Episode Details

Blueprints set a STANDARD

• How it should be

When blueprints aren’t followed, disaster happens

 

That’s what this series is about…

Blueprints

God’s design for church and family
God is a God of design
Psalm 8:3-4

3 When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 4 what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?
A MAJOR THEME in the story the Bible is telling is:

 

Let’s first define Family:

A family consists of people, usually related, with shared values that provide safety, guidance, accountability, respect, and forgiveness.

 

Let’s build a BIBLICAL THEME of Family…

1: God planned and placed the family at the beginning of creation

Genesis 2:24

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.

2: God designed the family for human flourishing

Genesis 1:28

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”

3: The enemy of God hates family

Genesis 4

8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”
The enemy always tries to mimic and distort to eventually destroy anything g that God has created for our good

4: God has chosen to redeem the world through a family

Genesis 12

12 The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

 

What does all this mean?
To God, Family is a BIG DEAL

• His blueprint for human flourishing and happiness is through Family

Some Examples:

Father vs. Absent Fathers

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17.8 million children, nearly 1 in 4, live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.

No father:

Research shows that when a child is raised in a father-absent home, they are affected in the following ways…

• Greater Risk of Poverty
• More Likely to Have Behavioral Problems
• Greater Risk of Infant Mortality
• More Likely to Go to Prison More Likely to Commit Crime
• More Likely to Become Pregnant as a Teen
• More Likely to Face Abuse and Neglect
• More Likely to Abuse Drugs and Alcohol
• More Likely to Suffer Obesity
• More Likely to Drop Out of School

Kids:

Children with involved fathers have a strong foundation for child well-being. They are at lower risk for…

• Infant Mortality Low Birth Weight
• Emotional and Behavioral Problems
• Neglect and Abuse
• Injury
• Obesity
• Poor School Performance
• Teen Pregnancy
• Incarceration as Juveniles
• Alcohol and Substance Abuse
• Criminal Activity
• Suicide

Mom:

Mothers with active fathers in the home…

• More likely to receive prenatal care
• Less likely to smoke during pregnancy
• Healthier births
• Lower risk of post-partum stress & depression
• Lower parenting stress
• More leisure time
• Higher marital satisfaction

(All info taken from https://www.fath