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“Outdo one another in showing honor (Rom. 12:10) Live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16) Admonish one another (Rom. 15:14) Greet one another with a holy kiss (Rom. 16:16) Wait for one another (1 Cor. 11:33) Have the same care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25) Be servants of one another (Gal. 5:13) Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2) Comfort one another (1 Thess. 5:11) Build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11) Be at peace with one another (1 Thess. 5:13) Do good to one another (1 Thess. 5:15) Put up with one another in love (Eph. 4:2) Be kind and compassionate to one another (Eph. 4:32) Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21) Forgive one another (Col. 3:13) Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16) Pray for one another (James 5:16) Love one another from the heart (1 Pet. 1:22) Be hospitable to one another (1 Pet. 4:9) Meet one another with humility (1 Pet. 5:5)” ― Eberhard Arnold, Called to Community: The Life Jesus Wants for His People Ministers of the Eastern District of the General Conference Mennonite Church, during a conference session at the Springfield meetinghouse near Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, in 1898. While the Eastern District never printed rules for attire, ministers wore distinct garb into the late nineteenth century. Picture from left to right are Levi Schimmel, Silas Grubb, Harvey Clymer, Augustus Shuhart (layman), Jacob Moyer, Andrew Shelly, Anthony Shelly, William Gottshall, Allen Fretz, and Nathaniel Grubb. Forrest Moyer Moyer, Archivist, Mennonite Heritage Center [PHOTO SOURCE: https://anabaptisthistorians.org/2018/05/17/ministers-of-the-eastern-district-of-the-general-conference-mennonite-church-1898/] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2023/06/team-preaching-is-like-barn-raising.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2026/04/konferenz-fur-gemeindegrundung-2026.html |
I love the Four Core Values of the Anabaptist: Faith, Family, Community and Simple Living. Though I am a Reformed Protestant, who has Anabaptist friends, I agree that whether you are either of those two Christian sects, the four core values are essential for your church community.
I will post two prayers about the Four Core Values, with bible verses and quotes at the end of the two prayers.
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Like the Puritans, live in terms of the settled judgement that the joy of heaven will make amends of any losses and crosses, strains and pains that we must endure on earth if we are going to follow Christ faithfully. – Joel Beeke The Rise of the Puritan
Movement https://www.chrisreighley.com/covenant-and-calling-the-puritan-vision-for-america/ https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-four-core-values-of-anabaptist.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2026/04/konferenz-fur-gemeindegrundung-2026.html |
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today with hearts full of gratitude, seeking to anchor our lives in the truths that honor You. We ask that You cultivate within us the Four core values of faith, family, community, and simple living.
First, we pray for deep and unwavering Faith: Lord, be the absolute foundation of our lives. When the world brings storms and uncertainty, let our trust in Your promises remain unshaken. Increase our hunger for Your Word, guide our steps daily, and let our lives be a living testament to Your grace, mercy, and love.
Second, we pray for the blessing of Family: Thank You for the gift of the people You have placed closest to us. We ask that You protect our home and bind us together in unity, patience, and deep affection. Help us to forgive quickly, to support one another selflessly, and to build a household where Your peace rule over every room and conversation.
Third, we pray for our Community: Remind us daily that we were not created to walk alone. Open our eyes to the needs of our neighbours, and give us a heart to serve. Make us an active part of a healthy, united fellowship where we can bear one another's burdens, celebrate shared joys, and reflect Your love to a world that needs it.
Finally, we pray for the grace of Simple Living: In a culture that constantly demands more, grant us the wisdom to seek less. Help us to guard our time, quiet our desires, and find true contentment in Your presence rather than material wealth. Keep our hearts focused on eternal values, and give us the freedom that comes from living lightly and open-handedly with the resources You provide.
May these Four core values guide our decisions, shape our character, and bring glory to Your name. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
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Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need as a burden we must lay upon God, but also because we are so bound up in love for our fellow men that we feel their need as acutely as our own. To make intercession for men is the most powerful and practical way in which we can express our love for them. – John Calvin [PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/398702] https://lutherandcalvinbrigade914.blogspot.com/2018/05/calvin-and-christian-calling-by-alister.html |
Heavenly Father,
We gather in Your presence today to align our hearts with the truths that matter most. We ask that You root our lives deeply in the four core values of faith, family, community, and simple living.
Faith: Lord, be the anchor of our souls. Strengthen our trust in Your word and Your timing, especially when the path ahead seems unclear. Let our faith be active and visible, guiding every decision we make.
Family: We lift up our home to You. Protect our loved ones and bind us together in unconditional love, patience, and forgiveness. Help us to nurture an environment where Your peace rules every conversation.
Community: Open our eyes to the people around us. Remind us that we are called to walk together, bearing one another's burdens and sharing each other's joys. Use us as instruments of Your grace to build a supportive, loving fellowship.
Simple Living: In a fast-paced world that constantly demands more, grant us the wisdom to choose a quieter, more intentional path. Help us find true contentment in Your presence rather than material things, freeing our time and resources to focus on what truly lasts.
May these values shape our character and bring glory to Your name every day.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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The family that works together, eats together, and prays together, stays together. – Amish Proverb “Family worship isn’t a full-on church service every day; instead it’s a brief time of devotion before the Lord. The elements are singing, Scripture reading, and prayer. That’s it! You sing together, pray together, and read the Scriptures together. Giving fifteen to twenty minutes a day to these simple practices will transform your family.” —Voddie Baucham Jr Amish Family ~ Sarah’s Country Kitchen [PHOTO SOURCE: https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/amish-family-sarahs-country-kitchen--412853490835064682/ … …. https://images.app.goo.gl/8tVWbUpRXLnwRZ6X7] https://mommyish.com/the-big-family-backlash-is-having-a-dozen-kids-selfish-717/ https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/07/john-troyer-memorial-award.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2026/06/7-steps-to-family-worship-by-voddie.html |
FOUR CORE VALUES PRAYERS LINKS:
https://godencounters.com/identifying-and-praying-into-our-core-values/
Family:
https://triciagoyer.com/how-to-pray-gods-word-over-your-family-every-day/
https://cdn.email.cdn.churchsuite.com/5ZtwYCZgTcuu5rgMWFtM
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/family-prayers
https://www.compassionuk.org/blogs/prayers-for-family/
https://flourishingtoday.com/prayers-for-my-family/
https://www.pinecove.com/blog/25-core-values-for-your-family/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2tfRkf-NJY
Community:
https://commongoodmag.com/prayers-for-your-community/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdFZaZ5BOK0
QUOTES ABOUT THE FOUR CORE VALUES:
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He who rose to life through the Spirit had a strength that exploded in an utterly new attitude to life: love to brothers and sisters and love to one's enemy, the divine justice of the coming kingdom. Quoted from The Early Christians by Eberhard Arnold. Opening chapter: The Witness of the Early Church [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.cofhconnexion.org.uk/what-s-new/15-bible-verses/354-the-early-christians] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/remembering-eberhard-arnold-90-years.html |
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Let me now therefore, once more, before I finally cease to speak to this congregation, repeat, and earnestly press the counsel which I have often urged on the heads of families, while I was their pastor, to great painfulness in teaching, warning, and directing their children; bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord; beginning early, where there is yet opportunity, and maintaining constant diligence in all labors of this kind. … Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual.” – Jonathan Edwards [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JAUcZjYJq/] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2026/06/7-steps-to-family-worship-by-voddie.html |
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“We must live in community because we are stimulated by the same creative Spirit of unity who calls nature to unity and through whom work and culture shall become community in God.” — Eberhard Arnold PLAIN PEOPLE AND MUTUAL AID - WHY WE LIVE IN COMMUNITY BY EBERHARD ARNOLD https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2024/11/plain-people-and-mutual-aid-why-we-live.html |
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It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. - Charles Spurgeon [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/280416] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2024/02/simple-living-quotes-part-1-meet-titus.html |
BIBLE VERSES ABOUT THE FOUR CORE VALUES:
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The Fellowship of the Believers 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[d] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. – Acts 2 vs 42 to 47 (ESV) [PHOTO SOURCE: https://slideplayer.com/slide/15867780/] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2024/11/plain-people-and-mutual-aid-why-we-live.html |
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24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. – Hebrews 10:24-25 (KJV) [SOURCE: https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20210222&ver=kjv] Thoughts on Today's Verse... We need each other. We cannot make it on our own. God calls us to get together regularly to encourage and motivate each other in Christ to live vibrant lives of service to each other and faith in him. With the day of Jesus' return and our ultimate victory on the horizon, we should be even more motivated to help and encourage each other. And as the Spirit of God reminds us in our passage today, we need to consider and plan how best to help spur each other along to love and good deeds. My Prayer... Lord God, thank you for giving me a Christian family to encourage and motivate me to serve others. Please use me to bless others when we gather in Jesus' name and praise you. I ask for the Holy Spirit's help to know how best to encourage and inspire my brothers and sisters in Christ to join me in doing good deeds and loving each other. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray to be a more encouraging person, one known for building others up in Jesus. It is in his name, and for his glory I live and pray. Amen. [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1J6215zp5E/] BLOG: https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/02/sermons-on-hebrews-10-verse-24-to-25.html |
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Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2 (KJV) [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20130602&ver=kjv] OTHER LINKS: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-community/ BLOG: https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-pastor-of-reconciliation-geri.html BLOG: https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2024/05/heal-our-land-conference-2003.html |
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Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. - Matthew 6:34 (KJV) [PHOTO SOURCE: https://dailyverses.net/matthew/6/34/kjv] |
RELATED LINKS:
https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2026/04/good-friday-prayers.html
https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2026/04/easter-prayers.html
https://www.apuritansmind.com/the-christian-walk/the-christian-family/family-worship-by-a-w-pink/
https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-key-bible-verses-on-community/
7 STEPS TO FAMILY WORSHIP BY VODDIE BAUCHAM JR
https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2026/06/7-steps-to-family-worship-by-voddie.html
Family Worship:
1a. “Teach your children that worshipping God is the greatest calling in our lives. Teach them that they were created to glorify God.” — Joel R. Beeke
PHOTO: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=959425863131154&set=pb.100071912463252.-2207520000&type=3
https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html
https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html
1b. "We and our families stand in need of
blessings in a domestic capacity, therefore in that capacity we should pray for
them; in that capacity too we receive many blessings; therefore in that
capacity we should return thanks for them; and singing of psalms is the most
proper method of thanksgiving." — ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฌ, "The Necessity
and Excellence of Family Religion" in ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ , Vol. 2 (1849 ed.), p.
47 [pictured: Jennie A. Brownscombe, ๐โ๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐กโ (1914)]
[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=509582272104703&set=a.107210572341877]
PHOTO: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=939231141817293&set=pb.100071912463252.-2207520000&type=3
1c. “Let family worship be short, savory,
simple, tender, heavenly.” – Richard Cecil
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 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. – Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV)
PHOTO CAPTION: Amish family praying together before dinner
PHOTO: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=881721957568212&set=a.747880644285678
“Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual.” – Jonathan Edwards
1d. "We and our families stand in need of blessings in a domestic capacity, therefore in that capacity we should pray for them; in that capacity too we receive many blessings; therefore in that capacity we should return thanks for them; and singing of psalms is the most proper method of thanksgiving." — ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฌ, "The Necessity and Excellence of Family Religion" in ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ , Vol. 2 (1849 ed.), p. 47 [pictured: Jennie A. Brownscombe, ๐โ๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐กโ (1914)]
This blog post is Part 2 of a Sermon by Joel Beeke about Leading Family Worship. Please see Part 1 before reading this.
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