LEARN.
This month we hope to get you thinking about what is really happening with your teenagers spiritually. Sure, they are growing up, learning more, and becoming more aware of what is happening in the world. But are they truly becoming disciples of Jesus? Are they thinking beyond just enjoying (or enduring) church? Are they learning how to take their faith seriously and live their life for Jesus? You do realize that how your teenagers are processing their faith, all starts with you, right?
It doesn’t start at church, camp, or in a Christian school, but it starts in your home. You are the primary spiritual leader for your teens, and they are taking their cues about faith and following Jesus from you. You have a unique and God-given bond with your teenager. Believe it or not, you are in the best position to understand their individual spiritual needs as they grow and mature. This means you can tailor your discipleship approach to suit each specific teenager in your home, which can have a deeper impact on their spiritual life and trajectory. If you are willing to lean into and prioritize your role as the primary discipler of your teens, you can foster a strong, positive, and lasting relationship with them based on trust, respect, love, and a faith that will stay with them for a lifetime.
This month’s resources will help you think through how you can better step into your role as the primary spiritual leader in your home. Each of the resources found in our Discipleship Starts At Home bundle is designed to provide you with a practical tool that you can use to lead spiritual exercises and conversations that will help your teens grow in their faith and position you to be the primary spiritual leader for your family. Each of the resources offers a different experience, and you can use one or multiple of them as you seek to help your teenagers grow into true disciples of Jesus.
· BIG QUESTIONS. SIMPLE ANSWERS. is a brief e-book that offers parents a way to learn and explain to their teenagers the Bible’s Big Story in an easy-to-understand format. The topics are:
o What is the Bible?
o What is the Big Story of the Bible?
o Who is God’s Family?
o Why do we have Four Gospels?
· FAMILY BIBLE STUDY: JOHN is one of M2P’s Family Bible Series that is designed to help parents lead their teens through a book of the Bible and have spiritual conversations as a family. This study is all done for you and is simple to use. It includes:
o Book Summary that comes complete with descriptions of the setting, overview, and theme of John.
o Daily Reading Plan that breaks John down chapter by chapter into seven themes.
o Family Journal sheets help guide the reader’s thoughts through each chapter.
· 30 DAYS/30 WORDS is proof that daily devotions don’t have to be intimidating. These are 30 different image-driven devotions that parents can do with their teens. Each short devotion is creative, relevant, biblically solid, and just as unique as your teenager.
WATCH.
As parents, there are a lot of things that we want for our teenagers and their future. We want them to be “successful,” whatever that looks like. We want them to be wise in their dating and relationships. We want them to become young men and women who are trustworthy, kind, honest, reliable, and wise. We also want them to have a real and vibrant faith that will lead them for the rest of their lives. We want them to grow to be more than just believers in Jesus. Our desire is for them to become actual followers (true disciples) of Jesus—where they follow, learn from, and live their lives for Him. If we’re honest, we often rely on places like the church to take the lead in discipling our teens. There might be lots of reasons for this, but we might need to rethink how and where discipleship best happens. It happens best in the home, and it needs to start with you. Dive deeper into this idea and get some practical ideas on how to be the primary discipler of your teenager in this month’s Online Parenting Class video.
To get started, click the PLAY button below.
EXPERIENCE.
