Our Discussion on Simplifying and Others

Hello Ladies!  Wednesday night we were a small but lively group as we went through our lesson chapter by chapter.  Melissa began by having us read scriptures that focused on Simplifying and Worship.  Here are those scriptures:

Genesis 18:19

¹⁹ For I have chosen him , so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Ephesians 6:4

 ⁴ Fathers,^[a] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. "

Ephesians 5:25-26

 ^25" Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[a] her by the washing with water through the word,"

The main point of this chapter was to encourage us not to let the things of this world crowd out our family worship.  Family worship  may look very different for each of our families, but the main point is to guard it.  He also encouraged us to use the basic structure of, "read, sing and pray", not necessarily in that order.

Some points that came up in discussion were: make it fun and to try to worship after dinner because that is usually a time when everyone is gathered anyway.  Two other points: family worship can take place when driving the kids to school and that it is important to have the kids pray out  loud with you, because this is a safe place for them to learn to pray with others.

The next chapter was about leaving a spiritual inheritance.

Proverbs 13:22

^22" A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children,
but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous."

This chapter was encouraging us to focus on leaving our children, and the next generation an inheritance that is spiritual.  We can do this in our prayers, both written and private, by journaling, leaving good books etc.  Some of the points that came up in discussion were:  when we train our kids, we are also training our grandkids, and many more of those in the next generation.  We also talked a bit about how Debby B.'s journals affected many of us at the Ladies' Retreat.  Consider how the recording of your prayers, struggles and what you are learning, can affect the next generation.

Then there was the chapter on reading books.  We were reminded to read aloud to our families and to read aloud from good books that leave a lasting influence on others. 

I think we all were blessed by the chapter on asking others how we can pray for them.  We all were reminded that one of the best open doors to speak of Christ to others is to ask them how we can pray, or to tell them that we are praying for them.  Here are some verses that we looked up:

Matthew 7:7

   “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 21:22

²² And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Matthew 20:32

³² And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”

 

Next was the chapter on evangelism.  There was some disagreement about whether we should use an outline on evangelism or not, but an agreement on the fact that we need to know what we believe before proclaiming Christ to others, even just at a basic level...."I was blind, but now I see"!   It was also said that the greater the time that we spend in the private disciplines, the greater will be the outflow of our hearts in proclaiming our Savior before others. 

 

The last chapter we covered was on serving effectively.  This was a chapter about our gifts and using them for the glory of God and the good of the body.  The conclusion was that we need to serve in the way that WE are gifted and called.  We can't do everything, but we are fully equiped to do what God has called each of us to do.  I think someone said, "don't try to fit a square peg in a round hole".  So in other words, "If you are a square, be a square for the Lord " :)  Here are some verses that Melissa gave us:

1 Peter 4:10

¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:

 Corinthians 12:11

¹¹ All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, as he wills.

Thanks Melissa!