful to you regardless of your circumstances.
MONDAY – GOD WANTS TO SPEAK TO YOU
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Proverbs 1:8-9 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
In the news, you may have noticed that there are problems among young people. Whether it’s knife-crime or poor behaviour in schools, many young people are having difficulties. But, you may also have noticed that the message from those in authority is not directed to young people, or even to parents, it’s directed to government, police, schools… to fix things. This is not to negate the place of government etc. But God also speaks to young people themselves. They are dignified with responsibility for their attitude and behaviour.
Who are children?
The term ‘children’ refers to those who are not yet fully mature. As we see in Ephesians 6:4, these are those who are in the stage of being ‘brought up’. In my opinion, this is those who are under the age of around 21, that’s not to say that our children of all ages don’t need advice.
RESPONSE
To children – God wants to speak to you
Unlike the culture of the time, Jesus puts great value on young people. We read,
‘People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)
Do you know that God loves you and wants to speak to you?
Do you know that the bible is God’s primary way of speaking to us?
To parents - Teach children to obey from their heart
Do you teach your children that it’s God’s will that they obey you?
As parents and guardians we can go to two extremes: “Do what I say” - this is to enforce obedience; the other extreme is “do what you like” - this is to give our children little or no restraints. It’s God’s will that children are taught to obey because they believe this to be God’s will for them; so are we teaching them that it’s God’s will that they obey?
To all Christians – Let God speak to you
God’s word teaches us many areas in which we are to obey. It’s easy to look the part of a good Christian, but are we, in our hearts and in secret, serving God because of faith?
We hear God’s voice, principally, in the bible. Let’s ensure that we are reading the Bible, and listening for what God is saying with a view to obeying with a good attitude (even on the difficult subjects!).
TUESDAY – LISTEN TO THE RIGHT VOICES
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
To young people – Listen to the most important voice
When I was a teenager one of my friends encouraged me to steal from a shop - I got caught and in trouble with the police! I listened to the wrong voice!
There are many voices calling for your obedience. There is pressure on you to conform to their opinions and behaviour. But, the most important people for you to listen to are your parents or guardians. They love you, they have made more mistakes than you, they have studied the bible more than you, so they have wisdom that will do you good.
If you are under 21, it’s Jesus’ will that you obey your parents; that you listen, think about, and seek to put into practice the advice that they give to you.
Paul writes,
‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honour your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise – “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’' (Ephesians 6:1-3)
How well are you doing in this? Why do you think this command from Jesus is good for you?
To parents – Your words and life are a voice
This command for your children to obey you brings with it the great responsibility to lead them in behaviour and attitudes that are worthy of the name of Jesus.
What Paul writes for young men could also be applied to all children,
‘Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness.' (Titus 2:6-7)
Let's pray and endeavour to be parents who ‘set an example’, who ‘teach', who have ‘integrity’, and who are ‘serious’ in our desire to know God and His ways; in so doing, it will be easier, and safer for our children to imitate and obey us.
Remember, whether it appears to be the case or not, you are the biggest influence that your children have; they will be massively affected by parents who are seeking to put Jesus first in their own lives.
To all Christians – You have a voice
We are all influential in the local church. How we conduct our lives is to inspire those around us. You may not be a parent, but are you living the kind of life that young people should aspire to? Pray for yourself out of the following text,
1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
WEDNESDAY – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HONOUR?
We have all had the experience of doing what we’re told at home, school or work whilst, in our hearts, or to our friends behind their backs, we put them down, “how dare they tell me what to do!”.
let’s think about what it means to honour. The bible says,
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honour your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise – “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Deuteronomy 5:16 Honour your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
We are not just to obey our parents, we are also to ‘honour’ them. To honour means to place great value on them. Our parents or guardians are loved by God, are given to us by God, they are to be loved by us.
Paul gets this command to honour (highly value) our parents from the fifth of the Ten Commandments. It’s very important that we highly value our parents.
Obedience without honouring is not good; an “Okay, have it your way” attitude should be replaced with an attitude of obedience because you love and value your parents.
RESPONSE
To young people – How will you honour your parents?
How can you honour your parents?
Firstly, obeying them with a good heart shows that we value their advice and love.
Secondly, doing jobs around the home to serve them shows our gratitude?
Thirdly, Praying for our parents regularly will help them, but this will also help us to have a good attitude of love toward them.
To all adults – How will you honour your parents?
If your parents are still living, how can you show honour toward them? Let’s remember the promise for those who honour their parents is “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth”; and this, in part, will be fulfilled as we build a culture of the younger caring for the more elderly!
If your parents are dead and you feel that you did not honour them, do you live with regret or have you received God’s forgiveness? Alternatively, if you feel that your parents were unworthy of honour because they treated you badly, have you given them your forgiveness?
THURSDAY – TEACH WHAT IS RIGHT
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Many people struggle to succeed in life because they have not been taught by their parents. It’s not the government’s role to train our children, it’s ours! The church has a role to train them, but it’s principally the responsibility of parents. There is great promise for those who will train their children,
‘Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.’ (Proverbs 22:6)
Teach what pleases the Lord
It’s not simply obedience that is pleasing to the Lord. It’s obedience, with a right heart, to God’s will, that is pleasing. Therefore it’s imperative that we know and teach them the truth.
We often think of obedience as relating to behaviour; but Here, however, obedience also relates to the truth, about Jesus in particular. Parents need to teach their children the gospel and children need to choose to believe what they are taught.
RESPONSE
To Parents – Are you teaching your children?
So how are you doing at teaching your children what is right? Do you make time to teach them the gospel? Having regular family devotions is very helpful. You could use the family study that we produce each week for this, or simply read the bible and discuss what it means.
At the end of this study, I’ve also included a course of basic Christian teaching (a sort of Catechism) that you could use also.
Like Paul, may we be able to say,
‘For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.’ (1 Corinthians 13:3-4)
To all Christians - Can you teach yet?
It’s God’s will that we progress in understanding so that we can teach others. In our conversations, we should ‘teach’ each other to think biblically. And we should all aspire to disciple those who are newer in their faith. The writer to the Hebrews challenges all of us in this,
‘In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.’ (Heb. 5:12-14)
FRIDAY – OBEDIENCE IS PLEASING TO JESUS
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
A good attitude to parents is ‘pleasing to Jesus’. We must teach children, and every one of us needs to know, that behaviour and attitude can be pleasing and displeasing to Jesus. like any good parent, Jesus always loves us, but He can also be displeased with us when we behave badly or have a poor attitude
In fact, as parents, youth leaders and teachers in the church, if we don’t show that displeasure and love naturally exist in healthy relationships, we are setting them up for emotional instability, and I wonder if this is why so many young people, it seems to me, feel so easily rejected!
The writer to the Hebrews puts it,
‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.’ (Hebrews 12:5-8)
RESPONSE
To Children – Do you need to say sorry?
Do you know that God loves you no matter what you do wrong?
Do you realise that obeying your parents is pleasing to Jesus and having a bad attitude is displeasing to Him? Is it your ambition to please the Lord?
If you feel that you have behaved badly at home, it’s time to say sorry to your parents and to Jesus. The promise is that He will forgive you completely.
To parents – Do you need to be honest?
It’s really important that, on occasion, your children know that their poor attitude to you is hurtful to you, and is also a sin against God. Let’s teach them how to say sorry to people and to say sorry to God.
To every Christian – Are you seeking to please God?
Do you know that your sin is displeasing to God, but do you know that He loves you dearly even in your mistakes? Are you allowing His loving kindness to break your desire to sin against Him?
2. COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY STUDY
PUT ON THE ROYAL ROBES
Read Colossians 3:20 and Ephesians 6:1-3
Introduction
Our study this week addresses how children are to behave in the family. However, I’ve endeavoured to make the daily notes and this group study helpful to everyone.
Discuss together
- God wants to speak to you
- What does 2 Cor. 3:16 say about where we hear God’s voice?
- We hear God’s voice, principally, in the bible. How do you, or could you, get into the Bible each day?
- Listen to the right voices
- Who are the most influential people in your life and are they encouraging you in your relationship with Jesus?
- Teach what is right
- To Parents – Are you teaching your children? Do you make time to teach them the gospel? When and how do or will you do this?
- To all Christians - It’s God’s will that we progress in understanding we can teach others. What does Heb. 5:12-13 say about this and how can it be applied in our Community Groups?
At the end of this study, I’ve also included a course of basic Christian teaching (a sort of Catechism) that you could use.
- Obedience is pleasing to Jesus
- What does Colossians 3:20 say about Jesus’ attitude to the obedience of children to parents?
- What, in our lives, can displease Jesus, and how good are you at remaining in God’s love even when you’ve made mistakes?
Here is a list of 26 questions that you could work through with your children, or someone that you are discipling.
Discuss each question in turn. But, remember, the aim is to impart truth from God’s word rather than just enjoy a discussion.
- Who is God?
God is holy and loving. He is a spirit, infinite, eternal, unchanging, all knowing, all powerful (Romans 11:33-36)
- What is the Trinity?
God is three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and these are one God (Matthew 28:19-20).
- Why do we exist?
We exist to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (Rom.1:25; Phil 2:9-11, 4:4)
- How did all things come into being?
God made all things out of nothing (John 1:3; Col. 1:16)
- What are humans beings?
God created mankind in His image, male and female, to rule in the earth. (Genesis 1:26-27)
- What is sin and how did it come into the world?
Sin is to disobey God. All people sin because Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the beginning. (Gen. 3:6-7; Rom. 5:12)
- What is the condition of all people because of sin?
All sin and so face God’s judgment (Gen. 3:16-19; Rom. 3:23-24)
- What are the Ten Commandments and how does each apply today?
The Ten Commandments are a summary of the Old Testament Laws. Obedience to them is important, but only faith in Christ can save. (Exodus 20:1-17 Regarding the fourth - rest is found in Christ, Heb. 4:1-4)
- What are the two greatest commandments?
Loving God and loving others are the greatest commandments - how do these commands reveal our need of God’s forgiveness? (Matthew 22:37-40)
- 10.Who is Jesus?
Jesus is the eternal Son of God who became a man in order to die for mankind’s sin (John 1:14; 1 Tim. 2:5).
- 11.How can a person be saved from God’s judgment on sin?
Only through faith in Jesus can a person be saved. Trying to be good will never meet God’s perfect standards (Acts 4:12; Rom. 1:17)
- 12.What is repentance?
Repentance means to change one’s mind. To become a Christian one must change their mind about Jesus - He is now Lord and Saviour for them (Acts 2:38).
- 13.What does it mean to be born again?
Faith in Christ leads to forgiveness and new Spiritual life which shows itself in a new lifestyle (John 3:3)
- 14.What does it mean to be adopted by God?
Christians are not only forgiven, they are also adopted into the family of God - God is the loving Father (1 John 3:1).
- 15.What happens when a Christian dies?
Because of Jesus, a Christian will go directly into the presence of
God when they die (2 Corinthians 5:8).
- 16.What happens when an unbeliever dies?
Those who have not received salvation in Jesus will be judged for their sin and will spend eternity apart from God (Matt. 25:41).
- 17.What will happen when Jesus comes again?
Jesus is going to return at the end of history to restore all thing in heaven and on earth to their original perfection. (Rev. 21:1-5).
- 18.How do I read the bible?
The bible is to be read as God’s word, without error and sufficient for all aspects of our lives (2 Timothy 3:16).
- 19.How do I pray?
We pray, as though speaking in the very presence of God. We are to pray for things we believe to be God’s will - things that are aligned with what the bible says (Matt. 6:5-8).
- 20.What does each phrase in the Lord’s Prayer teach us about prayer?
Matthew 6:9-13
- 21.What does the Lord’s Supper signify?
The Lord’s Supper (bread and wine) are symbols that remind us of the gospel - Jesus’ death for our sin (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
- 22.What does baptism mean and who is it for?
Baptism (the word means to immerse) is to plunge a person into water. It symbolises their faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, and their own death and resurrection to new life in Christ. Anyone who has faith in Christ is to be baptised (Matt. 28:19; Col. 2:12).
- 23.How can I be empowered by the Holy Spirit?
We need the empowering of the Holy Spirit. We can receive this through prayer (Luke 11:13; John 7:37-38).
- 24.How can I avoid sin?
Everyone will be tempted in many ways. But sin can be avoided through a healthy relationship with God and the encouragement that comes through church fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25).
- 25.How do I hear God’s voice so as to obey Him?
We hear God’s voice, principally, in the reading of the Bible, and through other people as they teach, prophecy and give advice.
- 26.How can I help my friends to believe in Jesus?
We will help our friends to come to know Jesus by praying for them and being a good friend who will share the gospel message thoughtfully (Colossians 4:5-6).
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