Put On The Armor Of God with Seeds Family Worship!
I was in a church in Dallas, Texas last summer where I had been leading worship for family services for the past 15 years...and I have to say that a lot has changed both in culture and in that church community during that time. The lead pastor invited all the kids to come up on a platform in front of the stage that morning because it was promotion Sunday for elementary age students. I watched about 50 boys and girls make their way up to the stage in their blue jeans and sneakers, dresses and ponytails.
Pastor Joe looked out at his congregation and said,
“I remember when the front lines of the battle for the hearts of young people were with students in college, then I watched the front lines move to high school students and then to junior high - but now the front lines of the battle for young hearts is right here with these elementary age kids.”
His words landed heavily on everyone in the church, including me.
We see this reality playing out in our own communities with parents confronting public school boards about the things being taught to young children. We also see it illustrated in movies, music and other media created for young children that promote a completely anti-Biblical worldview in the areas of identity and sexuality.
I believe the younger generation is growing up in a culture like none that have come before it due to the proliferation of technology, social media and the influence coming from a post-Christian culture. We are at a cultural moment and the battle is intensifying, but we do not need to be fearful as we face these battles as parents. God is faithful and He has given us His Word to teach and encourage us - as well as to prepare us to be successful in the battles He knew we would face.
I have led the Seeds Family Worship ministry for the past 19 years. I love being part of a team that creates scripture based worship music to help kids and parents learn God’s Word! Our team also equips parents with resources to help them pass their faith down to their children. It has been inspiring to write and record a new album this past year called The Armor of God, written from The Armor of God passages in Ephesians 6. Whenever I am writing and recording scripture music, I meditate on the verses as I listen to them over and over. Here's the theme that resonated in my spirit as I created these songs: we want to help Christian parents and children “stand firm” together in their faith. How can we do that? The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:
“Finally, be strong on the Lord and in the strength of his might, put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heaven places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”
We believe parents need to return to the blueprint given to us in Deuteronomy 6. It is the Great Commission before The Great Commission. We believe every Christian parent should memorize these verses:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
According to these verses, here are four “foundation stones” to use to build a Godly home:
Foundation Stone #1: Commit: There Is Only One God
Like in Moses' time, people are pursuing many other Gods, including the god of self. We have to set the foundation of building our homes that there is only One true God.
Foundation Stone #2: Love and Know God Ourselves: Parents need to love God and know His Word.
Training for the battle of the hearts of the next generation begins with us as parents. We need to make it a priority in our own lives to seek God first - and to know His Word.
Foundation Stone #3: Teach Them Diligently: Have a Strategy
We need to have a strategy for how we plan to pass our faith to our children because the greatest opportunity for our children to have an authentic relationship with Jesus is through us.
Foundation Stone #4: Get Equipped: Learn to Disciple Our Children in a Church Community
As parents, we need to be connected to a church community that has a culture that helps us align our parenting around the practices and family rhythm outlined in Deuteronomy 6.
We encourage you as parents to teach your children how to STAND FIRM in their faith by learning the verses in Ephesians 6 through music. You will be encouraging your children to put on the Armor of God so that they can understand God’s truth as they are confronted with lies in our culture. You can listen to The Armor of God on Spotify, Amazon and Apple music, or purchase the music and videos at www.seedsfamilyworship.com.
JASON HOUSER founded the Seeds Family Worship ministry nineteen years ago and has led teams in creating over two hundred Scripture worship songs and videos to help kids and parents sing God’s Word. He co-wrote the well-known CCM songs “Broken Things” and “The Motions” and co-wrote a parenting discipleship book called Dedicated with Bobby and Chad Harrington. He is also the co-author of the new family discipleship resource Real Life Theology Conversations: A Guide to Essential Questions and Answers for Family Discipleship.
