Read an Excerpt
The Family Project Devotional
Reflecting God's Design In Your Home
By Ray Seldomridge Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Copyright © 2014 Focus on the Family
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-58997-789-1
CHAPTER 1
WEEK 1
In the Beginning
The family is God's idea.
1 OPENING PRAYER
Lord, reveal to us what kind of people You have made us to be. Help us understand Your basic design for all of humanity, so we may live in a way that pleases You. In Jesus's name. Amen.
2 SCRIPTURE READING
Monday Genesis 1:26-28
Tuesday Genesis 2:18-25
Wednesday Genesis 4:1-2
Thursday Genesis 12:1-3
Friday Psalm 128:3-4
Saturday Mark 10:7-9
Sunday Ephesians 3:14-16
FEATURED SCRIPTURE
I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being. —Ephesians 3:14-16
3 ACTIVITY OF THE DAY
Monday
Answer this: Have you ever stopped and marveled at the existence of the family, or have you always just taken it for granted, like the air you breathe? Why? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Tuesday
What would your life be like without a family? How might society function without families? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Wednesday
Ask your spouse what's the first thing that comes to mind when re- calling the family that he or she was raised in. Then share about your own family. Pray together for your parents and siblings. (If unmarried, do this with a close friend.)
Thursday
Based on the book of Genesis, how would you define a family? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Friday
At dinner, share with your spouse and/or children what you're learning or thinking about God's invention called the family.
Saturday
What did Jesus say about marriage? About divorce? Why? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Sunday
Memorize this week's featured Bible passage or your favorite portion from one of the other readings.
4 CONCLUSION
God is one, yet He is also a community of three Persons. We, too, are individuals, but we were meant to live in relationship to others. By God's design, the primary way we do that is the family, where a man and woman, together with their children, form the building block on which all of society is based. Without strong, lasting families, nothing in life can hold together.
5 CLOSING PRAYER
Talk to God alone or together about your family, friends, church, and community, as well as about what He is saying to you today through His Word. Then conclude with this:
Father, thank You for families. Teach us to act rightly toward all members of our own family, and show us how to reach out to those who have no family at all. Amen.
CHAPTER 2
WEEK 2
We Need One Another
Families aren't just a nice idea—they're necessary.
1 OPENING PRAYER
Dear Lord, forgive us for thinking that we can go through life on our own power. Show us more and more why You placed us in families for mutual support. Amen.
2 SCRIPTURE READING
Monday Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Tuesday Romans 12:4-8
Wednesday Proverbs 27:17
Thursday Romans 1:11-12
Friday 1 Corinthians 12:14-25
Saturday 2 Peter 1:5-8
Sunday Ephesians 4:15-16
See also Genesis 2:18-24; 4:9-10; Isaiah 41:6-7; Luke 6:41-42; Romans 14:14-20; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 3:16-18
FEATURED SCRIPTURE
We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. —Ephesians 4:15-16
3 ACTIVITY OF THE DAY
Monday
Answer this: In biblical times, people thought much more about "we" than "I." In what ways has Western culture's emphasis on "me" colored your outlook on the family? On the church? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Tuesday
In a fun family discussion over a meal, let everyone say what they are best at, what "gift" they offer that the rest of the family needs. It could be a skill, or it might be a personality trait, like "always being positive." Let others provide helpful feedback after each family member speaks.
Wednesday
"Iron sharpens iron." Who in your life provides you with that kind of support? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Thursday
How much do you really need your spouse? Each of your children? Are you able to develop a godly character without others knowing (and working with you on) your innermost struggles and weaknesses? Explain. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Friday
Is Scripture saying that things work out much better when we join together, or that we simply can't do much of anything without one another? Which is closer to the truth? Why? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Saturday
Pick a family activity or chore that you can accomplish only if you all pitch in and do it together. Then grab a dessert and talk about the day's work.
Sunday
Memorize this week's featured Bible passage or your favorite portion from one of the other readings.
4 CONCLUSION
Your family is more than a collection of individuals living under one roof. It's a body that thrives only when all parts are working together as a whole. But in a culture driven by an emphasis on the individual, this biblical truth is almost unimaginable. We need one another. Our lives are defined and made meaningful only in relationship to others.
5 CLOSING PRAYER
Talk to God alone or together about your family, friends, church, and community, as well as about what He is saying to you today through His Word. Then conclude with this:
Lord, forgive us when we think or say, "I have no real need for that family (or church) member. " As we work through this devotional guide, show us what sort of relationships You desire us to have, so that together we can grow up into You and become more fruitful in our faith. Amen.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Family Project Devotional by Ray Seldomridge. Copyright © 2014 Focus on the Family. Excerpted by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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