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Shared Visions - Tim Boettger
September 14 - CF Community Center
September 21 - Grundy Center
September 28 - CF Sanctuary
Message Summary
Tim kicked off this teaching with a reminder of the power of vision, which is the painting of a picture of what could be and what should be, as opposed to what is. Vision is very important to the lives of our families, and too often we lack an appropriate, God-given vision for the purpose of our family.
Initially, Tim thought his primary job as a parent was to raise moral and ethical children, based on his understanding of Proverbs 22:6. Lately, he has come to realize that God has a larger purpose for his children and family ... To help each other discover, celebrate and live out their God-given dreams, passions, skills, abilities; what Tim called their Ephesians 2:10 purpose. A healthy family is not just about strong relationships with each other, but is to be a base for discovering who God made us to be and for finding strength and courage to use our gifts and talents for good in this world. It is to be a place of great celebration of each individual’s dreams, passions and vision!
Tim outlined three elements of a healthy family -
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Healthy families intentionally create an environment where visions, dreams, passions, thoughts, hopes can be shared.
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Healthy families encourage each other to take risks or try new things.
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Healthy families believe in each other’s potential.
So, how’s the family? How are you doing in each of these areas?
Scripture Focus
Deuteronomy 6:3-9 - Hear O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you.
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 upon 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 you gates.
Proverbs 22:6 - Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good things he has prepared in advance for us to do.
Hebrews 10:25 - ... let us encourage one another...
1 Corinthians 13:7 - Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres ...
Questions for Small Group Discussion or Personal Reflection & Journaling
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What was it like in your family growing up? Did you find encouragement for your dreams and passions? Or did you feel those things were squelched or ridiculed? How about encouragement to take risks and try new things - Was that present in your family? Did your family express belief in each other?
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What are things like in your family right now? How are you doing providing encouragement for your family members’ dreams? Encouraging each other to take risks? Expressing belief in each other’s potential?
- What is your family vision? Do you have one? Have you ever thought about this? Another way of asking this question is: Why does your family exist? What is your ultimate goal as a family? If you have not thought about this, simply begin to put some thoughts on paper, or to talk with your group about a few of your thoughts.
Talk together or journal about some things that might need to change in order for your family to move toward health in the areas Tim taught about ... Do you need to cut back on sarcasm? What about reducing the number of television shows you watch in which people treat each other poorly? Do you need to practice expressing your belief in each other? Talk about, or write down some ideas.
Try This...
1. Sit down as a family unit and engage in the process Tim described. Talk together about each one of the members of your family, especially focusing on the unique gifts and strengths of each person. Make this a safe, fun, intentional time. If your children are small, don’t expect or demand too much; just a few minutes of this will be enough.
If you'd like to do the brainstorming exercise Tim mentioned in his teaching feel free to print off the graphic below and make a copy for each family member! Remind yourselves that everyone is uniquely "out of round" (not normal!) by God's design. Then, write each person's ideas, passions, dreams, strengths and gifts on the graphic in order to remind each person in your family to celebrate each other's unique design!
 Download this graphic to print
2. Rate your current family network in the following areas from Tim’s teaching
1. creating an environment where visions, dreams, passions, thoughts, hopes can be shared.
2. encouraging each other to take risks or try new things.
3. expressing belief in each other’s potential
Use a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “we are really struggling with this characteristic” and 10 being, “this is something we are doing really well.”
3. Which one of these are you most struggling with? Talk together about some ways you can work to strengthen your family in this area of struggle.
4. Think of an upcoming project on which you could work together as a family. Make specific assignments based on each others strengths and gifts. This could be as simple as planning a family meal, or as complex as planning a family vacation. Practice letting every family member have a say in the process. Affirm each other’s strengths. Enjoy each other’s talents. Celebrate what you can do when you work together!
Prayer For the Week:
Father, thank you for the opportunity to think together about your will and ways in our lives - especially your will for families. We pray for our family this week. Help us to learn to share our dreams, hopes and goals with each other. Help us to encourage and challenge each other to take risks. Remind us to express our belief in each other, even when life gets tough.
And for those of us who did not receive this kind of encouragement in our families growing up, or are not receiving it now, we pray You would remind us that you are our great Father, that you love and celebrate who we are, that you want to walk with us as we take risks for You and that you want to help us develop into the healthy person You created us to be. Amen.
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