Clandestine Discipleship

Where to begin? I am unsure where the beginning lies…all the way back to Adam and Eve would be a good starting place, but there is not enough space nor time at the moment to begin there. So the beginning will be this past Sunday with a few peeks at the past as well. This Sunday one of our pastors at Grace Community Church, http://www.gracecommunitychurch.org/ spoke on Ephesians 6:4(a) (the next ½ is for next Sunday!). Yup that is right just ½ a verse but what a powerful verse and message.

Sermon Text: Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

What does it mean to exasperate your children? Why would this verse be in the Bible if it was not important? Does God truly care about children and their upbringing? There is nothing that is in the Bible that is a mistake and that is the view point that we must look at this verse from.

Truth: We are all broken people due to the fall, sin!
We went on to study about that broken parents have two options they can either bring their brokenness to the cross, reveal it and receive TRUE healing. Or they will bring it upon their children. This is hard for Believers and non-believers to grasp, for we want to cover our brokenness in shame and anger and never reveal it. And even though we may try not to repeat the brokenness to our children we do and we will if it is not brought to the cross.

I feel I must pause here and encourage those of you that are Christians but have not brought your brokenness to Jesus and are wondering why you are still hurting so. Bring it to Him; He knows all the deepest secrets of anything you have done or things that have been done to you. He wants to bring them to the light and reveal what was hidden in darkness that you may be HEALED! This is scary and painful at time but oh so worth it… (Coming from someone that is still walking through it “ME”.)

Truth: The brokenness that was brought on you by your parents is not your fault but what you do with it is.
Did you really hear it when I said, “It is not your fault?” Even as an adult child I still believe that things that I had no control over were my fault. But the truth is that it was not. Yes, I sinned growing up I’ll be the first to admit that, but the sin of my parents is not my fault.

What will you do with your brokenness? Will you let it continue and pass it on to your children? Will you give your present children or future children an inheritance of brokenness or of TRUE freedom and TRUE healing? This is a question that we must look at, that we must ponder and fall on our faces before the Living God that He may redeem us and heal us.

Please join me praying for our FAMILIES. Our own personal families, and the ones here in Glenwood and all over our Nation.


Link to Sermon (10-29-06) http://www.gracecommunitychurch.org/Sermons/
Link to Study Questions (Very Helpful!) ftp://ftp.gracecommunitychurch.org/sbbs/10-29-06.pdf