Family Discipleship

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age".  Matthew 28:19-20

If you've been around the church very long, you have probably heard of this as "the great commission".  It was when Jesus told His disciples to go out and use what He had taught them to teach the rest of the world.  As followers of Christ, we are also His disciples.  Therefore, this commissioning from our Holy King applies to us as well.

Maybe we don't always think of ourselves as teachers.  Maybe we don't always feel confident to disciple others as Jesus did.  The truth is, no matter who we are, we have some influence over the people we are near.  We teach and lead without even thinking about it.  If our first priority is to love God, and our second is to love people, then we need to be mindful of what we are teaching those around us.

In this season of my life, my greatest responsibility is discipling the hearts of my three little girls.  It is an incredibly fulfilling and challenging task, but I struggle with it daily also, as I work through my own sin and selfishness.  There are days that I just don't feel equipped, and most days I fail at being all I want to be for them.  I have to constantly remind myself that this calling is from God, and that the Holy Spirit is with me, helping me.

The Village Church in Texas recently did a sermon series on Family Discipleship that my husband and I found extremely inspiring and helpful in this season.  It was a fabulous resource for the battleground we are on of being much less than perfect, but wanting to guide our children in the direction of Christ.

So... what if you don't have kids?  What if your kids are grown?  My answer is this: The series is called "Family Discipleship".  We are all in the family of God.  Even if you are no longer responsible or never have been responsible for shepherding your young children's hearts, there is someone in your life, in this family of God that you can be discipling.  All the principles mentioned in the sermon series can apply to anyone you encounter.  It's basically about finding opportunities to share God with each other.

It's a fabulous series.  I hope it uplifts and encourages you as much as it did us.  God bless you!

http://www.thevillagechurch.net/resources/sermons/series/family-discipleship/

Dear Father,
Please help us to live knowing that we have you as our help always.  Make us brave and strong in you.  Teach us to look for opportunities to disciple others in our lives.  Whether it is at home, at work, or anywhere we go, please show us the opportunities we can take to disciple others, and help you fulfill the great commission.  Make us determined to share your love with others wherever we go.  In Jesus' name, Amen.