“If we don’t teach our children to follow Jesus, the world will teach them not to.”- Unknown

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 builds on Paul dissecting the ways he has surrendered his personal rights for the sake of the gospel to be preached. As we learn the verse with our children, let’s ask a few questions over dinner or even in the car (utilize the car time wisely, THINK: captive audience! No tech, turn the radio down)

• What rights do we, personally and as a family, hold very dear? (freedoms, political views)

• How does each of these rights potentially prevent us from being a witness for the gospel?

These verses are NOT telling Christians to compromise on faith or moral living to reach others for the gospel. Find time to discuss these questions or others you come up with, keep the conversation light and engaging, this is not a good time to lecture. The goal is to keep communication open as a family to wrestle with how God’s Word instructs us, in this instance through Paul:

• What things do we believe, based on how God tells us to live, differ from our friends, teachers, and neighbors?

• How can we keep ourselves open to these people to share the gospel without pretending we agree with their life choices?

• What ‘rules’ from God seem unclear or are hard to understand or know how to follow as a child? Write them down and start a family study to learn what God’s Word says about each of them, equipping you as a family to know how to ‘be all things to all people’ without compromising God’s moral standard in your lives.

Giving Kids a Moral Compass: A Focus on the Family Parenting Techniques Article

The Gospel Project: Tips for Avoiding Teaching Moralism to Kids