ABIDING IN JESUS: SUMMER & BEYOND
Learning to abide in Christ is often connected to us remembering and following the truth and love of our personal Savior and Lord. The world is masterful at distraction. But distractions often lead to distortions, and distortions have the very real potential to lead to deception. We certainly don’t want our families to follow this path, however, complacency isn’t a solution.
One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to bring to mind the words of Jesus- God’s Word. (John 14:26) If we want to help our families remember and lovingly keep in step with Jesus, we need to intentionally design times and ways to help them stay engaged in God’s Word throughout each day. This is our responsibility and privilege given by God.
Here’s what God said to Israel,
“You shall teach them 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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:7-9
Below is a list that will hopefully bless and encourage readers of all ages. May we simply and wholeheartedly abide in Jesus each and every day until He returns or calls us home! To watch our in depth discussion on this article, go to: https://www.youtube.com/live/o7fXU9BuAHc?si=3-dVpDfXP0-fVIyC.
1. Born Again: To have an abiding relationship with Jesus, we first must be born again. As a class, we’ve focused on the Gospel for the last few weeks. Jesus reminds us, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” John 3:3. One great Gospel verse: Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
2. Abiding Video: Here’s an excellent, animated video on abiding in Jesus-https://youtu.be/_kW16CnYUxo?si=EGVLaEf5lvQKCoAw
3. Setting the Tone– Kids are excellent at doing what we do more than what we say. Before we can ask others to grow in Jesus, may we make sure we are setting the example they need.
4. Devotionals– While kids devotionals can sometimes provide a little nugget of information, I often call devotionals a snack. We typically don’t simply snack all day. We sit down for at least a couple meals per day. So, it should be for families feasting on God’s Word. While snacks and supplements have a place, they were never designed to replace main meals. Also, please keep in mind, not all devotionals are equal. Unfortunately, many devotionals focus less on God, and more on what God can do for us. Many also provide little in the way of building Scriptural knowledge and give more in the way of practical application.
5. Devotionals vs. Bible Word Studies– Instead of focusing on devotionals, why not pick a word and have your child or family do a word study from the Bible? Maybe make a list of words to look up over the summer: Truth, Love, Mercy, Grace, Walk, Word, God, Jesus, Lamb, Worship, Praise, Peace, etc. Then each week spend a few minutes each day looking up one of the words and discussing it.
6. Bible Notebooks– Have your child pick out a personalized notebook to write study discussion thoughts and verses in.
7. Student Teaching– Have your child pick one of the words and then present a small lesson to the family by sharing verses that use that word. Students could also make a picture, 3-D object, or story and then share his favorite verse and give a small parable lesson related to it.
8. Active Participation Equals Ownership– Make sure your child is involved. Ask them what they would like to do. Ask them to pray and seek the Lord’s direction on how to help others. Ask them what verses and words they would like to study. At first, there may be resistance and the temptation to “take the wheel”. Resist. Students need to own their relationship with Jesus personally.
9. Use Your Interests– If your child likes art, then use art as part of whatever you’re doing this summer. Not that students should be painting “Jesus”, but there are plenty of cool crafts, etc. that can be done to display God’s Word. If your child likes sports or even gaming, then use their likes to help them serve Jesus more.
10. A Time for Prayer- “A family that prays together, stays together.” Consider putting up a whiteboard at home with prayer requests. Put it up in a public area of your house. Take time each week to update it and daily pray as a family. Don’t forget to recognize answered prayers.
11. Family Verses– Also, use the whiteboard to write a family verse each week. Have students be part of the process for picking verses. They can also help choose avenues to serve the Lord.
12. A Time for Sharing– “Sharing is Caring” has been our unofficial motto this year. 🙂 Statistics back up the fact that children who stay close to Jesus later in life often shared the Gospel with their families. Take time each day/week to bless others with the Gospel. Students can make Gospel tracts. You can also get free ones online. If you’d like tracts, let me know. I’d be happy to provide anyone with free tracts. Students could also think about making kids tracts for those in their friend groups.
13. Limiting the World– All current research recommends children limit their screen time (tv, iPads, PCs, gaming, etc.) to under 2 hours per day. It hopefully goes without saying that content should also be limited. Older students need more, not less, monitoring. They are smart and good at getting around the “system”. Did you know screen time has a direct correlation to anxiety and depression?
14. Church, Youth Groups, and Christian Camps– Get in the habit of not only faithfully attending a Bible-teaching church but also discussing what everyone learns each week. Fourth quarter, I encouraged students to be active, not passive, listeners. Students were given a post-it for each chapel time. They were asked to write down 2-3 things during each chapel. Once we got back to the classroom, they added notes to their Chapel section of their BIble notebooks. They were also asked to come up with the theme for the day.
15. Serving Others– The second commandment from Jesus is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31) One of the easiest ways to get our minds off of ourselves and our situations is to serve others. Make opportunities to bless neighbors. Have children help make notes and/or food. Go serve neighbors by picking their weeds, dust their house, etc. Learning, at an early age, to see our abilities and tools (money, time, etc) as opportunities to serve our Savior is truly a life-long blessing!
16. Get Back on Track– Don’t forget to renavigate. It’s easy to get busy and drift throughout the summer. Take time to make sure your family is staying on track. If not, there’s no time like the present to get back on track.
17. Godly Resources– The internet is not all bad. Find godly resources for your children to use. Here are a couple to consider: Kidsanswers.org and Getdebunked.org. Keep in mind, not all content is created equal. Please be sure to monitor even Christian content.
18. Godly Music– One of the easiest ways to keep our hearts and minds on Jesus is through Godly songs.
19. The Heart of the Matter is the Matter of the Heart– Be careful not to let this list become another stiving. The heart here is that we all draw closer to Jesus by reading, praying, and obeying. Make it about understanding and knowing more about Jesus, not checking off boxes from yet another list.
20. Pray, Pray, Pray… for God’s Wisdom and Direction– God is so good at answering our prayers! May we all seek the Lord in making intentional ways not to strive, but abide in Jesus this summer. Making healthy, Godly habits of resting in Jesus will produce much fruit!
21. REMINDER: Pick Something– Sometimes introducing new family habits takes time. Instead of picking 10 things and then getting overwhelmed and giving up, maybe pick two to get started. Once those get into a good routine, add one or two more.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct Your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5