Leader Resources
EXERCISES
- Review the memory verse of the week and talk about how it relates to the Truth section.
SUGGESTED DISCUSSION
- Truth – You can discuss any of the in Bible questions you would like to address. Here are some tips that may help:
- Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – The point you want to make with these verses is that God commands parents to be the primary teachers of their children. Some in your JG may have trouble seeing how (practically speaking) they really can be their childrens’ primary teacher. Loving God with one’s whole being is the summary of the Ten Commandments. Parents are to teach their children that which is most important in life, the primary values about God and His truth that they can distill from Scripture. They are to do this through constant teaching and informal conversation.
- Matthew 23:1-6 – Jesus found fault with the Pharisees for not living consistently with their teaching. The application of this passage to parenting is that parents must live consistently with the values they teach their children. Children become confused and resentful when parents fail to live as they are being taught to live.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 – Paul knew that teaching effectively requires time spent with the student. He viewed this body of believers with a fatherly pride and concern looking forward to the day he could see his well-taught flock with Jesus. Parents can learn from Paul’s spiritual concern for the Thessalonians. They should remember that their children deserve to be the highest priority on their calendar, since seeing one’s children in heaven is a parent’s highest priority.
- Truth – You will want to focus your discussion on these points:
- Parents are commissioned by God to be their childrens’ primary teachers.
- Parents are to use every situation of life itself to teach what really matters to their children using formal teaching sessions, and spontaneous talking sessions.
- Parents can distill the truth of God’s Word into “bite-size”, significant values. This makes truth relevant, memorable and compelling.
- Parents need to understand that their lives are a lecture. They need to live in harmony with their values and spend enough time with their kids so they can see those values in action.
- The two basic rules of parenting are: Love God with all your heart in the presence of your kids, and love your kids with all your heart.
- Equipping – Give your JG time to discuss their values. Try to guide the discussion so that it is oriented toward biblical value statements that have eternal significance. If someone in your JG can’t describe the eternal significance of a value, it probably doesn’t deserve top-five status.
- Accountability – Allow time for smaller groups of 2 or 3 to ask accountability questions and pray for one another.
- Mission – Remind your JG that the purpose of life-on-life missional discipleship is to develop mature and equipped followers of Christ for the lost world. Remind them that a missional life is one that takes up Christ’s mission to make the gospel known through word and deed across the street, track and world. Review what your JG has learned about being missional this year – missional living, praying, serving, telling and dialoguing. Challenge your JG to now apply what they have learned and engage in a missional life by the power of the Holy Spirit living within them. Allow the group to discuss the different ways they have been involved in missional living this year. Encourage them to be honest about the obstacles to taking up Christ’s mission that they face and what needs to change in order for them to be more intentionally engaged in mission.
