Man Up!

Text: Deuteronomy 6:6-13

Summary: God tells Moses what the spiritual leaders of the family need to do.  These characteristics include 6 things:

1.  Allow the Gospel and God to transform your life first (vs 6)

2. Take responsibility for teaching your kids who God is and what He commands. (vs 7a)

3.  Make God's Word a priority in your life and your kids will see its value (vss 7b-8)

4.  Make God's Word prominent in your home and in the life of your family (vs 9)

5. Teach your kids gratitude towards God (vss 10-12)

6. Teach your kids to worship (vs 13)

1. (Deut 6:6) The first step in leading anyone else (spouse, family, friends, coworkers) into a meaningful journey with God is to have a solid relationship with God yourself.  It all starts with you!

a. Make a quick list (just say them out loud in your group) of the things that you want to instill in your kids spiritually.  (examples: involved in a church, growing in their relationship with God, to have a strong relationship with Jesus, to be a generous giver financially, to be generous with their time, to serve others around them, to know and read the Bible, to treat others around them in a godly way, etc.)

b. Now, take a look at that list and do a self evaluation.  Are you asking your kids to do something that you're not doing?  Do you have dreams and aspirations for them that you aren't even fulfilling?

2. (Deut 6:7a) What are you doing to take responsibility for your kids spiritually?  That does involve attending church, but does it stop there?  Are you personally reading the Bible with them, teaching them about Jesus, taking ownership of their journey with God?  Remember, our kids ministry wants to be YOUR biggest fan!  That means we come alongside YOU and help YOU lead your family, not do all of those things for you or in place of you.

-So what are ways that you are doing that now with your family?  If you don't have kids, what are habits that you can put into place now to lay a good foundation?

3.  (Deut 6:9) What are ways that you are making God's word prominent in your home?  What has worked well for you?  (Apps, games, devotional books, bedtime stories, rWorld blog, etc).

4.  Read Proverbs 22:6.  That could be both a comforting word and a seriously intimidating warning as well.  All of us are training our kids in something (if you don't have kids, your current lifestyle will be used to teach them when they do arrive).  It may be negative training that will lead them down a path of destruction, or positive training that will lead them down a path of spiritual success.  Either way, process proceeds product.  If your kids copied your training today, would you be proud of the life they were living?