Starting the School Year on the Right Foundation

As backpacks fill, calendars fill up, and families settle into new routines, another school year begins. August is a season of fresh starts, a time to establish new rhythms, set new goals, and prepare for the year ahead. We want to be intentional about using this school year to help our children and grandchildren develop a biblical worldview.

For many families, the start of a new school year brings excitement, anticipation, and even challenges. There are new teachers to meet, new things to learn, and new experiences waiting to be had. For families who homeschool, the new school year brings its own set of challenges and opportunities. But whether our children learn in a classroom or around the kitchen table, we must remember that one of our greatest priorities should be to build a firm foundation on Jesus.

The truth of God’s Word is what will guide us through every season of life. When our families build on the foundation of Christ, we are reminded that He gives us the strength and stability we need for every challenge, opportunity, and new beginning.

Each month, we send out a family-discipleship-focused email featuring a family devotional, a prayer, and resources to help you disciple your children and grandchildren. This month, we are exploring what it means to build a faithful foundation. Through Scripture, conversations, and prayer, we hope to help your family begin this school year by focusing on the One who gives us strength, wisdom, and hope.

Our prayer is that your home would be a place where faith is nurtured, questions are welcomed, and your family continues to grow together as you follow Jesus.

Family Devotional: A New School Year, A Strong Foundation

Read as a Family:

A new school year brings many new things. New truths to learn, new opportunities, and new challenges. We spend a lot of time buying supplies, organizing schedules, and preparing for everything that will happen over the next nine months. But in the business of this time, it is important to remember that we need a firm foundation.

In Matthew 7, Jesus was finishing one of his most famous teachings, the Sermon on the Mount, and He gave us a really great picture. He tells a story about a man who built his life on the rock and another who built his house on the sand. When storms hit and the floods rose, the house on the rock stood, and the one on the sand was swept away. Jesus’ point was that the foundation we build our lives on matters. He was showing us that there are two ways to live: One built on the truth of God’s Word and one built on anything else.

A foundation holds something up. A strong foundation helps a building stand when storms come. In the same way, God’s Word helps us stand strong on difficult days. This year, we will learn many new things at school. We will grow in knowledge, learn new skills, and discover new interests. Those things are great, but even greater still is learning who God is and how we can build our lives on Him.

When our family builds our lives on Jesus, we have a foundation that will never fail.

We build that foundation by reading God’s Word, praying together, and worshiping together, and by choosing to follow Him each day. As this school year begins, let’s ask ourselves: Are we building our lives on things that will last, or on things that will fade away?

Read Together: Matthew 7: 24-29

 Discuss Together:

• What are some things you are looking forward to this school year? Why are you excited about them?

• What are some challenges you might face this year? How does the possibility of facing these challenges make you feel, and why?

• Why do you think it is important to have a strong foundation?

• What are some ways our family can build our lives on Jesus? How can a foundation built on Jesus affect how we face the new opportunities and challenges this school year will bring?

Pray Together:

Pray for:

• Your teachers and classmates
• Wisdom when making choices
• A heart that desires to follow Jesus and build your life on Him.
• Opportunities to show the love of Christ to others

 Memorize Together: 

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7: 24-25).

A Prayer for Children and Grandchildren

Heavenly Father,

As a new school year begins, we thank you for the gift of children and grandchildren and for the privilege of raising them to know and love you. We recognize that every good gift comes from you, and we ask that you guide us in the days ahead.

Bless our children and grandchildren with hearts that seek You above all else. Grant them wisdom to make choices that glorify You, courage to stand for what is right, kindness toward those around them, and humility to show Your love in every situation. When they face challenges, remind them that You are with them and that they can trust You in every circumstance.

Bless us as parents and grandparents. Help us be faithful examples of followers of Jesus. Grant us patience in busy moments, wisdom in difficult conversations, and perseverance to make our home a place where Your Word is read and You are glorified. May we never lose sight of the incredible calling You have given us to disciple our children and grandchildren.

Lord, let this school year be about more than academic success. May our families grow in faith, deepen their love for You, and become a light to those around them. Build a firm foundation in our homes that will endure for generations.

We trust You with this year, knowing that You are faithful and that You, who began a good work in us, will bring it to completion.

In the name of Jesus, we pray,

Amen.

Resources

Worship Songs:

1. Firm Foundation (He Won’t) by Cody Carnes
2. I Will Follow by Chris Tomlin

Podcast:

1. The Gospel Shaped Family Podcast – Establishing Family Worship in Your Home https://gospelshapedfamily.podbean.com/e/establishing-family-worship-in-your-home/
2. The Gospel Shaped Family Podcast – 4 Biblical Characteristics of Discipling Children – https://gospelshapedfamily.podbean.com/e/4-biblical-characteristics-of-discipling-children/

Books:

1. 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home by Josh and Jen Mulvihill https://shop.renewanation.org/products/50-things
2. Praise Him by Amber Pike https://shop.renewanation.org/products/praise-him-a-30-day-family-devotional