The Marriage and Family Seminar provides a framework for understanding the callings of member of the family. Like Shepherding a Child’s Heart, the focus is on the importance of the heart as the wellspring and the power and enablement of the gospel. The biblical roles of the husband, wife, children and the parents as a couple are summarized under a single word for each. This seminar is commonly presented in a five session, Friday evening, Saturday morning format, although Tedd is open to presenting the material in other formats. The following schedule is typical.
Friday Evening
6:30 – 7:00 p.m. Registration
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Getting to the Heart of Family Life
The heart is the well-spring of life. The things we say and do have their origin in the heart. One of the primary uses of the Bible is to help us to understand our hearts. Subtle unrecognized idols of the heart frequently lie beneath some of our most difficult family issues. Our goal is a deepened understanding of the heart and greater insight into the power and enablement of the gospel.
8:00 – 8:15 p.m. Break
8:15 – 9:15 p.m.What is a Family?
The Christian family is a theological learning center where God’s glory is on display. It is a sociological learning center where children learn to live with and love others. It is a redemptive learning center where parents stand in solidarity with their children as people who sin, are sinned against and must experience the grace of redemption working within.
Saturday Morning
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Husbands, Love your Wives
In a word, a husband is called to love his wife, to love her like Christ loves the church. In this session we will explore the implications of this self-sacrificing love, identify why it is so hard for men to do and see how the gospel empowers men for such love.
10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Break
10:15 – 11:15 Wives, Respect your Husbands
Wives are to respect their husbands. Husbands need respect like wives need love. We will investigate why the command is to respect rather than to love and the particular challenges for a wife who desires to respect her husband.
11:15-11:30 Break
11:30 – 12:30 Children, Honor your Parents
Children honor their parents by living joyfully under authority. Parents have the opportunity not to demand obedience, but to provide rich foundations of thought and understanding that make sense of children spending their youth and teen years just like Jesus did.
(OPTIONAL SESSION) Parents, Shepherd your Children
The role of parents is not just managing and controlling the children – it is nurture. We are called to shepherd them, to help them to understand themselves and their need for grace as well as understanding how the grace of the gospel enable us to love as people who love God and love others.
