The Bible and experience confirms that our personalities, values, identity and conscience are largely formed by the family that raised us. We get "spiritual DNA" from our parents and ancestors that can be good and bad. Sin patterns, dysfunctional relationship patterns and coping mechanisms run in families. This is an intro to a huge and important topic that probably should be a series. This is a topic that can open up thinking and family discussions that could help heal and protect your family. This is not a topic most churches talk about but one they need to address due to the increases of sin and dysfunction in American families today.

1. Welcome to Abundant
Life Fellowship
We Are In the Family of God

2. You Are Your Family
How to Overcome Family Deficiencies

3. All Families Are Damaged
• Adam’s sin has corrupted all
mankind.
• “Through the disobedience of
the one man the many were
made sinners.” Rom. 5:19
• “In order to work toward
healthy families we must
grapple with the fact that all of
us are part of a dysfunctional
family, because all of us are
rooted in the family history of
Adam.” ~Russell Moore

4. Family Identity
• Your family background and
family connections tell much
about you.
• We get physical DNA and
“spiritual DNA” from our
parents & our ancestors
• Goal: Identity the “good DNA”
and correct the “bad DNA”
• Jesus came to help us do that!
• Our Church Family can help!

5. Who We Are
• Like our parents & grandparents
• They teach us what is “normal” and “abnormal”
• Their preferences & assumptions influence ours
• Their strengths make us stronger
• Their weaknesses make us weaker
• Their lies can become truth to us
• Their fears can become our fears

6. Spiritual Warfare
Ground Zero
• Satan has come to earth to
make war on the saints: Rev
12
• His favorite battleground is the
family.
• Nothing on earth shapes our
character, personality and
conscience like our family

7. War on the Family
• “Then the dragon…went off to wage war against…those who
keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about
Jesus.” Rev. 12:17
• In every age, that battleground is fought primarily in families.
• Harming the peace & unity of marriages
• Promoting adultery, pornography, lust
• Weakening the parent-child bond
• Infecting children with the sin patterns of their family

8. Infected Families
• “The reason the Son of God
appeared was to destroy the
works of the devil” (1 John
3:8).
• Some of those works come to
us from our family lineage
• Discovering those dark works
helps us fight back
• We can warn and equip our
children and grandchildren
to fight back, too.

9. OT Blessings & Curses
• “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse,
and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Gen. 12:3
• “The scepter will not depart from Judah, (4th son) nor the ruler’s staff from
between his feet…” Gen. 49:10
• “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength…you
will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch
and defiled it.” Gen. 49:3-4
• “I will punish him (false prophet) and his family. None of his descendants will
see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel
against me. I, the LORD, have spoken!’" Jer. 29:32
• All the male descendants of Kings Ahab, Jeroboam & Basha were all killed
by God for promoting idolatry among God’s people.

10. Family Sins
• Some sins “run in families”
• In New Testament, we are not
spiritually accountable or guilty
to God for the sins of our
ancestors
• But some serious sins of
forefathers may carry God-given
penalties to our generation ( Ex.
20:1-4)
• Family sin patterns usually create
a weakness & propensity in family
members to commit the same
sins. (Rom. 5:12)

11. Sins that Can Produce
Generational Family Penalties
• Idolatry: false religions, Freemasonry, spiritism, witchcraft,
seances, horoscopes, etc.
• These are First Commandment infractions (Ex. 20:1-4)
• Possible generational penalties: Premeditated murder,
rape, incest and the like.

12. Defective Family DNA
• Abraham’s family: liars
• King David’s family:
sexual lust

13. Abraham Family of Liars
• Abraham lied about Sara: Gen. 12:13. 20:2
• His son, Issac, lied about his wife: Gen. 26: 7-8
• His son, Jacob, lied to Issac to steal the birthright: Gen. 27:6-30
• Jacob deceived Laban, his crafty uncle: Gen 31:30
• Jacob’s sons, Simeon & Levi, lied to a village to kill the village: Gen 34:13-31
• Jacob’s son ,Judah, lied to Tamar: Gen. 38:11, 14, 26
• 11 sons of Jacob lied to him about the disappearance of Joseph: Gen
37:31-35
• Joseph lied to his brothers—but to help them. Gen. 45:5-10

14. Lust in David’s Family
• Great-Grandmom Rahab was a prostitute: Josh. 2:1
• David & Bathsheba committed adultery: 2 Sam. 11
• God’s penalty: “Sword would never leave his house.”
• David’s son, Amnon, raped half-sister Tamar.” His brother,
Absolom, killed him.
• David’s son, Absolom, had sex with David’s concubines after
driving his father, David, out of town by the sword: 2 Sam. 16:22
• David’s son, Solomon, had 1000 wives and concubines, including
many, forbidden foreign wives —> idolatry. 1 Kg.11:1-14

15. Family Sin Patterns
• Lust
• Pride
• Anger/hatred
• Addictions
• Lying
• Cowardice
• Unbelief
• Violence
• Stealing/cheating
• Laziness
• Critical/judgemental
• Selfish/ narcissistic

16. Parental Dysfunction
Patterns
• Emotional Neglect
• Physical/emotional
Violence
• Chemical Addictions
• Sex Addictions
• Depression
• Narcissism
• Persistent strong fears
• Persistent dishonesty
• Laziness
• Critical/angry/hot-
tempered

17. Dysfunction Coping
Mechanisms
• Workaholic / Overachiever
/ Hero
• Alcohol / Drugs
• Pornography / sex sin
• Withdrawn / Depressed
• Self-centered / Loner
• Fear-based living
• Unable to trust / bond
• Excessive Humor / Clown
• Laziness / Lost Child
• Obsessive caretaker
• Critical / Angry / Hot-
tempered
• Hates Authority/ Rebel

18. Redeemed Family DNA
• “…knowing that you were not
redeemed with perishable things like
silver or gold from your futile way of
life inherited from your forefathers,
• but with precious blood, as of a
lamb unblemished and spotless, the
blood of Christ.”
• Redeemed from eternal penalties
of sin instantly.
• Cleansing our lives from the
affects of our sins and family sin
patterns takes time and effort.

19. Fixing Family DNA
• Basic Healing Instructions: Confession, forgiveness,
restitution: 2 Sam. 21: 1-14
• Prayer: “Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers
against us…” Ps. 79:8
• Jesus came to heal families: “Christ redeemed us from
the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is
written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” Gal.
3:13

20. Fixing Family DNA
• Clearly identify the “bad DNA” in your family
• Identify lies from childhood and ask God for His truth
• Memorize scriptures & songs to counter
• Choose to always obey those scriptures
• Pray and repent to break generational sin and behavior patterns
• Prepare your children and grandchildren to fight the “bad DNA”
• Confess to other Christians ( James 5)
• Seek deliverance for strong issues and join a support group