Amen. Y’ all okay today. Amen. We gonna have fun in church this morning.
Scripture Reference
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it. That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
Introduction
Title: “Family Memorials” — preached by Dr. Terry LeQuieu. This message draws from Moses’ final charge to Israel before they enter Canaan. Deuteronomy 6 is a command for parents, grandparents, and every Christian household to intentionally pass on God’s truth. It is a call to build spiritual memorials—practices and memories that mark our families for Christ—so that future generations reap the blessings of faith and avoid the curses of neglect.
Deuteronomy, chapter number six. This is, of course, Memorial Day weekend. And we’re gonna look at some memorials that we ought to have in our lives here in Deuteronomy, chapter number six.
Quote from Preacher
Amen. Y’ all okay today. Amen. We gonna have fun in church this morning.
Outline
- Something to Hear: Commandments, Statutes, Judgments
- What it means — God gives explicit instruction; you cannot obey what you do not first learn. Deuteronomy 6:1 frames spiritual responsibility as information first—truths God commands are to be taught.
- Practical application — Regular preaching, Bible reading, Sunday school, and home devotions supply the hearing our families need. Parents: don’t assume your children “already know.” Repetition and clarity are part of the ministry of hearing.
- Something to Heed: Application and Obedience
- What it means — Hearing must move to doing. Moses reminds Israel “that ye might do them in the land” (v.1). Obedience unlocks blessing and enables the family to possess spiritual “land.”
- Practical application — Teach decisions and disciplines: prayer, Scripture memory, church attendance, avoiding worldly patterns. Young adults: your choices between 15–25 shape whether you will conquer the ground God intends for you.
- Something to Hold: Love the LORD with All
- What it means — Deuteronomy 6:5 calls for wholehearted devotion—heart, soul, might. Loving God is not merely intellectual agreement; it is full-life commitment.
- Practical application — Model devotion. Express love for Christ regularly in family worship, personal testimony, and sacrificial service. Children learn loyalty by watching parents’ devotion.
- Something to Hide: Scripture in the Heart
- What it means — “These words…shall be in thine heart” (v.6). Hiding Scripture insulates the soul from temptation and gives wisdom in trials (cf. Psalm 119:11).
- Practical application — Memorize Scripture. Start small: choose short verses, repeat them, use index cards, set phone reminders for Bible memory (but don’t let the phone replace real conversation).
- Something to Honor: Teach, Train, and Transform
- Teach Diligently
- What it means — Verses 7–9 command repeated, intentional teaching—at home, in travel, in daily rhythm.
- Practical application — Create family patterns: meals without screens, family devotions, bedtime prayers, and car-ride conversations about Scripture and conscience.
- Train Conscience
- What it means — Binding the word as a sign (v.8) calls for an internalized, lived faith. Conscience must be trained before it is tested.
- Practical application — Model integrity. Demonstrate consequences of choices, not just ideals. Show young people results of sin and the grace of repentance.
- Transform Community
- What it means — Writing God’s words on house posts and gates (v.9) pictures outward faith that impacts public life; the family’s faith should be visible in business, neighborhood, and civic dealings.
- Practical application — Be salt and light at work and in the marketplace. Let your speech and decisions reflect Christ so that neighbors and colleagues see a faith that shapes life.
- Teach Diligently
- Generational Intent: Fear the LORD — “Thou and thy son and thy son’s son”
- What it means — The command is designed to produce generational faithfulness (v.2). Spiritual disciplines are not private; they are family trusts passed forward.
- Practical application — Pursue generational continuity: involve grandparents in testimony times, teach children why parents do what they do, and make legacy plans of faith (letters, recorded testimonies, favorite Scripture lists).
- Promise of Blessing: Prolonged Days and Increase
- What it means — Obedience brings God’s well-being to families (v.2–3). This is stewardship: God entrusts resources to those who are faithful.
- Practical application — Steward time, money, relationships for God’s glory. Teach children that faithfulness to God affects everyday blessing and kingdom fruitfulness.
Summary
Deuteronomy 6 calls every Christian family to build memorials—practices that commemorate God’s faithfulness and instruct future generations. Those memorials are not monuments of stone alone but daily rhythms: hearing God’s Word, heeding it, holding Christ close, hiding Scripture in the heart, and honoring God by teaching and living out the faith. Moses’ charge is simple yet profound: pass on the truth. Parents, the main task is not mere activity but faithful spiritual formation that will endure when you are gone. Young adults, receive the legacy your parents or grandparents tried to give you. The Lord our God is one Lord; our response should be unified, wholehearted, and visible.
Listen, the Christian school is not going to save your children. It’s going to start in the home. Amen.
Quote to Ponder
Listen, the Christian school is not going to save your children. It’s going to start in the home. Amen.
Application for the Week
Make this week practical and purposeful. Below are concrete steps for parents, young adults, and single believers to begin building family memorials right away.
- Begin a Five-Minute Daily Scripture Habit
- Parents: choose one short verse to memorize with your children each week. Use a 3×5 card, repeat it together at breakfast and bedtime.
- Young adults & singles: pick key passages (e.g., Psalm 119:11; Deuteronomy 6:5) and write them on your mirror or phone lock screen as reminders.
- Weekly “Memorial Conversation” with Family or a Friend
- Ask: “What did God teach us this week?” and “How will we obey?” Make this a consistent part of your Sunday evening or a weekday meal.
- If you are single, meet with a spiritually-minded friend for the same questions—accountability is vital.
- Screen Sabbath: One Meal Without Devices
- Pick three meals this week (ideally family meals) and remove screens. Use the time to ask genuine questions: “How was your day?” “Where did you see God at work?”
- Testimony Night
- Parents and grandparents: prepare a five-minute testimony of what God saved you from and what He has done. Share it plainly. Give children language to explain why you live the way you do.
- Public Faith, Private Integrity
- Identify one place this week where your work, neighborhood, or school needs the Gospel. Pray for opportunities to speak and for your life to match your witness.
- If You’re Unsure About Salvation
- Take Dr. LeQuieu’s invitation seriously: ask a trusted Christian to show you the Scriptures about salvation (John 3:16; Romans 10:9–10). Come forward at the next invitation or speak to a pastor or godly friend this week.
- Pray for Generational Faith
- Write down the names of those in your family for whom you will pray daily for one month. Ask God to make your home a place where memorials are built and the Word is treasured.
These steps are simple but deliberate. The aim is steady, repeated action—teach them diligently, talk of them when you sit, walk, lie down, and rise up. If each Christian home will do these small, faithful things, a harvest of godly generations will follow.
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