Future Family (4) – Count Me In

Welcome to CROLCC, we are so glad you are here! We are in the fourth week of our series Future Family and I just want to remind you that there are discussions questions on this bulletin that will help you dig a little deeper in this topic of family. Even if you are not part of a small group I would like to encourage you to read through them and perhaps process them through your view of your own family. My prayer is – although we may never have that ideal family that we long for, we will never give up trying. Because family, no matter what we have experienced or are currently experiencing, will always be central in our lives. So I hope that after each message that you takehopefully apply them in your family life.

All children—that’s you and me—long for the approval of their parents . . . especially their fathers. It’s a longing that never goes away. It gets buried or transferred to other relationships, but it’s there. And we underestimate its power. Every parent wants to be approved by his or her child—to be a hero, to hear, “when I grow up I want to be just like you.” As that desire grows, so does a parent’s insecurity. Buried beneath the hurt, disappointment, distance, or silence is a desire to be connected to our children and our parents, and especially our fathers. You can’t ignore it, because it lasts a lifetime.

Moving Forward

The goal of reconciliation is a relationship characterized by acceptance, despite past offenses and current differences. Reconciliation keeps you honest emotionally and prevents old dysfunction from invading your new relationships.

You can’t make reconciliation happen, but you can take the first step. It’s your best bet for wholeness and health.

Discussion Questions

1. Talk about a time when you received affirmation from your parent or your child. How did it make you feel?

2. How has your relationship with your father made a relationship with God easier or more difficult?

3. About who in your family do you say, “I don’t care”? What makes your relationship with that person challenging?

4. What can you do this week to open a door, extend a hand, or lean in the direction of that person? What can this group do to support you?