\n\t\tSing With Your Family\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\tPastor Don Carpenter\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\tThe Children of Israel were undergoing a huge religious and cultural change. They had been brought out of the slavery of Egypt (which is a picture of the world from which we have been saved) and taught to walk in the wilderness with God. Deuteronomy was written as a spiritual recap of Israel\u2019s spiritual journey. Our passage is the foundation of that change. Love God with everything you have, meditate on His words, and teach your children to do so every chance you get.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\tDeuteronomy 6:5\u20137<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tAnd thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. <\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tAnd these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: <\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tAnd thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tWe have already discovered that besides reading the Bible, and teaching its principles, singing communicates truth that finds its way deep into our souls. My dad was not good about having a regular family altar time. Oh he tried from time to time to gather the family after supper, read the Bible talk about it and pray, but these times were very rare. My dad felt that he had failed in raising us under the nurture and admonition of the Lord.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tI have been thinking about that lately. He took us to church 4+ times a week. We prayed before every meal. And what I remember most is the music. Most of my childhood mornings were spent with WCRF Moody Bible Institute Radio playing in the background as we had breakfast and got ready for school. I remember \u201cUncle Bob\u201d Divine telling us it was time to march around the breakfast table as he played songs like \u201cI have Christ in My Heart\u201d by the Hawaiians. I remember mom and dad sing \u201cGot Any Rivers\u201d in sweet harmony every once and a while. I remember hearing \u201cOnward Christian Soldiers\u201d on the radio and then requesting it the next Sunday evening as a 6 year old. When we got older, Saturday nights was gospel sing night in rural northern Ohio. We would look in the Rural Urban, a weekly paper, and see which churches were having a sing. Once and a while dad would take us to hear folks sing music that had more twang than the large GARBC church in which I was raised. I remember hearing my mom whistle or sing \u201cIn the Garden\u201d when it would come on the radio in the afternoon as she prepared supper. I remember as a small child, before our evening prayers, mom or dad would sing whatever hymn we would request. I remember \u201cInto my Heart was one of my favorites, even before I knew what it meant. I remember the night I got saved as a 6 year old boy dad shared this verse:\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tRevelation 3:20<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tBehold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tWhen I made the decision to quit trusting my efforts and trust in what Jesus did on the cross, I repeated a prayer after dad where I asked Jesus into my heart\u2026 and it clicked! OHHH that\u2019s what that means. The Wednesday night I got saved after Supper, then went to prayer meeting, I requested that song before bed and sang it with dad. Come into my heart Lord Jesus.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tNo, dad did not have the regular family altar time he thought that he should have. But we still heard about the truth from morning until bed time. Today I am going to specifically address families with children or grandchildren, but I believe everyone would benefit when we learn to sing with family.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSinging With Your Family Gets The Right Questions Asked and Answered. <\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tExodus 12:26\u201327<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tAnd it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? <\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tThat ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD\u2019s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tDeuteronomy 32:7<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tRemember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations: Ask thy father, and he will shew thee; Thy elders, and they will tell thee.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tJoshua 4:6\u20137<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tThat this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? <\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tThen ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tSongs help train children in the language of the faith.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tYour faith must be evident in order to get children to ask the right questions.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tYou need to be prepared with answers.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tYou can prime the pump by explaining certain phrases\u2026 \u201cransomed in Glory\u201d Why would you need a thousand tongues to sing? What in the world in an Ebeneezer?\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSinging the gospel changes hearts, and singing the gospel prepares hearts. Singing is of course not a magical formula that will guarantee deep faith in a child, but it is a way to sow and water the Word of God in their heart. If a child does walk through a rebellious season, what do you want them to remember about the Christian faith, calling and inviting them back? Fill their memories up now with the gospel, through songs that will keep singing to them through the years to come.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tWhile our faith must be taught, it is also \u201ccaught\u201d in our homes, through what our kids see and hear from us. And singing is catchy. So sing with your kids. You don\u2019t need to be able to sing well. Our singing always remains more important than the sound it makes. -Getty\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSinging Trains a Child\u2019s Appetite.<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tPsalm 78:2\u20134<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tI will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: <\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tWhich we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. <\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tWe will not hide them from their children, Shewing to the generation to come The praises of the LORD, and his strength, And his wonderful works that he hath done.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tHave a heart for singing. If something has taken the song from your heart, get on your knees and search out why, then confess it before God.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tPsalm 51:12<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tRestore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tIn an essay on writing for children, Lewis also suggested that children don\u2019t learn like a train going from station to station but rather as a tree grows by adding rings. Kids add and build on what they already know, and so do adults; so we must take care to try and make those first key rings of growth healthy and strong, providing a solid foundation a child can build on. We consider the balance of the content they sing and what vision of God those songs are growing in their minds. \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tDo not patronize or underestimate what your children can sing or understand.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tTake time to explain the \u201cthees and thous\u201d\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tGive them a little more than they can grasp and help them grow into it, like you would buy sneakers for a child one size too big, knowing they will grow into it.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSinging Can Still Reach Teens, Even if You Just Start Now.<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tEphesians 6:4<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tAnd, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tShow and tell them why it is important.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tMake it fun and attractive.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tPlay good songs at home. There are many options to stream good stuff during routine chores and activities.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tDon\u2019t be scared of your kids, parent them.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSinging Should Bring the Sound of Church Home So Your Children Will Be At Home In Church.<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tHome should be the foundational space preparing for the singing we do on Sunday.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tThis Links our personal home with our church home\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tThis links our homes to our future kid\u2019s homes, training the next generation.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tSinging is transformative.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tSinging can restore and revive a family.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tSinging at home can train us to be comfortable and confident when sharing our faith.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tWe influence the music of our church tomorrow by the appetites we develop and train in our homes today.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tTen Practical Ideas To Sing With Your Family<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tUse All The Help and Opportunities You Can Get<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tSing to yourself\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tStream good stations or personal play lists though out the day.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tAsk your children what songs they enjoy in church and sing them at home.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tAim to have truth sung in the spaces where life takes place.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tTeach Your Kids Songs You Want Them To Grow Old With<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tActively make a list of the songs you would like your kids to know throughout their lives, that clearly and richly teach the faith. Then play them in the car and around the house; sing them yourself as you go about your day, and draw attention to them when they are sung on a Sunday. \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tTalk About What You Are Doing And What The Songs Mean<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t Use a lyric as a conversation starter about faith. We teach our girls a hymn of the month. When we learned \u201cHoly, Holy, Holy,\u201d we had some fun with cherubims and seraphims! We recommend Joni Eareckson Tada and Bobbie Wolgemuth\u2019s series Hymns for a Kid\u2019s Heart for helping with this.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tPrepare For Sunday Services<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tCheck on forum.ebcct.org by Thursday evenings we will try to have the order of Sunday\u2019s service posted. You can look at the songs and sing them with your children before Sunday so that they are ready and familiar with the tunes and words.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tTalk about or sing the songs you sang on Sunday after church, especially on the drive home.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tModel Passionate Participation in the Services.<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tWhen at church remember other members and your children are watching.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tStand beside your children and sing with them.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tChildren need to see other parents and kids older than them singing, to that they see it is not a childish thing to do.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tSit somewhere in church where your children are surrounded with strong singing. That way your kids can see that this is something that folks outside your family does.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tGrow the love for hearing and joining the voice of the congregation, so much so that church would be strange to them if they didn\u2019t hear that sound. They should come to church expecting to sing.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tBe Aware of All The Music Your Kids Are Into<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tThere are ultimately no neutral lyrics. All songs share a message about how we should view the world. So we should be listening, discussing, and understanding what our kids are into. It\u2019s not that we ban everything that does not explicitly teach the gospel! We love and play all sorts of music with our kids. But we want to equip our kids to listen with discernment and thoughtfulness. \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tIf Your Kids Are Into Music, Encourage Them<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tEphesians 4:7\u20138<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tBut unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. <\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tWherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tWhen We Have A Children\u2019s Choir, Support It<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tPsalm 8:2<\/em> KJV<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tOut of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength Because of thine enemies, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.<\/em>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tIt is an encouragement to the children\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t \u2022\tIt is an encouragement to the congregation.\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tCultivate High Opinions of All Types of Art<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSome of the issues in church music today are not that a certain style isn\u2019t quite right but rather that we are too narrow and maybe even too boring in our expression. Inspire your kids with different instruments, sounds, and languages, and by speaking positively about all these things yourself. Teach them to be lifelong students of discovery in this amazing creation God has built all around us and in us. \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tSing Today!<\/strong>\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tThere may never be a perfect day to start singing truths with your kids. But there is today. They are not too old. They are not too young\u2014we have been surprised that even our two-year-old knows several songs well. (Remember the ancient motto\u2014\u201cGive me a child until they are seven and I will show you the man.\u201d) Don\u2019t wait. We were kick-started into this by a hilarious experience at Wilberforce School (New Jersey) when the kids wanted to perform one of our songs (they began by explaining how they used different hymns to help teach the kids the faith), and our daughter Eliza (four at the time) jumped up to join the choir and of course, was the only child who didn\u2019t know all the words\u2014an embarrassing parenting moment! \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\t Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church \n\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\t\tExported from Logos Bible Software, 11:20 AM February 26, 2021.\n\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sing With Your Family Pastor Don Carpenter The Children of Israel were undergoing a huge religious and cultural change. They had been brought out of the slavery of Egypt (which is a picture of the world from which we have been saved) and taught to walk in the wilderness with God. Deuteronomy was written as a spiritual … Continue reading Sing With Your Family<\/span>