Leading Our Homes

Oh, how desperately I need help in leading my family toward the Gospel. Unashamed Workman has given us some links to help us as husbands and fathers.

On the same note, Thabiti Anyabwile has provided a helpful summary of one of the messages by CJ Mahaney at Pure Church.

This is so helpful because I daily see an ever increasing need to lead as husband and father in discipling my wife and children. But along with this I see an ever increasing inability to do so. As I was meditating on these things today and listening to some of the audio posted above, I returned home to find an email from my good friend Shane Waters to encourage me in this very thing. He happened to blog today on the very subject of his email.

Family worship has become a major part of our home life. It isn't rocket science and it isn't seminary, it is very simple and but we are very intentional in what we are aiming for, the objective truth of redemptive history. Our practice is to sing age appropriate songs, work on a question from the catechism, teach a truth from Scripture, and pray. It is always an enjoyable experience for us all. No, our children aren't the best behaved or most attentive. It is enjoyable but there is much wrestling, commands to sit up, look at me, listen to me, leave your brother alone and the usual.

As far as teaching goes a good place to start is with the law of God. We went through the ten commandments two nights a week for several weeks explaining the commandment, the character of God and sinfulness of man, our breaking of the commandment, standing condemned, inability to redeem ourselves, and ultimately pointing to Christ crucified with each and every one.

We are now hanging around the first three chapters of Genesis. Here are a few of the lessons we have learned and will learn in the next few of our times together. (Note: We tend to focus less on things like the detail of creation and more on the redemptive story line)

• Creation and the placement of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
  

Our focus was on the institution of marriage and how Christ and the church is pictured through Eve being made from Adam's side. (Memory verse - Gen. 1:1)

• The freedom of man and limit of that freedom

God is our authority and demonstrates it by forbidding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He has placed other authorities in our lives that represent Him as well such as parents and law enforcement.

• The giving of Eve to Adam

God's eternal plan of redemption in giving a bride to His Son.

• The fall
  

Sin's affect upon all men through the fall and our only clothing of righteousness in Christ picture by the sacrifice of the animals.

• The person of Satan and the promise of the Redeemer

Who the serpent was, his promise to be crushed, and the first promise of Christ. (Memory Verse - Gen 3:15)