The Christ-Centered Home

by Emily Belle Freeman

We often think of Jesus' ministry as teaching to the multitudes, feeding the 5,000, teaching in the temples and synagogues, teaching on the mountainside of the seashore. But many of His most personal teachings were done within the walls of a family's home. His followers invited Him into their personal spaces, and He blessed them, healed them, and performed miracles for them. So it is today. When we invite Jesus into our homes, we will also be blessed and healed and see miracles.

Best-selling author, Emily Belle Freeman invites readers to create a more Christ-centered home through a series of twelve stories featuring Jesus teaching in the home, including the houses of Zaccheaus, Jarius, and Peter and houses in Galilee, Jerusalem, and Capernaum. Freeman encourages families to experience a Christ-centered conversation, connection, and celebration. She writes, "Maybe you could set aside one night every month for your family to discuss an attribute of Jesus Christ and a lesson He taught within someone's home. Then you could set a family goal that would allow your family to connect personally with that lesson, and you could end the evening with a simple celebration." Invite Christ into your home and allow Him to make your home a home of refuge, grace, and joy.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Lds, Faith, Parenting, Inspirational, Church

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Emily Freeman and Simon Dewey collaborated on the bestselling book The Ten Virgins. For nearly 20 years, Emily has addressed groups of women as a writer, songwriter, and motivational speaker. Her deep love of the scriptures comes from a strong desire to find their application in modern-day life. Emily and her husband, Greg, are the parents of four children and live in Lehi, Utah.

Reviews

[Trace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had received this little book months ago, given it a quick, cursory read and then set it aside. It hadn't left an impression on me. Fast forward to this past weekend and it seemed like this book kept popping up in my path - I would find it, then put it aside, only to find it again (and I could swear I kept finding it in different places). Finally I decided that I must be meant to read it again, and as I was nursing another very upset tummy, I settled down with a cup of tea, got comfy and read.
I'm so glad I gave this title another chance. I am unfamiliar with this author. But I detected a deep sense of wisdom in her words. One can always tell when an author has put in the time on her knees and hours studying Scripture. The goodness and wisdom acquired from that invested time always seems to shine through on the pages.

It is a very short, quick little read, but I found myself pondering the words almost constantly these past few days. Lots of ideas to discuss and consider. Lots of questions asked that I can't wait to start journaling about.

I want to read more from this author.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gospel in action is how I would describe this book. Emily Belle Freeman takes stories of the Savior in the New Testament and illustrates how we can use them in our lives.

The book is set up in 12 sections. Each chapter is meant to become a conversation for the family for a month. This book is meant to be taught in the home for a year.

I loved that the book takes the gospel and expounds it in a simple manner. Each chapter has a picture of an old door. I pondered the pictures and realized that it could be a door to our homes and hearts. Are we opening them to Jesus Christ.

Each chapter is excellent. I appreciated the stories and the insight into the Savior's life. The chapter that meant the most to me was month 6, Be Nice. Be Sweet. The reason's behind this is probably the spirit of contention that is often in my home. My kids often do not get along. (I imagine that this is the case in many homes.) At the end of each chapter is a lesson that can be shared with the family. They have a Conversation and a Connection. The Connection is a practical application or activity for the family to do together. In this chapter it is to write each person's name at the top with the words "I love you because..." The papers are displayed for family members to write why they love the person as they pass by. Because I received this book to review, I didn't have a month to put up papers. We did this activity tonight while everyone was gathered for Memorial Day Dinner. I told them the day before to be thinking about reasons that they loved each member of the family. There were some great things that came from this activity and laughter at the table. My kids weren't trying to put each other down and there was a feeling of unity. It was great!

I marked up my book and tagged several pages. This is a book that would be great to read again and again. The lessons strengthen not only families but individuals. A quote that I shared with my family that spoke to me is "It is true that Satan is intent on destroying each of us; it is also true that the greatest desire of the Lord is that our faith will not fail. We live in a world fraught with spiritual peril. Our beliefs are being tested on every side. Daily we have moments in which we must choose whether we will stand true to our beliefs or deny the faith."

This book will appeal to Christians of different denominations. The lessons that Christ taught are priceless and I appreciate the insight that Emily Belle Freeman shares with her readers.

[Tressa (Wishful Endings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly, highly recommend. Review posting today on the blog.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the sweet stories about Jesus. This book is for anyone who wants to make their home a refuge, a sanctuary, a true resting place for the weary traveler.

[NaDell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book. It had great thoughts to dig deep inside me to contemplate how I'm doing in each of the categories and find things I can do to improve both my own spirituality and the spirit in my home.
I don't normally like to write in books, but I HAD to write in this book just to make sure I didn't lose my thoughts. It's set up with questions and lines to add your own ideas. I even wrote in the margins!
Favorite parts of the book:
"I have learned to pay attention to when bread is introduced in a chapter of the scriptures; I know that I am about to learn more about Jesus."

'Daily we are faced with choices that either increases or tear down faith."

"We can't just wish for the words to be in our heart. Rather, we must take action to help the words find a place in our hearts."

"We decided that our job is to always wear the armor of God and then to remember that the Lord has our back." (talking about Isaiah 58:8-"Your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.")

Emily Belle Freeman takes us to twelve different homes the Savior visited and through the lessons learned there about what our homes should be to invite Christ in.
This is a wonderfully put together book that's good for all Christians of any faith to delve deeper and make their home more Christ-centered.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, and I'd like to get my own hard copy (I read it in ebook format) to keep on hand and refer to. I feel like there were a fair amount of practical ideas, though some of the chapters were more abstract, leaving you to come up with practical application yourself.

[Sara Plater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in prep for a talk—enjoyed more than expected. Love the focus on drawing on examples from Jesus to start each chapter and then love all her personal stories. Love the way she communicates about the gospel with her kids and includes the kids in family goals, decisions, etc.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this read. Its one that I'll go back and read again to refresh my thoughts helping our home. Its been really nice too with starting homeschooling!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so so good!!! I love Emily. I wanna buy the physical book so I can implement these things.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read, but could be a good starting point for some individual personal study and planning for how to make our individual lives and homes and families ready to invite Jesus in...to have Him abide. I think it may look a little bit different for each of us, but it is such a good idea to start in the scriptures and study the life of Christ and what He said and did, how He taught and lived and loved. What can we do to prepare to have Him with us?

l love the story that this book starts with and how it helps to illustrate our Savior's love for us. There are some sweet scripture stories highlighted - Zacchaeus, Jairus' daughter, Peter, Mary and Martha, Mary....to name a few. We learn and think about prayer, miracles, scriptures, holiness, unity, grace, change, love, worship, gratitude, and faith. All of these are great topics, but most importantly they all point to Jesus and help us remember and turn to Him. This is a very worthwhile and important focus and effort. The purpose of life in fact. ;) I'm grateful for what this book made me thing about and how it invited me to change and be more deliberate in how I focus on Him.

Here are a few quotes I liked from the book:

"'In every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ (Acts 5:42).'"

"'Hopie.... What does Jesus say?'.... As he waited with anticipation, Hope snuggled into his shoulder, opened wide her big blue eyes, and whispered, 'Hold you. Jesus say, 'Hold you.'' My friend burst into tears.... Christ became the center of the conversation, and in that still moment, an added measure of strength was found, hearts were lifted, and courage was renewed. So it is every time we turn to Jesus Christ (p. 2)."

"There is a great power that comes when Jesus Christ becomes the central focus of our home. If our conversations center on Christ, if pictures of Him hang on our walls, if His words have a place in our hearts, and if His attributes become characteristics 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 (p. 3)."

"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?.... I completely immersed myself in the accounts of the four Gospels. I read specifically looking for the time Jesus spent inside people's homes.... I started taking notes of the things I wanted to teach my own family (p. 4)."

"Every month, as we accompany the Savior into the homes of His followers, I want to ask one simple question.... What does Jesus say (p. 5)?"

"I look back on the three days I spent in that hoe with fond memories of good conversation and gracious care. I left wondering whether my home was as welcoming as hers had been and what I could do to make it more inviting (p. 9)."

"Zacchaeus had no knowledge beforehand that the Lord would be stopping in for a visit that afternoon. And yet he was ready. He was prepared to receive Jesus joyfully. His house stood ready to welcome a guest, but even more important, Zacchaeus was also prepared as a host fit to welcome the Lord into his home (p. 10)."

"Would the Lord be comfortable there (p. 11)?"

"One of my favorite descriptive verbs in this account is the word abide. To abide means to come and stay. It isn't a short visit; it carries with it a sense of lingering (p. 12)."

"A home where Jesus choose to abide doesn't just happen by chance; it is something we must intentionally create day after day after day (p. 12)."

"One thing I love most about this woman is that she approached the Lord expecting a miracle (p. 22)."

"He gave her more than a crumb; He gave her a miracle. That is the way of the Lord (p. 22)."

"She fell down and placed her desire at the feet of the Lord. Are we willing to do the same? Are you willing to fall at His feet in humble surrender? To ask for what only He can give? What wold this type of worship look like (p. 24)?"

"I was relying on my own strength to make it through, but I needed to rely on the Lord's strength (p. 25)."

"What would it take to create a home in which we choose faith first (p. 26)?"

"I want to keep regular appointments with God to discuss each of my children (p. 37)."

"If you want your home to be more Christ centered, let it become a house of prayer (p. 38)."

"Many years ago I made a conscious decision to include the Lord in the daily conversation of my life. Rather than limiting myself to a morning or evening prayer or prayers at mealtimes, I decide to include Him in the daily walk of my life. If the sunrise was beautiful, I paused to let Him know (p. 39)."

"Considering setting a goal to pray for specific family members...by name. I have a friend who keeps a prayer list on her nightstand. As she thinks back on each day, she adds names of the people she knows who need a blessing from the Lord (p. 42)."

"There is a humility that comes when we invite the Lord into our most private spaces. Within that hush we hear the gentle whisper of His voice, we see His hand, we feeling the prompting to rise. Perhaps, when all is said and done, the counsel to this figurative father would be similar to the advice given to Jairus in regard to his young daughter. Give her meat. sustenance. Give her a life-giving source that will give her strength, something that will help her survive spiritually (p. 49)."

"Does God's word stand guard over my children? over my family? over my home (p. 52)?"

"It became clear that the reason we love Christmas isn't because it is December 25; it is because we have set apart that day as a celebration focused on Christ with good food, fun, and time spent talking about what is important. Then I asked if we might be able to set apart the Sabbath as a holy celebration similar to Christmas. If the day were filled with good food and fun and conversations centered on Christ, would it become a day we looked forward to, similar to the way we look forward to December 25? We decided to give it a try. We started establishing traditions that would intentionally set that day apart from every other day of the week. I call these our sweet Sabbath moments (p. 66)."

"These are the times when the ordinary details of life are orchestrated in such a way that you are reminded heaven has not forgotten you. I love these orchestrated moments, the times when we experience the tender mercies of the Lord and are instantly reminded of His loving kindness (p. 93)."

"It is important to teach our families to recognize when the lord keeps His promises. Learning to be aware of the times when God remembers us requires watching for those carefully orchestrated details in the midst of our ordinary days (p. 95)."

"I had an epiphany shortly after I started keeping my book of evidences. I was reading the scriptures, and I started flipping through the pages. I saw the names written at the top of the pages--Joshua, Esther, Job, Matthew, Peter--and I realized that the pages of the scripture had become, in a sense, each person's Book of Evidences. These were records of their dealings with the Lord. A record of prayers answered, times when they felt promptings, and experiences in which they had witnessed the hand of the Lord in their lives. The scriptures were a record and a witness that the Lord had remembered them--the same way He remembers us (p. 97)."

"As true followers of Jesus Christ, we too must come to believe in the absolute power Christ has to change. He holds the power to change hearts, to change lives, to change circumstances. Great comfort accompanies this powerful truth, for when we fully grasp the reality of that knowledge, we realize that there is no earthly care that cannot be overcome through Him (p. 104)."

"I believe there is a great power that comes when we set aside the illusion of a perfect offering. I believe there is a great power that comes when we turn again to Christ and allow Him to fill our cracks with light. I believe there is great power that comes when we grasp hold of the miraculous reality that Jesus Christ has the power to change everything He touches. I believe there is great power that comes from knowing who we are. I believe there is great power that comes from recognizing His gifts within us (p. 109)."

"What could you do to help your children remember who they are and to fully grasp the hope of what they could become by turning their lives over to the Lord (p. 110)?"

"People don't need a fixer, they need a journeyer (p. 115)."

"To what lengths would I go to bring a friend to Christ (p. 117)?"

"My responsibility was to journey with them and to help bring them closer to Christ. I could not save them, but He could. I knew the Savior would know what to do. He would know how to heal their hearts; He could lead them in the direction they needed to go.... Often the greatest thing we can do for others is to lead them closer to the Lord. We can do that by sharing what we know of Him from the feelings within our hearts. Perhaps, through us, others will come to understand what He teaches, to feel how He loves, and they will come to know His heart because they have come to know ours (p. 119)."

"'I want our home to be the type of home where people would feel something good. I want people to come to our doorstep and find a welcoming home where they feel safe. I wish it would be a home where people came to talk about Jesus (p. 120).'"

"Our house became a refuge for weary travelers. A place of safety. A place where people gathered to talk about Jesus (p. 122)."

"Creating a Christ-centered home would require deliberate patterns and careful planning (p. 131)."

"In a small way, the word of the Lord had set our family apart from the world (p. 134)."

"Just like a fragrance, gratitude lingers upon all who come in contact with it, leaving a noticeable sweetness. Often gratitude is best expressed not with words, but with actions (p. 143)."

"My favorite people in the world all have one thing in common; they are filled with gratitude. It is almost as if they can't contain it; it spills out of them continuously (p. 147)."

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Christ-Centered Home, Emily walks you through the different homes that Christ taught in throughout the New Testament. I love her introduction that talks about how we can best learn how to make our homes Christ-centered by seeing how Christ taught in the home. She suggests that you read each chapter and then take a time to share and discuss it with your own family. We take so much on as parents to make our home a place of refuge and where the Spirit can be, but it’s important to remember that the children can also be apart of creating a strong home. So for a family home evening night or a family discussion, you can share the story and what you learned. You can also share a fun treat that goes with the story. And this is all done for you in the book! Each chapter ends with a template on how to discuss the topic with your family.

I also love that in each chapter Emily has thought-provoking questions that apply to the topic of the chapter. She helps you really think about how you feel about things, how you’re responding, and what’s going on in your home. I think once you actually think about it and identify how you feel, then you can better identify what needs to change or what is already going well.

Emily Belle Freeman is one of my favorite authors. She is easy to connect with and her passion is easily seen in the pages. Definitely read The Christ-Centered Home to help invite Jesus in.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just, wow!
I love books that bring me closer to Christ; that encourage me in my walk with Him. This book does so in spades! I love how the author took 12 simple conversations from Jesus' life and broke down the lessons for us into ways that we can found our homes and lives on the Rock that is Christ. These lessons and ideas are ones that I know I will return to again and again as I implement them more fully in my own life and in my family's life.
My favourite quote from the book is this: When our actions become the expression of our gratitude, then our time, our sacrifice, and our obedience become gifts rather than duties. What a life-changing way to look at devotion to God and His commandments!
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and help with promoting it by being a member of the 'launch team'.)

[Cheri]

I LOVED this book and couldn't put it down!! The feelings and impressions that came while I was reading this book, are ones that I had to stop and write down. This book has given me greater insight into changes I need to make to have a happier home and to find greater peace. I highly recommend it. It is based on the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but those that are of other faiths, can gain insight and ideas as well.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

We used this book for monthly family home evenings. Each chapter is set up to describe a house in the New Testament and how it was "Christ centered." Then there is an outline with the scripture verses to read, The Conversation (where she poses questions to ponder and talk about), The Connection (how this relates to our home and what we will work on during the month), and The Celebration (a recipe for a treat to share while discussing.) Not all the recipes were hits. Only a few were ones we enjoyed. She had a lot of hard to find ingredients that we had to substitute.

I did enjoy the growth we had as a family with our goals, like having a cleaner house, kneeling when we say family prayer, having a formal sit- down scripture study, reaching out to our neighbors, etc. I liked the months where the goal was more open- ended to suit our families needs. Some were specific, like write on a gratititude poster for the month, but I think I would have rather had a goal where we chose, like SHOW your gratitude to each family member through words and actions daily.

Brian didn't enjoy the book as much as I did. I think he thought some of the discussion and goals seemed forced or fake and didn't feel genuine to him.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick, two hour read, but is meant as a yearlong study. I checked this book out of the library, but would actually like to purchase it because it is set up somewhat like a workbook to invite thought and ideas from family and make goals for change. She explores 12 different homes the Savior entered in the scriptures and what we might learn in each. For my future reference, these are the 12 lessons:
If you want a household where He abides, invite Him in.
If you seek a household of faith, expect miracles.
If you seek a household of prayer, converse with Him.
If you seek a household of scripture, embrace the stories of Jesus.
If you seek a household of holiness, honor the day that is His.
If you seek a household of unity, do nice and be sweet.
If you seek a household of grace, discover it in the ordinary.
If you seek a household of change, forget your perfect offering.
If you seek a household of love, provide a refuge for weary travelers.
If you seek a household of worship, walk with Him.
If you seek a household of gratitude, let actions portray what words cannot express.
If you seek a household built upon a rock, make Christ the center of your home.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick one sitting book. I have to try to catch up with Tara this year;)

Some of my favorite quotes:

“People don’t need a fixer, they need a journeyer”

We decided that our job is to always wear the armor of God and then to remember that the Lord has our back.

If you seek a household where He abides INVITE HIM IN
If you seek a household of faith EXPECT MIRACLES
If you seek a household of prayer CONVERSE WITH HIM
If you seek a household of scripture EMBRACE THE STORIES OF JESUS
If you seek a household of holiness HONOR THE DAY THAT IS HIS
If you seek a household of unity
DO NICE AND BE SWEET
If you seek a household of grace DISCOVER IT IN THE ORDINARY
If you seek a household of change FORGET YOUR PERFECT OFFERING
If you seek a household of love PROVIDE A REFUGE FOR WEARY TRAVELERS If you seek a household of worship WALK WITH HIM
If you seek a household of gratitude LET ACTIONS PORTRAY
WHAT WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS
If you seek a household built upon a rock MAKE CHRIST THE CENTER OF YOUR HOME

[Shanae · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good little book with good questions and Bible references. the end of each chapter has a recipe for family discussion night which was a little contrived for my taste but it works for others. Some chapters are more fleshed out than others. Some have great questions and journal prompts. Great for a quick short study session or personal focus.

I think if you took each chapter and marinated on the word each month like the author suggests it would have a more lasting impression. This is a nice playbook for someone who wants that for their family but doesn't want to reinvent the process. I'll probably come back to it for that purpose.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it pretty quickly and it gave me a lot to ponder. This book is meant to be used over the course of a year with your family: Giving you small lessons to discuss and then encouraging you to make small, deliberate changes - 1 a month - to increase Christ’s presence in your home. The author shares scriptures, stories and personal examples to teach each principle in her book. I like how there are questions throughout the book with space to answer them. I think studying this book with my family would strengthen my family spiritually and I’m interested to read her Christmas and Easter books as well.

[Mauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book about how we can make our homes more Christ centered. I love how she has broken down these different areas of focus into a monthly lesson for our families. I like how you can take the entire month to really focus on each topic. I'm excited to start doing this with my family and hope this will help make our home a happier and more peaceful place where my children can feel closer to the Savior.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! A lot of great food for thought is in this short book. She even includes some fun recipes. I love Emily Belle Freeman's ideas for how to bring Christ more into the center of our homes and in our lives. This book is set up to work on a different goal centering around Christ for each month of the year. I want to work harder to make my home a place where the Spirit can dwell and the love of Christ is felt by all.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was beautifully written with ways to build a Christ-centered home. I loved what she took away from each scripture story, and her quotes. However, this book is written more like a study guide. It gives you lines to write down your own thoughts, and tells you to do one lesson each month for a year. I was expecting more of a how-to than a lesson manual. That was my only disappointment.

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! 12 family home evening lessons to discuss with family how you can bring Christ into your home. Uses New Testament accounts of Christ when he dwelled in homes as examples of how Jesus taught. We plan to incorporate the lessons from this book in our family home evening schedule starting January.

[Kylene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource. I didn't read it cover to cover, and we didn't do each chapter. I think it's more for when you have older kids. My little ones had a hard time with the lessons, and maybe I needed to do a better job of adapting them to their level. Overall I really liked this book and will use it in the future.

[Aubree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is laid out in 12 different chapters- one for each month of the year with inspiration to study and create a more Christ centered home with your family. I read it all at once rather than over the course of a year, but still gained great insight and inspiration on how I can make my own home more Christ-centered.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good ideas for how to have a home and family life that is more centered on Christ and His teachings. I like that she included ways of discussing the various topics with your family in a fun and engaging way.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring book about ideas to more fully center your home on Jesus Christ. Highly recommend.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic read by Emily Freeman.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I am going to read it again!

[Chesney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy ways to invite Jesus into our home but also into our personal life. Great lessons using the stories from the New Testament as well.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!