Family Driven Faith - Chapter 1

Here is the first chapters notes - bit more than I anticipated but thats okay. Its a bit of a rally cry this chapter - a call to attention and a call to arms - that Christian parents would not hand their lives, spouses and children over to the world!


According to researchers, between 70 and 88 percent of Christian teens are leaving the church by their second year of college.

85% of "born again teens" do not believe in the existence of absolute truth. Over 60% believed that nothing can be known for sure except that which you experience. Over half believe Jesus sinned during his earthly life.

While U.S. teens are very religious... (it's)... largely ambiguous... due in large part to the lack of time and attention devoted to spiritual matters.

Teenagers hold inclusive, pluralistic and individualistic views about religious truth, identity boundaries, and the need for religious congregation... i.e secular humanism

They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would of remained with us; but they went out, so it would be shown that they all are not of us
1John 2:19

Thom Rainer's research among Southern Baptists indicates that nearly half of all church members may not be saved.

CHristian parents have been lulled to sleep while the theif has come in to steal, kill and destroy our children right under our noses.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

Two Sides of Life

Personal/Professional
Work/Home

My family life is the primary place where my walk with Christ takes on flesh.

But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Matthew 22:34-40

Is my wife or husband not simply my closest neighbour?

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:9-11

Chapters dealing with fathers managing their household well

- 1 Timothy 3

- Titus 1

- 1 Peter 5

Godly husband and father are the only men qualified to lead the house of God

Godly husbands teaches the Word to his family, leads them in family worship, disciplines, instructs, and encourages his children, and loves his wife.

Wide Screen vs Full Screen

The question is, do we have a biblical obligation to train our children before they leave home?

Christian's look at the biblical mandate and then compare it to society. We trade what the bible says for a cultural norm that hovers just below mediocrity.

What seems to be taking up our children's time?

1. School

• The world's limited view of life says that the most important thing we can do is get good grades, go to college, get out of school and get a good job so that we can make more money than our mom and dad did."

2. Sport

• If I teach my son to keep his eye on the ball but fail to teach him to keep his eyes on Christ, I have failed as a father.

3. Dating

• Young people are learning how to give themselves away in exclusive, romantic, highly committed (at times sexual) relationships, only to break up and do it all over again. God never intended for His kids to live like this.
• Unless your child is wiser than Solomon, stronger than Samson, and more godly than David (all of whom sinned sexually), they are susceptible to sexual sin, and these premature relationships serve as open invitations.
• 2 Hesitations :Thou shalt not marry prior to graduate school, or al least until you have a middle class income."

It seems that the church has followed the culture and now hates marriage and hates children.

Moses' challenge: Live a God glorifying life surrounded by a God hating Pagan culture.

There are many worthwhile pursuits in this world, but few of them rise to the level of training our children to follow the Lord and keep His commandments. I desperately want my sons and daughters to walk with God, and I am willing to do whatever it takes, whatever the Bible says I must do in order to be used by God as a means to that end. 

CHapter 2 coming soon...