Articles
FAMILIES: Resisting Satan’s Attacks (cont.)
APPLICATION AND INTEGRATION
Learning facts is easy. For years I have known who built the ark, who survived the fiery
furnace, and who had a slumber party with hungry lions and survived. I’m guessing I could have
given you those answers before I started kindergarten. At some point, however, a movement
needs to be made from the facts to the application and integration of those facts into our daily
lives. The Word of God was never intended to be a book simply written for entertainment so that
once it is read you move on to something else. Nor was it intended to be a textbook of facts that
once the test was taken you never picked it up again and the unused knowledge slowly left your
consciousness.
Instead, the Word of God is a living and active sword needed in the battles of everyday
life. The difference in the wise builder and foolish builder in Matthew 7:24-27 is what they did
with the words they heard: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on
them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (v. 24). James
encourages us to be “doers of the word” (1:22). There is a great need in our families for teaching
our children how to apply Scripture to everyday situations. It is not about rote memorization of
facts but about the ability to apply the concepts of those biblical stories to one’s Christian walk.
The things written in the Scripture were “written for our instruction, so that through perseverance
and encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). ~Ben Hayes
A Personal Note: It is always a joy for me to see the number of Bibles that are held up at
the beginning of the Sunday morning sermon! It is good to see the number of our children that
are being recognized for bringing their Bible each week. I was encouraged even more when
hearing the statement, “I think I am even beginning to speed up finding the verses!” Not always
an easy feat!
But I want to encourage more than just having the Bible in our hands. Let’s be reading
the Word each and every day and applying it to our lives. Read with our children and
grandchildren, so they know it is a book filled with more than just facts – it contains the very
words that lead to eternal life (John 20:31)! ~P. Mowrer
