He sent them into the world- John 17:18 Let’s zoom in on another key term Jesus employed. He said “As you sent me into the world, so I am sending them (the disciples) into the world.” The words “sent and sending” both come from the same Greek word /apostellō/ which means “set apart, to send out on a mission literally or figuratively: put in, send away, send forth, send out, and set at liberty.”`         When Jesus released his disciples into ministry, he literally projected them into the vocation God called them to. Included with Jesus’ instructions to the disciples to be “sent” was his prayer that they would not be alone. Believers are supposed to be held together in unity with others (Acts 4:32) so that body of Christ can remain strong until the day he returns. We are not meant to be an island unto ourselves (Romans 14:7), so we should model and teach our kids likewise. Encourage participation in their community and begin praying now for your child’...

He told them many things and gave them God’s word- John 17: 13,14 Jesus spent time investing in the lives of a handful of people with the final goal of ensuring they will have the ability and knowledge to carry on his message to the rest of the world. He spoke with them about the laws of the land, customs of the day, incorrect teachings from religious leadership, God’s plans for the world, and other fabulous things. He shared personal prayer requests with them and found ways to connect their day-to-day lives with furthering the message he came to bring. Jesus took seriously the time he had with his disciples and spent it as best he could. If we use the same lens to look at parenting the way Jesus looked at discipling, then raising kids similarly to the way everyone else on the block raises their kids just won’t cut it. Our calendars and weekly schedules won’t look the same as everyone else’s. Our values and rules will take a shift from the average. Our household budget won...