1. Godly Families in the Local Church Chris Reeves * Westside church of Christ Gospel Meeting * April 6, 2006

2. Families: Ancient and Modern Bible Families –immediate and extended family together –simple agricultural setting Families Today –dissolution, breakdown –busy material setting God’s Original Plan: togetherness (Gen. 1:28; 2:18-25)

3. Bible Families Who Were Involved Shallum’s family (Neh. 3:12) Families and the Word (Neh. 8:2-3) Families and Paul (Acts 21:4-6,8-9)

4. What Can Families Do Together? Be converted together (Acts 11:14) Worship together (Deut. 16:11) Read and study together (Deut. 6:4-9) Work and serve together (Eph. 4:16) Be hospitable together (Acts 16:15,40) Evangelize together (Acts 8:4) Edify together (1 Thess. 5:14)

5. What Can Families Do Together? Grow together (2 Pet. 1:5ff; 3:18) Lead together (1 Tim. 3:2,4-5,11-12) Be respectful together (Heb. 12:28-29) Be loyal together (Mt. 6:33)

6. What Will It Take For Families to Stay Together? Self-examination (2 K. 4:26) True knowledge (Eph. 5:17) Strong commitment (1 Kings 1:6) Great resolve (Josh. 24:15) Godly jealousy (2 Cor. 11:2) Balance (Lk. 10:38-42)

7. What Will It Take For Families to Stay Together? Genuine love and respect (Eph. 5:22ff) Care and concern (1 Thess. 2:7-12) Purity and honor (Heb. 13:4)

8. What Can Be Done in the Local Church? Local churches can work at it (Titus 2:1-7) Preachers can work at it (Tit. 2:1,15) Elders can work at it (1 Tim. 3:3-5) Bible classes can work on it

9. Godly Families in the Local Church Equal access families (Mt. 19:14) No divided homes (Mk. 3:26) Every family member on the same side in the judgment day (Lk. 16:23-27)