I hate cliches. But sometimes I also need to be reminded of common sayings that I avoid for fear of speaking in cliches. And some things are so obvious that I forget to say them altogether.
Here is a list by Kevin DeYoung for things to say to his church. I would suggest they apply to discipling our children as well. Sometimes our duty is just state or restate the obvious.
1. “Being a Christian is more than going to church and being a good person.”
2. “We must be born again.”
3. “We need to develop a personal relationship with Christ.”
4. “Mature Christians develop lifelong habits of Bible reading and prayer.”
5. “Christians suffer.”
6. “God can be pleased with me.”
7. “Beware of false teachers.”
8. “There is one God in three Persons.”
9. “There are many people in the world who don’t think Christianity is true and some of them are very nice and very smart.”
10. “There is a reason we worship the way we do.”
Read the whole article for two or three sentences on each one. Which obvious statement does your child need to hear today?
Great article! I am afraid I do fall short of speaking many of these things and often find myself not feeling like I cannot adequately defend Christianity when it comes to those “really smart” people, so I shrink back. I know in my heart that God has equipped me but sometimes my head gets in the way. I am definitely one who needs to hear things over and over again!
Oops! Correction in my statement…I feel like I often cannot adequately defend Christianity against those “really smart” people.