Value # 2 Imagine the End

October 23, 2016

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Imagine the end. We all get about 956 weeks. That is the amount of weeks from the moment our children are born to the moment they turn eighteen years of age. Whether we understand it or not, this is a season that will inevitably come to an end. So, how would you like the end to be like? Fast-forward to some of the big moments in your children’s future: getting a diploma, getting a first job, getting married, having a child of their own. Picture the scene in your mind. Who is there to celebrate? How are your children participating in this big moment? What have they done to get there? What is happening in the relationships closest to them? What does your relationship with them look like?

What do you think God is most concerned about: what you do, what you acquire, or who you become? How should this affect your approach to parenting?

How does society help or hurt you as you try to focus on the most important things in life? How does Deuteronomy 6 help you stay focused?

What tangible object does your family encounters every day that could serve as a kind of reminder of the limited time that you have with your children at home?

What would you like the character of your child to be as a man or a woman? What are you doing to help them get there? How is this true about their relationship with God?

Valor # 2 Imagine el Final

23 de octubre del 2016

Deuteronomio 6:1-9

Imagínese el final. Todos tenemos unas 956 semanas. Esa es la cantidad de semanas desde el momento en que nuestros niños nacen hasta el momento en que se conviertan dieciocho años de edad. Ya sea que lo entendamos o no, esta es una temporada que, inevitablemente, llegará a su fin. Así que, ¿cómo le gustaría que fuera el final? Piense en algunos de los grandes momentos en el futuro de sus hijos: obtener un diploma, conseguir un primer empleo, casarse, tener hijos propios. Imagínese la escena en su mente. ¿Quién esta hay para celebrar? ¿Cómo están participando sus hijos en este gran momento? ¿Qué han hecho para llegar allí? ¿Qué está sucediendo en las relaciones más cercanas a ellos? ¿Cómo es tu relación con ellos?

¿En qué cree usted que Dios está más interesado: lo que haces, lo que adquiera, o quién es usted como persona? ¿Cómo debería esto afectar su método en la crianza de los hijos?

¿Cómo la sociedad te ayuda o te hace daño a medida que tratas de centrarse en las cosas más importantes en la vida? ¿Cómo Deuteronomio 6 ayuda a mantener la concentración?

¿Qué objeto tangible su familia ve cada día que podría servir como una especie de recordatorio del poco tiempo que tiene con sus hijos en el hogar?

¿Cómo le gusta que fuera el carácter de su hijo sea como un hombre o una mujer? ¿Qué haces para ayudarlos a llegar allí? ¿Cómo es esto cierto acerca de su relación con Dios?

Value # 1 Widen the Circle

October 16, 2016

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Have you ever felt completely incompetent to the task of raising your child? Have you ever felt like you could not do it alone? There is a reason for this. It is not God’s intention for you to be the only influence in the life of your child. There is much truth to the idea that “it takes a village to raise a child.” We can think about it as three levels that you can use influence the live of your child. Their relationship to you. Their relationship with God. Their relationship with other trusted adults that will invest the life of your child. It mind seem weird at first, but everyone in the church makes a promise in baptism to be just that in the life of your child.

When you were young, was there another adult in your life (besides your parents) who gave you good advice and invested in you in a positive way? What impact did this relationship have on you?

Why does it often feel like you are flying solo as you raise your kids?

What next steps could you take, or what places could you look to widen the circle for your family? How could you and your children begin to experience deeper community?

As an adult, in what young life are you having a direct impact in our faith community? How could be faithful in this area?

How are you connecting your child to a wider circle of influence?