Have you ever sat in church, looked around, and quietly wondered, How many families here truly live for Christ at home? I have, and if I’m honest, it burdens my heart so much to know that so many families are struggling.
The other day, I sat quietly on my patio and read through Deuteronomy 6, where verses 4–12 deeply stirred my heart. As the words unfolded before me, a deep sadness settled in my heart. God’s command to teach His ways diligently to our children is so clear, so urgent. And yet, as I reflected on the many families I’ve met across the United States — including some dear friends — I couldn’t help but notice how far many homes have drifted from what God intended. I thought about homes where parents and children shout and argue daily. Homes where communication is shallow, where the blaring noise of the television has replaced the warmth of fellowship. I thought about families who call themselves Christians — and yet, if you stepped inside their homes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a trace of Christ’s presence.
It shouldn’t be this way. Yet somehow, even in Christian homes, the spirit of the world has crept in and taken root. And it breaks my heart.
The question I wrestle with is this: How can we raise children who genuinely love Jesus? How do we give our children an eagerness for God’s Word? How do we lead them to walk in purity in a world that glorifies everything but holiness?
The truth is simple and sobering: it starts with us. We are the first and most powerful teachers our children will ever have. Not their schoolteachers. Not their Sunday School leaders. Us. Our children are watching, absorbing, and imitating — whether we realize it or not.
We cannot demand what we are unwilling to model ourselves before our children. It makes no sense to puff on a cigarette and then tell a child not to smoke. It’s confusing to speak with profanity while instructing our children not to cuss. It’s hypocritical to lounge on the couch watching ungodly programs and then lecture them about guarding their hearts. And its foolishness to expect purity and wisdom in their lives if our own lives preach a different sermon (Romans 2:21, 24).
Children crave consistency. Deep down, they long for someone to show them that living for Christ isn’t just a Sunday affair, but an everyday reality. If we want our sons and daughters to embrace truth, we must first live it out before them, even when it’s difficult. Especially when it’s hard.
That’s why Deuteronomy emphasizes saturation — the Word of God should be everywhere: memorized in our hearts, spoken in our homes, and brought up naturally as we go through the day. When we rise, when we sit, and when we walk along the way — Scripture must be part of how we communicate and live each day.
Think about your home for a moment. What would a visitor notice? Would they hear Scripture being read? See Bibles open on the tables? Hear beautiful hymns filling the atmosphere? Sense peace and joy in the way your family interacts? Or would they be met with heads glued to cell phones, sharp words, and a heaviness that contradicts the faith we profess?
The truth is: spiritual atmospheres are built one small choice at a time. Building a godly home requires intimacy, not busyness. It’s not enough to eat dinner together with the TV blaring. Intimacy comes from talking, laughing, crying, and growing together. Fathers, your sons and daughters need you. Not just as a provider — but as a man who will sit down and play games, listen without distraction, and teach through time spent, not just words spoken. Mothers, your influence as a nurturer and guide is unmatched. You must involve your children in daily life: teach them how to mop floors, make the bed, wash dishes, pull weeds, and fold laundry. These everyday tasks aren’t just chores — they are opportunities to build character, responsibility, and heart connection.
Training children is exhausting work. And truth be told, it costs time, energy, patience, and sacrifice. Sometimes, after a long day, everything inside us wants just to hand the kids an iPad or flip on a movie. But raising godly children demands more. It demands us. And by God’s grace, it is absolutely worth it.
We also cannot ignore the influences creeping into their hearts through music, media, and technology. This is why we need to fill our homes with music that lifts the soul toward God. Teach your children to recognize the difference between songs that glorify sin and songs that glorify Christ. Don’t hand them devices and hope for the best — you must stay involved. You must know what they’re listening to. Know what’s on their phones. And never allow televisions or computers hidden away in bedrooms, breeding secrecy and temptation. When left alone with a television or computer, your children will make poor choices.
Spiritual neglect is rarely loud; it’s usually quiet. It’s what happens when vigilance fades and we stop paying attention. Therefore, daily family devotions are the lifeline of a Christ-centered home. That’s why we need to sing together. Pray together. Read the Bible together. Talk about real struggles, real victories, real hopes. Family worship isn’t just for holidays — it’s for every ordinary day when dishes pile up, bills need paying, and life feels overwhelming. Those are the days when roots grow deep.
And let’s face it—none of us knows everything. All of us need help and counsel. So, when you don’t know what to do — ask. Ask your pastor. Ask a godly mentor. Ask someone whose family you admire. Pride will always tell you to pretend you have it all together. Humility will lead you to wisdom.
Parents, it’s time to reclaim your calling and command from God. Homes should be training grounds for Heaven — places where love is lived out, truth is taught diligently, and Jesus is not just spoken of, but known intimately.
I’m not writing these things because I have all the answers. I don’t. I write because I feel the burden, see the heartbreak, and believe there is still hope. With God’s help, we can raise a generation that knows the Lord — not just in theory, but in truth.
Let’s not waste another moment. Let’s fight for our homes. Let’s live the Gospel out loud, beginning right where it matters most: within the four walls of our own homes.
RETURN TO ALL BLOGS
The other day, I sat quietly on my patio and read through Deuteronomy 6, where verses 4–12 deeply stirred my heart. As the words unfolded before me, a deep sadness settled in my heart. God’s command to teach His ways diligently to our children is so clear, so urgent. And yet, as I reflected on the many families I’ve met across the United States — including some dear friends — I couldn’t help but notice how far many homes have drifted from what God intended. I thought about homes where parents and children shout and argue daily. Homes where communication is shallow, where the blaring noise of the television has replaced the warmth of fellowship. I thought about families who call themselves Christians — and yet, if you stepped inside their homes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a trace of Christ’s presence.
It shouldn’t be this way. Yet somehow, even in Christian homes, the spirit of the world has crept in and taken root. And it breaks my heart.
The question I wrestle with is this: How can we raise children who genuinely love Jesus? How do we give our children an eagerness for God’s Word? How do we lead them to walk in purity in a world that glorifies everything but holiness?
The truth is simple and sobering: it starts with us. We are the first and most powerful teachers our children will ever have. Not their schoolteachers. Not their Sunday School leaders. Us. Our children are watching, absorbing, and imitating — whether we realize it or not.
We cannot demand what we are unwilling to model ourselves before our children. It makes no sense to puff on a cigarette and then tell a child not to smoke. It’s confusing to speak with profanity while instructing our children not to cuss. It’s hypocritical to lounge on the couch watching ungodly programs and then lecture them about guarding their hearts. And its foolishness to expect purity and wisdom in their lives if our own lives preach a different sermon (Romans 2:21, 24).
Children crave consistency. Deep down, they long for someone to show them that living for Christ isn’t just a Sunday affair, but an everyday reality. If we want our sons and daughters to embrace truth, we must first live it out before them, even when it’s difficult. Especially when it’s hard.
That’s why Deuteronomy emphasizes saturation — the Word of God should be everywhere: memorized in our hearts, spoken in our homes, and brought up naturally as we go through the day. When we rise, when we sit, and when we walk along the way — Scripture must be part of how we communicate and live each day.
Think about your home for a moment. What would a visitor notice? Would they hear Scripture being read? See Bibles open on the tables? Hear beautiful hymns filling the atmosphere? Sense peace and joy in the way your family interacts? Or would they be met with heads glued to cell phones, sharp words, and a heaviness that contradicts the faith we profess?
The truth is: spiritual atmospheres are built one small choice at a time. Building a godly home requires intimacy, not busyness. It’s not enough to eat dinner together with the TV blaring. Intimacy comes from talking, laughing, crying, and growing together. Fathers, your sons and daughters need you. Not just as a provider — but as a man who will sit down and play games, listen without distraction, and teach through time spent, not just words spoken. Mothers, your influence as a nurturer and guide is unmatched. You must involve your children in daily life: teach them how to mop floors, make the bed, wash dishes, pull weeds, and fold laundry. These everyday tasks aren’t just chores — they are opportunities to build character, responsibility, and heart connection.
Training children is exhausting work. And truth be told, it costs time, energy, patience, and sacrifice. Sometimes, after a long day, everything inside us wants just to hand the kids an iPad or flip on a movie. But raising godly children demands more. It demands us. And by God’s grace, it is absolutely worth it.
We also cannot ignore the influences creeping into their hearts through music, media, and technology. This is why we need to fill our homes with music that lifts the soul toward God. Teach your children to recognize the difference between songs that glorify sin and songs that glorify Christ. Don’t hand them devices and hope for the best — you must stay involved. You must know what they’re listening to. Know what’s on their phones. And never allow televisions or computers hidden away in bedrooms, breeding secrecy and temptation. When left alone with a television or computer, your children will make poor choices.
Spiritual neglect is rarely loud; it’s usually quiet. It’s what happens when vigilance fades and we stop paying attention. Therefore, daily family devotions are the lifeline of a Christ-centered home. That’s why we need to sing together. Pray together. Read the Bible together. Talk about real struggles, real victories, real hopes. Family worship isn’t just for holidays — it’s for every ordinary day when dishes pile up, bills need paying, and life feels overwhelming. Those are the days when roots grow deep.
And let’s face it—none of us knows everything. All of us need help and counsel. So, when you don’t know what to do — ask. Ask your pastor. Ask a godly mentor. Ask someone whose family you admire. Pride will always tell you to pretend you have it all together. Humility will lead you to wisdom.
Parents, it’s time to reclaim your calling and command from God. Homes should be training grounds for Heaven — places where love is lived out, truth is taught diligently, and Jesus is not just spoken of, but known intimately.
I’m not writing these things because I have all the answers. I don’t. I write because I feel the burden, see the heartbreak, and believe there is still hope. With God’s help, we can raise a generation that knows the Lord — not just in theory, but in truth.
Let’s not waste another moment. Let’s fight for our homes. Let’s live the Gospel out loud, beginning right where it matters most: within the four walls of our own homes.
RETURN TO ALL BLOGS
