As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

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As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Josh. 2415
Home pic
Keith Waaraniemi Congregation and Youth
Evening LLC Winter Services, Phoenix February 22,
2013
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Choose you this day whom ye will serveas for me
and my house, we will serve the Lord. Josh.
2415
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Joshua instructs the people

• Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in
  sincerity and in truth and put away the gods
  which your fathers served on the other side of
  the flood, and in Egypt and serve ye the LORD.
  Josh. 2414

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Joshua instructs the people

• And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD,
  choose you this day whom ye will serve whether
  the gods which your fathers served that were on
  the other side of the flood, or the gods of the
  Amorites, in whose land ye dwell but as for me
  and my house, we will serve the LORD. Josh. 24
  15

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Serving the Lord

• How do we serve the Lord in our homes?
• Are we straying to serve other gods?

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Serving in Marriage

• Holy Estate
• Lifelong Covenant
• Faithful in good days and bad
• Bed of roses?
• The holiness and permanence of marriage brings
  security.

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Serve with joy

• The home is where family members spend time
  together sharing both joys and sorrows.
• Put the best construction

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Serving the Lord is taking time for each other

• Christs dual commandment of love guides us
  
• Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
  heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
  mind. This is the first and great commandment.
  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love
  thy neighbor as thyself(Matt. 2237-39).

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How do you spend your time?

• Everyday pressures can cause us to be physically,
  but not mentally present. Here, but not here.
• Children not looking for quality time, but
  adult presence in everyday life.
• Make time management choices for the familys
  well-being?
• Does our selfish, entertainment
  societyinfluence us?

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Balance in Social Relationships
In our time, connections to relatives and dear
ones can weaken. We must work to maintain them.

• Friends are also important.
• Excessive social interaction outside of the
  family can affect the family
• An overuse of social media, Internet

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Moderation in Work and Careers

• Materialism in society can also affect and burden
  believers.
• Focus on material things can cloud faith.
• Temptation to compare
• God's Word guides toward a moderate way of life.
• Temporal struggles do not mean that Gods
  blessing is missing.
• We can each ask God for a content mind.

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Reasonable Responsibility

• Ever-increasing demands on time.
• Reasonable responsibility that which we can
  reasonably do is enough!
• Overwhelm, depression, and burn out can be the
  result of trying to do more than possible.

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Lack of time together can cause growing apart

• Does my spouse have time for my thoughts?
• Do I have time for my spouses thoughts?
• Is everything else more important than time for
  the marriage and family?
• Are we drifting apart?
• SING SHZ 4203

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Song 4203

• With selfishness and hurry, / how blinded we
  become. / We scarcely even notice / our dear
  ones needs at home. / But then we pray, dear
  Father, / and share our stress and burden /
  within the care of Christ.

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Marriage the Familys Foundation

• Believing parents wish to accept children as
  Gods gift.
• God is Lord of life and death.
• Foundation for family is the relationship between
  spouses.
• Limits are love.
• Parents responsibility to teach children Gods
  Word

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That they might set their hope in God
Ps. 784,7

• We will not hide them from our children,
  shewing to the generation to come the praises of
  the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful
  works that he hath doneThat they might set their
  hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but
  keep his commandments.

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Teach Gods Word at Home

• Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy
  children, and shalt talk of them when thou
  sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by
  the way, and when thou liest down, and when Thou
  risest up. Duet. 67

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Values of the home are threatened

• The authority of Gods Word is questioned.
• Basic teachings of our faith questioned, even
  among believers.
• Creates questions and confusion, and causes
  burdens in homes and families.
• Blessing in obedience to Gods Word!

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Blessings of obedience

• Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children for
  blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear
  instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
  Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching
  daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my
  doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and
  shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that
  sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul all
  they that hate me love death. Prov. 832-36

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Values of the Home

• Read the Word
• Speak of theway and journey
• Pray
• Sing
• Care for the conscience

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We need faithful escorts
Love the fallen
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Take time to hear God's Word

• Services
• Bible Class
• Sunday School
• Camps
• Discussions
• Visiting

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Abrahams Example

• Trust God who doesnt need our counsel!

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Serving other gods

• Do we dare to love in the truth?
• Does the influence of the world sometimes make us
  too understanding?
• Are we afraid to speak of sin?
• Do we parents try too hard to explain with human
  reasoning?
• Do we parents dare to hold the line in love and
  truth or are we swayed by what other families do?

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Seek the old paths

• Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the
  old paths, where is the good way, and walk
  therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls
  Jer. 616

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He that hath an ear

• Korah and his followers did not listen.

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But Korahs children rejoiced of their Mothers
Beauty

• How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
• My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the
  courts of the LORD my heart and my flesh crieth
  out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath
  found an house, and the swallow a nest for
  herself, where she may lay her young, even thine
  altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
  Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they
  will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is
  the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart
  are the ways of them. Ps. 841-5

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He that hath an ear

• Joshua was Gods mouthpiece
• It wasnt just that old preacher talking it
  was God through him
• Do we believe that God speaks through His
  congregation?
• Korah and his followers said, Its just Moses
  and Aaron, and rejected Gods instruction.

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Our Congregation Mother

• Are we embarrassed of our mother?
• Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she
  should not have compassion on the son of her
  womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget
  thee.
• Is. 4915

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The Goal is Heaven

• Above all, living faith keeps hope and the
  future in oursights.
• In the midst of all stages oflife we can have
  childlike trust that God will help.
• The Old Testament prophet expressed the thoughts
  of the Lord toward His own - thoughts of peace,
  and not of evil, to give them a future and hope.
  (Jer. 2911)

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Discussion Questions

• Why do we have too little time for each other?
• What are the gods of our time?
• What does it mean when we say that which we can
  reasonably do is enough?
• What does moderation mean regarding material
  goods?
• Can we become slaves to the social media and
  Internet?
• Are we too proud to ask for help?