MER 1_Talk 7_Building Our Homes For God.pptx

MER 1

1. BUILDING OUR HOMES FOR GOD CFC Sacred Heart Chapter Prayer Assembly – Xavier Chapel 7:30PM May 25,2024 Bring your Teens, those who will be our participants for the upcoming Youth Camp.

2. Our task as Christian couples is to build our homes for God .

3. We do not act as Christians simply when we are in church or together as CFC, but also when we are in the privacy of our homes.

4. What is a Christian home? What are some of its elements?

5. A Christian home provides the environment that allows us to raise a Christian family.

6. It is the center of our Christian life .

7. It is a source of stability for our family members.

8. It is our center and base for evangelization.

9. CHARACTERISTIC OF A CHRISTIAN HOME.

10. Faith.

11. A place where the Lord Jesus reigns.

12. A place where prayers and Scripture form an integral part of the family pattern of life.

13. Family prayers. Blessing of the children, sealing them with God's protection. Prayers for healing. Reading of Scripture.

14. A place where the goodness of the Lord is recounted and remembered often.

15. Service love.

16. A place where each member of the family is eager to serve others .

17. The father leads. He sets the limits for service.

18. The mother makes the home a place of hospitality .

19. Brothers and sisters are welcome. Needs are cared for. We distinguish between the Christian view of hospitality ( to serve ) and the world's view ( to impress ).

20. Children are introduced to service as a natural part of life .

21. Let the children serve snacks. Let them welcome the guests. Do not send them away when guests come.

22. Peace.

23. A place where relationship are working well.

24. This does not mean that there will never be relationship difficulties. But is does mean that we have matured enough in our relationships so that we know how to handle difficulties when they arise.

25. The family pattern of life is relaxed and orderly.

26. This frees us from the frantic pace of the world. This enables members of the family to serve the Lord in various ways.

27. A place where God's providence and provisions are experienced

28. Family members are free from the anxieties and pressures of the world.

29. Order.

30. This simply proceeds from our relationship with God, who is a God of order .

31. Order in the roles of husband/ father, wife/mother, children. Their roles should be clear, defined and lived out .

32. The father is the protector, provider and priest. The mother makes the home a place of warmth, a place where life can happen. The children honor, respect and obey their parents.

33. Order in schedule, in their life together.

34. The home is not a boarding house. There should be ample opportunities for family members to interact with one another, to enjoy each other's presence. TV and outside activities should not usurp family time. We should focus on recreation that allows interaction.

35. There should be physical order .

36. Cleanliness. A system for storage.

37. HOW CAN WE BUILD OUR HOMES FOR GOD?

38. Make a decision

39. Evaluate your home.

40. Prepare a plan. This includes goals, time frame, and specific things to do.

41. Have the right mind and attitude.

42. Evaluate your progress against your plan.

43. We are living in a society where support structures for good Christian family life are slowly collapsing.

44. There is hope. For God still is in control. We are a people called by the Lord

45. Thus our task and our calling is to build a Christian home, a place where Christian culture will be truly lived to the full.

46. Let us build with the Lord. He is the architect and very life of every Christian home .

47. Let us evaluate how we are building. Let us imagine a time when Jesus in the flesh comes knocking at our door.

48. Do we shut the door in his face and panic, because our home is far from what he wants it to be? Or do we praise God and rejoice, for the one whom we have prepared our home for all these years has come!

49. HOW CAN CFC HELP US IN BUILDING OUR HOMES FOR GOD?

50. CFC Programs for Families Our Family Ministries

51. CFC Gateway Evangelization Program Family is a Gift Young Couples Program KFC – Family International Conference Family Enrichment Retreat Family TIES Family Day Global Day of Service

52. CFC Family Formation – in Chapters Chapter Fellowship MER 1 & MER 2 Rearing our Catholic Kids Shaping Catholic Identity in Teens

53. “How can we support our Families in Sacred Heart CFC to build our Home for God?”