Icebreaker Option: What is your most enjoyable family tradition? (can be from your family growing up or a current family tradition)
HOPE: How did God help you tie knots this last week?
SERMON SUMMARY:
In this sermon, Pastor Mike Schnepp focused on the importance of family from Ephesians 5 and 6, emphasizing the effort required to build and maintain a healthy family. He highlighted the family’s purpose of reflecting Christ's love and the Gospel to the world. He then explored God’s plan for families, providing practical ways to strengthen family bonds. Finally, he encouraged reliance on God's strength in the journey.
HEART:
- If you were to use a motto to describe your family currently, what would it be?
- What would you like it to be? What elements would you include to encompass your family's spiritual goals and values?
HEAD: Read Ephesians 5:31-33, 6:1-4, 10
- What does this passage say about God’s purpose for families and how this is to be reflected in the relationship between husband a wife?
- What instructions are given to parents in this passage and how does this connect with God’s purpose for families?
- What promise does God give to make this possible?
HANDS:
God’s purpose for families:
How can your own family reflect the love of Christ and be a living testimony to others?
God’s Plan for Families:
Pastor Mike shared a diagram of three intersecting circles to illustrate the elements of a healthy family: loving your spouse well, re-forming your own soul, and leading your children in their relationship with Jesus.
Which of these plans do you find most challenging to implement in your own family, and how can you address it?
- Do you need a more international plan in your relationship with your spouse?
- Are there areas of your life that you need to see uprooted so that your family gets your best?
- Where are you not initiating the faith development of your children? How can you seek support and accountability in this area?
God’s Power for Families:
- What steps can you take to stay connected to God and rely on His guidance in your family's journey?
- For those not currently married or raising children, how can you as part of the body of Christ come alongside those in this journey?
HELP: Prayer
- Ask God to help you apply these truths in your relationships.
- Pray for strength and wisdom to love your spouse well and meet their needs.
- Ask God to reveal any areas of brokenness in your own soul and guide you towards healing.
- Pray for guidance in leading your children in their relationship with Jesus and providing them with a strong spiritual foundation.
- Pray for God’s wisdom and strength to come alongside each other in this journey.
GOING DEEPER:
Spend time unpacking the analogy of the vine and branches from John 15. Allow the Holy Spirit to be honest with you about the state of your abiding. Where are you working out of your own strength instead of relying on your relationship with the Gardener?
Additional Book Resources:
The Meaning of Marriage - Tim Keller
Habits of the Household - Justin Whitmel Earley
Love Respect - Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman
Family Discipleship - Matt Chandler