Our Family Will Keep the Faith
Month 12: Sent & Standing Firm · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: Joshua 24:14-15
14 Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
Memory Verse
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”— 2 Timothy 4:7 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Ezekiel 37-39
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 337 of 365 — God breathes life into a valley of dry bones, a stunning picture of how He can revive what looks dead.)The Heart of It
Joshua was old now. He had led God's people for many years. He had seen the walls of Jericho fall. He had watched God keep every promise. Before he died, he gathered the whole nation together. He put a choice in front of them: "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve." The people around them worshiped all kinds of false gods. Joshua knew his family would be surrounded by those voices. So he made a bold and beautiful choice, and not just for himself. He spoke for his whole household: "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (). He couldn't force anyone's heart. But he could lead. He could plant a flag for his family and say, This is who we are. We serve the Lord.
God doesn't have grandchildren. He only has children. That means faith isn't passed down like the color of your eyes. Each person has to choose Jesus for themselves. But families can absolutely help! A home can decide together, "We will serve the Lord." Then it becomes a place where loving Jesus is normal. The truth is spoken there. The race is run side by side. That's what all these twelve months have been building toward. Tonight your family can do exactly what Joshua did. Look around at all the other things the world says to live for. Then choose, out loud, together: As for us and our house, we will serve the Lord, and we will keep the faith.
Around the Table
Joshua said, "My family will follow God!" We can say it too — loud and proud!
Let's do it: Everyone shout together: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!" Then high-five each other.
Joshua couldn't decide for everyone. But he could lead his family and choose for himself. Each of us still gets to choose Jesus.
Let's talk: What are some things the world tells us to live for instead of God? Why is serving the Lord better?
"Choose for yourselves" shows that faith is a real, personal choice. God invites us. He doesn't force us. A family can shape and encourage that choice. But a family can't make it for you.
Let's go deeper: You'll keep choosing this your whole life. What does it look like for you, and not just your family, to serve the Lord on your own?
💬 Conversation Starter
Imagine our family had a motto carved over the front door for everyone to see. What would you want it to say? Joshua's was "we will serve the Lord."
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Joshua's "choose for yourselves" reminds us of something. Real faith is freely chosen. It is never forced. God woos hearts; He doesn't program them. Sometimes friends wonder whether Christians are just brainwashed. You can tell them faith is an honest choice each person makes for themselves. Then explain why you've chosen Jesus. Do it kindly and confidently ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
"As for me and my house" is the original family-discipleship mission statement. And notice who speaks it. It's the father. Joshua doesn't take a vote and then go along with the majority. He leads. He declares a direction for his household, while still leaving room for each member's genuine response. This is the Arminian heart of family discipleship. God grants real freedom. So we can neither force nor guarantee our children's faith. But we can saturate the home with truth, model wholehearted devotion, and pray. There is no "they were elected, so it's out of my hands" escape hatch. And there is no "I did the bedtime routine, so they're guaranteed" presumption either. Your calling is faithfulness, not control of outcomes. As this volume nears its close, take Joshua's posture seriously. Stand at the front of your home and say it out loud, where your kids can hear you mean it. They are far more likely to choose the Lord when they have watched their father choose Him first, daily, for years.
Draws on: Voddie Baucham's "as for me and my house" emphasis, read through a Wesleyan-Arminian view of free response; Ken Ham, Raising Godly Children.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, as for our family and our house, we choose to serve You. Help each one of us to keep the faith. Help us follow Jesus for ourselves, all our lives. Guard our home. Make it a place where loving You is normal. In Jesus' name, amen."
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And by His grace, we will keep the faith.