Is It Ever Too Late to Start Family Devotions?

Wondering if you've missed your chance to start family devotions with older kids? This episode provides biblical wisdom and practical steps for beginning family worship at ANY age, even with teenagers!

Pastor Heath Lambert tackles one of the most common questions Christian parents face: starting family devotions when you never did them before. Discover why it's never too late, how to handle the awkwardness, and what family worship looks like as kids grow older.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Introduction: The importance of family devotions

1:10 - Biblical foundation: Ephesians 6:4 command to parents

2:18 - Heath's family approach: Read, Pray, Sing formula

3:01 - It's never too late to start (even with kids out of house)

3:44 - How to start: The honest conversation approach

4:42 - Embracing the awkwardness: Why it's normal and okay

6:00 - Starting with older kids: What to expect

6:52 - How family devotions evolve as children grow

8:00 - Deuteronomy 6:6-7: Teaching in everyday moments

9:17 - Final encouragement: Start today

MAIN TAKEAWAYS

- It's Never Too Late to Start: Whether your kids are toddlers, teenagers, or even adults living away from home, you can begin family worship today.

- Be Honest About the Gap: Acknowledge to your family that you should have been doing this and ask for grace as you start.

- Expect and Embrace Awkwardness: Family devotions will feel awkward at first - that's completely normal. Don't let discomfort stop you from establishing this crucial habit.

- Family Worship Evolves: With younger kids, aim for daily structured time (read, pray, sing). With older kids, focus on creating a culture of ongoing spiritual conversation.

- Simple Formula That Works: Read scripture + Pray together + Sing = effective family devotion time

Submit your questions for future episodes to MarkedByGrace@fbcjax.com

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Ephesians 6:4 - "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - "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."