In This House
A healthy family provides…
Love and affection
Sense of belonging
Comfort and safety
Atmosphere of growth
Joshua 24:15 (AMP) If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house [family], we will serve the Lord.
To serve the Lord means we make the conscious decision to do it His way.
1. In this home: One voice matters the most
We need to discern between…
God’s voice
Enemy’s voice
Our thoughts
John 10:4-5 (NLT) After He has gathered His own flock, He walks ahead of them, and they follow Him because they know His voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.
God’s voice produces unity, peace, and love.
The enemy’s voice produces division, strife, and fear.
How do we know which voice we are listening to?
“The measure of unity, peace, and love in our relationships is determine by our level of submission to the voice of God.”
Other than God’s, which “voices” am I listening to the most?
2. In this home: We celebrate one another’s uniqueness
Psalms 139:13-14 (NIV) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
We are all a unique mixture of: personality, temperament, strengths, weaknesses, gifts, talents, and abilities.
“When we don’t intentionally take the time to celebrate one another’s uniqueness we promote a culture of comparison in our family.”
Comparison tends to…
Foster jealousy, envy, and strife
Erode honor, appreciation, and unity
Encourage an “I’m better than you attitude” [in our hearts]
Feed insecurities, inferiority, and a me-first mentality
Blind us from seeing what’s so special about others
How has God made each member of our family special?
3. In this home: We will lift up rather than tear down
Ephesians 4:29-30 (ESV) Let no corrupting [worthless] talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…
Take the time to…
Say how much we appreciate each other
Support each other’s hopes and dreams
Speak positive words of affirmation
Listen when things aren’t going well
Share godly wisdom
Encourage one another
Speak words of love and kindness
Express our gratefulness for each others lives
When we speak to our family, do we tend to LIFT UP or TEAR DOWN?
4. In this home: We seek to serve
John 13:1-5 (NLT) Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
John 13:12-17 (NLT) After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.
“Serving is the language of love in the kingdom.”
What are some ways we can serve the members of our family?
5. In this home: We understand everyone is a work in progress
Luke 2:52 (NIV) Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
We can either…
Get frustrated and impatient
Create a culture of grace
Is there a culture of grace in our homes?
6. In this home: We will share our spiritual life
Acts 10:1-2 (NIV) At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing…
How often do we engage with our family members in the spiritual disciplines?
7. In this home: We remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus