Bible Study

SHAPING OTHERS TO LOVE

A Bible Study on cultivating the next generation

BY LINDA ELLSWORTH

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.

Hebrews 10:23–24 (ESV)

Ladies: Do you have your Bibles, favourite study journal, pen and a coffee ready? Let’s dig in!

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NLT) Children are definitely a gift from the Lord, but between the toddler years and adulthood, are we not often driven to distraction, wondering what we are to do with these little people God has entrusted to us? Amazingly, they do come with an instruction manual – parts written for us, and parts written for them!

A Part For Us: Psalm 78 (NLT)

Psalm 78 is a wonderful example of the wisdom a loving Father has passed on to His children to help them parent their children. Read the entire psalm before we concentrate on the first seven verses.

To what and to whom is the psalmist referring? Why do you think this recounting of history is so important?

VERSE 1–3, God implores us through the psalmist to pay close attention to our stories from the past…the good, the bad and the ugly.

Think back on your past, and that of your family. Jot down three stories from which you have learned godly lessons. Have you passed these faith stories on to your children?

VERSE 4–6 give us wise instructions for raising our kids to follow God’s path. In fact, the last half of the section issues in retrospect, a direct command from the Lord. Journal in your own words what the Israelites were told to do.

VERSE 4–5a describe what we are to instill in the hearts of our kids. Can you find five guidelines for childrearing in this section? Describe ways in which you can implement these five things into your daily/weekly routine with your children?

VERSE 6 implies the lineage of godly storytelling and input. How far back can you trace your godly inheritance? Draw a spiritual family tree. If you are a new child in God’s family, how will you begin to train up your family in godly living?

VERSE 7–8 describe the positive and negative outcomes of instilling biblical truths into the lives of our children or raising them without the influence of the truths of Scripture.

Record the three positive outcomes listed in verse 7, and the three negative outcomes listed in verse 8. Prayerfully determine and record in your journal how you will incorporate God’s precious truths into your family life.

A Part For Them: Proverbs 3 (NLT)

The Proverbs are a collection of a father’s (Solomon’s) wise sayings written to his children (Israel) by which they can live in harmony with their Creator and with each other.

VERSE 1–12 are written in a series of “if-then” couplets. Read each couplet and determine the action and result. As you absorb these truths, could you also teach your kids a couplet a week, encouraging them to build the principle into each day?

VERSE 13–26, Solomon personifies the virtues of wisdom. In your own words, record 10 life-values resulting from the pursuit of godly wisdom. In what ways could you instill these values into the lives of your children?

Challenge your teenagers to read Proverbs 3, asking them to find the 10 values and determine how to put them into practice at school, with friends, regarding social media interaction, etc.

The proof is in the pudding, and the faithfulness of God’s instructions to us is lived out by example in the lives of His children throughout history. Remember the last part of Prov. 22:6? “…and when they are older, they will not leave it.”

Encouragement from the apostle Paul

Although Paul had no children of his own, he considered Timothy to be his son in the faith. For encouragement, read 2 Timothy 1:1–13. Record Timothy’s spiritual lineage, including Paul’s influence in his life. Compare this lineage to your own as recorded at the beginning of this study. If your children were to write a spiritual family tree, how would it compare to Timothy’s inheritance?

Perhaps your family is broken…your children have strayed or are being pulled by the godlessness of today’s society despite your best intentions as a parent. Perhaps your adult children are not walking with God. Hold on to the promise of Proverbs 22:6. As long as you have breath, it is never too late to pray, and to pass on those stories of God’s faithfulness.

Linda is the member care coordinator for Christian Camping International.

Psalm 78: 1-8 (NLT)

O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past – stories we have heard and known,stories our ancestors handed down to us.

We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them – even the children not yet born – and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

Then they will not be like their ancestors – stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.