God’s Wisdom for Mothers: Launching Our Kids Toward Their God-given Dreams

Be sure to check out Week 6: You’ve Got a Friend

Introduction:
What do your kids want to be when they grow up? Probably they will change their minds 3 to 4…6 or 7, times before they settle on something. What are you doing to help prepare them for God’s future? How are you helping your children to identify their dreams? Are you encouraging them to live for an audience of One?

Mom Time: Growing Up

What is a lesson you have learned about yourself since you became a mom? For me, I have learned how selfish I really am. I have also become more aware of my rebelliousness toward God and how amazing it is that God is patient and loving towards me. It is our job as parents to represent the character of God to our children. Through our guidance and training we want our children to grow in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:40) What dreams did you have as a child? What dreams are your children dreaming? “The most important thing I want for my children is for them to be holy. Happiness will follow if their hearts are right.” (114)

God’s Wisdom for Mothers: You’ve Got a Friend

Be sure to check out Week 5: Discipline – Growing Christlike Character

Introduction:
This week was a hard lesson for me. This hits an area of my life where I have many insecurities. Friendship. It’s something we all treasure, yet when dealing with people, friendships can be the most complicated, messy things in our lives. But it is nice to know that whatever issues we might have with others, there will ALWAYS be One person on your side: God.

Mom Time: Who are your friends?

Abraham is known as “The friend of God.” That is so neat to me. I can just picture Abraham and God sitting under the tree outside the tent eating lunch and talking about all kinds of life issues. The Bible tells us this happened at least once, so the picture in my head isn’t without some truth. And if we have Jesus, if He lives inside of us, then we are considered His friends. He no longer calls us His servants, but His friends. God is your friend. He is on your side. He provides joy (Nehemiah 8:10) and we know that He is in charge of everything (Psalm 139:16). We are commanded to pray without ceasing because God wants constant fellowship with us.

God’s Wisdom for Mothers: Growing Christlike Character

Be sure to check out Week 4: Discipline – Do the Right Thing.

Introduction:
When was the last time your kids did something and you thought, Oh no! I do that!! Our kids watch everything we do, especially when we don’t realize it. Growing Christlike character in our own lives is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our kids.

Mom Time:

Choose to love selflessly – Read 1 John 3:16-18. These verses give great guidelines for loving others. What activities do you do, or involve your family in, to show love to others? “Talk is easy. Love-in-action takes effort…Jesus didn’t just talk about His love for us; He died on the cross to make sure we understood.” (82)

Teaching Biblical Truth to Children – A Young Child’s Catechism

“What is truth?” sneered Pilate to Jesus.

Earlier in His ministry Jesus had said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Jesus didn’t answer the Roman governor. He didn’t need to. And even though Pilate washed His hands of innocent blood, I think he knew the answer to his question.

But do you know the Truth? Do our kids know the Truth? Do my kids have a solid rock foundation of Biblical Truth so that their Awana and Sunday School classes can build onto that knowledge and help them grow spiritually?

It is our job as parents to make sure that our kids have the Bible training that they need in order for God to grow them as disciples. We can’t get our kids saved. We can’t make their choices for them. But we can teach them the Truth to the best of our abilities and trust the Holy Spirit to do the rest.

God’s Wisdom for Mothers: Discipline – Do The Right Thing

Be sure to check out Week 3: Being Obedient – And Teaching Obedience.

Introduction:
Whether you like it or not, discipline is needed in life. “Discipline is the ability to do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons. Whether we’re talking about God’s discipline, a parent’s discipline, or self discipline, it really is a very good thing.” (61) Have you been disciplined by God recently? What about disciplining your kids? Are you lacking in the self discipline category?

God’s Wisdom for Mothers: Being Obedient – And Teaching Obedience

Be sure to check out Week 2 – Praying for Our Kids.

Introduction: When was the last time you showed your kids that you were being obedient to the Lord? Have you talked to them about the choice you are making? Sometimes teaching by example is the best way to teach. Obedience is for all of us!

God’s Wisdom for Mothers: Praying For Our Kids

Be sure to check out Week 1 – A Mom’s Priorities.

Introduction: Think. What do your kids need from you today? Clean clothes? Dinner? Help with homework? “Are you willing to spend as much time praying for your children as you do making their lunch or reviewing this week’s spelling words?” Let’s get serious about praying. But how?

God’s Wisdom for Mothers: A Mom’s Priorities

Introduction: So what did you do today? Cook? Clean? Work? How about drive the kids somewhere, or grocery shop, or bandage a skinned knee? We moms juggle many hats in one day. Finding time to be alone with the husband is hard enough, let alone finding time to be with the Lord. So how do we know what things each day we should prioritize?

Reminders for Studying the Word of God

Tonight at church one of my Pastors taught on the spiritual discipline of Bible study. I thought it was a good way to begin this new online study! He had some great reminders, so I wanted to pass them along to you.

1. Listen to the Word of God – Be sure that you are going to a Bible believing church with a pastor who is not afraid to preach the Truth. And then…make sure you attend regularly! God wants us to be around other believers for many reasons, but He wants us to gather together in worship to hear His called Shepherds teach His word. In conjunction with corporate worship, there are so many other ways to get good preaching to your ears. Radio, podcasts, Youtube, and TV. We are without excuse to hear to Word of the Lord. For some GREAT FREE podcasts, click HERE for the ones I listen to. (Scroll to the end of the page.)

Weight Loss: In Conclusion…it’s Faith like Potatoes

I have reached the end of the Made to Crave study. Wow.

It’s been a trip.

This last bonus section was based on faith that moves mountains. Lysa told a story of her son having to move a pile of large rocks from his dad’s truck to the other side of their pond as a consequence for a wrong choice. It was a long, hard task. Eventually he got it done. This is what the son’s dad told him:

“God is helping you to move the mountain of knowledge into your head one lesson at a time. Sometimes our journeys in life aren’t so much about witnessing the miracle of the mountain moving as they are about experiencing God taking our hand and walking through the journey with us.”

So I am moving my mountain of weight loss…one rock at a time. But it’s going to take faith. Not just any old faith, but faith that moves mountains! There is a difference!

In Mark 9, Jesus has descended from the transfiguration mountain to find his disciples unable to cast out a demon.