Sep 27, 2026 | Bro. Paul Tanchi
When we think about family, we often think about providing for them, spending time together, or giving the next generation a good future. But engaging our family is ultimately about something greater: helping them know who God is, trust Him, obey Him, and make Him known to others.
As we engage our families, we must recognize that the world is also seeking to shape them. Romans 12:2 reminds us not to be conformed to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. What we repeatedly see and hear influences how we think, and the digital world can lead us down increasingly dangerous “rabbit holes.”
This is why we must pay attention to what is shaping our minds and the minds of our family members. The question is not simply what our family is doing, but what is influencing them? Our message is simple: Know God and make God known to our family.
Psalm 78:7 gives us our memory verse: that they should put their confidence in God, not forget His works, and keep His commandments.
KNOW GOD Before there is transmission, there must be transformation. Before we tell our family to trust God, do they see us trusting Him? Before we tell them to obey God, do they see us obeying Him? Before we tell them that God forgives, do they see His grace at work in our lives? We cannot make God known if we do not first know Him ourselves.
How do we know God? Through God’s Word and God’s works. Psalm 78 calls us to listen to God’s instruction and remember His wondrous works. Knowing God requires spending time with Him through Scripture, reflecting on His Word, and obeying it. As we obey God, we learn to trust Him more, know Him more deeply, and love Him more.
We also know God through His works in our lives. Psalm 78 recounts the history of God’s people, including their failures, rebellion, and mistakes, but also God’s continual faithfulness and mercy. Our own failures do not erase God’s faithfulness. When we remember what He has done, we grow in our knowledge of who He is.
Luke 15 gives us a beautiful picture of the heart of God through the story of the prodigal son. The younger son dishonored his father, demanded his inheritance, left home, and wasted everything. Yet when he came to his senses and returned, his father saw him from a distance, felt compassion, ran to him, embraced him, and restored him. The father’s response reveals the heart of God. When we fail, God is gracious toward repentant sinners and eager to restore.
But the story also includes the older brother, who was self-righteous and angry. Both sons needed the Father’s grace. One was rebellious; the other was self-righteous. We can be in the house of God and still not truly know God.
This matters when we engage our families. What picture of God are we showing them? Is He merely a God who is disappointed when they fail, or a God who is gracious, loving, and eager to restore? We need to know God because the way we portray Him can profoundly impact our family.
MAKE GOD KNOWN
Psalm 78 says that God’s works were not to be concealed from their children but declared to the generations to come. This calling is not limited to parents. We can engage our siblings, cousins, nephews, nieces, parents, and other family members.
Making God known requires intentionality. Spiritual legacy is not automatic. Simply attending church, joining a D-group, or serving in ministry does not guarantee that our family will know God.
Judges 2:10 reminds us that a generation arose that did not know the Lord or the work He had done. We must therefore intentionally engage our families so that God’s truth continues from one generation to another.
There are five practical ways we can make God known to our family.
1. Pray for them.
Pray consistently for your family members, especially those who are struggling or do not yet know Christ. Do not give up. God is the One who changes hearts.
2. Be an example.
Model what it means to trust God. Our families learn not only from what we say but from how we respond to trials, disappointments, and difficulties. A godly example can speak powerfully to the next generation.
3. Enter their world.
Jesus entered our world, and we are called to do the same with our families. Spend time with them. Listen to what interests them. Be engaged rather than distracted by our devices. Understanding their world gives us opportunities to connect their interests and experiences to God.
4. Communicate God’s stories.
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 tells us to speak about God when we sit at home, walk along the way, lie down, and rise up. Share what God has done in your life. Tell your family about answered prayers, His provision, times you obeyed Him, times you failed, and how He showed you grace.
5. Cultivate God’s vision for them.
Help your family see that God’s purpose for their lives is greater than success, education, career, or achievement. Pray with them about God’s will and hold your plans with open hands. Think not only about your children, but about the generations that will come after them.
Engaging the family is a generational calling. We know God, make God known, and help others know, trust, obey, and love Him so they can make Him known to the next generation. God is also the One who restores families. His grace reaches both the rebellious and the self-righteous. Through Jesus, God entered our world, died for our sins, and made reconciliation with Him possible.
So do not allow the world, technology, or its many influences to define your family. Do not get trapped in the algorithm. Return to God, know Him through His Word and His works, and let Him use you to make Himself known.
As Ephesians 5:1–2 reminds us, we are to imitate God as beloved children and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. Know God. Make God known. Engage the family.