Can you complete the Armor of God Family Challenge?

 

SARA FONTANA presents an ARMOR OF GOD Family Challenge....

Take up the Armor of God challenge in your family.

• Print out this blog and use it for Faith Conversations and discussion during the month.
•  Discuss one piece of armor during dinner and use the Faith Conversation questions & tips listed below to have a discussion on how you, your child and your family can put on and use that part of the armor of God.
• Watch the Armor of God YouTube video with your children https://youtu.be/KxBHEkEzT3M Armor of God Song by BearHug band

Research has shown that families who make the time to have family dinners together and have Faith Conversations with their children raise up adults who stand strong in their faith. The challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to have faith conversations in your family centered on Ephesians 6:10-18 which gives us direction on putting on the full armor of God so that we can "take our stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Stand firm then with the...

 BELT OF TRUTH 

• Faith Conversation questions: What is the Truth we believe in our family? How can we place that Truth around us every day? How can we know God, love God and serve God every day?
• Discussion Points: The Truth is God loves you! You are loved! You are made in the image of God. As the Bible says, "Male and female God created them. God blessed them..." Each family is filled with unique persons. Each person in the family is called to know God, to love God and serve God every day. God placed each of us in this family for a purpose.

 BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

•  Faith Conversation questions: What does a Breastplate protect? What is the Greatest Commandment and how can we protect our heart by embracing what God commands us to do? How will living out the Greatest Commandment every day help build my confidence in knowing I am right with God? What is one thing that I can do for myself today that is loving? What is one thing I can do that is loving for my closest neighbor - one of my family members? What is the difference between "righteous" and "self-righteous"?
•  Discussion points: The Greatest Commandment is to love God with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. When you embrace the greatest commandment as your breastplate you live with the confidence knowing your are right with God. Not self-righteous where you think I am better than others but righteous that is confident in God's love and truly desiring others to have that same confidence and knowledge.
•  Activity: Have everyone in the family make a breastplate, or draw a breastplate and write in the Greatest Commandment on the front of it.

 SHOES/FITTED WITH READINESS THAT COMES FROM THE GOSPEL OF PEACE

•  Faith Conversation questions: What happens when our shoes don't fit well? Do they hurt? When your feet hurt, or some part of the body hurts, is it harder for us to be kind and thoughtful to others? What happens when our shoes fit well? Can we keep them on longer?
• hat will be the fruit of our life and our family's life if we are fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace? The Gospel means 'good news'. What is Jesus telling us about the Good News of peace in the Gospel John 14:17? John 16:33? John 20:21?
• Discussion points: The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law. When you put on the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness then your life is fitted to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit and be witness to God's love to all those you meet. Your family can change the world one person at a time and one family at a time by living the Good News every day and sharing why you live the way you do with all those who ask.

 THE SHIELD OF FAITH

•  Faith Conversation questions: What is a shield used for? What is our Faith? Roman soldiers would put their shields up as they walked together. They could form a protective wall above them and all around them when they used their shields together. How can we as a family walk together in faith?
• Jesus is always with us. How can putting up the shield of faith be used when I open the internet, or look at my -phone, or listen to music? How can I use my shield of faith when someone is trying to show me something or have me do something that will not produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit?
•  Discussion points: News and daily happenings in the world can bring fear into our hearts and uncertainty about God's prevailing love and the Salvation given by Jesus Christ. It is important to keep our shoes fitted with the Gospel of Peace - beyond all understanding - and take up our shields of faith as a family to protect us from the flaming arrows of the evil one that will constantly try to tear our families apart. Stand fast together and raise up your shields of faith not against one another but against the evil one that might have seeped into our homes.

 THE HELMET OF SALVATION

• Faith Conversation questions: What is helmet used for? What is Salvation? How can we be mindful and keep our thoughts centered on what Jesus Christ did for us? 
• (Faith Conversation with older students and parents) Sara Fontana has a phrase that she lives by, "The eternal perspective should govern the temporal perspective." How could that phrase be part of putting on the helmet of salvation?  
• Discussion points: GOOD PICTURES, BAD PICTURES https://www.defendyoungminds.com/ is an excellent book I use to teach children about what to do if they see pornography and to help them to be able to navigate in a world where they will see or hear things that are not of God. In the book Kristen Jenson explains to the children that we have two brains. A thinking brain and a feeling brain. A good concept to teach children because things might feel good that lead to addictions. How can we strengthen the thinking brain to be in charge and put on our Helmet of Salvation to think before we do.

 THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

•    Faith Conversation questions & Discussion items: What is the Sword of the Spirit referenced in Ephesians? ("which is the word of God") What is the word of God? (the Bible)
•  Roman soldiers would need to practice sword fighting on a regular basis in order to be ready for battle. What can we do to practice with the "Sword of the Spirit"? Would it be good to read the Bible individually and as a family? How can we make that happen? Could we have a quote that we memorize each week together? Could we read a Gospel verse every day together?
•   (Faith Conversation with older students and parents) Jesus had a 'Sword of the Spirit' fight with Satan in Matthew 4:1-11. Have a discussion about how Satan used scripture and how Jesus refuted what Satan quoted. 

Repeat each year to see how everyone is doing in putting on their Armor of God each day.