Discipleship at Home: Shaping Lives Through Love and Story

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

• 1. 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]
• 2. 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]
• 3. 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. [63:12]
• 4. 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. [70:13]
• 5. 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.
  
  ** [75:50]

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
• [63:12] - The Stories We Tell Ourselves and Others
• [67:45] - Sharing Testimonies and God’s Faithfulness
• [70:13] - The Gospel as the Grand Story
• [74:17] - Prayer and Invitation to Grace
• [75:50] - God’s Grace for Our Imperfect Stories and Closing Worship

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.

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]]

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]]

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]]