Today we begin a new teaching series called "Family Values" where we are taking a deep dive into strengthening our family relationships.

Family is so important. Though often challenging, family can be some of our deepest and closest relationships- and those matter!

We believe your family matters, and perhaps most importantly, your family matters to God.

Family Values is about walking out faithfulness to God within our families. Over the next few weeks we will consider what it takes to build strong family relationships.

Whether you are a son or daughter, husband or wife, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, your family relationships matter to God.

From the very beginning, family was God's idea.

God has given man the vocation, the task, of tending the garden- to work it and take care of it- he was a partner with God in creation- all that was good, but man alone, God said it was not good.

The first family relationship, Adam and Eve, was addressing this need. As soon as Adam laid eyes on Eve, he knew the “good” the Lord had given through this family.

This was the beginning of family. Certainly, family is much more than a marriage relationship.

Jesus himself was never married and yet we believe that he perfectly embodied what it meant to be human.

It’s important to identify two key truths as we embark on this journey together.

First-Everyone has family
A teaching series on family might look differently for each one of us.
You might be married with Kids.
You might be a single parent, or grandparent.
You might be the best aunt or uncle in the world
You could be the coolest cousin
Everyone has some relationships with family, and they are important.

Second, family can be messy.
Every family has issues
Every family has challenges- even the one’s with the matching pajama’s on their Christmas cards- they have real problems too.
We also recognize that for many of you here today, family is a really hard topic.

If you follow the creation narrative into the very next chapter of Genesis, you will find the devil beginning to entice Adam and Eve, the first family, into sin and rebellion against God.
It’s just 12 verses after the creation narrative we have the first family feud. Sin, guilt, shame, denial, blame, all enter the family story.

Family got messy and it still is today.

As we begin this journey together talking about family, I want you to hear two things, two truths that I believe can change everything for your family.

There is hope and there is help.

This series is not specifically about self-help, life hacks, or quick fixes- There are lot’s of books and resources out there for that.

This series is specifically about seeking the Lord-
We believe God has help for us.
And we believe He has hope for us.

Today We want to begin our series by focusing on the one central element, really the thing that must be true in our family relationships- and that is Christ. Christ must be the center of our families.

So what does that look like to focus on Christ?
It means a commitment to being Christlike in our families. It means we are committed to bringing Christlike values, actions, and principals into our family relationships.

Jesus is sharing with his disciples about the love that he has received from the Father, and the love he has shown them. He uses that example as the standard for the way his disciples were to love one another.

If we are to see Christ as the center of our families, then his love is the standard, the patter by which we must love our families.
"Love as I have loved you." Jesus said

The truth is, we really cant do family the way it was intended apart from Jesus and his love powerfully at work within us.

Remember, there is help, and there is hope. Jesus called us to remain in his love- We must begin there. We cant make Christ and his love the center of our families if we aren’t experiencing it ourselves.

The beautiful thing about making christ the focus of our family is that we experience his love, as we are called to give it to others- Dwell in His love, allow him to give you strength and grace as you step into your family relationships.


We can’t always control what happens to us in family. There might not even be a whole lot we can change. But we can choose to make Christ the center of our relationships

We can commit to loving others as he has loved us.

Family Values begins with Christ- let’s commit to centering on him.