The Christ-Centered Home: Inviting Jesus in - Softcover

Emily Belle Freeman is a sought-after inspirational speaker. She co-authors a blog about putting faith into everyday acts at www.multiplygoodness.com. She's a coach's wife and mother of four.

There is a great power that comes when Jesus Christ becomes the central focus of our home. If our conversations center on Christ, if paintings of Him hang on our walls, if His words have a place in our hearts, and His attributes become characteristic of each member of our family, we will experience an added measure of peace, strength, courage, and hope in the moments when we need it most. But how is it done?

I spent a lot of time pondering that question over this past year. It was late one evening when the answer finally came, What better way to learn about having a Christ-centered home than from Christ Himself? What if we turned to the New Testament and focused on the lessons Jesus taught within the walls of the actual homes of His followers? Would those lessons help Jesus to become the focal point of our own homes?

After that epiphany, I completely immersed myself in the accounts of the four Gospels. I read specifically looking for the moments Jesus spent inside people's homes. As I began to study the lessons that Jesus taught in the homes of his followers, I started taking notes of the things I wanted to remember to teach my own family. As I read I realized that I could be more deliberate in making my home Christ-centered. Through the process, twelve lessons stood out to me. They were powerful, and yet the learning within the lessons was simple. Looking over the list I wondered what would happen if our family chose to devote one year to studying those lessons and applying the principles into our own home.

Hence, this twelve-month journey.

Perhaps you would like to join this journey-a journey that is not meant to overwhelm, but simply meant to enrich. Maybe you could set aside one night every month for your family to experience a Christ-centered conversation, connection, and celebration. On this night your conversation could include discussing a a lesson Jesus taught within the walls of one of His follower's homes, then you could set a family goal that would allow your family to connect personally with that lesson, and last you could end the evening with a simple celebration.