Skip to main content

Make Disciples!


God says: “Go and make disciples.” This is he something he expects us to do. Discipleship should be the main focus of all of our activity and ministry. What is a disciple? A disciple is a mini-Jesus (that’s why they were called Christians in Acts 11:26). Someone who thinks, acts, speaks and lives like Jesus (Luke 6:40).
What can we do to help disciple children at different ages in their walk with Christ? I want to suggest three separate stages of development that we can provide for our children to help them grow like Christ.

Spiritual Exposure

Moses and Samuel both had godly parents. Both were raised by other people once they had been weaned (around the age of 3 or 4). Those who raised them were not godly examples – Pharaoh’s household was against God and Eli, the priest who could not discern between a drunk woman and a desperate woman, had succeeded in raising two children who had no respect for the things of God. Even though Moses and Samuel grew up in an ungodly environment, God preserved them through the prayers and exposure to Him that they had had when they were young.
We need to expose our babies and toddlers to God by placing them in an environment where they can experience His presence.

 Spiritual Experience

All through the Bible children are present when God is working among his people. They experienced God at work for themselves. When Jesus fed the 5000, a boy gave his lunch and there were 5000 men as well as women and children present. When Jairus’ daughter was healed she was there and part of the miracle! When Naaman contracted leprosy a slave girl pointed her to the prophets in Israel.
Our children need a fresh experience and outpouring of the Holy Spirit for themselves, their own testimony of God at work in their lives.


Spiritual Adventure

As children grow into their teenage years they need an adventure with God. Think of David as he fought Goliath or Gideon as he tore down the altar of Baal at the end of his father’s garden. Both of them were taking risks for their faith. Their hearts would have been beating faster as they put their faith into action. Our teenagers need these challenges to live out their faith.

With this kind of nurturing we will see a generation rise up who can stand strong for God in a changing world, equipped and ready for such a time as this. Let’s work in prayer for our children until Christ is formed in them (Galatians 4:19).

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Four things

So recently I have been thinking about the things we should be intentional about sharing with our children. If you were to choose four things to encourage personal hygiene it might look like this: Brush your teeth twice a day Wash your hands Shower regularly Put your clothes to the wash Parents of teenagers will appreciate how important these four are and what a difference it makes to the whole house. If we were to choose four things to do with time management it might be we say: Do what you have to do before you do what you want to do. Make a task list. There are seasons to work and seasons to play. Always make space for people. So, all this made me wonder what would be the top four things I would want my children to know about the things of God. I have to say the list surprised me and spurred me to action. So here is my current top four, with a few comments. (Subject to change of course).      1. The Gospel This seems like the most basic thing our children should kn...
Post a Comment
Read more

Christmas Truth

So Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room in the inn. The little town of Bethlehem could find nowhere for this young couple. This is the story our children will act out in nativity plays across our nation. The angry innkeeper with the synthetic beard shouting “Go away” as he slams the door in the face of the young couple. (Usually ‘Mary’ has a cushion shoved up her jumper for special effects). But it’s not what really happened. Earlier this year I had the privilege of going to Lebanon and meeting some of the most hospitable people on this planet. Middle Eastern culture would not reject a pregnant lady and expect her to stay on the streets to give birth. Not only that, but Joseph was also a descendant of David. He would have been in a celebrity in Bethlehem, David’s town, where some distant relatives would still have lived. When it says there was no room in the inn, the word for inn is  katalyma . This is the same word that was used for the place where Jesus...
Post a Comment
Read more

The sin of Abraham

  As we drill into 7 different sins from parents in the Bible, I hope that these will serve as guard rails for us as we raise our children not to make us feel weighed down, but rather to free us to do what is right without caring what others think about our decisions because we are seeking to follow God’s leading in the way we raise our children. Abraham is one of the most revered men of God in the whole of the Bible. He was faithful to God throughout his life, even willing to sacrifice his own, long-awaited son if that’s what the Lord required of him. You would think that his life would be a model of perfection for us as parents to follow and in many ways this is the case.  But in one way Abraham failed.  Before we dive into Abraham’s failure let’s just take a moment to pause and reflect on the grace of God. If you ever feel like you have fallen short of God’ standards as a parent (which parent hasn’t), it does not mean that you are a failure. Even if you know that your ...
Post a Comment
Read more