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Extreme Makeover: Life Edition Message #4

Family Makeover (Part 2)

July 9-10, 2005 Dr Larry Osborne

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Food for Thought for the week of July 10, 2005
(Questions and Scriptures for further study)

1. This week we saw that honoring our parents does not include blind obedience or yielding to manipulation. Knowing how to navigate this predicament as a son or daughter can be a challenge. As you read
1 Samuel 20; 31:1-6; 2 Samuel 1:1-17, write down how Jonathan kept from yielding to his father Saul’s wicked schemes to kill David, yet still continued to show honor.

1 Samuel 31:1-6
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. [2] The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. [3] The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
[4] Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me."
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. [5] When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. [6] So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day. [NIV]

2 Samuel 1:1-17
After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. [2] On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.
[3] "Where have you come from?" David asked him.
He answered, "I have escaped from the Israelite camp."
[4] "What happened?" David asked. "Tell me."
He said, "The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."
[5] Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"
[6] "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," the young man said, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him. [7] When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, 'What can I do?'
[8] "He asked me, 'Who are you?'
" 'An Amalekite,' I answered.
[9] "Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.'
[10] "So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."
[11] Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. [12] They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
[13] David said to the young man who brought him the report, "Where are you from?"
"I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite," he answered.
[14] David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"
[15] Then David called one of his men and said, "Go, strike him down!" So he struck him down, and he died. [16] For David had said to him, "Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the Lord's anointed.' "
[17] David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,  [NIV]
 

2. The character modeled in our lives continues to be one of the most powerful ways to influence our children (or our parents).  Write down each of the character qualities God’s Spirit wants to reveal in your life found in Galatians 5:22-23.  After each one, write down how you might put that quality into action in your family setting.  Is there one you’re really good at?  Is there one you might need to work on more than the others?

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  [NIV]

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3. Below is a sampling of the many verses the Bible gives as guidelines for “biblical family values.”  Write out what value each passage reveals. Which would your family say is definitely part of your household?

Psalm 78:1-8
A maskil of Asaph.
O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
[2] I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of old--
[3] what we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
[4] We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
[5] He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,
[6] so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
[7] Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
[8] They would not be like their forefathers--
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him. [NIV]

Proverbs 23:13-14
Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
[14] Punish him with the rod
and save his soul from death. [NIV]

Proverbs 24:26
An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips. [NIV]

Matthew 19:13-15
Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
[14] Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." [15] When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. [NIV]

Hebrews 12:8
If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. [NIV]

Hebrews 12:11
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. [NIV]

James 1:19
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,  [NIV]

1 Peter 4:8-9
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. [9] Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. [NIV]