The Missing Piece ~ Part 6

3.  Point out wrong thinking anywhere you experience it and don’t let it lay root. The children in our churches as well as the children in our homes need to see that what the Word says and what the world says can be different when we are faced with a choice we choose the word. Take advantage of teachable moments anywhere anytime! Kids don’t need devotions they need to be taught to live a devoted life based on the word! Dave to confront and challenge wrong thinking in the media, as you do life, take every opportunity you are given to make God’s word real to your kids. I not only jump into my own girl’s life I jump into the kids I teach and lead at church. To me if you love any group of kids you’ll look for opportunities to swap wrong thinking for truth and love them enough to confront them in love. What do the children around you need to hear?

4.  Quote the Bible to your kids and let them see you feed on the Word constantly. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. You should model to children and families a life built on the Word. If your kids don’t see you doing these things they won’t do them either. If we are what we eat physically we are also what we eat spiritually. The more I pray, read and meditate the Word it helps the kids around me do the same. When kids ask for our advice give them the Word. I taught at a conference recently and overheard some people talking about the workshops I had taught and they where telling some people to go to my workshops because I actually use the Bible. Now if we can stick out at a conference using the Bible you can also stick out as a parent for given them the word! They need the word more than anything else you can give them.

5.   Teach the importance of attending and being active in church. One of my favorite scriptures is Luke 4:16 it tells us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day as it was His custom. Jesus modeled for us the habit of attending church. It was never up for discussion whether my daughters would attend church. If they wanted to take a dance class on a church night they didn’t take the class, they went to church. But not only did they attend, they served.  They were active in things for their age group but they also gave back to others. I was not the only person in our family involved in ministry we were a ministering family. Now that they are adults they are still doing what they were trained a children to do. Yancy is in full time ministry but she still gives back to her home church. Whitney doesn’t just attend a small group she’s the small group leader. Parents if you make them eat green beans because “they are good for you” why not have them in church, it it also “good for them!” Don’t just tell them to do it, set the example of attending, serving, learning and growing

Do the children at your church and the children at your house have a love for the Bible? A love that moves them from studying the Bible to living the Bible. It’s not just the responsibility of the pastor it’s both the home and church doing these things together!

Same actions bring same results, what are you going to start doing differently?

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Jim Wideman is an internationally recognized voice in children’s and family ministry. He is a much sought after speaker, teacher, author, personal leadership coach, and ministry consultant who has over 30 years experience in helping churches thrive. Jim created the Children’s Ministers Leadership Club in 1995 that is known today as "theClub" which has touched thousands of ministry leaders each month. Jim believes his marching orders are to spend the rest of his life taking what he has learn about leadership and ministry and pour it into the next generation of children’s, youth, and family ministry leaders.