Colossians – Shema 8

Engage

Passage: Colossians 3:18-4:1

As disciples our desire is that our children will walk as disciples of Jesus. 

So they will put on: 

Hearts of Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, Patience, Love 

So they will: 

Bear with, Forgive, know Peace, are thankful and have the Word dwelling in their hearts

As we read these verses below, how do we live in light of them?

Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Discipling our children – Nurture

• Take care of – spending time with themFight againstDistractions
  • • Self-first-ness

Deuteronomy 6:7, John 1:14

• • Be like Jesus 

• Feed spiritually – model Jesus Children see hypocrisyOur example

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

• Protect – help them become more like Jesus Salvation is the ultimate protection

Proverbs 6:20-23, Ephesians 6:10-18

• Develop – call them to serviceActive faith – Make disciplesSpiritual gifts 

Extend

This week in our personal study and Lifegroups we have an opportunity to consider how we bring up our children. This is relevant because at baptisms as a church we make a promise:

We promise to surround this child with our love as their Christian family, to teach them about God our Father; to help them walk in the ways of Christ so that they may always love the Lord their God with all their heart and soul and mind and strength.

Discuss this promise, it’s importance and how we fulfil it? Colossians 3:20-21 is a challenge to us all.

As parents the challenge is to instruct and nurture our children in a manner that is worthy of being obeyed.

Authentically living out the virtues of Colossians 3:12-17 with our children, will be a powerful witness helping us to not embitter them and giving them a reason to obey.

Work through the points from engage and discuss how these principles of nurturing and the virtues of Colossians 3-12-17 can help us to fulfil Colossians 3:20-21?

In the middle we see the result of children obeying their parents, as disciples why is this a vitally important motivation?

Relationship Builder

Praying for One Another – one road to good relations 

Stick with the 18th-century language of this advice – it’s worth the effort!

If all people, when they feel the first approaches of resentment, envy, or contempt, towards others; or if in all disagreements and misunderstandings, they should, instead of indulging their minds with low reflections, have recourse, at such times, to a more particular and extraordinary intercession with God, for such persons as had raised their envy, resentment, or discontent; this would be a certain way to prevent the growth of all uncharitable tempers. 

When at any time you find in your heart motions of envy towards any person, if you should immediately pray to God to bless and prosper him in that very thing which raised your envy, you would soon find it to be the best antidote in the world to expel the venom of that poisonous passion. Again, if in any little difference or misunderstandings that you happened to have at any time with anyone, you should then pray for them, beseeching God to give them every grace, and blessing, and happiness you can think of, you would have taken the speediest method that can be of reconciling all differences and clearing up all misunderstandings. 

You cannot possibly have any ill temper or show any unkind behaviour to a man for whose welfare you are so much concerned as to be his advocate with God in private. For you cannot possibly despise and ridicule that man whom your private prayers recommend to the love and favour of God. 

from A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1728) 

by William Law,  (a big influence on  John & Charles Wesley)

Time to Shema

💡 Bearing William Law’s advice in mind, experiment this week with the effect that praying for the other members of your family, or church family, or work colleagues can have on your relationships with people. 

💡 Re-visit thankfulness: go back through Colossians 3:18-4:1, thanking God  for people in your life who love you well – who display towards you the attitudes Paul commends here.