Family Ministry

Thank God it’s Friday! Family Ministry Devotionals

By Janella Van Zee

From January through March of this year, on every other Friday night, married couples and parents have met for devotionals especially focused on the “family ministry” of the Southwestern International Church of Christ. Not only has it been great for the marrieds’ Bible Talks to join together to talk and laugh, but these nights have really been convicting for everyone in attendance and truly a time to thank God for! Lessons preached by Aaron Salazar have all been out of the Old Testament showing the importance of the spirituality of households based on the commands of God. When asked how the devotionals have impacted him, Fernando Chavez said, “These devotionals have reinforced the need for leadership through personal example. As the leader of our home, I've felt challenged to grow in my personal devotionals with God. It might seem basic but it’s definitely an area that I need to focus on. I feel God is helping me see two things in this area: first the importance of this time with Him for my own spiritual health and second for the spiritual health of my family. I've begun to better understand my role in setting the spiritual pace of my home. It is a responsibility that God has entrusted to me.” Jackie Chavez, along with Fernando, stated that the lesson about how the Israelites failed to trust God in the name of “protecting their children” is one that will help them a lot in their parenting. They said, “As parents-to-be one of our biggest fears is making sure we do all the "right" things to take care of our newborn child. We've learned that we must trust God and his Word and follow His lead, knowing that there is no one who can take care of our family better than God.

Amy Holguin shared some thing that has impacted her as a wife, “In regards to the marriage, if a wife does not honor the husband and follow his lead then the children will not either. Where else are the children to see the example of someone leading and someone following? If the wife sets a good example of honoring, respecting, and following the husband/father then the children will find it very natural to imitate and honor. Also, the children will respect her and treat her in the same way that she is living within the marriage.” Joel Holguin stated, “Luke 10:27 talks about loving God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and Acts 2:42 describes the devotion of the disciples to the fellowship. These two scriptures have taught Amy and I to seek God first, to trust, to rely, and most of all to love Him more than each other or our children. By doing so we really believe wholeheartedly that God has taken care of us completely. He has also taken care of us through his church, the body. We LOVE the church! This is where we feel God has poured out his love on us. I see that I need to utilize the scriptures to train and instruct my family. This means that I need to teach, teach, and teach again, and again, and again. Why? Because I see my father in heaven’s example and I am commanded to follow it. I love how patient God has been with me and so I strive to be patient with my children. As parents of teens, we realize we need to have rules and consequences; however, guarding against embittering our teens/children so they will not become discouraged and think that God is the same way. Most of us had a distorted view of God because our parents made everything an issue and so we became discouraged and really came to believe we weren’t any good and so how could God see anything good in us? Amy and I constantly talk, almost daily, about each of our children and how we can encourage them. Being a spiritual head of a household doesn’t mean you have to have it all together or that you don’t struggle. It means you respond to the challenges in your life and home in a godly manner. Devotionals help with the instructional part and your life provides a living example of what God calls us to be through his Word. Our children see the scriptures come alive and have godly examples to follow.” It’ll be exciting to see how God transforms the families within the church through these devotionals.