Wednesday, March 12, 2014

No Greater Joy

"They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live..."
Deut 32:47

I had the opportunity to speak to a group of moms Monday morning about the power of teaching your children the Word. This is a passion of mine so it was energizing for me to dig in and search the Scriptures in a fresh way. My boys led worship which made me cry my eyes out. I was so proud of them. What a JOY to serve God with my best friends.









“The Grass Withers and the Flowers Fade but THE WORD OF THE LORD STANDS FOREVER.”
So, I am Stephanie. I am the mother of six! 5 cutie-pie-boys and 1 beautiful little girl. These children are truly a reward to us. We are pouring our lives out into theirs and we love every minute we get to be parents. But, my life is far from "pinterest perfect". There have been many obstacles along the way. We have been hit hard with illnesses. I was sick with a strange chronic illness for 4 years. One of boys has severe asthma. We don’t have any family in Chattanooga so we have no help.  I have had to fight post-partum OPPRESSION like nobody’s business. I have blown it with my kids and ask their forgiveness often… especially my daughter.  My back hurts. I don’t know how to get newborns to sleep through the night so most of my brain cells have died from sleep-deprivation. I am a panic attack waiting to happen because I don’t always trust God to take care of us. I have found out that Jesus lives in the tile floor of my laundry room when I have met with Him there and begged Him to help me. So, Before you believe the lie I have everything figured out and an easy life, let me just tell you... I am falling apart at the seams but my life is being held together by the Word of God.
“The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Heb 1:3
I want to start with sharing a little of my story so you know where God has brought me from.
I grew up in a great home. I went to Church every Sunday. I went to a public high school. My parents hosted Young Life in our home. My family is great. I have a godly heritage. My grandparents pray for me every day. So, I was a shew in to love the Lord, right? 
WRONG. 
My body may have been in all the right places but my heart was far from God. I drifted further and further from Jesus in high school and in college. 
I DID NOT KNOW GOD'S WORD.
I knew God had a calling on my life but I was so scared He was going to make me “weird”. What if He made me be a missionary? (It never OCCURRED to me.. EVER that He would make me a homeschool mom with a bunch of kids!) So, I ran from God. 
When I was in college at UT Knoxville, I lived a lifestyle of sin. It was dark. I had a boyfriend that was an idol. I was in a great sorority and partied it up. Yet, I was dying inside. I vividly remember one night being at a fraternity party when I heard the Holy Spirit say to my heart…"you don’t belong here”. 
I ignored that voice… because I wanted to belong there. I loved the darkness more than the light. Things started happening in my life… I found out my mom had breast cancer, my philosophy teacher told me there was no God, my relationship with my boyfriend was a nightmare… so on Nov 1, 1998.. I was hungover from the night before.. I opened my Bible to find out WHO God was and why He had been pursuing me all these years. I blew the dust off my Bible and for the first time in my life, I wanted to know what it said. I opened to Galatians. That night I saw my sin and my need for a Savior. I fell on my face and cried out for forgiveness. I remember saying these words… “I have nothing to give you but I give you all that I am”. And, then I said, “If I can KNOW you, I want to know you.” At that moment, love, grace, forgiveness, poured out of heaven and landed on a hungover college girl. I met Jesus Christ that night. The old was gone and the new had come! It was ALL from God.
 All I wanted to do was study the Bible… so when my pastor’s wife told me about a Bible college in Austria, I went.
God began to renew my mind and teach me how to walk with Him. He had to heal my heart from all the bad decisions I had made apart from Him.
God gave me a promise of a husband from Him so I prayed and waited. I went to a conference for singles with my friend, Crystal (who is here!) and he encouraged us to make a list of what we desired in a spouse. Crystal and I went to Marble Slab Creamery and read our lists to each other while we laughed. I don’t know that I ever truly believed God was big enough to bring me a godly husband. I got a job in Chattanooga as a pharmaceutical sales rep. A new city where I knew NO ONE. My first friend was Valerie. Valerie and I hung out a lot and she said, “I know a guy who is perfect for you…”
I don’t want to waste too much of your time on my testimony so I will keep this short. Valerie told him about me and he said, “where  can I meet her?”. I walked into my Church at the time, Calvary Chapel. IT was meeting in the Y and when I walked in there was a sun beam landing right on a GORGEOUS guy in a yellow shirt. You can read the whole story here.
We met and married in 6 months. It was and IS truly a love story from heaven.
When we were on our honeymoon, I asked God why He had given me such a gift I didn't deserve. I opened my Bible to my daily reading and read this verse...

“Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring.” Malachi 2:15

Children? Raise them to be godly? Me? 
You’ve got the wrong girl. I think Your wires got crossed and this job was suppose to go to some organized girl who has been to seminary!
But, is that who God calls? Does God call the equipped? Or does He delight in using ordinary people to do extraordinary things?
He uses the foolish and weak things to accomplish mighty tasks...
"
"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, 
and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty"
1 Cor 1:27


The moment I read the verse in Malachi, I KNEW that God was calling me to have children and to raise them to be godly.
I couldn’t even picture myself as a mother. My plan was to be married for 5 years and then consider having A baby. 
I had no idea why God was asking ME to homeschool.  Homeschool? Really? I used to mock homeschool families. Aren't they all weird and socially awkward?

 I always think of how Noah must have felt when God told him to build the ark. It had never rained. He had never seen or heard of a boat. I had never seen homeschool. I didn't know what it was.
But, just as God daily met with Noah and gave him instructions how to do it, he is daily helping me and showing me what to do. 

“Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper."
Gen 6

Hebrews 11 said all these “normal/ordinary” people had one thing in common... 
they lived BY FAITH.

I am telling you how God has worked in my life. I am not telling you to do things the way I do them. I hope you teach your children BETTER than I do. I am simply encouraging you to cry out to God for vision for YOUR family. You may not be a homeschool mom and THAT IS OK! My goal here this morning is to encourage you to ask God to give you vision for your family. Asking Him to show you His best for your children. And to encourage you to teach them the WORD because it will be a light unto their paths and a lamp unto their feet.

Proverbs says,
“A wise woman builds her home,”


So, here I am. A girl who got rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son He loves dancing on the water with Jesus Christ all the while being pulled further and further away from the comfort of the boat. How was I suppose to do this? My boys were 4, 3, and 1 when I felt the tug of the Lord that it was time to start teaching them. 
"It's Time. Teach them my Word."

"Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching."
Prov 1:8
 Tim helped me make a room for teaching. We painted a chalkboard on the wall. And hung hooks on the wall. That room is now Crew's room but my heart leaps remembering how God with us there. It was us, Him, and His Word. He was THERE. 
(Jehovah Shamma).


I remember stressing out so bad and calling some older homeschool moms saying,  "I can’t do this... I have no idea what I am suppose to be doing.
 What curriculum do I use? How do you teach somebody how to READ? HELP ME!!!!!!!!!".

So, the big day was here. I think I had stayed up the entire night before. Scared I was going to mess up my kids… knowing I didn’t have what it took. I remember praying “God, you are ELOHIM. You are CREATOR GOD, please give me creativity to teach these boys. That day, being a missionary in the jungle seemed an easier calling than teaching 3 little boys.
Here were 3 precious little ones staring up at me as I invited them to come with me to their first day of SCHOOL.


I was shaking in my boots as my 2 older boys and I marched in from the kitchen into our school room singing… “this is the day that the Lord has made”. 

 We gave our school to the Lord and asked Him to bless it.
He did.
 I got to be their cheerleader. I got to be there when they read their first word. It was better than when they took their first steps. I cried and jumped up and down and hugged them so tight they couldn't breathe. As we thanked God for teaching us to read so we could read His Word.




 Funny now how scared I was of teaching these precious boys. What a JOY it has been. Hard? Yes. But I have had no greater joy than to teach them the Word and watch it take hold of them.
They are leading worship now.
Whoa. 




Its 6 years later. 
I had no idea what I was doing then and I still don’t. But, I will tell you some things God has taught me during this adventure.

When God asked me to teach my children, I knew there was only ONE way I wouldn’t fail…. BY SEEKING FIRST HIS KINGDOM and then all the other things. It would be by teaching them the Word of God because it WON’T return void.
God will send it out into the lives of my children and it will accomplish EXACTLY what He wants it to accomplish.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

The boys and I began to memorize Scripture together. I remember reading Neh 9:5,6 in my quiet time. I thought, WOW! What a worshipful verse! That is a cool verse. Maybe the boys and I could try and memorize it.

“Stand up and praise the LORD your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!”...
“May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise!
“You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you."

I had always struggled to memorize Scripture myself. But, as they learned it (one Word at a time with motions), so did I!
Next, we went on to the armor of God, and 6 years later, by God’s grace and a lot of hard work, we have memorized chapters and chapters, passages, and verses.

I keep them in a notebook that we try and review every day so they won’t forget them. I am sad to say that since I have had newborns, I have lost momentum and they have forgotten some and they aren’t sharp with them like they used to be but I have to believe that the truths of the Scripture are still planted in them.


Most people go to Deut 6 when talking about teaching your children.. but this morning I want to look at it in context to the verses before and after it.

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

I want to re-read the first couple verses and I want you to notice or circle when it says YOUR.
Girls, if you don’t love the Lord with all YOUR hear, YOUR soul, and YOUR strength, and if the Word isn’t in YOUR heart, then you can’t move forward to step 2--- teaching your children!

Our relationship with God has to be first. Have you ever wondered Why adults are told to put their oxygen masks on first in case of emergency on the plane? before their kids? Because if the parent doesn’t have oxygen then they won’t be able to help their children get oxygen. They will both pass out!

I don’t know about you, but I need God’s oxygen mask. I need Him to breathe His life into ME or me and my children are going to die.  Lately, my prayer has been… “strengthen me according to the battle”. Give me your strength God. I have felt like I was suffocating. And God breathes His life into me. The Word says…

‎"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." 2 Ch 16:9
If you are not passionate about the Word of God and spending time with Jesus, ask Him to give you a passion for His Word. Ask Him to strengthen you according to His Word!
And let me tell you, this is HARD. It is HARD to read my Bible in the mornings when I am so tired and I wake up BEHIND. But, I have to seek God. I try to literally go in a closet (Matt 6-- total "mom verse!") or get up while the kids are sleeping. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. I have to be EARNEST. 

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him,for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Mommas, you are going to have to be diligent in seeking God. It won’t happen unless you make it happen. Protect your time with the Lord. Abide in Him so that He can bear fruit through you. His life will pour through yours.
I love how it says that Noah was moved with godly fear. I want to be moved by godly fear. Not by the ways of the world. Lately, I look at my friends who aren’t teaching their children the Word and their kids are really great! They get to workout, play tennis, have lunch with friends, GO TO TJ MAXX, etc...But, that isn’t what God has called me to do. He has told me to teach these children His Word and how to walk with Him.
I have grown weary in doing good as I am starting all over with my younger 3 now.

I have had to fight being moved by the things of the world. I see these private schools (not that we could afford them) or select sports and all these other things which aren’t bad and may be for us but first I am to seek first His Kingdom and then He will add all these other things. He will show us which way our children are to go.
And maybe one day, they will go to school if the Lord leads us and shows us that is what is best. I don’t think homeschooling is the ticket to godliness. I saw the meanest mom ever last week and she was a homeschool mom.  We trust in JESUS and in HIS WORD to mold and shape our children… not in homeschooling or any other “method”.
But right now, He is asking me to teach them His Word at home. His Word won’t return void, yall. It simply WON’T. You can trust it to teach your children and produce a harvest in their lives. 100 times greater than what you plant.
"Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, 
hundred times more than was sown."
Luke 8:8



v7 of Deut…”Impress”- means to SHARPEN. It the same word used in Deut 32 when God says…
“when I sharpen my flashing sword”.
The boys and I googled how to sharpen a sword and watched the cutest Chinese guy show us how to sharpen a sword. It was fascinating. First of all you use STONE to sharpen a sword.
Guess what 1 Peter 2:4 says
“As you come to him, the living Stone
Girls, we take our precious children to the LIVING STONE through HIS LIVING WORD and allow Him to sharpen them! As I am watching this guy on youtube sharpen his sword, he says “this takes A LOT of time… it requires A LOT of patience…each section takes at least 100 strokes… as you get closer to the tip, it takes 400 strokes. It takes consistent pressure”.
Watching him sharpen his sword was not exciting. He wasn’t able to sharpen the sword with his own hands… he had to have the right tool. STONE.
I have told my boys that our Bible time is their “Sword sharpening class”. It may seem boring at times as we review the same verses over and over but they are being sharpened! I see them getting sharper. God is sharpening them… through consistent exposure to His Word. My boys know God has asked me to teach them His Word and that is how I am obedient. I try to keep it as fun as I can but really it is just discipline.. being moved by godly fear and believing BY FAITH that God is at work in the heart of your children. It takes TIME. I have cried myself to sleep telling Tim… “this isn’t working… I am doing all I know to do and it isn’t working”.
Then God reminds me of the truth found in James 5:7
"Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen."
James 5:7

Girlfriends, we are farmers. We are out in the sun, sweating and toiling, breaking up hard ground, planting seed. We are in the beginning stages. This is going to be a “pinterest perfect” season of your life. You are gonna half to let that go. I know I have. I struggle with chaos and I live in it. Yet, I am doing a GREAT WORK in God’s eyes.
A farmer would have never given up because he harvest didn’t spring up over night! He patiently waited just doing what he knew to do and waiting on God to send the rain in its season.
We are to eagerly look for the valuable harvest in our children’s lives to ripen!




Repeat them (what?) the Word! again and again to your children. 100 strokes each section!

Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

We are suppose to be teaching our kids the Word of God around the clock!
Tim does “Man Time” with the boys every morning. They study the Proverb of the day every weekday morning. Then they read their Bible and write their 5 verses. They study the Word in school. Bible time with momma starts at 2 when the little ones are napping.
Right now Bible time with momma is crazy-town because Hope is in there with us.
My goal for the little ones is to teach them to hold still and obey. I am teaching her the Word and how to pray. It requires a lot of patience and time. But the Word is beginning to take root in her life. It is getting in her heart. She draws pictures about God. She randomly brings up verses we talked about throughout the day. I am teaching Hope and Crew verses with lots of hand motions. Crew LOVES it. You have to keep it fun and energetic with the little ones. I truly believe there is an opportunity with 2 and 3 year olds that you don’t want to miss. Their little brains soak up everything. Teach them early to love God’s Word.

I have Scripture posted everywhere. We listen to Seeds music in our car. We study the Word during the day. I sometimes write it on the kids hands. It is painted on their walls. I need to write it on my forehead so every time my kids look at me, they see the Word. And, you know one thing I decided long ago was… “alright, God, you are calling me to teach my children at home. There is only one way I know I can’t fail. By honoring your Word. So, I lean heavy on the Word. I use the Word to teach my kids to read, write, memorize, I have used it to teach them math, pronouns, sentence structure. I primarily used the Word of God with my older 2 until they started 4th grade. It has been awesome. It has been HARD work and it isn’t glamorous but I am seeing it bear fruit. I decided that if we seek first His kingdom, then He promises to add everything else. And, God says His Word won’t return void so I am simply taking Him at His Word.

A verse I love to pray over the children is…

Psalm 144:12
"May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace."

Let's start with the sons... another version says, 
"That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth"-
Our sons are as plants that are to cultivate and flourish in our homes. The Hebrew word here means "grown large in their youth" meaning that they may be stout, strong, vigorous, well-formed, EVEN IN EARLY LIFE.  They are compared to plants: young, tender, well-nursed, and taken care of, healthful, thriving, and PROMISING MUCH FRUIT. That they may be plants of the Lord, pleasant ones to Him, and profitable to others.  God desires that our sons be like strong, well rooted, young trees which promise great things. The peak season for growth is in their youth. If in their young manhood, they are stunted, they may never get over it. Now is the time to pour into our children. TODAY. We cannot miss this vital season to engage and invest the Word of God in our young sons. Again, you don't have to homeschool to teach your children the Word. Do it at night and in the morning if they go to school.
I used to think God wanted to me to equip my children so that He could use them when they were adults. I was WRONG. He wants to use our kids NOW.

"your sons will be like olive shoots around your table" Ps 128:3
I looked up how to grow an olive tree.. It said  for best results, install a mini-sprinker in between the trees. WATER, WATER, WATER. And then, there was a link to read about how to “manage your crops”. Ahhhhh, won’t that be a good problem to have! When are kids are yielding so much fruit, we have to figure out how to manage it all!
As farmers, we just do what God tells us to do, pray for God to water all these seeds and protect them… and then patiently wait for God to do what He says He will do with His Word!

"I write to you YOUNG MEN because you are strong and the Word of God LIVES IN YOU and you have overcome the evil one"

What about our daughters?"May our daughters be like gracefull pillars, carved to beautify a palace."
"That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style;"
"our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;"
Do you think that it takes time to carve a pillar for a palace?
Yes. This isn’t going to happen over night.
I pray this verse over Hope every time I put her in bed. That would sculpture her heart in palace style! I want her to be ready to be a pillar in God’s temple!
A godly wife and a help mate to a man serving in the temple.

A new one I just found…
“It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in princes.”
Ps 118:9

My little girl already dreams of her prince. I can't wait until he comes but her trust is in the Lord! 



"But the godly will flourish like palm trees
and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
 
For they are transplanted into the Lord's own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
 
They will declare, "The Lord is just!
He is my rock!
There is nothing but goodness in him!"
Ps 92:12-15

Flourish
Grow strong
Transplanted into the Lord’s own house!
Still produce fruit even in old age
Vital
Green
They will speak about the Lord.. “He is my rock! There is nothing but goodness in him!”

Yes, Lord, that is what we want for our children!!


How does this happen? I looked up how to care for a palm tree and listen to this…
Caring for a palm tree:
The most important factor for a healthy Palm Tree is good soil.  The type of soil determines how much nutrients and water the plant receives. While Palm Trees have long been associated with desert conditions, in the wild, they are only found near abundant and continuous supplies of water. If you are thinking about planting a Palm Tree on your property, make sure that the tree will receive adequate water and be prepared to water a newly transplanted tree frequently while it acclimatizes. Frequent watering is crucial for newly-planted Palm Trees. Use a bubbler or arrange a hose to slow soak the area around the tree. It is important not to allow the soil to dry out as this will severely weaken your new Palm.  Most hardy Palm growers recommend protecting the palm from the climate for the first years that it is in the ground.
How to grow a cedar tree:
Plant near the water-edge of a river... and basically water, water, water. Protect the roots. Keep soil moist.


Listen to this paraphrase of this verse...
"For our sons are like plantings of date-palms, nourished up from the doctrine of the law from their youth"

The way to nourish your sons is to water them with the
Word of God. This is what we are doing everyday when we teach our children God’s Word. Nourishing our young plants so that they may grow deep roots and become strong!


How do we do this? By the power of the Holy Spirit in us and the Word of God. But we must be DILIGENT and faithful to raise up our children to know and love God.

"You shall teach them (what's them? God's commandments- His Word)  wholeheartedly/ DILIGENTLY to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deut 6:7
This verse jump starts me when I want to teach them half-heartedly. Nope- God has asked me to be diligent.
This is going to require sacrifice.
Whether it is financial sacrifice or social sacrifice or time or whatever. But, I promise you being diligent will cost you something.
I like to whip out Neh 6:3 when I dream of going to TJ Maxx or to lunch with a friend.

“I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”
Neh 6:3

Obviously, we need balance. I get koo-koo for Cocoa puffs if I stay in my house too much.
But there will be a lot of things that we have to put on hold during this season.

Let’s be careful what we are teaching our children. Trash the devotionals and get them into the Word. Sometimes I worry we are more concerned about our outer man than our inner man. We will move heaven and earth to avoid certain foods but we feed our inner man anything! Think of books and devotionals as JUNK FOOD.
I tell my kiddos that we have to feed our inner man his daily bread and living water!
Every morning my kids read a chapter of the Bible (our whole family reads the same one) and they write 5 verses that stand out before they eat breakfast. This may seem legalistic to some but it has become a discipline for them now because they have been doing it for years AND we reward them if they are faithful to do it everyday with $100 at the end of the year. I have no problem with rewarding them as God rewards those who seek Him diligently. If there is ONE thing my children learn from growing up in our house, I hope and pray it is to read their Bibles everyday. It is His Word that will be a lamp unto their feet for their entire lives.


"do not forsake your mother's teaching.
Bind them upon your heart forever;
fasten them around your neck.
 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.  For these commands are a lamp,
this teaching is a light" Prov 6:20-23


When we teach our kids the Word of God, we are not only teaching them... we are giving them the Teacher that will teach them the REST OF THEIR LIVES.
Guiding them, watching over them, speaking to them, lighting their path as a light. Doesn't that warm your heart as a mother? What happens after I die? Who will guide and watch over my children? The Word that is implanted in their souls.
Like I said, there was only one way I knew I could not fail at homeschool- by using the Word. It became my confidence and I began to see it teaching my children. I began to use it for pretty much everything. Reading, Writing, Math, Grammar, Memorization.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly AS YOU TEACH..." Col 3:16

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for TEACHING," 2 Tim 3:16

Now, I know you are thinking but what about history, and math,  and all the other subjects?
Well, pray and ask God to help you decide what curriculum to use. My boys just started doing Abeka’s DVD program and I LOVE IT. I didn’t want to switch them over but we had a season of intense trials and hospitalizations so I bought the dvds for them to watch in the morning and now I am freed up to spend time with my little ones and teach them the Word in the afternoons while my little ones are napping. It is a juggling act and most days I drop all my balls but I am obedient and doing my very best.
And, God is honoring it. It reminds me of tithing. You can’t outgive God with your money and you can’t teach your kids TOO Much of God’s Word. He promises, is we seek first His Kingdom, He will give us everything we need. It is His Word that will give them life and lead them to Christ.

"Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ," Gal 3:24

"To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." Col 1:29
"Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4
"All your children shall be taught by THE LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children." Is 54:13


Lastly, I want to end with the rest of Deut 6 that you have printed out. It says…

“When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

When you see the valuable crop that God is growing in the lives of your children, you are going to “cities you did not build, houses full of stuff you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and groves you didn’t plant”. In other words, you are going to watch the power of God in them and through them and say, “I didn’t do that”.
Girls, it is the LORD who makes things grow. We simply plant the seeds in our children and PRAY for God to make them grow.

“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
1 Cor 3:7

So, what is the “secret” to raising godly children? Col 1:27 tells us the secret…

And this is the secret: Christ lives in you.”
Girls- your job is to diligently seek Jesus in your own life. To love him with all your heart and soul and strength. Christ will flow through you and into your children. He will give you instructions like He did Noah. God’s ENABLING grace and power will help you raise your children. Not just keeping them physically alive but spiritually alive. You CAN do this. Not by your own strength. Lay down your formulas. Be moved by godly fear and the voice of the Holy Spirit. Seek first the Kingdom and watch God add all the other things. Pray for your husbands as they lead you that they would have the hearts of shepherds as they follow the Jehovah Ra-ah… Tim and I are teammates. I could never do this if we weren’t rowing this boat together. Put your armor on because if you are going to raise the next generation of pastors, evangelists, teachers, leaders… the enemy won’t make it easy. Keep your eyes on CHRIST. Set your minds on things above not earthly things.
YOU CAN DO THIS, MOMMA.
The second secret to teaching your kids Scripture?
CHEESEBALLS. :)


Here are the verses I gave on a handout to the moms.
You can print them out if you want to...


 “Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his.
And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring.” Malachi 2:15

“And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.  Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.  Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,  houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,  be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Deut 6
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." 2 Ch 16:9
“See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” James 5:7
Prayer Verses:
"May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace." Psalm 144:12
(For our sons are like plantings of date-palms, nourished up in the doctrine of the law from their youth; our daughters are beautiful and fit for priests who serve within the temple." Ps 144:12

"your sons will be like olive shoots around your table" Ps 128:3

"I write to you YOUNG MEN because you are strong and the Word of God LIVES IN YOU and you have overcome the evil one" 1 John 2:14

"But the godly will flourish like palm trees
and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. 
For they are transplanted into the Lord's own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green. 
They will declare, "The Lord is just!
He is my rock!
There is nothing but goodness in him!"
Ps 92:12-15



Motivational Verses:
"Do not forsake your mother's teaching.
Bind them upon your heart forever;
fasten them around your neck.
 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.  For these commands are a lamp,
this teaching is a light" Prov 6:20-23

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly AS YOU TEACH..." Col 3:16

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for TEACHING," 2 Tim 3:16

"Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ," Gal 3:24

"To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." Col 1:29

“I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”
Neh 6:3



"Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4


"All your children shall be taught by THE LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children." Is 54:13


“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
1 Cor 3:7

Toddler Verses:
Let them scream the words they love. :)
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14

 "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are MINE. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Is 43:1-3

Be Blessed~
Steph

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."
3 John 1:4

2 comments:

Chrissy said...

Wow wow wow. God knew I needed to read this today! Thank you SO VERY MUCH for our encouragement in getting our kiddos into the Word. And for your reminders about it being a process.....the sword sharpening was such a eye opening illustration of how much work and dedication, but how great a reward. Thank you for your life shining as a light for Jesus and for your powerful testimony - both of salvation and as a godly mommy to those precious ones of yours.

Anonymous said...

Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Like I've said before, mamas really need to hear this. If you ever decide to hold a conference, please, please, let me know. This just isn't talked about or discussed, and yet it is our most vital role as a mother, to teach our children the Word. Sincerely, Erin Lynn