The Challenge: DAY 38 – God’s MISSION! #3
His LOVE
Welcome to DAY 38 of the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE!
Our focus today is God’s personal LOVE for us. To live joyfully as a mission-minded believers, we should not focus on merely “doing” mission-minded things for God; rather, our focus should be “knowing” God and growing deeper in our personal relationship with Him.
C’mon . . . Take the Challenge!
- Recommended Mission Resources: Planet WORD Bible
- Today’s Mission Quote: “Lord, I give up all my plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life…” – Betty Scott Stam
- Geography Quiz at lizardpoint.com: SOUTH AMERICA,
- Memory Verse – Luke 10:20
- Today’s online video
The Challenge: DAY 37 – God’s MISSION #2
His PLEADING!
Welcome to DAY 37 of the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE!
During this final week you will focus on God’s mission and living as a Mission-Minded Family with eternity in mind. Today’s specific focus is the word PLEAD – and how God wants to PLEAD through you for His kingdom purposes.
C’mon . . . Take the Challenge!
- Recommended Mission Resources: FREE book – Revolution in World Missions (Gospel for Asia)FREE VOM magazine and book – Tortured for Christ – from Voice of the Martyrs
- Today’s Mission Quote: “Sympathy is no substitute for action” – David Livingstone
- Geography Quiz at lizardpoint.com: SOUTH AMERICA,
- Memory Verses (focus on the word “PLEAD”) –
Esther 4:8, Proverbs 31:9, II Corinthians 5:20,- Today’s online video
The Challenge: DAY 36 – God’s MISSION! #1
His DESTINY!
Welcome to DAY 36 of the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE!
During this final week you will focus on God’s mission and living with eternity in mind. God has a purpose for your family as a corporate unit, and for each of your family members as individuals. As you follow God’s daily divine guidance for your life, He will help you to fulfill the “bulls-eye” of His destiny.
C’mon . . . Take the Challenge!
- Recommended Mission Resources: Is That Really You, God? – Hearing the Voice of God-by Loren Cunningham, Founder of YWAM
- Today’s Mission Quote: “The mission of the church is missions” – David Livingstone
- Geography Quiz at lizardpoint.com: EUROPE,
- Memory Verses (God’s Greatest Commandments) – Matthew 22:36-40
- Today’s online video
The Challenge: DAY 35 – Get Ready to GO! #5
The EvangeCube
Welcome to DAY 35 of the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE!
Today’s focus is getting your family ready to GO is learning to use a witnessing tool called the “EvangeCube.” This effective Gospel evangelism tool is effective and fun to use (for all ages), and sometimes called the “Jesus Film” of one-on-one evangelism.
C’mon . . . Take the Challenge!
- Recommended Mission Resources: – More about the EvangeCube
Simply Share Jesus – How to effectively use the EvangeCube- Today’s Mission Quote: “As long as there are millions destitute of the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it will be impossible for me to devote time and energy to those who have both.”” – J. L. Ewen
- Geography Quiz at lizardpoint.com: EUROPE,
- Memory Verses – Learn the Bible verses for the EvangeCube
- Today’s 5-minute online video
The Challenge: DAY 34 – Get Ready to GO! #4
The Gospel Colors
Welcome to DAY 34 of the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE!
A common children’s witnessing tool is using the “Five Colors” –
gold — God’s heaven
black/darkness — Our sin
white/clean — God’s forgiveness
red — Jesus’ blood
green — Growing & Going
C’mon . . . Take the Challenge!
- Recommended Mission Resources: – The Five Colors, Good News for Children
- Today’s Mission Quote: “This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth.” – Keith Green
- Geography Quiz at lizardpoint.com: EUROPE,
- Memory Verses – Learn the Bible verses for the Five Colors
- Today’s 5-minute online video
gold — (God wants us to live forever with Him in heaven),
black (all have sinned — refer to this as the “darkness” of sin),
red (salvation is only possible through the blood of Jesus),
white (by grace and faith, God CLEANS us and forgives us from our sin),
green (God want us to GROW and to GO).
The Challenge: DAY 33 – Get Ready to GO! #3
The 4 Spiritual Laws
Welcome to DAY 33 of the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE!
As you’re getting your family ready to go, be prepared to share your stories of how God has been real and alive in your own lives (your personal testimonies). Today’s specific focus is also learning how to share the Gospel by using the 4 Spiritual Laws by Campus Crusade for Christ.
C’mon . . . Take the Challenge!
- Recommended Mission Resources: – The 4 Spiritual Laws in many languages, Campus Crusade for Christ, 4 Spiritual Laws – FLASH version
- Today’s Mission Quote: “We must be global Christians with a global vision, because our God is a global God.” – John Stott
- Geography Quiz at lizardpoint.com: EUROPE,
- Memory Verses – Learn the Bible verses for the 4 Spiritual Laws
- Today’s 5-minute online video
The Challenge: DAY 32 – Get Ready to Go! #2
INT’L ADVENTURE!
Welcome to DAY 32 of the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE!
If you could travel anywhere in the entire world, where would you want to go? As a family, dream together about international travel and exciting places you would like to experience. Imagine the awesome adventures across the globe!
C’mon . . . Take the Challenge!
- Recommended Mission Resources: Look up travel information. Also check out the mission-minded Bible reference guide in– The Mission-Minded Child
- Today’s Mission Quote: “What’s your dream, and to what corner of the missions world will it take you?” – Eleanor Rote, Missions Mobilizer
- Geography Quiz at lizardpoint.com: EUROPE,
- Memory Verses – The Great Commission in all four Gospels and the book of Acts: – Matthew 28:18-19 , – Mark 16:15 , – Luke 24:46-48 , – John 20:21, – Acts 1:8
- Today’s 5-minute online video
The Challenge: DAY 31 – Get Ready to GO! #1
GET PASSPORTS
Welcome to DAY 31 of the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE!
Throughout this week, we’re going to prepare our hearts to be ready to GO wherever and whenever God calls. Our focus for today is the importance of securing official passports for the whole family, and the fun of having children make missionary passports.
C’mon . . . Take the Challenge!
- Recommended Mission Resources:
Fun Ideas and Kid’s Mission Passport – The Mission-Minded Child- Today’s Mission Quote: – Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
- Geography Quiz at lizardpoint.com: EUROPE,
- Memory Verse: II Corinthians 5:20
- Today’s 5-minute online video
Make a place in your life for PRAYER
An analogy . . .
Imagine if someone gave you a brand-new living room set. The pieces of furniture are so much better than you could have imagined, or dreamed. The set is absolutely perfect for your family. The colors. The style. The look. Wow. It’s so much better than that old worn-out set that should have gone years ago.
But imagine bringing that new living room set home . . . and leaving it outside.
You know it needs to come in. You want to bring it in.
But you just aren’t willing to take the time to rearrange your living room.You don’t want to “bother” with getting rid of the old set.
It’s such a job to get everything moved around.
A special gift . . .
As Christians, we have been given a tremendous gift. God has extended a special invitation for us to spend time with Him on a regular basis; but sometimes, we aren’t willing to take the time to “rearrange” our lives to fit this time with Him into our comfortable old routine.
A simple way to begin a new daily habit for time with the Lord is to find a “place” for it. And I’m specifically talking about creating a simple little prayer spot. A literal place where you can begin a new habit of spending time with Jesus.
A new lifestyle of daily prayer will require consistent desire and discipline, but it’s not fulfilled by self-effort. God will give us His strength and His help. As you rely on Him (even for this daily God-empowered discipline and self-control), your time with the Lord can eventually become a highlight of your day and a strength of your life.
In a spiritually-healthy family, a lifestyle of prayer includes praying with others at church, praying together as a family, and praying (or “interceding”) for the needs of others and for the world. Yet, nothing is more spiritually beneficial for families than a lifestyle of personal private prayer. Eternally effective families consist of people who consistently pray.
Do your kids “see” you spending time with God?
As Bible-believing families, we all know that prayer is important.
As Christians, we tell our kids that it’s good to pray (or our pastor mentions the fact often enough for our kids to get the message . . . and for many people to feel guilty). Perhaps we pray before mealtime (during those special yet unfortunately dwindling occasions when our far-too-busy family can actually gather our hands around a sit-down dinner). Perhaps we pray for our kids at night (during those special times when we remember to tuck our little ones in bed before they fall asleep).
Yet how many of us, as moms, are a bit lacking (or majorly deficient) in our own daily personal prayer lives? As each family member (beginning with ourselves) develops his or her own personal relationship with God through a regular quiet time with the Lord, the cooperate effect on the family is powerful.
Let’s make a special place for prayer!
Be a spiritual example to your kids . . . by having a regular time and place for prayer
As parents, one of the greatest ways to instill in your kids the foundation of life-impacting faith is for your kids to actually “see” you reading your Bible, (on a regular everyday basis, not just at church), and for your kids to “see” you taking time to pray by yourself.
Establish a special place for PRAYER
It’s helpful to establish a regular “PLACE” to meet with the Lord:
- perhaps a comfy chair in a spare bedroom
- perhaps in your home office
- perhaps on the couch in your living room
- perhaps on a trail outside your house or a quiet walk around your neighborhood
“Round-up” a few items to help establish a consistent time with God
If you decided to establish a new habit of physical exercise, such beginning to start jogging a bit each day, you would probably take a few minutes to “round up” some running shoes and perhaps dig through the back of your closets to find some sweats or shorts. If you wanted to add some meals to your cooking, you would need to “round up” some new menu ingredients, or search for some new recipe idea. The same idea holds true for establishing a new habit of spiritual discipline and daily prayer. If you haven’t been taking the time to consistently pray on a regular basis, it’s helpful to “round up” a few quiet-time accessories or “spiritual” items and to have them set aside and waiting for you in your designated new quiet-time place.
Here are a few suggestions for helpful “QUIET TIME” items:
- your own Bible (with a marker to remember where you are reading)
- a daily Bible-reading chart
- a journal or notebook, with a pen and a highlighter
- a devotional or “meaty” spiritual book (to challenge your walk with Christ)
- a world map, and missionary newsletters
- a CD with quiet worship music
- possibly even items for holy communion (with wafers, a cup, and grape juice) for a personal communion time (see I Corinthians 11) perhaps on a daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis, to remember the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice
Remember to be flexible . . . and walk with God throughout each day!
Along with consistency in prayer, it’s important to be flexible. In the life of every family, there will be different seasons and changing schedules. What works today may not work tomorrow; yet even so, we need to faithfully guard our time with God. If what you’re doing right now, concerning your personal daily prayer life, is working, by all means keep it up; but if it’s not working, please ask for God’s help and His grace (along with His unlimited creative ideas) to make a change!
Living a life of prayer is simply walking and talking with God. It’s vital to acknowledge God’s presence right beside you and with you all throughout each day.
As individuals, and as families, we can welcome the presence of God’s Spirit into every dimension of our lives. God cares about everything (whether little or big, silly or significant, everyday or eternal), and we can welcome His presence into every decision and every activity. In our families and in our daily communication with God, there should not be a barrier between what is “holy” and what is “common”; instead, God desires for every dimension of our lives (at home, at school, at church, at work, and even at play) to be lived in constant fellowship with Him.
We need to get that “special couch set” (our daily time with the Lord) into our main living room. Some of our old furniture might have to go. Some of our old decorations and clutter might not “match” with the quality of this new look. But the new pieces are so perfect; and we want that new couch set TO FIT!
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray . . . Luke 11:1
Combating today’s “Me-First” Culture
Interview on “He’s Alive” Radio
Our kids need to know that there’s a world beyond ourselves; there’s a world beyond our house; there’s even a world beyond our local city. The whole world desperately needs to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, and our children need to hear about this need and God’s bigger perspective.
In this audio file, you can listen to Ann as she talks about having a The Mission Minded Family, and some practical ideas to combat today’s “Me-First” culture. As Christian parents, we need to focus our families on God’s Great Commission . . . and live for eternity.
