Matthew Casteel has written some great songs that will help you and your family sing, memorize, and meditate on verses from the book of Colossians (which happens to be the book we are studying for the next couple of months).
Click here to listen to the songs.
Tyson Paoletti has helped run Tooth & Nail Records in Seattle for the better part of the last decade. He and songwriter, freelance designer, and friend Greg Lutze came up with the idea for an album of Scripture based, guitar-pop worship songs for kids. Both members of Mars Hill Church, they are artists and fathers trying to figure out ways to establish Scripture memory as a value in their families. What began as a series of jingles to help memorize Bible verses became a full-length album of music you can't get out of your head, joined to lyrics of straight Scripture.
Jesus Came to Save Sinners contains five original songs that teach children about the character and nature of God and His plan to save sinners through Jesus Christ.
Download the album for free here.
- Routine
- Intentional Evenings
- Time to Play
- Mealtime
- Cleanup
- Bible Time
- Questions and Answers
- Family Prayer
- Bedtime
- Explicit vs. Implicit
Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle encourages fathers to make the most of the holidays this year.
'Tis the season for Dad to drop the holiday ball, stress out as the money is being spent for presents, and miss yet another providential opportunity to lovingly lead his family. So, this blog is intended to help dads not fall into the same old rut of holiday humdrum, sitting on the couch watching football and eating carbs, but rather intentionally plan out the upcoming holiday season. Our children grow quickly and if we miss the sacred moments God opens up for us to connect with and bless our families, everyone suffers and we set in motion generations of missed opportunity.
#1 - Dad needs a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what's your plan?
#4 - Dad needs to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mom or the kids. Dad, how's your joy?
#15 - Dad needs to read about Jesus and pray over his kids. Dad, how's your pastoral work going with each of your kids?
Read all 16 here.
The site is intended to function as a virtual small group for married couples, featuring a group blog, a forum and regular featured articles about the early years of marriage, career, finances, culture, and calling. A key topic on the site is preparing for parenting. Gen X and Gen Y couples are reporting a sharper drop in marital satisfaction when they become parents. Young Married Life will offer candid thoughts on the joys and challenges of starting a family with the hope of providing couples a smoother transition.
"We want to offer a supportive community to couples who might feel a little lost in their transition into marriage," said Steve Watters, director of Marriage and Parenting Preparation for Focus on the Family. "We especially want to help them realize that they aren't the only people who have fights about in-laws or how to load the dishwasher the right way."(found at Between Two Worlds)
(found at Between Two Worlds)
Just as we come together each week for a time of corporate worship as a local body of believers (the local church), our families are to gather for a time of family worship. Much of the same aspects apply, although they will likely look a little different from family to family and from the typical corporate worship service. Patrick Kavanaugh equates family worship to family meal time; just as we come together to eat a meal, we should also come together to worship the Lord. Unfortunately, both are increasingly rare in modern times.
We are commanded to teach our children about God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). We are instructed to teach our children the words of God and to talk to our children about God and his ways day and night. A focused time of family worship allows us to do that with intentionality. It allows them to see that God is glorious and that their parents value their own relationship with Him.
Scheduling family worship time will be different from family to family because of the many different activities each of us engages in. For some families, mornings will work best; for others, the evening will offer more consistency. However you schedule your family worship times, be consistent!
