Discipleship at Home: Shaping Lives Through Love and Story

Summary

This week, the focus is on what it means to be disciples at home, exploring how the unseen “frames” of our lives—our structures and stories—shape not only our own discipleship but also the spiritual formation of those around us. Drawing from Deuteronomy 6:4-9, the call is to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to let this love permeate every aspect of our daily routines and family life. The Shema, recited daily by the Israelites, was not just a ritual but a way of embedding God’s story and commands into the very fabric of their homes and communities.

The “structures” of our lives are the habits and routines that often go unnoticed but powerfully shape what we value. These are the “what usually happens” moments—how we spend our mornings, what fills our conversations, what we prioritize in our schedules, and what is visible in our homes. These structures are not neutral; they are formed around what we love most. If our love is centered on God, then our daily rhythms, our use of time, and even our physical spaces will reflect that devotion. The challenge is to examine these patterns honestly and ask whether they are truly aligned with loving God with all our heart (our thoughts and intentions), soul (our embodied, physical lives), and strength (our resources and capacities).

Beyond structures, the “stories” we live by and tell—both to ourselves and to others—are equally formative. These stories give meaning to our routines and shape the worldview of our families. The Israelites were commanded to repeat the story of God’s redemption to their children, embedding a redemptive narrative into every generation. The stories we tell ourselves about our identity, our worth, and God’s work in our lives profoundly affect how we live and how we influence others. Likewise, the stories we repeat to our families—whether of God’s faithfulness or of our own anxieties—become the lens through which they interpret life.

Ultimately, the invitation is to let the grand story of the gospel—God at the center, not ourselves—reshape both our structures and our stories. This is not about perfection, but about continually re-centering our lives on Jesus, trusting in God’s grace to redeem our past and empower us for faithful discipleship in the present. Even if we look back with regret, God’s grace offers new beginnings, and every step toward centering our lives on Him is a step in the right direction.

Key Takeaways

- The Unseen Frames Shape Everything
The hidden structures of our lives—our routines, habits, and what “usually happens”—are the true frames that hold our homes and discipleship together. These are often invisible but determine whether our lives stand firm or slowly drift off course. Examining these frames honestly can reveal what we truly love and value, and offers an opportunity to realign them with God’s purposes. [42:43]

- Loving God with Heart, Soul, and Strength is Holistic
The call to love God is not compartmentalized; it encompasses our thoughts, intentions, physical routines, and all our resources. In the biblical sense, “heart” includes our mind and will, “soul” refers to our embodied, everyday life, and “strength” is about our total capacity and resources. True discipleship means every part of our life—what we think, do, and possess—is intentionally oriented toward God. [55:45]

- Our Stories Define Our Influence
The stories we tell ourselves and others—about who we are, who God is, and what He has done—shape the spiritual atmosphere of our homes. These narratives can either reinforce God’s redemptive work or perpetuate cycles of fear, shame, or self-centeredness. Being intentional about telling and retelling God’s faithfulness, especially to the next generation, is a powerful act of discipleship. [01:03:12]

- The Gospel Reframes Our Identity and Purpose
The ultimate story we live by must be the gospel, where God—not self, success, or even family—is at the center. When God’s redemptive work is the main narrative, everything else—career, family, achievements—finds its proper place as part of His greater story. This shift from self-centered to God-centered living is both freeing and formative, shaping us and those we influence. [01:10:13]

- Grace Redeems Our Imperfect Stories
No one has perfectly structured their home or always told the right stories, but God’s grace is sufficient for our failures and regrets. Each day is a new opportunity to re-center our lives on Jesus, trusting that God can redeem even our past mistakes and use our imperfect stories for His glory. The journey of discipleship is marked by continual return to God’s grace and a willingness to start again. [01:15:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[38:13] - Introduction and Prayer for Generational Ministries
[39:21] - Embracing the Importance of Discipling the Next Generation
[41:14] - Reading and Context of Deuteronomy 6 (The Shema)
[41:57] - Praying for God’s Word to Shape Us
[42:43] - The Significance of Frames in Our Lives
[45:00] - Examining the Structures of Our Homes
[48:30] - What “Usually Happens” and Its Spiritual Impact
[51:00] - Loving God with All Our Heart
[53:00] - Loving God with All Our Soul
[55:45] - Loving God with All Our Strength
[59:02] - The Power of Stories in Shaping Our Homes
[01:03:12] - The Stories We Tell Ourselves and Others
[01:07:45] - Sharing Testimonies and God’s Faithfulness
[01:10:13] - The Gospel as the Grand Story
[01:14:17] - Prayer and Invitation to Grace
[01:15:50] - God’s Grace for Our Imperfect Stories and Closing Worship

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Disciples at Home – Structures & Stories

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### Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (The Shema)
> Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

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### Observation Questions

1. According to Deuteronomy 6:4-9, what are the Israelites commanded to do with God’s words in their daily lives and homes?
2. In the sermon, what are some examples given of the “structures” or “what usually happens” moments in our homes? [[45:00]]
3. How does the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) connect loving God with everyday routines and family life? [[41:14]]
4. What does the sermon say about the stories we tell ourselves and others, and how do these stories shape our homes? [[59:02]]

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God commands His people to repeat His words and stories to their children “when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up”? What is the intended impact of this repetition? [[41:14]]
2. The sermon describes “structures” as the habits and routines that shape what we value. How might unnoticed routines reveal what is truly important in a household? [[45:00]]
3. The Shema calls for loving God with heart, soul, and strength. How does the sermon explain these three aspects, and what does it mean for discipleship to be holistic? [[53:00]]
4. The pastor talks about the stories we live by and repeat. How can the stories we tell about ourselves, others, and God either reinforce or undermine God’s redemptive work in our lives? [[01:03:12]]

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### Application Questions

1. Think about your own home or daily life. What are some “what usually happens” moments or routines that might be shaping your family’s values? Are there any you feel need to change to better reflect loving God with all your heart, soul, and strength? [[45:00]]
2. The sermon challenges us to examine what fills our conversations and what is visible in our homes. What is one thing you could add or remove from your home environment this week to make God’s story more central? [[45:00]]
3. When you consider the stories you tell yourself about your identity or worth, are they shaped more by God’s truth or by fear, shame, or self-centeredness? What is one way you could start telling yourself a more gospel-centered story? [[01:03:12]]
4. The Israelites were told to repeat God’s story to the next generation. Is there a story of God’s faithfulness in your life that you haven’t shared with your family or friends? What’s stopping you, and how could you share it this week? [[01:07:45]]
5. The sermon says that even if we look back with regret, God’s grace offers new beginnings. Is there a past routine or story you wish you could change? How can you invite God’s grace into that area and take a step toward a new pattern this week? [[01:15:50]]
6. The pastor mentioned that sometimes family, success, or self can become the center of our story instead of God. What is most at the center of your story right now? What would it look like to re-center your life on God this week? [[01:10:13]]
7. If you have children or people you influence, what is one practical way you can intentionally shape the “spiritual atmosphere” of your home or relationships this week? [[59:02]]

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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray for God’s help to see the unseen frames in their lives, to re-center their routines and stories on Jesus, and to trust in His grace for new beginnings.

Devotional

Day 1: Love the Lord with All Your Heart, Soul, and Strength
To love God with all your heart, soul, and strength means allowing every part of your life—your thoughts, emotions, routines, and resources—to be shaped by devotion to Him. This is not a compartmentalized love, but one that seeps into your daily habits, your family rhythms, and even the unseen structures of your home. When God is at the center, what “usually happens” in your life becomes a reflection of His presence and purpose, influencing not only you but those around you. Consider what your daily patterns reveal about what you truly love, and invite God to be the focus of your heart, your embodied life, and your muchness. [41:57]

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV)
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Reflection: What is one daily routine or habit in your home that could be intentionally re-centered around loving God with all your heart, soul, and strength this week?


Day 2: Build Your Life on the Foundation of Jesus
The structures and frames of your life—your habits, routines, and priorities—are only as strong as the foundation they rest upon. Jesus calls us to not just hear His words, but to put them into practice, building our lives on the solid rock of His teaching. When storms come, it is this foundation that will keep your life and your home standing. Without Jesus at the center, even the best intentions and routines will eventually crumble. Examine what your life is truly built upon, and choose today to anchor everything in Christ. [44:30]

Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to move from just hearing Jesus’ words to actually putting them into practice today?


Day 3: Guard Your Heart—It Shapes Your Whole Life
The heart, in biblical understanding, is the source of your thoughts, intentions, emotions, and decisions. What fills your heart will overflow into your home and relationships, shaping the atmosphere and direction of your life. Guarding your heart means being attentive to the prevailing attitudes, unspoken rules, and mental space that dominate your days. When your heart is centered on God, your life becomes a wellspring of life for those around you. [52:00]

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Reflection: What is one thought pattern or attitude you need to surrender to God so that your heart can be a source of life in your home?


Day 4: The Stories You Tell Shape Your Home
Beyond routines and habits, the stories you tell—about yourself, others, and God—form the deeper narrative of your home. These stories are not just recited facts, but the meaning you attach to your experiences and the way you interpret God’s work in your life. When you repeat stories of God’s faithfulness and redemption, you embed hope and identity into your family and community. Your life is a living story that others read, and the stories you choose to tell can either limit or liberate those around you. [01:07:45]

Psalm 78:4 (ESV)
“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.”

Reflection: What is one story of God’s faithfulness in your life that you can share with someone in your home or community this week?


Day 5: Center Your Life on the Gospel, Not Yourself
The ultimate story that should frame your life is the gospel—the good news of God’s redemptive work through Jesus. When God is the hero and center of your story, everything else—career, family, achievements—finds its proper place and purpose. A self-centered or success-centered life leads to striving and emptiness, but a gospel-centered life brings freedom, purpose, and grace. Let the story of God’s love and redemption shape your identity, your family, and your influence on others. [01:14:17]

Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV)
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Reflection: In what practical way can you reframe a current challenge or success in your life so that God—not yourself—is at the center of the story?

Quotes

The foundation of Jesus being the center of everything is crucial to anything that we do after that. Without Jesus as the foundation, the rest is pointless. But once the foundations are agreed upon, the house, the home can be built. [00:46:07] (18 seconds)  #BuildOnChrist Edit Clip

For a lot of us, a lot of the time, the usual things are not planned. They just happen. They're just things, they're just habits that we've got into. They're the underlying defaults, and these underlying defaults come from a love of something or someone. [00:48:04] (22 seconds)  #LoveDrivesHabits Edit Clip

If we love God with all of our meode, all of our strength, that means our daily schedule, our time, our budget, our collective efforts are intentionally aligned with his purposes, with his plans. The structure of our family's commitments should reflect this radical devotion. [00:57:56] (19 seconds)  #FramesOfLife Edit Clip

Beyond the predictable of what usually happens, our structures, our homes are deeply shaped by the stories that we live by and the stories that we tell. These stories are the narratives that give meaning to our structures. They inform us and they guide our actions. They are less about the what and more about the why. [00:59:09] (23 seconds)  #WallsThatSpeak Edit Clip

You've heard this saying, if these walls could talk. If these walls could talk, the walls of your life do talk. They do speak to those around you. Your life tells a story, and the people around you—whether that's young children, whether that's someone you're living with, housemates, or the people that you work with and live with—they read your life as a story. It tells them something. The stories we live by is a story we shape others with. [01:00:20] (32 seconds)  #LiveYourStory Edit Clip

If you've got a testimony of how God has done something in your life and your kids don't know about it, maybe this week there's a good opportunity to share that story. Share that story. Let them know God's redemptive work in your own life. That is going to be more powerful than anything else that you could do. [01:08:08] (23 seconds)  #TellGodsStory Edit Clip

Repeat them to your children, talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, when you get up. Talk about these stories often. Think about the stories of God's redemptive work, especially young people—they just, something about a story gets their attention. [01:08:33] (19 seconds)  #GospelFramesAll Edit Clip