Home: An Embassy of Grace

Total Time: ~3 hours
Focus: To explore the biblical vision for a family and a home that is centered not on rules or perfect performance, but on the reality of God’s grace, becoming a place of safety, love, and generational faithfulness.

🧱 Session 1 — The Foundational Allegiance (60 mins)

Theme: A grace-filled home is built not on a foundation of rules for behavior, but on a conscious, shared allegiance to God Himself, where loving Him is the central purpose and serving Him is the family’s core identity.

📖 Reading

Deuteronomy 6:4–9
Joshua 24:14–24

📖 Key Passages

• Deuteronomy 6:4–5:
  “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

• Deuteronomy 6:6–7:
  “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…”

• Joshua 24:15:
  “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

🔍 Word Study Suggestions

• Hear — Hebrew: שְׁמַע (shema)
  More than just auditory listening. It means to hear, to listen intently, to pay attention, and to respond in obedience.

• Love — Hebrew: אָהַב (ahab)
  A deep affection and loyalty that involves the whole person—heart, soul, and strength.

📚 Theological Framework: The Central Command

The first and most important characteristic of a godly home is not what it does, but who it loves. The command to love God with one’s entire being is the “cornerstone” of the home. Teaching children about God flows from a heart that already loves God. This is not about behavior modification, but about heart orientation. Joshua’s choice is a deliberate act of setting a “flag” in the ground, declaring the family’s ultimate loyalty and identity.

🗣️ Discussion Questions

1. The “Shema” commands that God’s words should first be “in thine heart.” Why is the parents’ own heart-condition the necessary first step before teaching their children?
2. Joshua presents a clear choice to the people. How does making a conscious, deliberate choice to “serve the LORD” as a family provide a foundation and identity for a home?
3. How can a family practically keep God’s words and story at the center of their daily life (“when thou sittest in thine house… when thou walkest by the way…”)?

🧱 Session 2 — The Atmosphere of Grace (60–75 mins)

Theme: The internal relationships of a Christ-centered home are not governed by a system of performance and demand, but by a grace-filled atmosphere of mutual love, forgiveness, and submission, all flowing from our shared identity in Christ.

📖 Reading

Colossians 3:12–21
Proverbs 15:1

📖 Key Passages

• Colossians 3:12–13:
  “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

• Colossians 3:19, 21:
  “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them… Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”

• Proverbs 15:1:
  “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”

📚 Theological Framework: The Overflow of a New Identity

Paul’s instructions are not a list of rules to follow in order to become a good family. He begins by reminding them of their identity: they are “the elect of God, holy and beloved.” The instructions that follow are the natural result or fruit of living out that secure identity. Because we have been forgiven by Christ, we can forgive each other. Because we are beloved by God, we can love each other. The actions are an overflow of the reality of grace, not an attempt to earn it.

🗣️ Discussion Questions

1. Paul tells us to forgive others “even as Christ forgave you.” How does rooting our forgiveness of family members in Christ’s forgiveness of us change the dynamic from a difficult duty to a grateful response?
2. The instructions to husbands (love, don’t be bitter) and fathers (don’t provoke or discourage) focus on creating an atmosphere of safety and love, rather than demanding performance. Why is this so crucial for a healthy family?
3. What does a “soft answer” look like in a real family conflict? How can it de-escalate a situation and open the door for grace?

🧱 Session 3 — The Legacy of Faithfulness (60 mins)

Theme: The primary goal of a Christ-centered home is not to raise perfectly-behaved children, but to faithfully pass on the story of God’s goodness and grace to the next generation, so they too might place their hope in Him.

📖 Reading

Psalm 78:1–8
2 Timothy 1:3–7

📖 Key Passages

• Psalm 78:4:
  “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.”

• Psalm 78:7:
  “That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:”

• 2 Timothy 1:5:
  “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

🧠 Reflection & Application

• According to Psalm 78, what is the ultimate goal of telling our children about God’s works? How is this different from a goal of simple moral compliance?
• Paul praises the “unfeigned” (sincere, not hypocritical) faith passed down through Timothy’s family. What’s the difference between passing down a set of religious rules versus passing down a sincere faith?
• What are some practical ways your family can establish traditions of remembering and recounting God’s faithfulness, both from the Bible and in your own lives?

✝️ Final Encouragement: The Embassy of the Kingdom

A Christ-centered home is not a museum for perfect people. It is an embassy of the Kingdom of Grace, located in a foreign land. It is a workshop where forgiveness is practiced daily, a hospital where the wounded are tended to, and a studio where the beauty of the Gospel is put on display for a watching world. Our goal is not to build a perfect family through our own strength and wisdom, but to create a safe and grace-filled environment where each member can grow in the security of knowing they are unconditionally loved by the Father, and where the story of His love is told and retold from one generation to the next.