Counter-Cultural Living: Strengthening Family and Faith

Devotional

Day 1: The Role of Family and Church in Raising Godly Children

The dedication of little Garrison Dean serves as a powerful reminder of the crucial role that family and church play in raising children to love Jesus. In a world where the family unit is under attack, it is our collective responsibility to create a stable, godly environment for our children. Parents, grandparents, and the church community must work together to shield children from harmful cultural influences and guide them in the ways of the Lord. This dedication is not just a ceremonial act but a commitment to nurture and protect the spiritual growth of the next generation. [35:01]

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV): "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Reflection: How can you actively contribute to creating a godly environment for the children in your life, whether they are your own or part of your church community?

Day 2: The Collision of Culture and Kingdom Values

Our world is experiencing a collision between cultural norms and God's kingdom values. The culture promotes temporary pleasures and moral decay, while the kingdom of God calls us to live holy, counter-cultural lives. This battle requires us to be vigilant and steadfast in our faith. We must recognize the ways in which cultural ideologies infiltrate our homes, schools, and even churches, and stand firm in our commitment to God's Word. By living counter-culturally, we can be a light in the darkness and uphold the values of the kingdom of God. [01:04:31]

Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Reflection: In what ways have you noticed cultural influences affecting your faith and values? How can you actively resist these influences and live according to God's kingdom values?

Day 3: Rediscovering God's Word and Reordering Our Lives

Like King Josiah, we must rediscover God's Word, repent, and reorder our lives according to His commandments. This involves identifying and removing any influences that lead us away from God and ensuring that our homes and communities are aligned with His will. Josiah's actions of national repentance and reformation serve as a model for us to follow. By prioritizing God's Word and making necessary changes in our lives, we can experience spiritual renewal and draw closer to Him. [01:29:16]

2 Kings 23:3 (ESV): "And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant."

Reflection: What are some influences in your life that may be leading you away from God? How can you take steps to remove these influences and realign your life with His Word?

Day 4: Recognizing and Combating the Spirit of Asherah

The spirit of Asherah, representing lust and moral decay, is infiltrating our society. We must recognize and combat this influence by living according to God's Word and not conforming to the world's standards. This requires a conscious effort to be counter-cultural in our approach to life. By standing firm in our faith and upholding godly values, we can resist the pervasive influence of moral decay and be a positive example to those around us. [01:25:09]

Ephesians 5:11-12 (ESV): "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret."

Reflection: How can you identify and combat the spirit of Asherah in your own life and community? What practical steps can you take to live according to God's Word and resist moral decay?

Day 5: Surrendering Everything to God

True victory over cultural influences comes from fully surrendering our lives to God. By committing our hearts, souls, and strength to Him, we can live as a counter-cultural force, shining light into the darkness and advancing the kingdom of God. Surrendering everything to God means trusting Him with every aspect of our lives and allowing Him to guide our decisions and actions. This level of commitment requires daily dedication and a willingness to let go of our own desires in favor of His will. [01:34:30]

Matthew 16:24-25 (ESV): "Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.'"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we celebrated Family Day at South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church, a day filled with joy, dedication, and a powerful message about the importance of family and community in the body of Christ. We began by dedicating little Garrison Dean, emphasizing the role of parents, grandparents, and the church community in raising him to be a lover of Jesus Christ. This dedication was a reminder that the family unit is under attack by the enemy, and it is our collective responsibility to create a stable, godly environment for our children.

We also welcomed Anna Harper into our church family, recognizing her commitment to serve and grow within our community. Her joining signifies that we are indeed "better together," as we continue to knit our lives through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The core of today's message focused on the collision between the culture of this world and the kingdom of God. We examined how the culture is infiltrating our homes, schools, and even churches, promoting ideologies that are contrary to the Word of God. The spirit of Asherah, representing lust and moral decay, is prevalent in our society, and it is our duty to stand against it by living counter-culturally.

We looked at the story of King Josiah from 2 Kings 22-23, who rediscovered the Book of the Law and led a national repentance. Josiah's actions serve as a model for us: to repent, receive God's forgiveness, reorder our lives, and rededicate ourselves to the Lord. This process involves identifying and removing the influences that lead us away from God, ensuring that our lives and homes are aligned with His Word.

In conclusion, we are called to be a counter-cultural movement, living as salt and light in a dark world. By surrendering everything to God and committing to His ways, we can protect our families and communities from the pervasive influence of the world. Today is a good day to draw a line in the sand and declare, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

###

Key Takeaways

1. cultural lives. This battle requires us to be vigilant and steadfast in our faith. [01:04:31]
3. Repentance and Reordering Our Lives: Like King Josiah, we must rediscover God's Word, repent, and reorder our lives according to His commandments. This involves removing any influences that lead us away from God and ensuring that our homes and communities are aligned with His will.

4. The Spirit of Asherah: The spirit of Asherah, representing lust and moral decay, is infiltrating our society. We must recognize and combat this influence by living according to God's Word and not conforming to the world's standards. This requires a conscious effort to be counter-cultural in our approach to life.

5. Surrendering Everything to God: True victory over cultural influences comes from fully surrendering our lives to God. By committing our hearts, souls, and strength to Him, we can live as a counter-cultural force, shining light into the darkness and advancing the kingdom of God.

### [64:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Introduction and Family Day
[02:30] - Child Dedication: Garrison Dean
[10:00] - The Role of Family and Church
[15:00] - Welcoming Anna Harper
[20:00] - The Collision of Culture and Kingdom
[30:00] - The Spirit of Asherah
[40:00] - Repentance and Reordering Our Lives
[50:00] - The Story of King Josiah
[60:00] - Living Counter-Culturally
[70:00] - Surrendering Everything to God
[80:00] - Prayer and Commitment
[90:00] - Closing Remarks and Instructions
[100:00] - Prayer Over the Food and Fellowship

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What actions did King Josiah take after rediscovering the Book of the Law in 2 Kings 22-23?
According to 1 Corinthians 1:18-20, how does the world perceive the message of the cross?
What does 1 John 2:15-17 say about loving the world and its desires?
In the sermon, what was emphasized as the collective responsibility of the church community in raising children? [35:01]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think King Josiah's actions in 2 Kings 22-23 were significant for the nation of Israel?
How can the message of the cross be both foolishness to some and the power of God to others, as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:18-20?
What does it mean to not love the world or anything in it, according to 1 John 2:15-17? How does this apply to our daily lives?
The sermon mentioned the spirit of Asherah representing lust and moral decay. How can we identify and combat this influence in our own lives? [01:25:09]

Application Questions

Reflect on the role of family and community in your life. How can you contribute to creating a stable, godly environment for the children in your church? [35:01]
The sermon highlighted the collision between cultural norms and God's kingdom values. Can you identify any areas in your life where cultural influences are conflicting with your faith? How can you address these conflicts? [01:04:31]
King Josiah led a national repentance after rediscovering the Book of the Law. Is there something in your life that you need to repent for and reorder according to God's Word? [01:29:16]
The spirit of Asherah was described as infiltrating society with lust and moral decay. What practical steps can you take to guard your heart and mind against such influences? [01:25:09]
The sermon called for a full surrender to God to live as a counter-cultural force. What areas of your life have you not fully surrendered to God? How can you take steps to surrender them this week? [01:34:30]
How can you actively participate in being salt and light in your community, as the sermon encouraged? Are there specific actions you can take to shine light into the darkness around you? [01:04:31]
The sermon emphasized the importance of drawing a line in the sand and declaring, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." What does this declaration look like in your household? How can you make this commitment more evident in your daily life? [01:36:14]

Sermon Clips

1. "How many of you know that what excites me about this this morning is that I personally believe that one of the major attacks of Satan on Christianity on a whole is the attack of the family. And today, we get to see families say, we're in this together. Amen. And y'all better enjoy this because you've got competition coming down the road. Amen. And so, hey, eat it all up. You can. But we're so proud of them." [33:23] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Do you commit to be personal, to be parents of personal faith? Will you guard your faith and consider what that does? To sow seeds into little Garrison's life. Amen. And will recognizing your child and that they are more likely, he is more likely to follow God's path by the model that he sees more than he hears. Come on. Amen. All right. Do you commit to lead a faith-filled home that honors God in all of your relationships and in the choices you make in spiritually growing your family?" [35:01] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "What I'm saying is, is that we're going to model what we believe. We're going to model here throughout our church that we're going to be a place that has a doorway for all young people to come to know Jesus Christ and to use their faith to advance the gospel. So church family, do we agree to that? Amen? Amen. I wish I could cast vision right now, but we don't have time this morning." [37:56] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Listen, the culture no longer has an effect over us. We affect the culture. And so we are a counter-cultural movement. That means, by that, Ricky, that means we're a kingdom culture. And because we have a kingdom culture, we don't fit into the ways of this world. Our families ought to be structured different. Our families ought to operate different. And we ought to be salt and light into a dark, dark world. And trust me, we're in a dark world right now." [01:04:31] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "There's a spiritual battle going on. I need you to identify with that because if you miss that, you're going to think you can fix this on your own. Man can't fix what's going on in our culture right now. It's going to take the power of God through the Holy Spirit living in the lives of individuals that are willing to take a stand for the kingdom of God." [01:06:01] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "The culture is telling you. Just if it feels good, do it. That's what the culture is proclaiming to you. Listen, you only got one life. You might as live it as good as you can, as well as you can, and get all the gusto you can. And I've got news for you. If you're not saved, that's probably a good philosophy. But for those who are born again, that doesn't work well in our life. Because we're not living for the temporary, we're living for the eternal. And because we are, that changes our approach to everything in this world." [01:06:01] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "The sins that we commit in moderation, our children will commit in excess. And we wonder why the river waters are running. The way they are. It's a wake up call to the church. So here I am today. In love. Pleading with us. Hear me well. And you think the flood in the western part of our state is devastating? And it is. The spiritual flood of demonic activity is happening all around us. And we're acting like we're immune to it." [01:26:43] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "You want to defeat the culture in your household? You want to defeat the culture that your children are being inundated with? You want to defeat the culture that's coming through the airwaves into your house, through the television and everything else? I'll be honest with you, I usually call it the hell-a-vision. no good news comes through it. Well, except last night, Duke did win. I'm going sideways right now. Right there, Marty. So would you consider being counter-cultural today? Would you consider pushing against that which is trying to infiltrate your life?" [01:36:14] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "Giving up something now for something later isn't a real sacrifice. It's an investment. So what you just gave up is an investment into your family, not a sacrifice. Amen? Amen." [01:40:14] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Father, thank you so much for your word today that speaks into our life. Thank you for what it does to help us reorder our lives. Thank you that you are faithful and true. That when we repent, Lord, we see Josiah identifying the sin and cleansing the temple and receiving the forgiveness. And Lord, then reordering his life and the life of those around him. And then rededicating and recommitting." [01:36:46] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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