Discipling Your Kids

RH Family Making History

Questions we ask:

1. How do you define a disciple?
2. What's the road map for disciple-making for your kids? Is there one specific road map?
3. What are spiritual practices or disciplines that help us grow as disciples daily?
4. You can't expect your kids to grow as disciples if you aren't growing as one yourself. What do you say to a parent who feels this way about their spiritual growth?
5. What encouragement do you have for a parent who thinks they are too late in discipling their kids? Or too late in taking their own steps towards looking more like Jesus?

Highlights:

• A disciple is a student. If you’re a disciple of someone, you’re a student of that teacher. In terms of this discussion, Jesus is our teacher. Our goal is to learn what Jesus is trying to teach us.
• Discipleship is growing in Christlikeness.
• As parents, our goal is for our kids to be able to survive without our help. How do we look at that from a spiritual aspect? When we're not around, how do they survive SPIRITUALLY without us with them?
• The end-goal is that they have a foundation of beliefs and a world-view rooted in Christianity, and that they have practices in their life that are supporting and helping them live as a functioning disciple of Christ. Head knowledge is not enough.
• We want our kids to be able to stand firm in their faith because we’ve helped them establish practices in their life.
• Learning comes down to three different things: knowing, watching, doing.
  Create opportunities for them to:
  1. KNOW: Put the truth in front of them.
  2. WATCH: See us living out that truth and practicing spiritual practices.
  3. DO: Take them along with us and give them opportunities to serve.
• What are the DAILY habits, practices, and disciplines that will help establish this foundation for our kids?
  Please note - these daily practices are not done to earn salvation or for God to love you more; we do these practices because they are specific practices God gave us to draw closer to Him. They are opportunities for us to be in His presence—not because we HAVE to, but because we GET to.

1. The practice of reading the Bible daily.
   The clearest indicator of someone’s spiritual growth is if they are in the Word every day.
   Let your kids see you in the Word daily.
2. The practice of praying daily.
   Prayer time can be part of your daily Bible reading time.
   Pray WHAT you are reading.
   Select one verse that taught you something, and talk to your kids about what you learned.
3. The practice of trusting God.
   It’s ok to model NOT having all the answers. Scripture says “We see through the mirror dimly” (1 Cor. 13:12).
   It’s ok to tell your kids that you don’t have the answer, but that you can seek out the answer together. By doing this, you’re modeling how not to run from spiritual questions, and you’re modeling trust in the One who DOES have all the answers. You're teaching your child how to lean into conversations, seek to point to God, be strong in what they believe, and to walk with others to help them understand.
   You can’t expect your kids to grow as a disciple if you’re not growing as a disciple. You can’t take your kids where you’re not willing to go, or where you’re not.
4. The practice of investing in your faith.
   What are you doing to invest in your faith, in your parenting, in your marriage? Your kids see this. Your spiritual state affects all of these things.
   We are not perfect people. We’re a group of redeemed people being perfected.
   You have 963 weeks from the time your child is born til they turn 18. Make the very most of that time.
5. The practice of repenting daily.
   Ask your kids for forgiveness. Let your kids see you acknowledging your imperfections. This teaches them about repentance, forgiveness, and grace in a single action.
   Our God is perfect, our God is full of forgiveness, and our God is full of grace.

• It’s never too late to start leading your kids in discipleship. Get started by taking small steps. For example, if you have small children and don’t currently pray with them before bed, start. If you have older kids, ask them how you can be praying for them.

Resources:

• A Disciple's Guide
• A Disciple's Guide | Parent Edition
• Family Devotions & Reading Plans