Chapter Seven

Click here for Scriptures

Discussion Questions

If you are married, would God your Father-in-law be pleased or displeased with how you treat your spouse? Are you being the kind of mate that your spouse would marry again in a heartbeat? When your spouse prays, would you guess that he/she is praying prayers of gratitude for your or prayers for deliverance from you? If the latter is the case, what steps might you take to change that?

If you are dating, would your Heavenly Daddy approve of your dating choices? Is your girlfriend/boyfriend treating you in such a way that would please your Heavenly Daddy?

Does your spouse or do your kids feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten, lonely, or unappreciated? If you still live with one or more parent, does he/she feel that way? Do you have brothers or sisters who feel that way? If the walls of your home recorded everything you said and placed your words into one of two databases—one labeled “kind, encouraging, loving” and the other “hurtful, discouraging, angry”—which database would be most full?

Teenagers, when was the last time you asked your parent(s) about his/her dreams and ambitions? When was the last time you did something FOR him/her? When was the last time you said thank you for what he/she does for you?

If God were to grant you the ability to see into the spiritual realm, what you do you think you would see in your home? What do you think your family members look like? What do you think you would see in the mirror?

When you encounter conflict in your home, do you react off the cuff or do you take it to the prayer closet?

When is the last time you introduced yourself to someone at church you didn’t already know? When is the last time you initiated a conversation with someone you know but had not spoken with in a while? When is the last time you arrived early or stayed late for the sole purpose of initiating conversation with those outside your circle of friends? When is the last time you invited someone to join that circle?

Are you playing a part in the success of your church by attending consistently, praying faithfully, giving cheerfully, and volunteering enthusiastically?

Additional Resources

Assignment:
Go to Persecution.com and join the mailing list to receive prisoner alerts. Write a letter to a prisoner (and send it).

Suggested Reading:
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman (multiple versions available)

Music:
Family—
Steven Curtis Chapman – Cinderella
Sanctus Real – Lead Me
Trace Adkins – Just Fishin’
Harry Chapin – Cat’s in the Cradle
Church—
Casting Crowns – Does Anybody Hear Her?