What's your Family's Altar?

A major denomination (that would be my own) commissioned a $1,000,000.00 study.  The purpose of this study was to discover and find what factors influenced a child to remain in the faith of their parents as they grew to adulthood.  You'll be shocked with the conclusion.  The deciding factor was NOT Awana, Sunday School attendance, worship service attendance, or participation in the church youth group.  The one deciding factor was whether or not the child's family had held family devotions!  Now you know many of us are feeling guilty.  

"Want to keep your kids in the faith?  Your choice:  "Family altar, or Satan will alter your family."

No I'm not saying that your kids shouldn't be in Sunday School, go to Awana, or attend youth group.  These should be the minimums.  Going to Sunday school should be like going to regular school for them.  Recently when my little on was have breathing problems because the air quality was bad, I kept him at home.  To make things easier on me, I kept the older ones home too. When my jumpy middle one realized about 10 that we weren't going anywhere he screams..."Hey mom...you forgot about Sunday School.  Let's get going I don't want to miss church!"   God's truth can even come out of the mouth of an arrogant and foolish preteen.  Let's be in the habit of meeting together...at church...and in the home to focus on the word of the Lord.  

If a family has devotions in the home...then maybe they attend church as well.  If they have devotions in the home...maybe they follow the bible in the home as well.  (I know if I speed...my oldest will call me on it...because I'm breaking the law and he now know that.)  If these families have devotions maybe parents are living more Godly lives and children see the realness of God in their home.  Maybe the family that has devotions are the ones who are actually "training" their children like Proverbs says.  It's something for us parents to really thing about.

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go,  And when he is old he will not depart from it.