Contents
Contents.........................................................................................................................................ii
Introduction....................................................................................................................................1
Model.............................................................................................................................................1
The Simple Family Model.............................................................................................................3
Strategies for Parents.....................................................................................................................4
The Real Problem...........................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................5
Bibliography...................................................................................................................................6
Introduction
The root of any branch is one of, if not the most important part of building a garden. Its
root must be so grounded it cannot be shaken by the slightest change in the wind. It is the same
with the branch of family discipleship that stems from the root of the Assembly.1
Every Assembly of believers should offer some sort of Family Discipleship education
within its teachings, whether that be a separate and on its own course taught by a group of or an
elder, or if it’s taught within the teachings, preaching, and sermons of the head pastorship such as
Voddie Baucham.2 This should not be left alone to the parents unless the parents are well
educated on discipleship and teaching within the family setting.
This essay will describe a model of how family discipleship should look within the
Assembly with its roots grounded in the home. The model will include the biblical stance for
how family discipleship should be conducted, the pros and cons (if any), and a wrap up of what
the outcome should be within family discipleship.
Model
Family discipleship should begin in the home with the parents. It is the core of what
should motivate every thought, desire, word, decision, or action that we as parents make towards
1 I use the word “Assembly,” as the term “church” is a Greco-roman introduction in the language of the
believer. The word “assembly” or even “congregation” has a better relation to its people. The word “ekklesia”
derives from ancient Greece and meant an assembly or gathering of a cities citizens to decide on political issues and
much less frequently to an assembly of the devotees of Hashem. In Dr. B. Brandon Scott, “Should “Ekklesia” Really
be translated as “Church” in the Bible?” Earlychristiantexts.com, March 16, 2022, accessed May 24, 2024,
https://earlychristiantexts.com/should-ekklesia-really-be-translated-as-church/.
2 Paul Renfro, Brandon Shields, and Jay Strother, Perspectives on Family Ministry: 3 Views, ed. Timothy
Paul Jones (Nashville, TN: B&H, 2009), 42.
1
our children.3 And according to Yeshua, He must have thought the same. When questioned about
the greatest of all commands, Yeshua reiterates these words,
“׃ךָ ֶ
דֹאְ
מ־ל ָכ ְ
בוּ ךָ ְ
שְׁ
פ ַנ־ל ָכ ְ
בוּ ךָ ְ
ב ָב ְ
ל־ל ָכ ְ
בּ ךָי ֶ
הלֹ ֱ
א ה ָוהְי ת ֵא ָתּ ְ
ב ַהאָ ְ
ו”
“And you shall love הוהי your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being,
and with all your might” (Dt. 6:5; Mt. 22:37, The Scriptures Version 2009).4
What many in the contemporary church miss with what is said by Yeshua here, is that in the
Jewish mindset, when a part of Scripture is spoken, to the listener or audience in the time it was
said, they would have understood that the whole of the Shema is being mentioned here, not just
the simple verse. The whole context of what is being said would have been known by those in
attendance here in Matthew 22.5
The Shema goes on to command Hashems children (parents) to teach their children when
they sit in the house, when they walk by the way, when they lie down, and when they rise up in
the morning (Dt. 6:6-7). These commands found in the Torah should be written on our hands and
in between our eyes as well as on the door posts of our houses (6:8-9).
The majority of the contemporary church misses this in Yeshua’s reply to the lawyer. Yet
He gives the body of believers the model in which the family is to align family discipleship. As
parents, we are the head of our household and head of leadership within the house (1 Cor. 11:3;
3 Paul D. Tripp, “Here’s How God Values Parents,” in Parenting, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2016),
no page, eBook, https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781433551963/epubcfi/6/22[%3Bvnd.vst.idref
%3Dcontent_Parenting_551932_int_4_009_1_Calling_xhtml]!/4/2/56/7:3[%20sh%2Cowe].
4 הוהי – the tetragrammaton consisting of the four letters (right to left), yod, hey, vav, hey; pronounced
“Adonai” (L-RD) in the Hebrew.
5 This is similar to Psalm 22, when Yeshua cries out from the cross, “‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ That is:
‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mt. 27:46). For good insight, read One For Israel, “Psalm 22 –
The Prophecy about the Crucified Messiah,” oneforisrael.org, n.d. given, accessed May 24, 2024,
https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/psalm-22-prophecy-crucified-messiah/.
2
Eph. 6:4). We should instruct our kids in His righteousness (Dt. 6:25; 1 Tim. 5:8) and do so with
proper discipline as to not push our children away from Him and His ways (Dt. 4:9; Eph 6:4).
The simplicity in this command is overlooked in a majority of households. Many parents
may feel inadequate in doing so, but the truth is, it really is that simple. So, the question is, how
is this to be done?
The Simple Family Model6
This model is based off of Deuteronomy 6’s commands for the parents. It is similar to
what is mentioned by T. P. Jones in the book Perspectives on Family Ministry: Three Views
when describing how it was done leading up to the first century. The home was the primary locus
of children’s spiritual training as it was normally the father’s responsibility to do so.7 And it
wasn’t until after the child became an adult after the Bar or Bat Mitzvah that the child was in the
synagogue learning from a Rabbi.
As a family begins its journey in raising the child[ren], the subject of how to raise the
child[ren] in Hashem and His Son Yeshua, should be at the forefront of any believer’s
household. The real problem that unfolds, is that many parents do not start early enough. From
the time the parent begins to read stories to the young child[ren], the Psalms or easy children’s
stories of the Scriptures can be read. There is a plethora of children’s books and bedtime stories
that are there to start the parent with success (Pr. 22:6) and the main book read should be the
Scriptures themselves.
As the child gets older and begins to draw and write, parents can give their children
drawing prompts such as imagery from the Scriptures. They can copywrite Scripture on a daily
6 This model assumes the parents or parent of the family is a believer in the Word of Hashem and
testimonies of and from His Son Yeshua. Yet, can still be accomplished by a single family home.
7 T.P. Jones 2009, 17.
3
basis for learning. Copywrite is just as it sounds. Parents give their child[ren] a portion of the
Scriptures to copy. As they do so, they begin to learn Scripture and they begin to memorize
Scripture, learning His ways and statutes. The only thing the parent must be ready for is to
answer questions from the child (Dt. 6:20-24).
Even with all the above, the family should still attend some form of Assembly and be
around other believers (Heb. 10:25). The need to step out of your own proverbial box and into
another learning form, i.e. the youth groups, weekly bible studies, and so on is of absolute value
to the family and especially to the parent. Not only does the youth learn other teachings which
brings questions, but it also gives the parent much more to think about, more meat of the Word.
Strategies for Parents
This brings me to the only real strategy within the family household. And that is the
parents are to learn the meat of the Word as the child[ren] learns the milk of the Word (1 Cor.
3:1-3). However, in many households the parents may not know the meat of the Word. Here is
where the parents and child[ren] can learn together. Children have such a keen skill while
learning, that they may actually help the parent when learning the milk. For example, many
children hear something and will ask the question when they hear something that may contradict
what was heard earlier in a teaching or learning session, leading the parent to do some research
to answer the child[ren]. They must make sure what they are learning is so (Acts 17:11).
The Real Problem
A few problems within the modern household is that parents feel inadequate because they
may not be well versed or feel as if they are not well versed enough to teach the child[ren].
Another problem is that the parents believe they don’t have the time to do so, and this is a major
issue. Many within the contemporary church do not take the Sabbath as a real command, if they
4
did, they would not complain about the time to do so. Many use the Sabbath for other than what
Hashem has commanded. They do not sit with their children and speak to the Scriptures or watch
Scripture themed movies. They attend church and then go about their ways or the week/world.8
Conclusion
I know what was just mentioned is an unfortunate outcome. However, it can be overcome
by the Assembly changing it’s ways. There is a need for focus on the parent and the “how tos.”
Many parents really need to understand how easy it can be, but it requires them to be a bit more
obedient to the Word of Hashem. His Word is not too hard for you, nor is it far off. It is very
near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart…walk in His ways, and guard His commands,
laws, and right rulings (Dt. 30:11-16). Only the parents can make the choice to do so. The
question is, will they?
Bibliography
Hatfield, Jenn and Ted Van Green. “Most Americans don’t closely follow professional or college
sports.” Pewresearchcenter.org (Online). October 17, 2024. Accessed May 27, 2024.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/17/most-americans-dont-closely-
follow-professional-or-college-sports/.
8 I know this isn’t everybody, but it is quite a bit of people. Just look to the increase in those who watch
sports in American households. This past Superbowl was the most watched ever. I have also seen a Pew Research
Center conducted study saying this was actually a downward trend, however, they only surveyed .003512… of the
American population, not much of a sample be credible for the entire population especially after the latest sports
trends and numbers. Jenn Hatfield and Ted Van Green, “Most Americans don’t closely follow professional or
college sports,” Pewresearchcenter.org (online), October 17, 2024, accessed May 27, 2024,
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/17/most-americans-dont-closely-follow-professional-or-college-
sports/.
5
One For Israel. “Psalm 22 – The Prophecy about the Crucified Messiah.” Oneforisrael.org. N.D.
Given. Accessed May 24, 2024. Https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-
from-israel/psalm-22-prophecy-crucified-messiah/.
Renfro, Paul, Brandon Shields, and Jay Strother. Perspectives on Family Ministry: 3 Views.
Edited by Timothy Paul Jones. Nashville, TN: B&H, 2009.
Scott, Dr. B. Brandon. “Should “Ekklesia” Really be translated as “Church” in the Bible?”
Earlychristiantexts.com. March 16, 2022. Accessed May 24, 2024.
https://earlychristiantexts.com/should-ekklesia-really-be-translated-as-church/.
Tripp, Paul D. “Here’s How God Values Parents.” In Parenting. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books,
2016. eBook. Https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/reader/books/978143355
1963/epubcfi/ 6/22[%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3Dcontent_Parenting_551932_int_4_009_1_
Calling_xhtml]!/4/2/56/7:3[%20sh%2Cowe].
6
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