Your Journey Blog

Teaching Your Grade School Children About God, Jesus & the Bible

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.  Deuteronomy 6:5-9

One of the positive trends we are seeing take place in children's ministry is not just teaching children spiritual content in a loving, fun and safe environment but there is a great emphasis on training parents in how to disciple their children.

Life's Biggest Adventure is a tool for parents to use with their grade school aged children as they guide them through the following questions:

• What is the gospel?
• How do I know I am a Christian?
• What is baptism?
• Why do we take communion?
• How do I pray?
• How do I start reading the Bible?
• How do I deal with temptation?
• How do I tell my friends about Jesus?

I'm so thankful for Life's Biggest Adventure!   It's one thing for me as a pastor to tell parents they need to disciple their children, but it is quite another to be able to offer them an easy-to-use tool that helps them to impart their faith to their kids.  And I'm even more grateful for what this book has meant for me as a father.  Fathers are called to spiritually lead their children, and this book helped me to be a better dad as my son and I worked through the book together.  He took new steps of growth, and it culminated with his decision to be baptized as a follower of Christ.  I will treasure the memory of those sessions with my son for the rest of my life!    Mark Albrecht, NorthBridge Church, Antioch, IL

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TeAmerica is Now ConvergeUSA

Gary Rohrmayer as the National Director of ConvergeUSA (formerly TeAmerica) is announcing the launching a new blog, newsletter and website. It will feature monthly podcasts, articles written by our church planters, pastors and movement leaders, Assessment Center and training events stories and news, along with a lot of cool ideas from across the country.

For signing up and joining this new email list you can download Gary Rohrmayer's newest book, "Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Devotional thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon."

Hit this link to Sign Up for our Free Newsletters

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders - Gentleness

Gentleness. A word that brings frustration to the minds of many natural leaders. Leaders like power, control, strength but gentleness does not fit our cultural picture of a leader. Gentleness is power under control when a leader is harsh and forceful they are trusting in their own power rather than resting in God's powers. Today let Fenelon's thoughts and Jesus' words mentor your soul.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Gentleness:

Teaching is not effective without an example. Begin with acting right, then you can speak later. Be patient. By this I am not saying to indulge people's sins, but rather to not be annoyed when someone makes slow progress. You can easily discourage others by being impatient with them.

The more forceful you are, the more you need to learn gentleness and kindness. Try to understand the needs of the people you care for and adapt yourself to their needs. Show them your heart is open to them and let them know, through experience, that is safe for them to open their hearts to you without fear. Never be harsh. Be kind and considerate. Decide slowly, but firmly. Correct yourself before you correct others. (The Seeking Heart)

Jesus' Words on Gentleness:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Excerpt from Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon by Gary Rohrmayer hit the link for a free copy

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders - Pride

As a leader I am always wrestling with the various ways pride, self-reliance and anger rear their ugly heads in my life. Those moments produce nothing but shame and remorse. Today, Fenelon's gentle yet strong words not only pierce the heart of any leader but also bring healing and guidance to the driven leader.

Fenelon’s Thoughts on Pride:

Always fear haughtiness. Fear overconfidence in your ideas and determination in your way of speaking. Be meek and humble of heart--that is to say, your meekness should come from a sincere humility. Bitterness and lack of moderation come only from pride.

If you wish to become meek, you must humble yourself. Make yourself little in the depths of your heart. A humble heart is always gentle and capable of being easily led in its center, even if on the surface it may seem rough through unexpected outbursts of a sharp and irritable temper. Watch, pray, and work at this. Bear with yourself without flattering yourself. Let your spiritual reading and your prayer help you to know yourself better, to correct yourself and to overcome your natural temperament in the presence of God. (Talking with God)

Peter's Words to Young Leaders:

"Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  1 Peter 5:5-7

Excerpt from Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon by Gary Rohrmayer hit the link for a free copy

 

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders-Patience

PATIENCE!That word gnaws at the core of every driven leader. Leaders are doers! Leaders are achievers! Leaders are conquerors! But spiritual leaders are restful. Spiritual leaders are confident in God's sovereign power! Spiritual leaders are conquered by the Conqueror! Today let Fenelon's thoughts feed your impatient soul and quiet your restless heart.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Patience:

"The soul deserts its very nature when it becomes impatient. When it submits without complaint, it takes possession of itself in peace and comes into possession of God. To become impatient is to want what we do not have, and not to want what we do have. In so doing, the soul is handed over to its passions, and neither reasoning nor faith can hold it back, so troubled is it. Such weakness! Such swerving away from the right path!"

 

"Peace on this earth consists in accepting the things that are contrary to our desires, not in being exempted from suffering them, nor in being delivered from all temptations."

God's Word on Patience

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."   

"Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools."  Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 NIV

Excerpt from Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon by Gary Rohrmayer hit the link for a free copy

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders-Prayer

Prayer! That word to a driven leader evokes feelings of frustration and guilt. Frustration with our ability to slow down and commune with God, without one hundred ideas, to do's and leadership issues racing through our minds. Guilt from the sheer lack of prayer in our lives. Every driven leader says, "I know I ought to pray more" and yet struggles with making it a priority. Today, let Fenelon's thoughts on prayer refresh your prayer life and move you from being a driven leader to a drawn leader.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Prayer:

"What a blessing it is to speak to him in trust, to open our hearts to him, and by means of prayer to be united with him as much as it is possible to be in this life!"

"The treasures of God's grace are the only true riches-yet they are the only riches we balk at asking for and expecting. However, we must never stop knocking! The promises of Jesus Christ are always faithful-it is we who are unfaithful in asking for them."

Jesus' Words on Prayer:

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:9-13 NIV

 

Excerpt from Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon by Gary Rohrmayer hit the link for a free copy

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders - Success

Success is the drug of the driven leader. We all want to be successful in every area of life. We all push ourselves and those around us to succeed. And yet, when success becomes success for success' sake, it has more to do with self than with God. Today, let Fenelon's thoughts challenge what motivates you to succeed.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Success:

"I resolve not to become keenly excited about anything, because it is dangerous to want to appropriate God's work to ourselves. If we do that, then we do God's work in our own strength; we turn good into bad and we allow pride to take over. And then we become flushed with the pursuit of success. We conceal our illusion by using the pretext of seeking God's glory."

"O God, give me the grace to be faithful in my actions, but indifferent to success. The only thing I ought to be concerned with is to desire your will and to quietly meditate on you-even in the midst of busy times. It is up to you to crown my feeble actions with such fruit as is pleasing to you-and none at all, if that is what you find best for me."

Jesus' Words on Success:

"...Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" Matthew 25:23  NIV 

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders-Devotion

Quieting my heart, my mind and my soul takes so much effort sometimes that it is wearying. But devotion is more than devotions...it is an all encompassing endeavor. Let Fenelon's thoughts mentor you this week.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Devotion to God:

The devotion that makes us holy and devotes us entirely to God consists in doing all that God wants, and in accomplishing everything he desires from us, in every place and in every circumstance he places us.

Perfect devotion requires us not only to do the will of God, but to do it with love. God loves for us to give to Him joyfully. In everything he tells us to do, he always asks for our heart. Such a Master is worthy of our joyful service.

Our devotion to God must never stop. We must put it into practice everywhere-in things we do not like, in things that disturb us, in things that go against our point of view, our inclinations, our plans. True devotion holds us ready to give God everything-our well-being, our fortune, our time, our freedom, our life, and our reputation. To be willing to give of ourselves in this way, and to accept the consequences, is to be truly devout.

But since the will of God is often hidden from us, there is still one more step of renunciation and of death to self to be taken. It consists in accomplishing God's will through obedience-yes, blind obedience, but wise in its blindness. This is a condition that is required of every person. The most enlightened man or woman, the person who is the most gifted in calling others to God and the most capable of leading others to him must also be led.

Jesus' Words on Devotion:

"If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?" Mark 8:34-37 (New Living Translation)

Excerpt from Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon by Gary Rohrmayer hit the link for a free copy

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders - ReEngaged

Fours years ago I picked up the book, "Talking with God" by François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (to this day I still cannot pronounce his name correctly)!  I affectionately call him the "French Guy."  Since then I have read everything I could find that is still in print.  His mentoring letters have had a profound impact on my life, touching my heart and providing me with perspective.  Three years ago I wrote 50 devotional thoughts and shared them in a weekly e-newsletter.  I still get emails and comments from people of how God used those thoughts to shape their souls and bring encouragement to their hearts.

Over the summer I want to ReEngage this old saint and share with you some of his penetrating words that have caused the driven leader in me to quiet my heart in the presence of Jesus and reflect on all I do and say. Years ago I remember a leader saying God does not want driven leaders, He wants drawn leaders. God does not want leaders who are driven by their own internal need to achieve but leaders drawn into God's work out of a profound sense of God's presence in their life. My prayer for you is that God will draw you into a deeper sense of His presence and power in your life as you carry forth His missional purposes into this broken world.

Fenelon's Thoughts:

"Whosoever, therefore, with a single heart shall direct his attention upwards to God, and purify himself from all inordinate love or dislike of any created thing, shall be the most fit to receive grace, and worthy of the gift of devotion." (Meditations On The Heart Of God)

"When we take time for one simple moment of inner recollection and yielding ourselves to God, we see and hear more than the intellectual reasoning of all humanity put together. When we hush our desires and thoughts and turn our attention away from outward things, we enter into the light. And then it is that we discover God reigning on the throne of his kingdom-inside us." (Meditations On The Heart Of God)

Jesus' Word

"Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:33-34 (The Message)

Excerpt from Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon by Gary Rohrmayer hit the link for a free copy

Power of Jesus' Birth

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

Titus 2:11-12

Our dearly beloved Savior was born today.  Let us be glad!  For there isn't a proper place for sadness when we celebrate the birthday of the Life.  For this Life destroys our fear of death and brings us the joy of promised eternity.  Everyone can share in this happiness. There is the same amount of joy for everyone.  For our Lord destroys sin and death and finds everyone guilty, but has come to free us all.  Let saints rejoice at their nearness to victory.  Let sinners be glad that they are invited to be pardoned.  Let us, then, dearly beloved, give thanks to God the Father, through His Son, in the Holy Spirit.  Because of "His great mercy, wherewith He has loved us."  He had pity on us.  And "when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together in Christ," so that we can be new creations in Him.  So then, let us put off the old self with its deeds and, sharing in Christ's birth, let us defy fleshly works.  Christians, acknowledge your dignity.  As you become a partner in God's nature, refuse to return to the old, wicked behavior.  Remember the Head and the body which you are members of.  Remember that you were rescued from the power of darkness and brought out into God's light and kingdom.

--Leo I

Source: Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers