Whoever stands at the foot of the cross to name Jesus as His Savior will be profoundly changed. He will begin to enjoy fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3). He will know God, which is to say he will be known by God, and set free from bondage to sin (Galatians 4:8–9). And it doesn’t matter at what age someone comes: His decision will fling wide the door to this whole new way of living.
In a previous post, we identified where this decision fits in the process of building godly character in children. Note the fourth content block. As parents are faithful to teach the truths of the Gospel, and as God blesses their faithfulness, they will witness the miracle of a young child’s heart first coming to know God. The content blocks that follow build on what is accomplished in this moment.
In the books of the Bible intended for use by parents, a relationship with God is key. Keeping the commandments in the Book of the Law and teaching children to do the same begins in a love relationship that engages heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). Training children to walk in the way of wisdom begins and ends by teaching them the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; Ecclesiastes 12:12), which respects who God is and fuels loyalty to Him.
In this selective view of our T20 chart, you can see the Gospel content block, plus three navy blocks, all of which focus on knowing God. Training children in “Love/Fear” and “Spiritual Disciplines” should immediately follow the gospel. “Ownership” comes later in the process. All three of these navy colored blocks emphasize raising young adults who possess a spiritually self-sustaining relationship with God. From the time a child first comes to the cross until he leaves the home, his parents will be devoting some of their energies to one, sometimes two, facets of knowing God.
Let me suggest what is involved in each navy block. This summary outline practically begs for a more detailed explanation. A complete curriculum would be even better. Alas, I’ll save that for the book. Until then, this outline gives you the essentials. Use these to organize your own didache for home based discipleship that spans the years until your child leaves home. You will notice some recurrent themes in each block – each new round takes your children to a deeper level of knowing God.
Love / Fear The key focus in this content block is to help your children understand and enjoy the great privilege in Christ of knowing God.
- Before and After - These are lessons on who we were before Christ contrasted with who we are in Christ. They include discussions of New Heart, Hearing God’s Voice, Preferring God’s Way, Living for a Bigger Purpose, and Bearing Fruit.
- Motivated by Love / Fear – Help children understand love for God and fear of God as noble motives for doing what is right. Before coming to the cross, they were motivated to do what is right to avoid consequences. In Christ, they have a new heart which finds its greatest joy in doing what is right simply for the Lord’s pleasure.
- God of History – Examine God’s work in the history of His people and recount how God is evident in your child’s personal story. Help your child look behind past events to discern God at work.
- Character of God – Help your child understand the attributes of God and how these relate to his current experiences and circumstances.
Spiritual Disciplines This content can be introduced after the previous. The goal here is for your child to begin taking steps to sustain their relationship with God.
- Basic Disciplines – Teach your child to confess his sins to God and, where needed, to others. Assist him to understand and impart forgiveness to others. Explain prayer, Bible reading, Bible memorization, Bible meditation, giving, and witnessing. Assist him to develop personal habits pertinent to these disciplines.
- Hearing God – Teach your children how to study the Bible and to reliably identify what it teaches. Assist them to develop the ability to hear God’s voice in the Bible and support them as they take the initiative to do what He says.
Ownership This final content block should be introduced in the early teen years. It remains a priority until a young person leaves home. Teens form the conviction at this stage that their love for God is not just a reflection of their parents’ views – they own their faith as their own and declare, “Your God is now my God.”
- Obeying When it Costs – It is critical for a young adult to embrace the truth that he only lives for God’s pleasure. He needs to be challenged, encouraged, supported, and blessed for following the Lord’s leading, especially when that obedience involves personal sacrifice.
- Ministry Initiative – Teens should actively seek out God’s direction, especially as they explore their life purpose. They should be able to say, “I want to make my life count for eternity, I have a clear sense of my Kingdom purpose, and here are ways I am being faithful to God in that calling right now.”
- Overcomer Strategies – Teens need to understand spiritual warfare and use biblical strategies for retaining personal integrity, purity, and ministry effectiveness in hostile territory.
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