TLP 119: How Your Family’s Future is Tied to the Past

Your family won’t be able to glorify God in the future unless it knows and remembers His promises from the past. Join AMBrewster as he reminds us why remembering is so important and shares some important truths our families need to remember. 

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Episode Notes

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Transcript

Introduction

Happy fifth day of Christmas!​

I don’t know if any of you received golden rings today, but if you did, congratulations!

Today we have a short reminder of many reminders.

But first I’d like to remind you that from now until the end of January, all new and former Patrons will receive upgraded thank-you’s when they commit to supporting us monthly on Patreon.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, please listen to our last episode, “Our Christmas Present to You!,” and click the “Support TLP” link in the description.
And I’d also want to invite you to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter in the New Year. Every day on Facebook we do our best to share about three parenting articles written by various authors. On Twitter we post throughout the day with Bible verses and quotes about parenting, marriage, and family. I believe you’ll find it refreshing, challenging, and helpful.
And — of course — you can be a blessing to your friends by sharing our twice-weekly podcast on social media too!
One of the joys of following us on social media is all the reminders. Sure, we post many things that will likely sound new or present original ideas, but I believe one of our greatest gifts to you is the continual reminders of the things you already know.

Truth.Love.Parent. is a member of the Evermind Ministries family, and the mission of Evermind is to “keep God’s Word at the center of the human experience by teaching it, reminding of it, and applying it to life.”

I pray we’re living up to that mission.

Topic

So, today’s episode is called, “How Your Family’s Future is Tied to the Past.” ​

This is really my way or reminding us why we bother to study history.

Everyone should know when a History teacher asks you, “Why do we study history?” the correct answer is, “We study the past so we don’t make the same mistakes.”

So, let’s peruse some ancient history for a moment. The book of Genesis is about beginnings — the beginning of the world, the human race, sin, God’s people, and the Gospel. 

Exodus is about God’s people being miraculously redeemed.

Leviticus is about God teaching His people how they’re to relate to Him.

Numbers chronicles who God’s people were.

And Deuteronomy is about God giving His people everything they needed for life and godliness.

Now, check this out. Various forms of the word “remember” are used nine times in Genesis, seven times in Exodus, two times in Leviticus, and four times in Numbers.

But derivations of the word “remember” are used fifteen times in Deuteronomy! In fact, in the totality of the Old Testament, only three other books use the word “remember” more times than Deuteronomy.
Don’t you think that’s interesting?

In the one book that spends the most time teaching God’s people how to live with Him and each other, God roots their present behavior in their past.

Many times their motivation for doing right in the here-and-now is directly founded on God’s goodness in the past.

In Deuteronomy 5:15, God says, “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”
In 7:18 the Jews are told not to fear the people of Canaan. Why? “You shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.”

All throughout Deuteronomy God’s people are commanded to remember God’s goodness, their sin, His provision, their forgetfulness, their slavery, their emancipation, and more.

Why?

The resounding answer is that their remembrances of the past would help them do right in the future.

And the rest of the Old Testament is a tragic example of what happens when God’s people forget to remember.

So, what’s the application for your family in the New Year?

Well, if your family’s future is tied to your past. The most important question is how well does your family know its past?

Do your kids know how God mercifully saved you from eternal death? If they’re born again, do they remember their own salvation?
Does your family remember God’s provision from two years ago?

Have your kids forgotten why you have so many rules their friends’ parents don’t have?
Do they remember the hard truths they learned when they sinned last week?

Does your family ever reflect on the Truth your pastor preached last Sunday?

Do your children remember God’s goodness in their lives? 

Let’s go back even farther, do they remember God’s goodness to the Children of Israel? 

Do they remember the sin of Adam and Eve?

Do they remember Who God is?

Thanksgiving and Christmas are wonderful times for reminiscing, but tomorrow our present is going to rise or fall on our ability to remember.

Let me ask you this — did you spend any time with your Lord today? Did you read His Word?
For those of you who didn’t, likely you weren’t thinking about everything you’ve learned concerning the riches of God’s Truth. You weren’t reflecting on all the times God’s Word has lit your path and cleansed your heart. You didn’t remember how the Bible has repeatedly handed you everything you needed for life and godliness. The peace and joy and contentment to which the Bible points wasn’t on your mind.

If it had, you and I both know you’d have taken the time to read it today.

Now, please listen. I don’t say this to criticize anybody. 

I say this to remind us.
Lord willing, tomorrow you will again wake up. And if you forget to start your day as our Lord so often did — by taking an intentional moment with His Father — your tomorrow will be directly affected by it. Your family will be affected by it.

Please remember.

In a few days we’ll be celebrating the New Year. Many people will make New Year’s resolutions. Along those lines, I encourage you to listen or re-listen to episode 16 called “Planning for a Successful Family.” I think you’ll find it to be a blessing.

But the New Year too often spent looking forward.

Conclusion

Maybe you can ring in the New Year looking back. Set your family up for success by remembering past successes and — most importantly — remembering Who gave you those successes.​

Take the time to remind your children of the Gospel. Remind them of the glorious and undeserved privilege it is to have a relationship with God and have direct access to His mind through the Bible, His heart through His Son, and His strength through the Spirit. 

If you check out today’s episode notes, you’ll find a list of reminders. I encourage you to use the as a spring board for intentional times of remembering. 

And, if you haven’t noticed, this is the last episode of Season 4 and 2017.
I’m very excited about Season 5. We’re starting off the New year with a two-part episode called, “No Greater Joy | what you need for joy in your parenting.” Lord willing, those will be followed by a discussion on “Needy Parenting” and “Parenting Like the Holy Spirit.”

And then after a short episode on Parenting Trends in 2018, we’re going to spend the rest of the season discussing various facets of love and hate.

Please allow me to whet your appetite. I hope to do an episode called “How to Rear a Hateful Kid” and another about the growing fight culture in our country.

Then we’ll transition into our Four Loves series that I previewed for you in episode 118. I’m really looking forward to that. 

Then we’ll talk about “Hosea Parenting,” whether or not you really want to be your child’s friend and what it really means to be their friend, and then I want to do a series on teaching your children to obey. We’ll look at the biblical data on what obedience really is and provide you some family talking points for your kids as you help them understand obedience. 

But there will be other discussions and studies as well. In fact, I’d like to get at least three Special Guests on the show during Season 5, so I hope you’re looking forward to that.

And — before you know it — it’ll be April!

Thank you for subscribing and for giving.

Truth.Love.Parent. is a listener-supported ministry. Your faithful gifts make it possible for us to serve families all over the world.

You can also help families by sharing today’s episode on social media. If being reminded to remember was helpful for you, it’ll definitely be helpful to your friends.

And please don’t hesitate to ask us questions at [email protected] or request show topics at [email protected].
There’s wonderful, miraculous, and eternal hope for your family in the New Year, but that hope is rooted and built up in the blessings and promises of the past. 

Does your family remember?

See you next time.