email : Webview : Duane Brooks - Every Day with Jesus

March 27, 2018

Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

New International Version (NIV)

          How does the church make disciples? Well, we share the plan of salvation and then we get people involved in Bible studies. This has been the formula in most Baptist churches for as long as I can remember. Many wonderful disciples have grown up in the Lord in this way.

          Unfortunately this plan has not always worked for everyone. This can be especially disappointing to parents who thought if their kids just went to church they would grow up and love Jesus. Is there more to it?

          Moses faced a similar dilemma. His congregation included more than a million. The membership often rebelled against God and against his leadership. As a result they took a lot of laps in the wilderness. The eldest generation had almost all died there in the wilderness.

           Now in the second delivery of the law, Deuteronomy, Moses preached to the people to prepare them to enter God’s promise for them. Once again he shared the Decalogue, the ten commandments (5:11-21). Then he wrote specifically about relationship with God. The main goal of the Mosaic law was not to give people rules for rules’ sake. Instead, they sought to foster relationship. So in these verses called the Shema, repeated in Israelite homes, the law teaches us to love God and teach our kids to love him too. Ideally, this becomes ingrained in all of our daily activities, not just a once a week sojourn to church.

          Perhaps discipleship cannot be outsourced. God wants to help us put the word to work where we live, in our own homes. We are still the primary spiritual teachers of our children.   If they see us love Jesus, they are more likely to love him too. But what if they don’t? As long as we are in love with God loving him with all, there is hope that they will see it and choose it for themselves. Do not be afraid. God is with us to help us in this. Nobody wants our kids to love God more than he does. Ask him for help today. He cares.

Pray with me:

Father, we thank you for your patience with your children. Like the Israelites, we wander far afield. Today we need your help. Make us disciples of our Master Jesus. Help us to love him with all that we are. Lord make us teachers of our own families. Let them see our love for you so that they may learn to love you as well. For those who have walked away, we ask for grace for parents and kids alike. Draw our children to yourself with cords of love we pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This year we focus our Every Day with Jesus readings on Jesus’ story. With references to Tallowood's Read Through the Bible in 2018 daily reading plan, let's focus our undivided attention on Jesus and follow where he lead. He will not fail. Neither will we!
Joyfully,
Duane

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