God Speaks Through Facebook

This is a face book status that I put on early this morning, and the conversation that followed it. It was challenging, and totally God filled. I thought I would re post it here for you to also soak up the wisdom that my friend provided! Please comment with your thoughts too. This is something I would really like to hear your thoughts on......

Amber We don't just want to teach our children to act like Christians, we want to teach them to think, and have the heart of a christian...otherwise we are just managing sin, not changing hearts...same goes for us...

• Dawn
  
  • Amen!!
    
    So......How?
    
    How do we teach this?
    ...How does a Christian act?
    How does a Christian think?
    How does the heart of a Christian beat?
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    Amber

    Scripture !!!! If everything we do and say comes out of our hearts then we must make sure that what is in the heart is good! Memorize scripture, apply it in every situation, every thought, every action, and every reaction.
    Teach our children...n the same thing. If they sin, punish the sin, but teach them what God's word says about it, and how God says to live instead. Teach them how to go to scripture about everything!
    Discipline!!
    We first and foremost teach by example. What we do says a lot more to our children than what we say. (Yikes!) We teach through daily life. Pulling out God's word as each situation presents it's self.
    A Christian acts, thinks and heart beats as Christ's does. All we need to do is look at how he lived, loved, and gave. That will sum up how we should also live. Which leads back to how we should think and how our heart should beat, b/c that is where it all starts!
    So really the simple response to your questions is scripture! Read it, eat it, breath it. Teach your children to love it, to use it, to know it.
    
    Then of course there is prayer, and personal relationship. I know that I can read God's word, and try to apply it to my life all by my self. It doesn't work. You need prayer, you need relationship with God, otherwise you are back at the beginning with just managing and not changing! He can change you with his Word, yes, but that change also comes out of knowing Him. Because only when we KNOW Him is His Word going to take hold of our hearts!
    
    ~Dawn, I don't know if you were really looking for me to answer, but I felt I needed to write out my thoughts. I'm sure I didn't say anything you don't already know. Thank you for challenging me to dig deep. I would be interested to read your answers too.
    
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  • Dawn
    
  • Amber, good answers....thanks.
    
    I find, daily, that it remains a challenge to hold fast to the Truth of the Word and live accordingly.
    
    Tradition has determined much of what I believed the Word to say and without getting in and digging out, ...I struggled to mesh Truth with life. (If that makes any sense...)
    
    For example, "the truth shall set you free." something that we're often taught in the church - but Jesus said, "...and you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." We don't understand that the word "know" there means to know with our heads, our hearts and our actions. This is why so many Believers can know the truth - but remain in bondage! They only know it with their heads...they are not LIVING it.
    
    Therein do I find the challenge. LIVING what is there - not the obvious - love your neighbor as yourself. But, rather the deeper issues of things like "In all your ways acknowledge Him," "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you," or something as "simple" as, "Fear not."
    
    So, yes, while I agree with your answer - I find it is like a good diamond, the beauty of it is not on the surface, but in the many internal cuts required inside, that allow it to reflect the light more exquisitely! See More

    
    
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    Amber Thanks Dawn, lots to think about now!