Kingdom Parenting: Just Like Your Father

Kingdom Parenting: Just Like Your Father

Another amazing and Spirit-filled Sunday! Thank you to Abby for sharing her testimony on becoming an intern at Lifespring and for Ada & Rodney (mainly Ada) speaking to the church family!

As Ada shared how Jesus – the greatest Kingdom Parent – cared for others, she focused on how he did so in a holistic way. Caring for the human development in 5 significant areas:

Jesus
1. Physical
Jesus met the physical needs of the people – feeding and healing

2. Cognitive
Jesus met the cognitive needs of the people – teaching in parables and with relatable/practical stories

3. Social
Jesus met the social needs of the people – he gathered the disciples together and would be friends with the outcasts

4. Emotional
Jesus met the emotional needs of the people – Jesus wept and had compassion on others

5. Spiritual
Jesus met the spiritual needs of the people – he always pointed the people to God the Father, he always pointed people from where they are to where God wants them to be

After teaching us about these things – she brought to our attention something that I had never seen before, Lifespring also cares for others in these 5 significant areas!

Lifespring
1. Physical
Lifespring meets the physical needs of the people – partnering with the food bank, providing Christmas and Mother’s Day hampers, giving resources for the water wells

2. Cognitive
Lifespring meets the cognitive needs of the people – being part of Family Life (marriage oneness), teaching H&D class, discipling, preaching

3. Social
Lifespring meets the social needs of the people – we build a family, we share food, we play together, we open our homes for people inside and outside the church

4. Emotional
Lifespring meets the emotional needs of the people – when the Seows needed prayers, prayers were lifted, when the Wees were grieving, care and prayers were provided

5. Spiritual
Lifespring meets the spiritual needs of the people – as we worship, as we disciple, as we journey with one another – we point the people to Jesus

When Karyne and I first had Justus, I had no idea how to care or talk to my child. I found myself, for some odd reason, speaking to him in a Singaporean accent. I had no idea why, I simply did. One day Karyne asked me why I sound like a Singaporean grandma. I realized that my parents would speak to Justus in a Singaporean accent and I simply observed and mimicked them without even knowing it! In essence, I was just like my father/mother! I didn’t try to be, I simply observed and learned from those I know, love, trust, and respect.

I believe Kingdom Parenting is just like this weird Singaporean accent example. To become Kingdom Parents is not about mastering a technique and strategy, I believe Kingdom Parenting is being so close to the Father that we begin to become “Just Like Our Father”. As we draw close to Him, we can’t help being just like Him! We begin to care for others the way Jesus cared for others, we begin to speak the way He speaks, love the way He loves.

I pray that this church family will look just like the Father because the people of Lifespring, are just like the Father.