Oh, No! - Not Another "Cow Bell!" ~ OR ~ Why Family Bible Study Is A Winner!

Early in 2015 I posted this blog and Friends Ministry eNewsletter, sharing my thoughts on raising our children in Christian homes, in a Christian environment - preferably built upon dialogue-styled Family Bible Studies.  And, my blog was based upon and anchored by the Guidelines Commentary below written by Dr. Harold Sala. 

Over the years, the blessings I have experienced when seeing families sitting with other families and friends, reading and discussing God's Word has not lessened.  And, now that I can look back over almost thirty years of Christian fellowship and see the positive results of all those Family Bible Studies - I can almost hear God saying, "This is what I meant when I said, 'Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it'"  (Proverbs 22:6).

Mark 10:13-16, "Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.'  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them."

With that said, let me share with you my blog and eNewsletterfrom May 2015:

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Oh, No! - Not Another "Cow Bell!" 

So often, when I read or hear a message from Dr. Harold Sala, I find myself saying, "Yes, that is what I have been trying to say in my Christian writings over the years."  

It is such a thrill to know that such a great Christian man, Bible expositor, and encourager as Dr. Harold Sala agrees with me so often.  In the Guidelines Daily Commentary I share below, he writes:   "The foundation of a building is the most important part of the entire structure, and so is it in parenting.  In this series I've been talking about foundation stones of parenting - ones which need to be firmly imbedded in the early years. . . "

And, knowing Dr. Sala, I know that he includes in that thought the practice of raising our children in Christian homes, in a Christian environment, and exposing them to the teachings of God's Word from an early age.  

At times I am sure that my Friends may get tired of hearing me beat the same old cow bell - "Family Bible Study."   But, this is something which I believe in with all my heart - and which I have experienced throughout the 29 plus years, and counting, of my walk with the Lord. 

This strong belief began in 1987 with Pastor Sam Lacanienta's Family Bible Studies at the Fil-Am Church of Irvine (CA).  And, it continued in the Fil-Am Church of South Orange County (San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano) - and for many years after Dory and I moved to the Fil-Am Church of Corona.  Our Bible Studies were always Family Bible Studies.

"Okay, Bill, what is so important about Family Bible Studies"   Maybe you missed the key word:  FAMILY.    In a Family Bible Study, we gather as a family.  That includes everyone from the toddler, the pre-schooler, and all the way up to the Youth and College age young adults - gathering with mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, auntie and uncle, and with all their friends in Christian fellowship and love - to study and discuss God's Word.

"But, Bill, the little ones will be a distraction!"    So?  The few distractions are far outweighed by the positive results.  Consider this - the toddlers and the young pre-schoolers will not understand our discussions.  But, they DO understand the Christian love they see being shared.  The grade school and middle school age children can be included in the reading of Scripture, as we each take turns reading verses from the study for that night.  And, as they grow a little older, they can actually join in during those discussions.  I have seen this happen with wonderful results.

Believe me, I have seen the positive results of including our young people in our Family Bible Studies - and I have seen the results of allowing the children to go to another room or outside the home to play - while we study the Bible "as adults." 

In those young people who were included in the Family Bible Studies I have attended over the years, I have never seen one go astray.  Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for those who were allowed to go out and play during our "adult Bible Study."   

So, yes, I will continue to ring this "cow bell" for as long as God gives me the breath to ring it - until I am put out to the heavenly pasture, or until (as we say in Alabama) "till the cows come home" - also known as the Rapture.   Our children and grandchildren are worth it!  

And, I will admit that no one gets more pleasure from sharing our Family Bible Studies with the young ones than me.  They can teach us a lot!  We who are a wee bit older can learn a lot from the young ones, and from the Youth, College Age, and Young Adults in our Family Bible Studies.

Let me ask you this question.   When God inspired the forty men to write His Bible - do you suppose He told some, "You write for the men only" - and to others, "You are to write for only the women" - and still others, "You will write for the Youth, College age, and Young Adults only"?  

That must be what God intended - for we know that each group MUST be using their own Bible during their separate Bible Studies.  It would not do to mix all those folks into one Family Bible Study!  Which Bible would we use?

In closing, if you do not already subscribe to the Guidelines Daily Commentaries, do yourself a favor, google the Guidelines International web site and add yourself to their Commentary e-mail subscription list.  

You will be edified, encouraged, and learn a lot about God's Word and living the Christian life through Dr. Harold and Darlene Sala's commentaries.   And, for my Spanish speaking Friends, there is the "Pautas Para Vivir" - a Commentary voiced by Eduard Palacio.

Now, let me share the Guidelines Daily Commentary for today with you. 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,  Bill

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If You Can't Trade 'Em In, Better Care for Them!
Dr. Harold Sala, Guidelines International, May 6, 2015

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate."  Psalm 127:3-5

"If we paid no more attention to our flowers than we do to our children," said botanist Luther Burbank, "we would be living in a jungle."   Opening statements like that automatically make you want to switch the dial to another station, especially if you have just dropped your child off at a day care center, are late for work, or feel like taking your youngster back and trading him in for another model.  There are days when those precious jewels are semi-precious, and those sweet little ones are bitter-sweet.

"Nobody told me that being a parent would be this tough," said a young mother.  True, I know.  I've been there.  But what may be heartening to you, should you be able to relate to the frustration that a lot of young mothers go through, is that when you win the battle by not running up the white flag when they are small, you'll enjoy your child as a teenager a whole lot more.

The foundation of a building is the most important part of the entire structure, and so is it in parenting.  In this series I've been talking about foundation stones of parenting - ones which need to be firmly imbedded in the early years.  They include commitment to a game plan, care which means old-fashioned love (yes, the kind that includes discipline); and in the moments that follow, allow me to stress the importance of another foundation stone:  communication.

A four-year-old went to a rather exclusive restaurant with his parents, and after they had looked at the menu, the waiter began taking orders.  "And what would you like tonight?" he asked the little boy who excitedly told him what sounded good.  After the waiter finished taking orders, the little boy turned to his parents and exclaimed, "Wow!  He thinks I'm a real person!"

That little guy or little girl who came into your lives as a baby is just as much a real person as you are.  The difference is twenty or thirty years of experience which he or she will get the same way you got yours - one day at a time.  It's a proven fact that children whose parents talk to them, read to them, and communicate with them develop faster and are more intelligent than their counterparts who don't get that special communication.

One prenatal study also has demonstrated that even before a baby is born, it recognizes the voice of its mother and responds differently to her voice than to that of a stranger.   By the time a child is born, it readily identifies different voices which have been part of his or her environment.

It's amazing but true - kids are real people, and like our flowers which either grow or wither with care, they respond in kind to the input that we give them.  While I'm tempted to give you some statistics on how little time parents are spending with their preschool children these days, that's kind of an exercise in futility - like creating more guilt when you already struggle with your conscience.

Instead, may I encourage you to take advantage of those early years?  Long ago God gave us a promise: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6).  Another version puts it, "Point your kids in the right direction - when they're old they won't be lost" (The Message). 

A closing thought:   Every parent impacts the life of his child - either negatively or positively.  When you are positive and upbeat, your children embrace the same attitudes, and when you get under stress, you convey the same thing to them.  Are kids a mirror of ourselves?  Far more than we would like to admit.  Remember, raising positive kids in a negative world begins with you and ends with you, too.  It's a fact. 

Resource reading: Colossians 3

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