Sometimes, I've heard Christians complain that the process of Bible study seems to squeeze out the Holy Spirit. At least it feels that way to them. While a formal method of study does toss the "let your feelings be your guide" approach, that's actually a good thing. If we want to know what God is saying in His Word, our feelings must give way to a process of disciplined and principled study. We must listen carefully to the text of Scripture. Otherwise, we'll only be hearing our own thoughts and ascribing them to God.

A sensible method of Bible study doesn't diminish the importance of the Holy Spirit though. Rather, God created us with minds that are to think about things logically, and we should embrace that fact. The Holy Spirit is our powerful Guide, who helps us as we read, observe, interpret, and apply His Word to our lives.

Recently, at BibleStudyTools.com, I posted a short article called: "Follow a Logical Process of Bible Study." You can read it here and share it with a friend.)

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'How can I impress my children with the greatness and glory of God?' That's the right question for Christian parents to ask.  In a recently featured article at Christianity.com, Christian author and professor, Don Whitney, highlights a helpful tool for fostering a heart for God in our children while they're at home...

I am persuaded that so little family worship regularly exists in Christian homes, that even in most of our best churches, most of our best men do not lead their wives—and children if they have them—in family worship. A recent survey by George Barna supports that claim. According to his research,

• 85% of parents with children under age 13 believe they have primary responsibility for teaching their children about religious beliefs and spiritual matters. However, a majority of parents don't spend any time during a typical week discussing religious matters or studying religious materials with their children. Parents generally rely upon their church to do all of the religious training their children will receive.

Having your family in a good, Bible-teaching local church is crucial to Christian parenting. But this is not enough for conveying to your children all you want to teach them about God and your beliefs. Moreover, it is unlikely that exposure to the church once or twice a week will impress your children enough with the greatness and glory of God that they will want to pursue Him once they leave home.

[Read the rest here.]

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Sunday, January 29, 2012 is Family Worship Sunday and many pastors will encourage their congregations to keep up the practice of Family Worship in the home. 

In the spirit of encouraging people along those lines, "Kingdom People" ran (in 2011) a piece I wrote that outlines 5 things Aileen and I try to keep in mind while using a catechism as part of family worship. Here's an excerpt of that: 

I’m no champion for the idea that catechism is the silver bullet. Maybe it’s not the one indispensible thing the church has to recover to be faithful to its task. But I have gotten pretty enthusiastic about it. Like others who grew up around evangelical churches in the 1980s and ’90s, I viewed catechism with suspicion, seeing it as a dull, dry ritual most likely used only by dull, dry churches. But several years ago, I heard a pastor named Bob Bixby talk about whole-church catechism at a conference. I started to see catechism for what it’s supposed to be—a unifying theological soundtrack for the local church.

Our statement of faith sits on the church website, but what we really want is for that doctrine to be alive in the hearts of people. We want people to “commune with God in the doctrines they say they espouse” (to paraphrase John Owen). Catechism offers a historic, unifying way to pass along the basics of the Christian faith across generations. And when taught and utilized in the context of ongoing relationships (not just occasional ‘confirmation classes’), catechism can help disconnected people move toward becoming a gospel-centered community sharing a common theological vocabulary.

Rather than repeat what others have written elsewhere about family worship and the history and benefits of using catechism, here are a few ideas that I’ve found helpful along the way. These key principles are the ones that I keep returning to as I progress—hopefully in a gospel-driven way— toward “bringing up my children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).

I write these from a husband’s and father’s perspective because that’s who I am. For the single moms and dads out there, I hope these can adapt to your unique set of circumstances as well.

5 Don’ts When Using a Catechism:

1)       Don’t let catechism take the place of Bible reading. To be strong in the Lord, we need both sound doctrine and a growing grasp of the whole Bible. The great thing about doing both together is that a good catechism trains the mind to read the Bible theologically.

Our boys are young, so we don’t bite off more than we can chew here. We generally follow the pace of our church’s preaching schedule in our Bible reading at home. Our elders are committed to expository preaching sequentially through books of the Bible, which is a great blessing. As a family, we talk about the sermon that we heard all together that week, using our older son’s notes as a springboard for discussion.

2)       Don’t wing it. If something is worth doing, then it’s worth doing poorly. But not poorly forever.  If you’re waiting for everything to be perfect, you’ll never do anything. I’m a firm believer that formal family devotion times should be brief, enjoyable, and regular. A habit of family worship fosters a healthy context for individual teaching times “when you walk by the way” (Deut. 6:6-7).

Take a few simple steps of preparation. #1 pray. As the time draws nearer to family devotions, get alone for a moment and pray briefly in advance for God’s grace during what can sometimes turn into a time of chaos. #2 plan what you’ll teach or rely on a trustworthy resource. I’m currently going through the Westminster Shorter Catechism (Baptist Version) and using the book Training Hearts Teaching Minds (by Starr Meade) as a supplemental guide. Also, before we gather for devotions, I ask our older son who reads to look up a few Bible verses that are related to the Q&A we’re going to discuss. At devotions, we start with a quick review and say aloud the current Q&A. Our son reads the Scriptures he looked up and we talk through them, relating each verse to the catechism. I briefly explain the catechism and invite questions. Then we say the Q&A again, sing a few songs including our hymn for the month, and close in prayer.

3)       Don’t allow memorization to occur without understanding. You may need to take time to personally understand the verses and how they tie in to the particular doctrine being taught. There is no substitute for the quickening power of the Holy Spirit in your life and in the life of your wife and children. But God does work through means—particularly the hearing and explanation of His Word.

Martin Lloyd-Jones said that true evangelism is highly doctrinal. He’s right. Catechesis is a way to faithfully evangelize your children.

See the rest (including a brief interview with Michael Horton on the subject) here. 

Also, check out more helpful articles and videos explaining the importance of, and how to engage in, Family Worship at www.FamilyWorshipMonth.com.  

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Clint Archer is a solid pastor who loves the church, expository preaching, biblical counseling, elder leadership, and on down the line with other time-tested priorities that I share. Clint and I went to seminary together and I enjoy keeping up  through his frequent posts at a blog called "The Cripplegate."

In one of his posts he describes his method for using an i-Pad as he preaches. (Yes, you read that correctly.) No, he's not a wanna-be hipster or part of the emergent church movement. If I HAD an i-Pad (hint, hint), I would probably be his disciple in this...

"Yes, I preach from an iPad. I could say it’s to save trees. Twelve half-sheets per sermon add up over a planned 40 year career of 2 sermons per Sunday. I could say I appreciate the convenience of having an arsenal of dozens of sermons, an ESV Bible, and a library of commentaries with me when I travel. Or I could even say that I only own it because one was given as a gift. But the naked truth is that I simply love preaching from my iPad. Specifically the simple, silent swipe of the page, the use of variegated font colors, and the safeguard against getting my notes out of order or blown away by wind or a poorly positioned fan (yes, I have forgiven that deacon). I realize these are tiny, inconsequential luxuries which no one needs. But like Paul, I have learned to be content in plenty and in want.

When I spot a fellow iPadian at a pastors conference, I sidle up to them and ask, “Hey, what apps do you run for preaching?” If they have a system better than mine, I poach it. But if their MO is a few keystrokes more cumbersome than my honed routine, I graciously take them under my wing. I confess that I may have done a disservice to one, (at most two) of my close friends by talking them into using it, but not giving them the prerequisite instructions. Like a buzz saw, the iPad can be detrimental to your dexterity unless used wisely. But if you master the fundamentals before ascending the pulpit, the iPad sermon notes require no period of adjustment. You’ll recognize immediately that your paper notes will forever be shelved with your erstwhile Grace to You cassettes—still there in case you need them, but mainly just office décor with antique charm.

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