Your Home. Your Castle.
"Fortifying Your Kids"

Pastor Scott Oas | 04.17.16

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

The SHEMA provides 3 foundational lessons for your home and your family.

1. LOYALTY to GOD.
2. Transmission of our FAITH and LOVE to our children.
3. Keeping CONSISTENT mindfulness of the TEACHINGS of GOD.

K - Knowledge that is Grounded.
I - Intimacy that is Intentional.
D - Discipline that is Consistent.
S - Structure that is Strategic.

GOD’S DESIGN FOR THE FAMILY
The Family Flow Chart

“Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” - Ephesians 5:1

EMOTIONAL BANK ACCOUNT

1. TALK - conversation
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” – Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)

2. TIME - companionship
“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.” - John 4:23 (NLT)

3. TOUCH - a. emotional b. physical
“As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” - Ephesians 5:31-33 (MSG)

4. TEAMWORK- mutual support
“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” - Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)

SETTING A POSITIVE TONE AND ATMOSPHERE IN YOUR HOME

PARENTING with AWE (10 Building Blocks for a Happy Family by Jim Burns)

      Expressing Affirmation
            Creating Warmth
                   Giving Encouragement

Parenting Resources:
* Confident Parenting - Jim Burns
* The 10 Building Blocks for a Happy Family - Jim Burns
* The Key to Your Child’s Heart - Gary Smalley
* His Needs Her Needs for Parents - Willard Harley
* Kid CEO - Ed Young 

GOING DEEPER

SCRIPTURE READING: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

GETTING STARTED:

In Gary Smalley’s book "The key to Your Child’s Heart," he shares that there are 4 basic types of parenting: The Dominant Parent, The Neglectful Parent, The Permissive Parent, The Loving and Firm Parent. Which of these would you say you experienced as a child?

Who has most affected your parenting style and strategy?

A CLOSER LOOK:

Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9, The Shema.
What strikes you as important for your family?

The Shema provides 3 foundational lessons for your home and family. Why are each of the following essential to having a strong and healthy family?
1. LOYALTY to GOD.
2. Transmission of our FAITH and LOVE to our children.
3. Keeping CONSISTENT mindfulness of the TEACHINGS of GOD.

Read Mark 10:13-16.
PARENTING with AWE.

In “10 Building Blocks for a Happy Family” by Jim Burns he sites the following key phrases about AWE.

Expressing Affirmation
Creating Warmth
Giving Encouragement

How does Jesus express AWE to those around him especially children? Which of these 3 do you feel you are most successful at expressing?

DIGGING DEEPER:

What specific steps can you take to enhance an environment of AWE in your family?

What specifically are you doing, or can you do, to bring security, honor, positive influence to your children in your home? With your grandchildren, children at church, children of your friends or children in your neighborhood?