LEARN BY TOPIC

Home and family

Learn care, listening, responsibility and welcome at home and in community.

1. 1. Read and discover - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   Deuteronomy 6:4-9

   ⁴ Hear, Israel: The LORD is our God. The LORD is one.

   ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

   ⁶ These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart;

   ⁷ and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

   ⁸ You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.

   ⁹ You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.

   Read the full chapter

   Understanding the passage

   The instruction joins love for God, remembering his words and everyday conversation; teaching requires presence, not only commands.

   Reflect

   • Which ordinary moments become learning opportunities?

   Put it into practice

   Discuss a teaching during a shared activity.

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2. 2. Putting on compassion - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   Colossians 3:12-17

   ¹² Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;

   ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

   ¹⁴ Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.

   ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.

   ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

   ¹⁷ Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

   Read the full chapter

   Understanding the passage

   The community is called to compassion, patience, forgiveness and gratitude; clothing imagery portrays love as visible habits.

   Reflect

   • Which habit does your community need during disagreement?

   Put it into practice

   Practice a patient response before reacting in conflict.

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3. 3. Children, parents and care - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   Ephesians 6:1-4

   ¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

   ² “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise:

   ³ “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”

   ⁴ You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

   Read the full chapter

   Understanding the passage

   The counsel joins family responsibilities with a limit on parental provocation; formation is not humiliation or violence.

   Reflect

   • Which specific responsibility is given to parents?

   Put it into practice

   Hear a family need before imposing a response.

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4. 4. A widening family - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   Mark 3:31-35

   ³¹ His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.

   ³² A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you.”

   ³³ He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

   ³⁴ Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!

   ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, and mother.”

   Read the full chapter

   Understanding the passage

   Jesus describes a family linked to doing God’s will; communal belonging widens care without justifying abandoned responsibilities.

   Reflect

   • How does Jesus widen the idea of family in this encounter?

   Put it into practice

   Welcome someone lacking nearby support.

   Next lesson →

5. 5. Love that gives meaning - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   1 Corinthians 13:1-7

   ¹ If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

   ² If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.

   ³ If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.

   ⁴ Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,

   ⁵ doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;

   ⁶ doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

   ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

   Read the full chapter

   Understanding the passage

   Paul places love within a discussion of gifts and community; extraordinary abilities do not replace patience, kindness and truth.

   Reflect

   • Why do gifts and service need to be accompanied by love?

   Put it into practice

   Serve patiently even when your ability receives no attention.