Families - Resources

From our Introductory Post:

“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”

Families - Resources

Our previous post discussed the definition of family. In that post we learned that the family is simply what God says it is in His Word. It has not changed to become relevant to society or to conform to what we wish it to be. We will now consider some resources available to assist families in accomplishing the will of God.

1. The greatest resource available to families is a personal and firm faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ as the Savior from our sins. Salvation from sin is accomplished by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, providing the basis for relationship within the family that cannot be equaled.

2. The Word of God, the Bible, is available to parents to teach children. It is more important for our children to understand the precepts of the Bible than anything else. The teaching of the Bible in the home is essential. Knowledge of the Word provides proper context for education, work, cultural activities, sports, etc.

3. Prayer is a resource available to any and all believers all the time. We are commanded to pray. Families should be praying for and with each other.

4. Every family should be involved in a local church that is truly a local church according to the New Testament model. A “church” that puts anything else ahead of the preaching and teaching of God’s Word is not a New Testament church. If the Word has its proper place, everything else follows according to the plan of God, and families benefit from this wonderful spiritual resource.

5. There are many Biblical and encouraging media resources available to families as books, websites, CDs, and videos. Bringing up Boys by Dobson and Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World by Ham are excellent books on the subject. My Pastor has recommended Exemplary Husband by Scott, Excellent Wife by Peace, Family Survival by Rogers, Love and Respect by Eggerichs, Family Driven Faith by Baucham, and The Natural Family by Carlson and Mero. Focus on the Family, http://www.focusonthefamily.com/ and the American Family Association, http://action.afa.net/ provide great online resources for the family. DVD resources include Bringing up Boys, Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World, and Your Child: Essentials of Discipline Parenting Seminar.

Summary

In this post we have considered some of the resources available to help build strong families, including faith, prayer, the Bible, the local church, and various media. As we continue this look at the family, we will consider some of the threats to the family and how to meet those threats.

I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.

“Mr. Phil”