This year at the Teach Them Diligently Convention, Ty and I had the pleasure of meeting Doug Phillips of Vision Forum(as well as his delightful daughter, Jubilee, and son, Honor).
Doug was even so kind as to offer us an impromptu interview for the blog. So, while the video quality is poor since it was taken on Ty’s phone (the one Ken Ham suggested he replace in favor of a “real phone” during a conversation at the AiG booth), and the session in the background is rather loud, the message of this interview is important!
I’ve included a transcript of the interview below so you can follow along, and you can trust that next time we will have a REAL camera along!
Video content has been removed.
Transcript:
Amy:
Hi! I’m Amy from RaisingArrows.net and I’m here at the Teach Diligently Conference!
Doug:
I’m Doug.
Amy:
Yes! I’m here with Doug Phillips of Vision Forum!
Doug, I want to ask you what are 1 or 2 things that families can do right now right where they are that could help them to begin discipling their family?
Doug:
I think the very first thing that needs to happen is moms and dads first need to cry out to the Lord, Give me a vision to love my children more and to obey You.” And it begins by actually repenting from not doing it and it begins by crying out to the Lord saying, “Lord, help me.”
And then the next step is really to gather your children and to say, “Kids, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to read the Bible every day.” We’re going to start there. We’re going to read the Bible. We’re going to go through the book of Proverbs. There’s one Proverb for every day of the month. We can do it that way.
Uh, and then we’re going to have a time for family worship. A lot of parents say, “Well, I don’t know how to do family worship.” It’s actually as simple as opening up the Bible, reading it, and just talking about it with your children and saying, “Kids, what are your prayers? Let’s go before the throne of grace and start praying together.” And it’s, it’s absolutely transforming.
So, Step 1, “Lord, help me. Lord, forgive me. Kids, forgive me.”
Step 2, let’s just start opening the Bible. Let’s start reading. Let’s start praying. And thus will begin the great journey of discipleship which hopefully, will result in actual home education: walking and talking throughout the course of the day with our children.
Amy:
Thank you so much.
****************
There you have it folks – it is that simple! Let the Lord lead. Don’t worry that you aren’t doing things perfectly!
If you would like more resources from Raising Arrows on Family Worship Time, you can read these posts:
Breakfast and Bible
Worshiping as a Family
Family Worship Time
Bringing the Day to a Close
Rebecca says
I love that all of the speakers at TTD had that same thought process: seek the Lord first! I am so thankful you had a chance to meet with Doug! What a great opportunity. He enlightened us to many things…my son now wants to repel from the upstairs to the downstairs…not sure I can embrace that idea, though!
Mrs. June Fuentes says
Nice interview, Amy! Thanks! 😉
Many blessings…
Coby says
This was really encouraging! I’ve been wanting MORE of the Lord – for myself, and with my children, but somehow felt “stuck”, like I didn’t know how to get to where I want to be. This helps!
Teresa says
SO simple, but it works. I am so appreciative of all that Vision Forum does. I only wish I had more money to buy more of what they have to offer. I have never been disappointed with anything I have gotten from them, and the work they have done is so important to today’s world. \
On a side note, we had a wonderful time at the Creation Museum. Saw and talked with Buddy Davis. It was so wonderful to be in a museum without having to watch what our kids are reading and looking at. The day after Easter it was almost empty. Never had to wait to do anything. And then Men in White video was a blast as was the planet. I so would like to live closer to go more often, but it took us over 7 hours each way, so this is not something we can do often, yet it was so worth it. To be able to walk through the Bible like they have you was so helpful for the children to see the order thing happened. We even splurged and at at the museum. It can be done in one day, but we sure were tired when we pulled into our drive at 1am.
Linda says
That was fun for you to meet Doug and to get an interview for your blog Amy. I think he gave great advice! Parents should start right now…right where they are, and it will make a big difference when parents insert Bible Reading and Prayer!
Love, Linda
Jarm says
So simple, yet profound…I’m so thankful for Doug, his family and Vision Forum!
JarmDelBoccio
Mary says
Thanks for posting this! It was exactly what I needed today- and also thanks for the reminder that we don’t have to do everything perfectly. 🙂