Deuteronomy 6:4-9: [Moses is preaching,] "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD Your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your hear. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sing 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."
Thursday, July 26, 2018 I grew up in a house where we had two gathering rooms. The first room was the Living Room. It was the more formal of the two. It also was the room where we had special guests gather as well as big family functions, like Christmas. The second was the Family Room. It was more intimate, it had the fireplace and the TV set. It was for the immediate family. What I now see as interesting is, the "Family Bible," you know the one, sat on the coffee table in the Living Room. I guess it was for the guests who came to our house for them to see that we were a Bible based family. The Word is for display, for people to come and see. It is ALSO for usage. We use it to:
Teach our Children: The group, "Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young" wrote and performed a song, "Teach Your Children." It's about not only passing down knowledge and wisdom from father to son. It is also leading them to grow. What Moses shared with the nation of Israel, and is sharing with us, is to pass on the wisdom and knowledge of God that is His Word. Teaching our children is about nurturing them in the love of God. It is also about feeding them and growing them also so that they don't just retain the Word. It's about them doing the Word of God. It's not only about the children. For fathers, along with mothers, to teach their children, they need to be taught as well. In the same song by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young mentioned above, there is a line that says, "Teach your parents, well..." Children are not the only ones in the household that need the teaching of God. Parents need to know the Word of God so that we will share that same Word with our families. It is NOT, "Do as I say, not as I do." We, as the parents, need to live according to the Word if we expect the children to live according to the Word. Or in other words, to... Show Our God: That's why we have the Church and pastors and teachers. The Church also has the Word of God in her house, painted on the walls, posts, and doors. The Church has the Word of God in the hearts and lives of those who are a part of her. We equip the faith with the Word. We encourage the hope with the same Word. We do it so the Church engages the world with the love of God that comes from the Word. It's about living the Word of God at home as well as in our daily lives. It's about, as I like to call it, living the DiscipleLIFE. We show our God by what is displayed in our houses. We let people know that the Word of God is an integral part of lives. AND living the Word of God, living the DiscipleLIFE, is equally important. James tells us that we show our faith and life by living it out, not just talking about. So it's NOT "Do as I say, not as I do." It is NOW, "Live what I say, Live what I live. I live the Word of God." Dear God, lead me to live Your Word out more fully, Amen."
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AuthorPastor Robert Hemsath joined Faith Lutheran Church and School as the Senior Pastor in January 2017. Pastor Hemsath comes to FLC from Christ the King Lutheran Church in Waxahachie, TX. He has also served congregations in Aberdeen, ID and Pocatello, ID. He has been a Lutheran pastor for the past 20 years. Archives
January 2025
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