Tag: Jesus

How to Disciple Your Kids: 8 Tips

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Miscellaneous3 Comments

Raising children is no easy task, much less discipling them! It’s one thing to keep them healthy, (relatively) clean, and educate them. Again, no easy task. Trust me, I know, I have three! But to spend 18+ years helping them learn to follow Jesus? The task can seem overwhelming, so much so that we just stop thinking about it. We don’t have a plan, and we more or less end up hoping that they will end up looking like Jesus.

There’s a better way. Though the task is monumental, we are not called to go at it alone. God has given us his Spirit, his Word, and his church to guide us. Furthermore, there are all kinds of helps out there; I am constantly looking for these, and I love to share them. Here’s a helpful blog from a fellow brother in Christ that I recently came across that I had to share. Here are “8 Tips to Help You Disciple Your Kids.”

1. Set realistic expectations.

One of the main problems we have as parents is that we expect way too much of ourselves when it comes to discipling our kids, and when we can’t live up to them, we feel like failures and often quit. Family worship doesn’t have to look like worship with your church family with singing, prayer, and lengthy and in-depth Bible teaching. Gospel conversations don’t always have to end with some profound theological gem from you. We need to be realistic of what our family discipleship will look like. Perhaps that means talking about a Bible story for 15 minutes one night a week at dinner and trying to find one or two times each week to move conversations toward the gospel. Wherever you are, start there and develop rhythms and habits that work and then build on them to get to where you want to be.

2. See family discipleship as a way of life, not a program.

There is nothing at all wrong with having a more organized time of family worship—it is actually a great idea to do that. But we can’t see our role as disciplers as a program; we have to see it more as a way of life as Deut. 6 describes. That means that you want to strive to talk with your kids about Christ naturally as much as possible. Look for themes in shows, movies, and music and talk about how they relate to the gospel. Talk about the character of God, especially as you experience them in your own life. We have natural opportunities to talk about the gospel every day—we just have to look for them.

3. Focus on Jesus.

Our goal should be to always point our kids to Jesus. It is easy to fall into the trap of moralism—focusing on our kids’ behavior and wanting them to act right. But that is not God’s heart for them! God is less concerned with their behavior and more concerned with their hearts. And the way our kids will develop hearts that love Him and want to obey Him is through the gospel transforming them. This is why we always need to point our kids to the gospel and allow that to inform how they live. Their behavior matters—but why they behave the way they do matters far more. Focus on heart change through Christ.

4. Be a guide, not a general.

As parents we often think ourselves as generals—we have the authority to tell our kids what to do and point the direction they are to go. There is certainly a place for this at times, but when it comes to discipling our kids, we are better off seeing ourselves as guides instead. Think of a trail guide who travels with you and beside you. He or she doesn’t stay back at camp and just point the direction or give you a map—he or she goes with you! That is what we need to do with our kids in the journey of discipleship. We aren’t supposed to be the experts with all the answers boldly pointing the way our kids should go; we are to travel with them as guides—guides who have more knowledge, wisdom, and experience of our journey but who are still learning ourselves. Positioning yourself as a guide means you don’t need to have all the answers and that is important because none of us do. But it does give you the freedom to tell your kids that you don’t know something and you want to seek the answer together.

5. Feed your own growth.

The best teaching comes from the overflow of what we are learning. If you are looking for the one way to improve the most as your kids’ discipler, this may be it. Spend more time feeding your growth and growing in your understanding of, and joy in, the gospel. Dive into God’s Word more deeply. Read helpful books that will build your faith. Worship in meaningful ways with others and by yourself. As you grow your confidence will increase and you will also have more to share with your kids.

6. Teach by your example.

It has been said that people will remember more of what we do than what we say. We often focus our discipleship on what we tell our kids—and that certainly matters—but we cannot forget that our kids are learning far more from what they see us do, for better or for worse. As a follower of Christ, you need to be working out your salvation through God’s power (Phil. 2:12-13), but this is even more important as parents. How is the gospel framing how you live each day in the home, in the community, at work, and beyond? Are God’s love, grace, and mercy working their way out of you? Is the fruit of the spirit evident in increasing measure? Are you obeying God with gospel gratitude and joy? Model gospel transformation to your kids.

7. Connect them deeply into your church.

While God designed parents to be the primary disciplers, He did not intend for us to be the only disciplers. He has given us the church—our local community of faith—to come alongside us, encourage us, and echo what we are teaching in our homes. Just as it is essential for us to be part of the church, our kids need to be as well—for their good now and in the future as well as the church’s vitality. Prioritize involvement in church, not because you have to or should, but because you want to. This is one reason I love The Gospel Project so much—the heart of this resource is not only to help individuals see the gospel story throughout Scripture but also to position parents to have meaningful conversations in the home based on what they are talking about at church. The church and home aren’t to work in isolation of each other—they are to work hand-in-hand in partnership.

8. Pray with them and for them.

Just as you want to have meaningful gospel conversations throughout the day with your kids, you want to pray with them and for them as well. Think about the opportunities you have each day, such as in the car on the way to school and as part of your bedtime routine, and use some of that time to pray together.

*Original post may be found at https://gospelproject.lifeway.com/8-tips-to-help-you-disciple-your-kids/. Written by Brian Dembowczyk.

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Delighting In The Trinity (Book Review)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Book Reviews2 Comments

The triunity of God is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. And yet, the Trinity is one of the most neglected and least understood tenets of our faith. I’m afraid I have contributed to this myself. I have been guilty of speaking of the Trinity as if it was something too difficult to understand or too risky to talk about for fear of stepping into heresy.

The problem with such neglect is the misinformed notions we develop about God as a result. Instead of understanding God to be Father, Son, and Spirit, who dwells in eternal unity and love, we fashion a singular god in our own image who often turns out to be cold, distant, and ultimately unknowable. Even if we don’t consciously believe God to be singular and distant, we often live as if he is, expecting his disapproval, ambivalence, and relative absence to characterize our lives rather than warm, enjoyable, loving fellowship with him. The antidote to this, Michael Reeves argues, is to know God as Trinity.

To know the Trinity is “to know God, an eternal and personal God of infinite beauty, interest, and fascination. The Trinity is a God we can know, and forever grow to know better.”[1] The strength of Reeves’ book is that he writes about the Trinity from a relational perspective rather than an ontological one.[2] His goal is not to mine all the nuanced gems of the Trinity’s nature, but to show how God has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Spirit, and how he relates to us as such.

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The Triune God: The Ultimate Christmas Gift

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Theology1 Comment

Christmas is here! And all that comes with it: lights, decorations, gatherings, and…gifts. What does that last word do for you- gifts? Does it create excitement, perhaps over the gift you might receive or give? Or does it create a sense of burden over the gifts you need to purchase? Whichever it may be, how would you feel if I told you that our practice of gift-giving could (and should) deepen our appreciation of the Triune God?

Why do we give gifts at Christmas, anyways? We may say, “because God has given us the gift of salvation.” And while that may be true, the gift God has given us is much more than that. The ultimate Christmas gift is a Trinitarian gift. It’s a gift prepared, given, and protected by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is a gift that redeems the world and restores all that mankind lost in the Garden of Eden, chiefly, an intimate relationship with the Triune God.

When God gives us the gift of salvation, He gives us Himself and the ability to know Him. That’s what we lost in Eden. Everything else is merely a symptom of that broken relationship. So God prepares, purchases, and extends this gift to us. But He does so through each member of the Trinity giving themselves so that we may know God in all of His fullness. Let me explain.

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Why Did Jesus Turn Water Into Wine?

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Messages1 Comment

Why did Jesus perform His first miracle at a wedding? And why was that miracle the turning of water into wine? Was He simply demonstrating His power, helping His mother and friends out, or was something greater going on here? Could this seemingly insignificant miracle set the stage for His life and ministry? Listen and find out!

Here’s my notes from this talk:

Jesus Stories- Jesus Turns Water to Wine (John 2.1-11)Download

Why Disciple-Making Must Begin with the Gospel

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Today we launched a new discipleship group on my back porch at 6:45am. In our first meeting together, we carefully explained and studied the core message of the gospel. We began with God and His character, considered man’s need because of his sin, Christ’s righteous life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, and the need for responding in repentance and faith. We discussed our individual experiences hearing, believing, and living the gospel. Though it may seem basic, starting any disciple-making effort must start with the gospel. Here’s why:

1. The gospel is the entry-point into life with God.

A disciple is someone who is following Jesus. Someone who is walking with God. The gospel is the message that brings us to God. The content of the gospel- Christ’s life, death, and resurrection- is the power of God to save (Romans 1:16). By believing it, we become sons and daughters of God, and begin a new life with God. We must start disciple-making with the gospel because it is quite literally the starting point of our lives with God.

2. The gospel is the foundation of walking with God.

Not only is the gospel the starting point of life with God, it is also the foundation of the believer’s future walk with God. We never outgrow our need for the gospel. Every day we are sinners in need of God’s grace. Every day we are recipients of God’s grace in Christ. Every day God sees us, not in our sin, but in the perfect righteousness of the Son.

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Children & Church

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Miscellaneous2 Comments

What if our children saw church,
not as a place where their parents went out of mundane routine, but a place where they delighted to go?

What if our children saw church as the place where their parents expected to meet with God, worship Him, and learn to walk with Him?

What if our children saw church as the place where their parents looked for opportunities to speak to, encourage, and pray for other members?

What if our children saw church as the place where their parents cheerfully gave their money, time, and resources to the mission of God?

What if our children saw the church as the place where their parents were constantly inviting their friends, family, and even strangers to go?

What if our children saw the church as the place where their parents were refreshed and invigorated for the week ahead?

What if our children saw the church as the place that their parents valued so highly that almost nothing came in the way of their attending?

How might all of this affect the child’s, and future adult’s, view of church?
The next generation is watching us, parents! By the grace of God, may we demonstrate through our attitudes and actions the incredible value, beauty, and privilege of being a part of God’s church

How God Builds, Sustains, and Strengthens His Church (1 Corinthians 1:1-9)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Imago Dei Class2 Comments

Church life is messy. There are no perfect churches because they are no perfect people. The church at Corinth demonstrated the possibility of imperfection better than any other church in the New Testament. Their disarrayed congregation fell prey to the cult of personality (1:10-17), sexual immorality (5:1-13; 6:12-20), confusion about marriage (7:1-40), misuse of Christian liberty (8:1-11:1), dishonorable practices surrounding the Lord’s Supper (11:17-34), unhealthy practices concerning spiritual gifts (chs 12-14), and incorrect views on the resurrection (ch. 15).[1] A mess indeed.

Nevertheless, they remained God’s church. And the beginning of Paul’s letter to them tells us just how God builds, strengthens, and sustains His church, despite the mess they may create. He helps us clean up our mess by re-directing our attention to His work and to the ways that He builds, strengthens, and sustains His people.

1. God calls leaders to shepherd His people (1 Cor. 1:1).

1Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes (1:1)

God does not desire for His church to function as an anarchic democracy. He raises up leaders to shepherd His people. Paul identifies Himself as one of these leaders in the opening verse of the chapter-as an “apostle” who was “called” to His assignment according to “God’s will.” It is the same with all church leaders- God appoints shepherds to lead His flock. “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,[2] to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). The church should pray for, support, and follow the leadership of her shepherds, as they follow the Chief Shepherd.

2. God saves sinners and sanctifies saints (1:2-3).

2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:2-3).

God’s church is the place where sinners become sanctified saints. It is where the gospel is preached, where sin is repented of, and where Christ is believed (i.e. “called upon”). Those in Christ are sanctified- a word that is in the perfect tense in Greek, emphasizing the resultant state. In other words, members of Christ’s church have been made holy in Christ, and are currently holy in Him. As such, the Scriptures call us saints.

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A Children’s Easter Devotional Based on the Storyline of Scripture

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

Are you looking for a good Easter resource to use with your kids? I highly recommend to you a new free resource below from my friend Mark Shideler. It is a seven day study that reveals the storyline of Scripture and the meaning of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It contains helpful summaries, discussion questions, and activities that reinforce each day’s theme.

I want to share an excerpt with you. Consider how Mark describes the purpose of God’s Law (how often do you see that in a kid’s devotional?) in Week 2:

Have you ever done something wrong? If we’re honest, we all have. But who decides whether something is “right” or “wrong”? God does! A long time ago, God gave the Israelites rules to keep if they wanted to show that they loved God. He called these rules His law. The law was for us, too (not just the Israelites). When we break God’s law today, we feel bad about it, and that feeling is called “guilt.” God’s law has A LOT of rules in it that are VERY hard to keep. In fact, it’s completely impossible for any person to keep all of God’s rules. That sounds pretty hopeless doesn’t it? But actually, that’s the whole point! See, God didn’t give the law so we would try to keep it and be perfect. He gave the law to show that we are all sinners who need a Savior. We have ALL broken God’s law, and our sin has to be punished. Breaking God’s law has consequences (just like breaking our government’s law does), and God has to judge sin because He always does what is right. One of sin’s consequences is that it keeps us from being friends with God because God is perfect. In fact, the Bible says our sin makes us God’s ENEMY! In order to be friends with God, we have to have our sins forgiven. Every time we sin or feel guilty, it should remind us that we need a Savior.

Mark proceeds to show how Jesus is the Savior we need, who lives a perfect life on our behalf (thus fulfilling the law), yet dies to pay the debt of our sin (another lesson in which Mark helpfully describes what a debt is), and defeats our greatest enemies of sin, death, and Satan. This is how Jesus has enabled us to be friends with God (the way Mark describes redemption in kid-lingo!).

This is an excellent resource that will not only bless children, but also their parents as they walk their kids through it! I will be using it with my kids, and I hope you do too!

Click the link below to download the free resource:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NtGFK88hVDgikDzR2g759pXwoUY3KBBM?fbclid=IwAR0G8lZrArw2Cl57CGlxGHOa2G-22zZdB2enlrHEN6pHh3SvUiSuVIVtKmE

The Preeminent King Who Reconciles All Things

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

Our focus as a church this week was on the preeminence of Christ. Preeminence refers to the exclusive right of being first, supreme, or surpassing all others. The Son of God in the person of Christ is preeminent (Colossians 1:18). He is before all things (1:16) because He created all things (1:15-16) and holds all things together (1:17b).

Christ is also preeminent over the church (1:18). The church is made up of those whom Christ created; they are part of the “all things” He created in 1:16, who rebelled against Him (1:21) but have been reconciled back to Him (1:22). But how did this reconciliation occur? By the preeminent One “making peace through the blood of His cross” (1:20).

The beauty of the gospel captured my heart this Sunday. Colossians 1 presents the Son as the One who created all things and currently holds all things together. But it also presents Him as the One who reconciles all things by His own death. Only the One who created all things can reconcile all things back to Himself- and there was only one way for Him to do that- “by the blood of His cross” (1:20).

Here is the prominent reminder for us: everything that we need, from the greatest need of salvation to the smallest need of our next breath: Christ provides. He created all things. He sustains all things. He reconciles all things. By the blood of His cross.

How to Build Your Life on Christ

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Miscellaneous3 Comments

Too often I walk away from corporate worship without giving thought to what God has taught me and how I should apply it. Yes, even pastors can be guilty of going through the motions. I am not disengaged; I will note an interesting point in a sermon, re-listen to a worship song, or pray for someone that I had a conversation with, but rarely do I give sustained thought and prayer to what God has taught me and what He wants me to do with it.

Therefore, I am starting a new blog series on Monday mornings where I will think and write about what God taught me on Sunday. Lessons may come from messages, songs, conversations, or Scripture readings. Not only will this give me an avenue to think, pray, and write, I hope it will also encourage you to think and pray through what God taught you as well!

This Sunday, we considered Matthew 7:24-27 and Jesus’ instruction to build our house on the rock. “House” is a metaphor for our lives and the “rock” is a metaphor for Christ. We can build our lives on Christ, the rock, or on the shifting sands of the world. Storms will come and beat against our houses, but only those whose house is built on the rock will stand.

But what does it mean to build our life on the rock that is Jesus? Two things. First, to build our life on Jesus means to have Him as the foundation of our life with God. We must recognize that there is no foundation other than Him that can reconcile us to God and keep us in intimate relationship with Him. Nothing and no one other than Christ can deal with our sin debt or provide us with the perfect righteousness that we need to stand before God.

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