“Remember these commands and cherish them. Tie them on your arms and wear them on your foreheads as a reminder.  Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working.  Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. Then you and your children will live a long time in the land that the LORD your God promised to give to your ancestors. You will live there as long as there is a sky above the earth.”  (Deut. 11:18-21)

As a father I want what’s best for my kids, as I am sure you do.  We all want our children to experience the best things in life.  We desire for them to have good friendships with others, grow and develop their God given talents and abilities, and be good citizens and treat others fairly.  The list could go on and on but I think you get the idea.

But how do you ensure that your child will experience the life you so desire for him/her?  How can you help your child to have deeper more meaningful relationships with their friends.  How can you help your child to appreciate life and the blessings of it?  How can you help them to handle life’s struggles that you know will come, in the best way possible?

I believe we do that by teaching them God’s Word and modeling it for them.  The sole responsibility for raising our children and building them up spiritually rests on the parents.  The Bible tells us that we are to talk with our kids about God and teach them how God intends for us to live in fellowship with Him and with one another.

Many families today find it difficult to have family devotionals together for various reasons.  However just because a family is busy, does not provide a good excuse for not taking charge of our children’s spiritual development-and no, sending them to church for someone else to teach them does not get you off the hook.

If you are like many parents who find it difficult to teach the Bible to their children, consider starting a family small group.  Here’s a few reasons why to begin a family small group.

• It is a great way to study God’s Word as a Family.
• It’s fun
• You can be flexible and meet when’s convenient for you
• You will create lasting memories with your children
• You will learn a lot yourself
• If you don’t speak with your children about God and how life is to be lived someone else will.