Sunday Morning Worship
February 16, 2014
Series: “Family 2.0”
Today: “Family Rituals”
Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NLT And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Intro: When God called Abraham and developed a people to be God’s family, He wanted them to create rituals that positively affected each member of the family.
A. What is a ritual? Deuteronomy 6:7 – “ repeat them again and again.”
B. Rituals create long term memory ; things we’ll never forget. 
C. There are three key words in our scripture today.
I. MUST .
A. God was giving parents a charge ; authority over; their commission.
B. Parents, start a plan today to create rituals that will positively affect your family. 
II. WHOLEHEARTEDLY .
A. God wanted total and joyful buy-in .
B. Ask God to energize you daily! Start each morning with a prayer:
“Father, keep me enthusiastic about the God honoring rituals we’ve committed to.” 
III. REPEAT .
A. God created us and He knows how our ___memories__ operate.
Deuteronomy 6:7-9 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
B. Your rituals need to be put on your calendar .
1. When do we have our God time ?
2. When do we go to worship ?
3. When is family night?
4. When is date night?
Conclusion: Negative rituals come without intention. Positive rituals take intentional effort!