PURC Home Visitation 2009/2010
"I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and I taught you publically and from house to house. I solemnly testified to you of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 20:20,21
We once again enter upon a year of home visitation and we look forward to meeting with you as your shepherds. The purpose of home visitation is to evaluate your growth in Christ and encourage you in your walk with Him. This year's theme is "Sanctification: Growing in Christ." We have put together the following questions to make our time together as meaningful and edifying as possible. It also allows you a bit of a "heads up" on what will be discussed in the visit. We humbly ask that you consider these questions and be prepared to discuss them with us. We count it a privilege and joyous responsibility to meet with you in the coming year. May the Lord use our time together to encourage one another in holiness and commitment to Christ.
Your elders
Personal Sanctification
The Lord says, "Be holy as I am holy" (Lev 19:2). The Apostle Paul mirrors Jesus's words when he says, "This is God's will for you: your sanctification" (I Thess 4:3). The author of Hebrews shows us the importance of sanctification when he says, "Pursue peace with all men and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord."
The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines sanctification as "the work of God's free grace whereby we are renewed (through the working of the Holy Spirit) after the image of God and enabled more and more to die to sin and live unto righteousness." The Westminster Children's Catechism puts it even more simply: "Sanctification means that God makes sinners holy in heart and behavior."
1. What evidence is there in your life that you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are being shaped more and more into the image of Christ?
2. If you have not grown spiritually in the past year, why is that? What is the solution?
-2-
3. If you have grown spiritually in the past year, why is that? How might you draw nearer to Christ?
4. The Bible is very clear that the Lord has given us various means or tools to help us grow in our sanctification such as Bible reading, prayer, worship, fellowship, etc.
Describe your personal Bible reading schedule.
5. The Bible says that we are to "pray without ceasing." The great puritan John Owen said that what we are on our knees, we are and nothing else." Prayer is crucial and a telling indicator of our growth in Christ. Describe your prayer life (when and where and how often)
If your prayer time is in need of help, what might you do?
6. What one thing should you eliminate in order to grow in your relationship with Christ? What one thing should you take on in order to grow in your relationship with Christ?
-3-
Corporate Sanctification
Sanctification or growth in holiness is not simply a personal matter. It's also a corporate matter. We have the responsibility as the body of Christ to help each other grow in the Lord. With this in mind, consider the following questions below:
1. Husbands and wives (if applicable): God has given you to each other to help you grow in Christ. What things do you do for each other that help you in your walk with Christ?
2. Describe your family worship practices (method, frequency, length, etc.)
3. Do your children attend a Christian school or Christian homeschool? If so, how is your child's environment helping him/her grow in Christ? If your children are not receiving Christian education, why not? Children: what about your schooling is helping you grow in Christ?
4. Describe how you help and interact with your children in their preparation for Sunday morning Sunday School class.
-4-
5. Children: how is your Sunday morning class helping you in your sanctification (growth in Christ)?
6. Being single (if applicable) can be either an advantage in sanctification (I Cor 7 - less distractions for the things of the Lord) or disadvantage in sanctification (no oversight and encouragement from spouse). How is being single either helped you or hindered you in your sanctification?
7. The church is vital for our sanctification (Heb 12:22-24). In what ways has the worship/ministry at PURC helped you in your walk with Christ? Has it in some ways detracted from your growth in Christ?
8. How has the Lord used you in the past year to help others grow in Christ?
9. How often do you attend worship? How have the worship services been a blessing to your sanctification?
10. If your attendance at Sunday worship is sporadic or committed to only one worship service, why is this?
11. Do you worship as a family. Why or why not?
12. The preaching of the Word is one of the primary means of sanctification. How has the preaching at PURC helped you grow in Christ?
13. Are there any other matters that you would like to address that were not covered tonight?
May the Lord truly use our home visits as a way of encouraging us in our walk with Christ. And through these visits may He (either through the reproof or praise of the elders) create in us a deeper yearning for holiness.
"Finish, then, thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee;
changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place;
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise."