God is all about family. His whole purpose in creating man was to have family. So, it is important that we be reminded of what a godly home looks like. I want to liken a godly home to building an actual home.

Christ has to be the center of everything. This concept is something of an elementary thought but how many of us actually live this out in our family?

We think we’re building Christ as the foundation in our home just because we come to church but that doesn’t actually mean that the foundation is being laid.

The reality is that Sunday school teachers and pastors will teach your kids about Christ but it’s up to you to teach your kids to live like Christ. We need to ask ourselves the question: how much in our home, routines and daily life is Christ the central aspect? How are we practically doing that at home? How are we practically teaching our kids how to make Christ the center?

A parent is the most important person in the teaching of a child because it’s not about just learning all the information and facts of life; it’s about learning what to do with the facts. How we train our children is by the way that we live our lives and the example we set.

The foundation touches every single room. The entire house is being held up by the foundation. Not only does a house have to have a foundation but there needs to be a framework that actually develops the parameters of the home.

Oftentimes we’re so quick to put rules and regulations and we miss the actual framework for the rules and the regulations and that framework should be love and honor. The more developed the frame is the more stable the house is.

When love and honor in the home is thoroughly developed, there’s a sense of security and stability that allows each person to function in the God-given way that we’re supposed to, (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

I want to say to parents don’t be afraid to be the one that initiates honor. Honor is to highly value or highly esteem.

When love and honor are the framework, healthy and appropriate forms of discipline also become your tools to raise our children. Discipline is an act of love, (Proverbs 3:12).

When love and honor become the framework of your discipline, you discipline differently. if we develop a framework of love, it will change even the effectiveness of our discipline.

Windows allow you to see outside of the house. This speaks of greater purpose than just ourselves. As a family, we’re created with a God-given purpose, a mission-minded aspect. As believers, we’re to win souls and make disciples.

Children need to know that the most important thing is not getting the highest paying job or education, while those are absolutely important but the framework in which they do it should be I’m going to be a blessing to this world; I am blessed to be a blessing. God has set me in my loving, godly home so that I could go and be the proof to my generation that God is real, that the family unit is something to be honored and loved.

When we do that, our children have a sense of vision that the rules and things in our home have purpose. What are you doing in your family to bring vision? (Proverbs 29:18).

We must decorate our house with joy. Decorations allow us to see the home is beautiful and when we have joy in our family it allows us to see the beauty in our family. Joy helps the family get through hard times, (Nehemiah 8:10, Proverbs 17:22).

Grace and mercy are the roof that covers our home. All of us make mistakes; every family has its rainy days and the reality is that rainy days are inevitable but grace and mercy provide a covering so that failures and shortcomings don’t cause permanent damage. There’s a difference when it rains on your house and when it rains in your house.

Grace and mercy allow us to restore family members who’ve gone astray and it creates an environment that they desire to be repentant.

Sermon by Pastor Bryson Still; Blog by Edward Gardiner