Family discipleship.

Expressing the reality of Jesus kingship in our homes

Life can be loud

Work is waiting on you, preschool is on the phone, your spouse is frustrated with you, your mum misses the grandkids, you miss your old friend, and the kids do not like the dinner you have cooked and are slower than usual getting to bed. Finally, you flop on the couch hoping tomorrow is better. Three weeks on and you find, almost by surprise, that you have neglected spiritually feeding your family. Life can be so loud.

Sometimes I need to be reminded to do quite basic things like drink water, sleep, and exercise. They seem so obvious, and yet I can still be pleasantly surprised when I get to bed on time. With the new year underway, it is a great time for us to bravely stretch our heads above the trenches to refocus our gaze toward our heavenly home, refreshing our commitment to home discipleship. With that in mind, I want to remind you of three basic things you can do that will express the reality of Jesus kingship to your family.

1.  Prioritise your own relationship with God.

I knew my dad loved Jesus because I saw him reading the Bible for himself. Even now as an adult, I am encouraged by how often conversations with my parents turn to Gods word and ways. They believe the reality of the gospel and in turn prioritise a personal relationship with God. The result is a natural overflowing of faith, down the generations to their son and now their grandchildren.

When I am in good Bible reading habits, my daughter notices and wants to spend time reading her own Bible. Not all children respond in this way, but as she grows, I pray she will remember that the gospel was real to her dad. God has saved us for a life of close relationship with Him. If you want your family to be spiritually nourished, prioritising your own nourishment is an important step.

2.  Commit to church.

As a teenager I would go busking. I would get excited by the occasional note dropped in the case, but those tiny little $2 coins added up the most. Psalm 1 describes a tree planted by a stream being constantly nourished. The steady, constant feeding on God's word nourishes us, whereas the occasional splash is insufficient for a person to flourish.

Sometimes I ask regular churchgoers if their parents modelled this. The answer is almost always "yes, it's just what we did". These regular church attenders are often marked with peace, joy, and conviction. I believe this is because attending church is a physical expression that Jesus' kingship is real. I knew my parents loved Jesus because they committed to church.

If you have grown up in a family that sometimes came to church, imagine the generational impact of the decision to commit to church weekly. At church, the Christian is reminded weekly that Jesus is Lord. We see how the Holy Spirit is at work in the lives of one another and we are mutually encouraged and spurred on to live for our true home. The reality of Jesus' lordship is experienced every week, changing our desires and priorities. Establishing the habit of regular church attendance is one of the most formative gifts you can give your family, your church and generations to come.

3.  Make a plan.

If you have decided you would like to be more intentional with home discipleship, it can be hard to know where to start, what to do and what resources are available.

St Jude's hosts a Home Discipleship Reset and a Home Discipleship Check-In each year. I hope these will encourage you and provide intentional time to consider your family’s next step.

If you're reading this, you're presently on St Jude's Home Discipleship Tool website. The navigation bar above is full of achievable discipleship ideas and suggestions for great books, kids Bibles, music and more.

He is pleased even with their stumbles

The decision to prioritise home discipleship is one that needs to be revisited again and again. Life will not stop. Kids will not always be keen. You may not have the support of a spouse. Though life can be loud, it is essential that you try. Doing something is always more effective than doing nothing. The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus is overflowing with grace, "…and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles." (C.S Lewis: The Screwtape Letters). The role of spiritual leader will not scream for attention like life will, and yet it is the role that can have the most significant impact on you, your family and generations to come. You can move forward one stumbling step at a time knowing your Father in heaven is pleased.